The Tired, The Poor, The Hungry In Our Midst
The Hartford Courant: By 9:45 a.m. on a bitterly cold Tuesday, cars line the street in this neighborhood of commanding houses. Meanwhile, the 20 or so volunteers inside are separating cans and rearranging home goods that are free for the taking.
This local food bank once opened at 10 a.m., but anxious people began arriving earlier and earlier, so organizers pushed that up 15 minutes. The new time is firm. Volunteers need that to prepare for the 45 to 65 families — or 200 people — they serve each week.
This is Marlborough — my town,…..
The word I hear is the number of families is up to 80. A tax increase will hit them the hardest. According to RealtyTrac there are 8 foreclosures in Marlborough.
If you would like to donate to the Marlborough Food Bank
The Food Bank of Marlborough is now a 501(c)3 charitable organization, and is sponsored by the Congregational Church of Marlborough. It is eligible for employer matching funds. Monetary donations by check, made out to The Food Bank of Marlborough, can be mailed to: Food Bank, c/o Marlborough Town Hall, 26 North Main Street, PO Box 29, Marlborough, CT. 06447.
Other arrangements for donation drop offs can be made by emailing marlboroughfoodbank@comcast.net or by calling the Food Bank during open hours. Specific food need lists can also be requested via email or by calling.
The Food Bank of Marlborough is managed by Linda Cherry, and is staffed by volunteers. If you would like to volunteer at the Food Bank, please call, show up during open hours, or email.
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Great job, finding that article, Bob. I’m forwarding a copy of that to Bill Black. Maybe he’ll donate his pay raise, or more accurately our money, to the food bank this year, on the town’s behalf.
Guess those people should just move out of town, right Anonymous? That will solve the problem, and the BOS can just tax away to their heart’s content.
The food bank and fuel bank are both examples of what a community can do to help their own.
When it comes to public assistance, things have become so much more complicated in the last 50 years. I recall growing up in a small town in Mass. which was very similar to Marlborough. I never heard of “welfare” when I was a kid but we did have a poor family in town. There was a fellow by the name of Elmer Warren. He lived in a shack down a small country road. Mr. Warren earned a living by clearing brush along the town’s roadways. He would ride his bike with a sickle strapped to the back. Day after day he would clear brush along the roadways, moving from one road to another. That was the town’s way of providing assistance to him. He labored clearing brush and the Town provided him with compensation.
But those were so much simpler times. It is a shame that we have made things so complicated. We can argue about whether they were better times or not, but I fondly recall my mother having me bring Mr. Warren a glass of iced tea whenever he was working in the vicinity of our home. Yes, I think it was a simpler time, and to me, a better time.
@Ken Hjulstrom
Great comment, Ken. I’ve heard similar stories from my mom. Sounds like the definition of a caring rural community, and a great place to live.
Too bad that’s not Marlborough anymore. We’re an affluent suburban municipality. If people don’t fit that mold, I guess they need to get out, so the affluent can take their place.
I would not be so quick to draw lines between groups of people in town. In today’s economic climate there are a lot of people who we would consider “affluent” who have been hit harder than those of lesser means. I am not saying that you are doing this, but there are those who use the technique of pitting one group against another to gain political ground. We are all in this boat together and unless we row in the same direction we are not going to get anywhere. I prefer to look at the source of our problems and encourage ALL taxpayers to work together to find a solution. It is in everyone’s best interests to control spending and minimize costs. If we take an US vs THEM attitude NONE of US will win.
@Ken Hjulstrom
I believe you missed my point. I am not categorizing people. The town is. The only “us vs. them” is we the people, versus our servant government, as they elect to ignore the majority.
They can’t ignore the “majority” if the “majority” comes out to vote on June 1st. I just hope that we do have a good turn out on Monday so that we get a good representation of voters as well as a good cross section of input for the exit poll.
@Ken Hjulstrom
Really? Black did a good job of ignoring the majority after the last vote, don’t you think?
David-
I don’t think most people realize the facts. There was a blast email last night saying vote yes for the board of finance approved budget. Did you receive it?
I think, sad as it is, most people are “too busy” to know the facts. maybe we should make notices for paper boxes or signs. I didn’t see Michele’s signs, either. What do you think?
Unfortunately, I think that the misguided budget that will go forth tomorrow night will win. I think that the yes vote is more organized and will turn out the vote.
It is too bad because the Board of Education chair is arrogant, cuts people off and slandered select members of the Board of Finance who were trying to tell the truth. The Board of Education played the victim card and hero card, when in fact, they were at best misleading us and most likely lying to us and definitely reducing the town’s reserve and increasing taxes to an unprecedented level.
Our taxes and debt, if this budget passes, are far higher than any neighboring town’s debt and tax level. I think people are complacent and tired from their own lives and trust these people who seem nice but who have mislead the truth and have practiced the politics of personal destruction.
I know that if people know the truth they will vote no but I am worried that that won’t happen.
The lack of an exit poll after the May 11th meeting was inexcusable. Most felt that the majority in attendance felt that the budget was too high, but when Bill Black failed to issue the exit poll he left himself free to use his own interpretation of the crowd’s intent.
As for Monday’s outcome, I really do not know how it will go. I am hearing viewpoints from both sides.
Ken-
I thought you were the leader of the Republican Party and that you stood for something. You seem to stand for nothing except let’s get along. It is very sad. I am looking for leadership.
Many, regardless of party, have a position on this matter. Most of my friends, Republican, Unaffiliated and Democrat, think that the budget is too high and are voting no.
Do you have a position? The democrats are clear and united. You seem to be floundering. Have I interpreted you wrong? Do you have a position or do you like to be in the middle and articulate all viewpoints and not make a stand? If so, you stand for nothing!
Maybe Ken likes to straddle the fence so that he doesn’t offend anyone, just in case one of us needs to sell our home, he wants to be first in line to be our agent!
@Soccer Mom
I agree with you a 100%, except for the fact that I don’t think the budget will pass. In the past, I was one of those that was “too busy” to stay informed on the local politics. Then the sewer project began and that affected me personally, and I began to take an interest. I think it is the same with the budget, people tend to let things take their course, until it affects them personally, then they start to wake up and take notice. Money is tight. Most are making do with less, making sacrifices in order to make their families budgets work, and why shouldn’t they expect the same from their town government. And if you think the BOE is bad, try dealing with the WPCA!
I’ve got some more bad news for those of us in the sewer district. I got my hands on a copy of the proposed regulations, and since they’re not copyrighted, have posted them on my site. There’s a new post highlighting a few things.
Bottom line — connection is mandatory, and you could be fined $100 a day if you don’t. Use usage charge is $300, plus whatever the benefit assessment charge will be. So, if you’re in the district, you will be paying another $1000 – $1250 over your property taxes, at minimum, this year.
Factor that into your annual budget before you go and vote tomorrow.
If trying to encourage people to be informed and to become involved is “straddling the fence”, then OK, that is what I am doing. Unlike those who have been stirring up the crowd based on fear and intimidation I would prefer to have an informed citizenry that makes up their own minds, not a bunch of lemmings who will follow the person with the loudest voice over a cliff.
If you want someone to tell you how to think then I would prefer you listen to someone else, because I respect people who have the courage to think for themselves and to make their own decisions.
There will be plenty of time for “politics” when we approach the elections this November. And by that time I am sure you will be up to your ears in political banter. Now is the time for intelligent and thoughtful debate and discussion. Anything else is a waste of time and distracts us from the issues, or is that the goal for those who are calling for political warfare?
Whether someone has an R, D, U, G or an L after their name has little effect on how I view them. I am more concerned about what they say and whether or not their viewpoint is based on facts rather than emotion or agendas.
@David – sewer this and sewer that – what a waste of time – there was a vote – the vote was to put sewers in. The no vote lost. You know what? Tough. So the response to your losing that vote is to spread the whining over it to the schools and town services. That may not be the intent but that is the effect. The residents KNOW they lost the sewer vote 5 years ago. They KNEW what the costs were going to be. They CHOSE to stay here. If I had a special assessment that I did not want to pay – I would have moved to a town without the special assessment.
At some point there will be a lashback by people who voted yes on these projects – be careful what you wish for – you may find a situation where your taxes go up dramatically one year because the ‘Yes’ vote gets tired of being told they were wrong. . .
Joe.. am wondering if you would be saying sewer this and sewer that if you lived within the sewer district. You say we knew what the costs would be. The costs weren’t clear then… and they still aren’t clear now. You really ought to do a little more research before you just spout off in your nasty tone of voice. Read the original sewer project proposal and you will see that the reality of what is happening is nothing like the original proposal. And furthermore, I can almost guarantee that the few votes that made the difference between the project failing and winning, were cast by voters outside the district! Maybe even you?
Also Joe.. just to help you with your research… the vote on the sewers was taken in 2001… just a bit more than 5 years ago!!!