Let’s set the record straight!

On June 3rd Marlborough’s Democrat First Selectman Bill Black made a presentation to the Board of Finance in which he said that “he feels that we need to control taxes and reduce both the school and the operations budgets so people can still afford to live in town”.

See BOF meeting minutes: http://www.marlboroughct.net/content/Minutes/2009/BOF060309.pdf.

In Mr. Black’s presentation he listed all of the items that the Democrats attribute to the Republican members of the Board of Finance.

First Selectman Black’s suggestions included:

• Having NO lifeguards during the weekdays.
• A 15% to 25% reduction in library hours.
• Not replacing the retiring State Trooper.
• Close the Transfer Station except for Saturday.
• Reduce the Board of Education budget by up to $450,000!
• Slash AHM from the school’s budget.
• Cut the $1,000 grant to Fife and Drum.

Yes, these were all First Selectman Black’s suggestions!

Also keep in mind that at any given Board of Finance meeting there are only three voting Republicans out of six voting members. That means in order to pass any motion, there needs to be a 4-2 majority, which would have needed bipartisan support. Yes folks, that means that at least one Democrat would need to vote in support for any cut in order to pass a motion.

The DTC leadership likes to twist the facts in order to frighten the voters and to deflect blame away from their own First Selectman and their own Party. It is time for the taxpayers to realize who is out there looking out for their interests, and it is NOT First Selectman Bill Black nor is it Lauren Cragg.

I brought up the multi-year 4% raises in this comment thread. The BOE and BOS are Democrat control boards. I’d have to check the town website to see who voted for what on an individual basis.

But the BOS is not up for election this year, and the 4 BOE candidates have no contested elections, all the BOE candidates are guaranteed to win!

The BOF is the race to watch. And there are some clear choices, those on the record with no problem with higher taxes. And those who have worked to keep tax increases down.

As far as “unsportsmanlike” play going on, I agree. The Democrat flier was shameful, but expected based on their past history.

I provided an analysis of the Democrat flier, perhaps you could provide a similar analysis on Republican claims?

By comparison, the DTC had no problem with their mischaracterization of the Republican candidates in last week’s insert in the Rivereast. I can’t wait to see what shows up in this week’s paper!

In addition, there has been extensive vandalism of Republican signs in the last couple of weeks and I have reports that someone was observed damaging signs at the North Main Street/Park Road interstection including a sign that was thrown into the brook. Other signs on North Main Street were run over by a car and others were taken from Jones Hollow Road. I would prefer not to report this to the State Police, so perhaps the DTC could reign in their supporters before they get in trouble.

Are you saying that No Republicans voted for the BOE or Town raises?

You’re staying uncharacteristically silent on the imposter Dem signs – what’s your stance at RTC chair? There’s been some unsportsmanlike play going on …we expect more in our town.

I am not saying it is good or bad, only speculating on what might come out of it.

My point is this I don’t think we will be getting petiitions signed for projects like a business park with no businesses on it, to move roads, and then 5 years after move them again, or to gain funding for projects like cuttng down trees, digging up a town green and removing stone walls to replace them with stone walls, trees, a replanted town green, and to tear up a road to replace it with a road.
i don’t think we will petition to hire an lawyer to fight a dissabled vetrans right to gain tax exempt status. When we could have just handed him the money the lawyer would have cost ! As gratitude for serving US, and being wounded in the process !
Do you wonder what will happen in a good way, or do you wonder if people will petition for non sense stuff? perhaps I missunderstoof you.
But I think our town hall is full of enough nonsense worth petitioning!
And I doubt the people will gather petitions let alone THE VOTES for every special interest category.

Oh, but that WAS not in the Democrat Flier.