For those of you whom I have not yet had the pleasure to meet, I hope these answers give you a better idea of who I am and what I stand for. Thanks for taking the time to read through this as I humbly ask you for your vote in April; but even if I haven’t earned your vote, I encourage you to get to the polls and make your voice heard!
Why do you wish to serve on the Board of Selectmen and why should the constituents of Easton
As a father of two young children in the public schools who intends to make Easton his life-long home, I care deeply about protecting and preserving our town for future generations. I am running for a position on the Board of Selectmen because I believe that my views and those of like-minded Easton residents are not fully represented on the Board. I have concerns about many of the proposed changes for our town, particularly in light of Beacon Hill’s exuberance in increasing taxes and fees while cutting local aid. I am also a big believer in the power of the masses and feel like the Board can do much more to engage and mobilize the talents of the people in town to help make Easton an even better place to live.
On the proposed restructuring of the Town government format from a Town Meeting to a Town Manager/Town Council format:
Although the Town Meeting format is at times unwieldy, I believe that the people should have as much participation in town development as possible. Democracy need not be sacrificed in the name of expediency. I don’t think the issues facing our town are “too complicated” for town meeting attendees to understand and vote on, as has been suggested repeatedly by proponents of the change.
On the proposed commuter rail extension to Fall River and New Bedford routing through Easton
I am absolutely opposed to the extension of the Commuter Rail through Easton. I think that the Board should fight the proposal far more vigorously, and should reach out to the public for help in the fight. The impact of commuter trains regularly passing through Easton and the attendant parking complications and traffic congestion would be dramatic. It doesn’t take a vivid imagination to foresee the negative consequences of dozens of train trips a day passing through our town, all in the name of a Beacon Hill campaign promise.
On the potential of another Prop 2 ½ Override:
Despite the financial issues the town is facing, I am vehemently opposed to the idea of another override. Dramatically raising property taxes during what is being called the worst recession since the Great Depression is unconscionable. My family is intimately aware of what it is like to struggle to cover the bills. We have already been hit with increases in the sales tax, MBTA fare hikes, toll increases and surcharges on our energy bills; the taxpayer has done more than their fair share in my opinion. Does this mean we may have to live with fewer town services? Possibly so, but I think most people can appreciate that you shouldn’t buy a new car if you can’t pay your mortgage.
On financing improvements in the Easton public schools:
We are very fortunate to have terrific groups like the FEEE, PACs and booster clubs in town that help fill in the gaps and underwrite special projects and programs. We should explore even more options outside of the town budget to creatively finance necessary improvements in our schools. I am a big proponent of corporate sponsorship in schools—everything from book sponsors to advertising on buses-- because I believe that our local businesses have as much stake in the education of our kids as we do, they are their future employees after all. I was very pleased to see that my oldest son’s take-home folder this year was sponsored by many small businesses around town and I hope this trend continues. Kudos to the schools and the School Board for their working hard in this area.
On ensuring Easton’s public safety:
We need to minimize the further depletion of public safety personnel in our town and ensure that any future budget cuts that may be necessary do not come from eliminating staff. We have a critically low number of patrols on the streets and we face firehouse closures if the number of firefighters per shift decreases.
I would also like to make note of the proposed traffic plan for the Foundry/Prospect Street intersection, and the “See The Light” campaign in general. Anyone who has ever driven through, and particularly those who must use it every day, knows how treacherous that intersection is. The work of the STL group and the St. John family may be the finest example of what a grass-roots public campaign for can do to prompt action by government to address a public safety concern I have ever seen. I would support nearly every conceivable method of town funding to get this project completed, immediately.
On the proposed partnership with Beacon Communities for repurposing the Shovel Shops:
I would like to see this important historic site preserved, but the terms of the current financing plan places far too much risk on town. As it stands, $4.5m of the $7.5m CPA dollars provided to Beacon would come in the form of a 2nd mortgage on the property, and an additional $1.5m of town funds would be required to build a waste water treatment plant. The terms of the 2nd mortgage repayment would not require Beacon to pay back on the loan until all of Beacon’s costs and management fees were covered by the sale of converted condo units, after a hold period of five years, and their first mortgage is repaid in full.
I wasn’t living in Easton when the town voted to adopt the CPA in 2001, but I really wonder how tying up these funds, for this duration and purpose, would have meshed with the original intentions of the voters. While I don’t oppose the $3m portion of the funding to be provided by the CPAC to purchase the historic preservation easement (if that is what the committee ultimately votes to approve), I would not support any proposal that included the need for any of the $7.5m to be bonded by the CPAC. As I write this, that has yet to be announced.
So there you have it in a nutshell. Now let’s hear what you have to say. My only request would be to keep it G-rated as we have more than a couple younger readers out here; other than that, feel free to disagree!
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