Bloodsport = Clinton Politics

What the heck is going on with the Clinton BOS? First they put an article on the Town Meeting warrant to make the Town Administrator (TA) a strong TA with the ability to hire, appoint and fire department heads (with an option for the BOS to reject within 15 days). So as explained at Town Meeting (TM) the department heads would have the ability to hire and fire with approval from the TA.

The BOS in an inexplicably bizarre move has voted 4-1 to relinquish the TA’s and it’s own duties and responsibilities and pay a HIRED, private consulting firm to recommend who to promote to Sargeant — Doing this instead of our elected town officials, the TA or the department head recommending the next Clinton Police Department’s sergeant is an abdication of their duties.  Come on — Paying to figure out which person to promote from within…

Selectman William Connolly, Jr, the only selectman to dissent seems to be the only one with common sense and the courage to not cave into letting this private firm select from a pool of internal candidates. He objected to the process and would prefer local officials do the hiring which is the correct mode of operation for town government.

Maybe we should just repeal the warrant article before it’s approved by the legislature. And yes, the selectmen do still have the power to allow the process to proceed the way it was outlined at TM without approval. They can assign this to the TA and ultimately to the appointing department head.  First meeting of the “new” board and the first botched policy decision, it’s going to be a long year with no leadership and business (or lack of business) as usual

I just wanted to take a moment to thank the 866 Clinton voters who voted and put their trust in me. I do wish there had been a larger turnout and more folks had exercised their right to select their town leadership. Congratulations to the winners who ran good clean campaigns.

I will resume posting to Bloodsport when an issue comes up that I feel strongly about, in fact I do have one in the works right now and will share the details of it with you as soon as I am able to gain a couple more details.

Thanks again,

Joe

As I campaign and meet many of you and to those I may not run into in my travels, I respectfully ask for your vote for the position of Selectman.

If you read this BLOG from the beginning you will see I’ve documented what I believe are missteps taken by the BOS over the past couple years.  I also have a few stating that I agree with the course of action they’ve taken when they’ve done the right thing.

I believe I have the experience both from my municipal service as a Selectman, Charter Commissioner, member of multiple committee’s and sub-committee’s and from my professional experience as an engineer and project leader. In these roles I have had to make many hard decisions and work collaboratively with others.

I will be able to step into office and hit the ground running, there will be no learning curve, you will be fully represented from day one.

I also have a story to share with you, as I read at Clintonmass.com about “candidate apathy” I believe I know why at least one candidate hasn’t posted anything. It goes like this;

I was standing out Saturday and had a “conversation” with Mr. Joseph Trautner. I asked him about his comment at candidates night saying I gave the Police, Fire and DPW workers raises they shouldn’t have gotten. I responded yes, I did approve raises when I signed their contracts back in 2005-2006.  He said they didn’t deserve raises and that the Police and Fire should be cut in budget dollars and in size. I said what do you think we should do?  deputize people and use them to police the town?  to which he replied YES! I said what about if your house was on fire and he replied and I paraphrase “They (Fire Department) have never saved a building anyway” as well as something about having a volunteer department.  So take whatever you want away from that interchange.  I guess if I didn’t support public safety I wouldn’t want to post any of my information either!

Well Lancaster’s at it again, the town of Lancaster has filed a lawsuit against the Town of Clinton and it’s own Zoning Board of Appeals. The newspaper account lists Lancaster as the plaintiff through its building commissioner Peter Munro.

It’s beyond belief, the Lancaster ZBA who was required to setup a hearing within 65 days of the filing of an appeal by Clinton has now led the building commissioner to file suit against them(ZBA) and the town of Clinton.  All because they couldn’t get their act together and have the hearing in a timely manner which resulted in constructive approval. (of Clinton’s Appeal)

If one is to believe the party line, then Peter Munro, The building commissioner was supposedly “aggrieved” by Clinton’s claim as well as by the ZBA’s not having the hearing 65 days after the filing by Clinton, what a joke!  My opinion is the tail is wagging the dog, that is, Mr. Orlando Pacheco Lancaster’s  Town Manager orchestrated this bogus lawsuit because he is acting like a petulant child, showing his arrogant and blatant disregard for the Clinton Police Force and therefore the town. I’m sure he told HIS BOS that he was going to have Mr. Munro file suit and they agreed like good little pawns, but make no mistake, Pacheco is the puppet-master, pulling all the strings behind the scenes in my opinion.  I do wonder who is paying the price for his dog and pony show?

Was Mr. Munro really “aggrieved” not in my opinion, it’s just the next move, actually Orlando’s next move in a hallucinogenic game of chess Lancaster is playing with the Town of Clinton. They had the audacity to deem their residentially zoned firing range “legal” and issue themselves  a special permit at a hearing last year and then didn’t apply the same logic or precedence to the Clinton range, what hypocrisy.  We have ours and you can’t have yours.

Clinton has contended that the Police should be able to qualify at the rifle range and were willing to set parameters such as hours of operation and whatever else was brought to the table…Lancaster refused, talk about belligerent behavior.  Hopefully Clinton will win the suit and the deafening silence will go away, replaced by officers qualifying with their firearms to help keep the population of Clinton safe.

Wow, I’m stunned.  The do nothing BOS actually did something at one of their infrequent meetings, and it actually made sense.  At the urging of Selectman Connolly the board created three sub-committee’s to study Regionalization, Capital Planning and Changes to Town Government.

I’m glad to see that the board that hasn’t done a damn thing all year accept issue liquor licenses and turn down automobile sales permits has done something that makes sense and has a pro-active tone to it.

I won’t get too giddy though, It may be nothing but lip service by the Chairman to placate the masses as it had been brought up in open session by Connolly and couldn’t be swept under the rug.  Who knows, maybe they have room on their committee for someone that served on the Charter Commission and as a Selectman, one who has true insight and a working understanding of town government and what is lacking.  I wonder what would happen if I applied???

Hmmm, maybe, just maybe it’s worth a shot, I wouldn’t expect to be selected as this board wants things to stay as they are, but it would be a good exercise in showing what hypocrites they are.  Dickhaut and Haley both ignored the  proposal I put forth as a starting point when I  was still on the board.

In fact here’s the starting proposal which was cut from the old charter document and put forth for DISCUSSION, this never took place as Dickhaut and Haley just sat there slack jawed and ignored it.  http://www.josephnotaro.com/Archived/change_agent_2_13_08.pdf

It should be an interesting committee, bet the outcome is what Dickhaut wanted all along, A strong Town Administrator with no specified duties so she can tell him / her what to do without boundries.

January 19th 2010

OK, Here are the Clinton machine count results:

Brown—–2719—61.3%
Coakley—1655—37.3%
Kennedy–58——-1.3%

Congratulations to the 2719 Clinton voters who voted for Scott Brown. You my friends are part of history, the start of something bigger than you may realize. I’m watching his victory speech and he is truly a class act, gracious and
positive.

I can’t wait for the 2010 mid-term elections when the House and Senate get re-adjusted so to speak. One party rule sucks, you need that check and balance of differing opinions.  I mean that to be any single party Republican or Democrat.
You all did a great job, Thank you.

****************************************

Below is my letter to the Editor in support of Scott Brown. In these dark days of massive government debt, the specter of a potential bureaucracy larger than the IRS if Obama-Care were to pass and with one party Democratic rule that’s crushing what’s left of the middle class, we need a leader like Scott Brown.

Coakley with the morally bankrupt national democratic political machine have run one of the most negative attack campaigns I’ve ever witnessed.  (Besides local Clinton Elections!)  These people should be damn ashamed of themselves - I doubt they are though.

Scott  Brown is to much of a gentleman to run a negative campaign and I applaud him, win or lose. Although I do believe he will prevail, nothing is ever over until it’s over.  I hope to God he does win and shows people that through perseverance and honesty you can prevail against heinous attack campaigns. GO SCOTT BROWN.

My Letter–

I would like to ask all voters to please get out January 19th and vote for Scott Brown as our next U.S. Senator. He is a stand up man with a great message and the common sense ideas needed to help lead us out of the mess our government is in.

From an across the board tax cut for families and businesses that will increase investment and create new job growth to his belief in limited government, and in the boundless power of the free market to create jobs and wealth for our people, Scott Brown exudes all that is right with his views and great attitude. Scott Brown knows that the big-spenders in Washington need to quit expanding our government and defending their wasteful spending, and start expanding the economy and defending our jobs.

Scott Brown believes that in Massachusetts, one-party power breeds corruption and arrogance, and it’s time we end
it.

Again I ask that you please vote on January 19th for Scott Brown as your next U.S. Senator, It’s a decision you won’t regret.

The tax burden via the real estate tax split that has been levied for years on commercial and Industrial property owners has been a disincentive to stay in Clinton, or for businesses to locate or relocate here. Look at the empty mills and storefronts on High St. Some business failures and closings are obviously due to to the economy but you have to wonder how many of those would still be here if we had equitable tax rates for all…something I’ve pondered for quite a while.

Chairman Dickhaut seems to believe TIF’s are the answer, but they only last a finite amount of time and are only good with regard to new businesses. This is like when you open an account somewhere and they give you a better introductory rate. then it goes up and stays there. Existing businesses get no break other than the reduction of the rate split. Don’t get me wrong, the TIF is a good tool to have but is only one tool, not the be all end all of economic development.

Also Commercial and Industrial property values have not diminished in value like residential properties have, resulting in a double whammy on our businesses. The difference between the average increase and the increase with the split adjusted down to 1.65 is $28 per year which translates to $7 per quarterly bill. This is a pittance and doesn’t even register on my radar screen, for the record I’m a fiscal conservative.

When I was on the BOS the split we inherited was 1.75. We dropped it two years in a row at that time Scholastic Books decided to relocate in Clinton citing the business friendly reductions of the rate split. Last year the newly seated BOS raised it to the maximum level, also called the red zone by the business community. In fact when looking statewide businesses avoid communities that are at the max.

I can only hope the BOS has seen the light and this trend continues, if it does and more businesses were to locate here it would have the effect of actually reducing our residential tax burden even though we have a lower split, because more business would be paying taxes into our coffers.

I applaud Selectmen Haley, Sheridan and Connolly for having the courage and common sense to reduce the split, you did the right thing! Congrats…

In a stunning display of hypocrisy the Lancaster Zoning Board of Appeals granted the Lancaster Police Department a special permit to practice and qualify on land that’s zoned residential. Lancaster has already set a precedent by serving cease and desist orders to both the Clinton Police Department and previously the Clinton Fish and Game for exactly the same purposes.

I believe this helps Clinton’s position with potential litigation. Lancaster has applied zoning laws differently in cases that are the same. I really don’t care about their nuanced decision that there aren’t residence’s as close by or what not. The facts are the facts, It’s a grandfathered use, shooting never stopped and Clinton has a right to use the property for Police department qualification and practice.  In fact as a non-profit entity the police are most likely exempt from these unjustly applied zoning laws. In my opinion Clinton is being singled out by Lancaster due to collusion with two of Clinton’s Selectmen, LeBlanc and Dickhaut.

In another case of hypocrisy the Clinton BOS voted 3-2 to deny a permit to an applicant to reopen the small car lot at the corner of Main and Water streets. Of course they all say they’re pro-business and want to help the little guy but when it comes right down to it they just don’t care. The person was from out of town, I bet if it was someone the dissenters knew, they’d have passed it in a New York second! Denying someone the opportunity to open a small business to earn a living in these trying economic times is just downright wrong.

The final case is that our our “stellar” selectwoman MaryRose Dickhaut voted against allowing Chief Laverdure to appoint three recently retired policemen as “special police officers” in order for them to be covered under the town’s umbrella policy and able to work details when full time officers aren’t available. Thankfully the other selectmen weren’t pigheaded about this and it passed.

Yeah, they all say they’re pro-public safety until they have to vote on allowing police to qualify at our range and to defend that right in a court of law if necessary or to help keep our Police Department full time. With the lack of funding all dispatchers will be laid off, possibly an officer. With the three latest retiree’s, four laid off dispatchers and a laid off officer we’ll be down eight people. this will result in only two officers per shift for a town of 14,000. What are our supposed pro-public safety selectmen doing about this? Nothing of course, because they’re hypocrites!

So here we are again back at the rifle range issue, although I have a lot more to say than selectmen Dickhaut and LeBlanc are plain wrong on that issue. they’re wrong on a lot more than that.

Selectman LeBlanc seems to be doing what’s in his own selfish interest, not what’s in the best interest of our town, our police force and in effect US. I would posit that LeBlanc has had conversations with the Lancaster town administrator that undermine the work our town counsel is doing to preserve our right as a town to use the land for police firearms qualification. Mr LeBlanc, if you’d like to deny that please chime right in!

Now we have the Lancaster police applying for a special permit to qualify and practice at the range they use WHICH IS ZONED RESIDENTIAL. I question why Lancaster hasn’t applied their zoning laws equally to their own police department. If Clinton gets a cease and desist order for qualifying on residential property then Lancaster MUST get the same under their zoning laws. If not then nullify the one against the Clinton Police Department. This selective enforcement is hypocritical and wrong.

Now for the financial ramifications. We have a BOS that’s supposed to be looking out for our best interests, they are NOT. When they formulated the budget it should have taken the overtime line item into account. The police shouldn’t have to rely on overtime for the normal everyday operation of their department. I understand budgets have to be cut, however common sense shows that in times of financial turmoil crime rises, it’s a fact. Now we may have less police on the street, dispatchers laid off and replaced with officers who would be on the street performing their duties. The BOS has botched it’s budget big time on this front.

So here’s where the rifle range issue, safety and fiscal responsibility merge together into one large confluence. First, we have an underfunded police department. Second we have officers that haven’t been able to qualify and practice because Dickhaut and LeBlanc are on a mission to shut down the rifle range and are in my opinion in collusion with Lancaster town officials to undermine our best interests. Third, to qualify the police may have to go to a private out of town range at some cost to the town. I’ve heard price tags of $10,000+ per year and a need for more overtime which we have no money budgeted for. We’ll be less safe, with less officers on the street and incur higher costs.

Finally, if they succeed in closing the rifle range it would need to have a lead remediation done at a cost in the neighborhood of $2,000,000. These selectmen are a detriment to the people of Clinton and should be damn ashamed of their actions. They have put our safety at risk, our financial state at risk and have potentially damaged our police departments relationship with our sister town…for what just so some people don’t have to hear the police qualify during the day for a couple weeks a year, These selectmen are a bad joke who put their self serving interests first and put our police department in the middle of their political brinkmanship. Please remember this next spring when you go to the polls.

Lancaster has issued cease and desist orders to the Clinton Fish and Game and also to the Clinton Police Department stating that they cannot shoot at the Clinton rifle range because it’s partially located in Lancaster and zoned residential.

Well the range that the Lancaster Police use is located in Lancaster and is zoned residential…How is it that they can continue to shoot and qualify there and Clinton is prohibited?

I understand the Lancaster Police have requested a special permit to shoot on their residentially zoned range, if this is approved I would expect the same standard to be used for the Clinton P.D,  If not this is a complete double standard and totally unacceptable.

The Clinton BOS that hardly ever meets anymore (last meeting was somewhere like October the 7th) and is finally meeting again November 10th should be fighting for our sovereign right to use this resource. I really don’t care if it has to go to litigation.  Because very importantly if Clinton loses the right to shoot there and the range reverts to ” open land” there will be a $2,000,000+ bill for lead remediation and that is a hell of a lot more than a simple zoning litigation case will cost, and that’s why we have a Town Solicitor in the first place.

This whole thing is so out of control with the anti-gun duo of LeBlanc and Dickhaut causing disention beetween the two towns police forces that we probably are better off that they only meet every five weeks or so. They’ve pushed their self serving agenda to the limit, trying as hard as possible to keep the “blue collared, regular Joe’s” off that range and turn that section of town into a private enclave for the prestigious professionals that live there. Its a  private enclave for the priveleged. UNBELIEVABLE!