Hollywood East-The Details

After months of false starts and endless rumors, Plymouth Rock studios is beginning to provide details as to what they plan to build on the site of the Waverly Oaks Golf Club in Plymouth. At a community meeting last night at Plymouth South High School, officials of the Plymouth Planning Board and The Studio described in broad brush terms the construction of 14 sound stages, administrative buildings, a ten acre "back lot" and a hotel/amenity cluster, all to be built around the existing Waverly Oaks clubhouse which is to remain in place.

One of the major concerns about the proposed facility is its access from Long Pond Road. The proposed solution is to cut a new access road in from Clark Road near the south bound exit ramp from Route 3 (aka, the Freeway). This road would run north along Route 3, behind the middle school and enter the site from the south. It would be used during construction and eventually used for school bus traffic as well as studio access and would go a long way towards taking traffic off of Long Pond Road. What it will do to the area surrounding Exit 3, remains to be seen. The aerial photo below shows the 200 acres of Town conservation land between the school complex and Clark Road through which the access road will pass.



Approval for the road must be secured from the Wildlands Trust as well as the Mass Highway Department. The exact configuration at Clark Road will be a major challenge to the design engineers and is sure to become a major concern for local residents. While a new dedicated on/off ramp from Route 3 to the studio might be a long term solution, The new access road is being proposed as the immediate access remedy. According to Plymouth resident and studio consultant Kevin O'Reilly, the access road is the key to the project. If it is not approved, the studio would have to seek an alternative site.

During the meeting a number of studio's neighbors expressed concern about any noise and light that might be emitted by the studio. While the studio execs attempted to characterize the facility as being as "quiet as a library", there will be procedures for notification of residents if excessive noise is expected. just in case? Most of the residents voicing questions and concerns seemed to live off Long Pond Road. But as the following aerial photo shows, some of the neighborhoods on the east side of Rte 3 will also be in close proximity to the studio.



In order for the studio to secure Town Meeting Approval this fall, they must supply the Planning Board with sufficient project detail, especially given that they are applying for an "as-of right", or "allowed use" approval which would eliminate the requirement that the studio come back to the Town under the special permit process for specific use. This sounds a lot like Carte Blanche approval and it puts extra pressure on the Planning Board to determine exactly what will be built.

The benefits of the new facility start with the prospect of up to 1,000 construction jobs during development followed by up to 2,000 jobs as movies are produced at the facility. While the state will provide a 25% tax credit for production related expenses, the town will receive the benefit of property tax income. These benefits cannot be dismissed out of hand.

It is clear that this project has a lot of support in Plymouth and it could well be a positive addition to the Town. But the devil is in the details. It all starts tonight at 7:00 at the Town Hall, or on a television near you. It's sure to be a long boring process, but one to which residents might want to pay a lot of attention.

Commonwealth Care's Perfect Storm

An editorial in today's GLOBE calls for action on a number of bills before the Massachusetts Legislature, before the session ends in a few days.

Both the Senate and the House have bills that would take steps to cut back on rising health care costs. How? Simply by limiting drug companies from plying physicians with free lunches. Once under the spell of the free eats, the Docs are suspected of prescribing new drugs which are said to be more costly but not necessarily more effective than existing drugs. So let's follow the logic here: The Docs stop getting free lunches, and as a result, become more effective in prescribing drugs, thus lowering health care costs. Is this the best idea the Solons could come up with?

In the same editorial, the Globe pushes for passage of a Senate bill that broadens the mandate for coverage under the state's mental parity law. As it now stands, insurers can limit treatment for such conditions as eating disorders and substance abuse to 24 outpatient sessions or 60 days of hospitalization per year. If the bill is passed, these caps would be lifted and it would become easier for the state's mental health commissioner to add other "illnesses" to the list of required coverage. Here we go again. The Legislature lays another mandate on the insurance industry. What do you think this does to the cost of health insurance? If you said lower it, you are wrong. Mandates increase premiums.

An ARTICLE in today's Wall Street Journal on The high (and getting higher) cost of Commonwealth Care, makes the point that the cost increases associated with coverage mandates, such as fertility treatments, that have been legislated into law, were previously ignored because the bulk of these increases were borne by individuals and small businesses. Now that more and more people are signing up for the heavily-subsidized coverage the costs of the mandates are falling back on the state. And these costs are not insignificant:

"A state-sponsored study shows that total spending on mandates was $1.32 billion
in 2005, or 12% of premiums."


We seem to be seeing the financial clouds and pressure systems of a perfect fiscal storm beginning to form over Commonwealth Care. Governor Patrick has recently proposed an increase of $130 million to business's' cost of providing health insurance, arguing that business has not paid its fair share. In a RELEASE by Associated Industries of Massachusetts, it is noted that Massachusetts Employers pay $11.8 billion annually for their employees health care, including $ million of increased costs resulting from health care reform.Mass Business to Deval: No thanks, we gave at the office.

It's like driving with one foot on the gas and one on the brake. Pressure for no cost, or lo cost insurance, complete with mandated coverages, and we will pay for it with more taxes on business and eliminating free lunches for doctors.

The final piece of the puzzle should be unveiled any day now as the Federal Department of Health and Human Services is poised to issue a decision on the extension of the Medicaid waiver that is being used to partially fund Commonwealth Care. If the Feds don't renew the waiver, the prefect fiscal storm will be upon us in biblical proportions. It will be interesting, to say the least, to watch the Guv bail his way out of that.

Is Anyone Listening?

A hat tip to Mass Roots for re-printing Matt Kinnaman's article from the North Adams transcript regarding the Imperial Attitude of the Massachusetts Legislature. Specifically:

"Consider this: In its July 15 decision to repeal the "1913 Law," a Massachusetts marriage statute prohibiting out-of-state persons from marriages in the commonwealth which would be illegal in their home states, the Senate took a voice vote, allowing its members to avoid individually recorded votes on a question at the very center of our most momentous human understandings."

Apparently feeling the need for additional justification, the Senators cited the law's alleged racist roots in spite of the fact that the Mass. Supreme Court, finders of the "Right" to gay marriage, had upheld the law in 2006 on Constitutional grounds. Not much of a fig leaf.

Given the strength of opinions on both sides of the gay marriage issue, it was difficult to get voters to focus on the underlying procedural issues. A petition signed by 170,000 Massachusetts voters was ignored by the Solons as they refused to allow the question to be put on the state-wide ballot. While supporters of gay marriage were happy to "win the day", they might have been a little more concerned about the process.

So let's shift gears and look at an issue on which most can agree: taxes. Question 1 on the November ballot calls for the repeal of the Massachusetts Income Tax. Some will recall a similar question on the 2002 ballot that garnered 45% of the vote. You may also have noticed the arrogance with which this vote was ignored by the state government.

Is Question 1 a bit of overkill? You bet. It would delete $12 billion from a total state budget of $28 billion. Lawmakers and special interest groups (you may want to click HERE to see just who is mobilizing against this Question)are quick to cite a litany of vital services that might go unfunded, and, of course, the threat that property taxes will go up! Which brings up the effect of Prop 2 1/2. As a matter of fact, property taxes can't go up, at least by more than 2 1/2% without approval of the municipal voters. Was Prop 2 1/2 a radical measure? You bet. But it seems like hard and fast, broad-based mandates are the only thing that has a chance of reigning in governmental spending.

Speaker Sal has already signaled his intention to ignore the results of the vote on question 1. Arrogant? you bet. But hey, how do we expect the government to continue its largess like the Big Dig, Universal Health Care, and most sacred of all, fat pensions?

At Least He's Not a Body Builder

To say that the ongoing flap about Albert Arroyo, the Boston fireman, who managed to overcome his "total and permanent" disability to compete in a bodybuilding competition, is the tip of an ice berg is a gross understatement. Its more like the edge of a glacier.

According to a Jeff Jacoby article in today's Globe, the FBI is reportedly investigating the recent spike in disability pensions in the BFD, but the place to start is much higher up the "public servant" food chain. As Jacoby cites the eye-popping pensions being drawn by those like Billy Bulger and ex Big-Dig Director, Michael Lewis. we start to realize that the grunts in the Fire Department are just following the lead of many top officials as they milk the system. The fact that these jumbo pensions may be technically legal; that is, allowed under the state's murky pension laws, still doesn't mean they pass the smell test.

Meanwhile, over at the Herald, Dave Wedge picks up on some of the more notable members of the Mass. Congressional delegation who are enjoying the largess of the public trough. Specifically, Wedge points out that our own Bill Delahunt, who represents the Massachusetts 10th Congressional District, which, of course, includes America's Home Town, Receives an annual pension of $57,623 from Massachusetts due to some creative legislation that re-categorized his "service" as District Attorney. This, of course, in addition to his $165,000 annual congressional salary

Our adversaries, ever-vigilant to spot the weaknesses in our democratic system, have always been happy to point them out for us. To paraphrase Karl Marx:

A democracy can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasury.

Some of our elected officials are leading us down a increasingly slippery slope of loose fiscal policy, as more and more citizens, rather than casting the rascals out, are instead, jockeying for their turn at the trough. It doesn't take much imagination to realize where this is leading us. No place good.

Those Wedding Bell Blues

First it was black jack tables that were going to balance the state budget. Governor, Deval Patrick's proposal for four regional casinos, spread around Massachusetts, would generate so much revenue to the state, that he even pencilled in some anticipated income for fiscal 2009. Now we find that there is an economic benefit to be derived from the proposed repeal of the 1913 state law which has prevented same-sex marriages marriages between residents of other states. The law basically says that a couple who may not legally marry in their home state, may not marry in Massachusetts. By repealing the law, we now find, thanks to information developed by the Williams Institute at UCLA, that the state can expect $111 million into its economy over the next three years as couples come to Massachusetts and spend big on wedding cakes, marriage licenses and food and lodging. While the Massachusetts study is not up on the Institute's web site as of yet, A similar studies on several other states, provide statistical context. Details of the Massachusetts study released by the Massachusetts Office of Housing and Economic Development, are cited in today's Globe. Perhaps we might see a string of Las-Vegas style wedding chapels spring up along rte 1A, near the airport, to accommodate the more budget-minded.

State Senator, Diane Wilkerson, (D-Roxbury), quoted on Newsweek. com maintains that another reason for repealing the law is that it is a throwback to a century-ago prohibition against interracial marriage. She called the law "evil. This is one of the most pernicious statutes on our books. This bill puts the final nail in the coffin of those dark days." But according to the San Francisco Chronicle:

"The genesis of the law remains murky. It was approved at a time when many states barred interracial marriages, although supporters say there's no evidence it was racially motivated in Massachusetts, which began allowing interracial marriages in 1843.

There's no record of the legislative debate on the bill, which raced through the Massachusetts Legislature in three weeks and was quickly signed into law.

It appeared to come out of a nationwide effort to eliminate conflicts among the country's patchwork of laws. But it also came during a time of racial tension, including a scandal over black heavyweight boxer Jack Johnson's marriage to Lucille Cameron, who was white."

It is also interesting to note that Wilkerson, who lead the charge in the senate to repeal this law on moral grounds, has had no small amount of trouble in recognizing her own moral obligations when it comes to taxes and campaign spending.

Advocates for gay marriage maintain that same sex weddings have now become an accepted part of the State's culture. This would certainly appear to be the case in the Massachusetts Senate, but ignores the concerns of many citizens, including the 170,000 or so that petitioned the General Court to put the question to the people through a ballot referendum.

In the same Globe article, Cardinal Sean O'Malley cites constitutional, cultural and religious reasons for his opposition to the repeal of the law. Joining the state's other three Catholic Bishops, "They said eliminating the law would infringe on the on the rights of states to set their own marriage laws, and they emphasized their commitment to the traditional definition of marriage."

The House is expected to take up the repeal before the July 31st adjournment. If passed, the bill would then go to the Governor for his signature which he has indicated he will affix to the bill. Some may see this as a "victory", but many in Massachusetts, and across the country, see it as further evidence that Massachusetts is losing touch with the traditional values as we export our wrong-headed policies to other states.

Let's All Go To The Movies

Plymouth's Leading Man.>>>>>>>>>>>>


Plymouth, MA is historic, rural and bucolic with scenic a shore line, pristine ponds and forty five miles separating it from Boston's urban intensity. While the state is stuck in a no-growth mode, Plymouth has seen significant growth as people continue to recognize it as an attractive and pleasant place to live.

What would make Plymouth even more desirable? If you said a movie studio, you would find yourself in agreement with the vast majority of Plymoutheans who voted yes on a non-binding referendum, last spring, supporting Plymouth Rock Studios and its quest to establish a "Hollywood East" beach head here in America's Home Town. Out-of-towners should click HERE before you think we are all hallucinating.

Recently, the studio announced it had reached agreement with Mark Ridder, owner of The Waverly Oaks Golf Course to buy the entire 240 acre site and use it as the location of the new studio. Many have been quick to latch on to the expectation of job opportunities and new tax revenues, no small concern for a Massachusetts town. In addition, homeowners and Realtors are envisioning a re surging real estate market as all the studio execs rush to buy local homes. But amid all the celebration, questions are being raised and the rumor mill is on double shifts.

First the fun stuff. Rumors of celebrity sightings are ramping up. Just recently, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and at least one of the Walburgs was reported to be playing a round of golf on the Waverly links. Damon reportedly said that this was his favorite golf course. If true, Matt had best enjoy it now as the third fairway will soon be the site of one of the ten sound stages planned by PRS. Local subscriptions to People Magazine are on the rise.

Speculation is also high as to exactly what type of movies will be made by PRS. One idea would be to produce a film showcasing the studio's new location. It could be sort of a remake of Jaws only in this version, the monster is a giant amphibious Moray eel that crawls up on Plymouth Beach threatening Sandy's and all the hottie lifeguards standing around in case there is a Bay Watch sequel. The contemporary story could be interspersed with historic flashbacks of Miles Standish leading the local militia against an attack of raging Dutchmen, who, when rebuffed, travel on to New Amsterdam and spawn future generations of Yankee fans. Appearing in cameo as Miles Standish will be our own Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, Dicky Quintal. The role will be in reward for his tireless cheer leading for the Town to accommodate PRS.

Of more immediate concern, however, will be the unveiling of the plans as to just what actually will be built on the site. There is talk of sound stages and back lots, but also hotels and concern about the Town's building height limitations. All eyes will be on the Planning Board as the details are made known. And while the site has great visibility from Route 3, especially when they remove those pesky view-obstructing trees, the access to the site is somewhat problematical as it is located between two Route 3 exits. While there is talk of re-configuring one or more of these exits to full cloverleafs, that still might not do the trick. Immediate access to the Waverly Oaks site is from Long Pond Road, a quiet meandering little two lane country road that feeds a swath of well established residential neighborhoods. Turning it into a multi-lane autobahn would be a real bad idea. Btw, did I mention the location of the High School-Middle School complex right next door to the studio? So how about a dedicated exit from rte 3? Surely the state could see its way clear even though Deval Patrick is stopping just short of gathering state house soda bottle deposits to balance the new state budget. But if they could come up with the funds, maybe the state could also get around to fixing the Rte 53 bridge at the Hanover Mall which has been under repair, and short a lane, for five years and counting.

I hate to rain on the parade, but I just can't help but see this whole Hollywood East phenomenon as if a giant alien spacecraft has suddenly landed in our community and indicated its intentions to establish a "friendly" colony in our midst. It's still early in the story and the locals are all trying to figure out whether this might lead to a much better way of life, or if the aliens are really sizing us up as a source of food. Wait! This could be a movie. How about Dicky Quintal as Captain Kirk. "Beam me up Scotty. there's no hope for this planet."

A Gonzo Presidency?

It was either Sun Tzu in The Art of War, or maybe it was Vito Corleone in The Godfather, but someone recommended the intense study of one's adversaries. With that in mind, the View found itself recently in the belly of the blue state beast, Cambridge, MA where the Kendall Square Cinema was showing: Gonzo, The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, seemingly the only showing in Eastern New England. I didn't check, but I am sure that our car was the only one in the parking garage sporting a McCain sticker.

Thompson, no relation to Fred, is regarded by many as being one of the prominent voices of the counterculture during the 1960’s and 1970’s. But like the non-conformist movement itself, most of his work, seems stuck on the overthrow of the status quo without providing strategies for the development of plausible alternatives. Btw, I wonder how many of those in attendance were aware that Thompson, a mere high school graduate, acquired his doctorate via a mail order purchase of a Doctor of Divinity degree? In a life characterized by chemically-induced confusion, I wonder at this attempt at putting a measure of academic credibility on a career constantly swerving between a Merry Prankster preference for fun and utter psychosis.


"The trunk of the car looked like a mobile police narcotics lab. We had two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a salt shaker half full of cocaine, and a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers . . . and also a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of Budweiser, a pint of raw ether and two dozen amyls . . . Not that we needed all that for the trip, but once you get locked into a serious drug collection, the tendency is to push it as far as you can. The only thing that really worried me was the ether. There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of an ether binge. And I knew we'd get into that rotten stuff pretty soon."
from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas:A Journey to the Heart of the American Dream by Hunter S. Thompson

Based largely on his support of George McGovern in 1972 and his life-long hatred of Richard Nixon, Thompson has been widely adopted as a prophet of the Left. But when other factors, such as his strong dislike of Mr. Democrat, Hubert Humphrey, and McGovern running mate, Ed Muskie, as well as his long-time love affair with firearms are considered, it could be argued that the complex round peg of Thompson's psyche might be a uneasy fit to liberalisms square hole.

One of the things I learned from the movie, however, was Thompson's backing of Jimmy Carter, who, Thompson boasted, he discovered among clamoring horde of would be presidential candidates in 1976. It made me recall how the unknown Georgia Governor rode the Watergate backlash into the Whitehouse for what may well have been four of the worst years of the presidency. I am not trying to minimize the country's frustration with Nixon's inability to end the Viet Nam War, nor the agonizing and relentless un-pealing of the Watergate onion that lead ultimately to Nixon's resignation. The voters were demanding change, and boy did we get it. Who can forget: Stagflation, The energy Crisis (those dopey sweaters) The Malaise, double-digit inflation, and Carter’s high (or low) water mark of ineptitude, the humiliation of the Iran hostage crisis. People, especially those with short memories, and those who slept through their American History classes, should be careful what they wish for, very careful.

Returning from those heady days of yesteryear to the 2008 presidential election, we are once again faced with the hue and cry of those frustrated with understanding the challenges of government in a complex age. While the War on terror is difficult, that difficulty does not make it any less real. With the emergence of foreign countries, some with nuclear capabilities, and, in some cases, enmity towards the US, foreign relations have become significantly more complex, but no less dangerous, than the good old days of the Cold war. The parallels with 1976, twisted as they might be, are there for those seeking simple solutions. Moreover, exhibit one is young Mr. Obama and his relentless calls for nebulous change.

Having staked out the promise of change as his campaign mantra, Obama is now scrambling to tell the voters just what the end-product will look like. And depending upon the venue, or the day of the week, the answer itself undergoes change. Maybe the fresh-faced, silver-tongued freshman senator with precious little experience is just making it up as he goes along. Hopefully the campaign process will highlight the deficiency as we move towards November. But if the lessons of history are to be learned, we must dig for the truth. Gonzo journalism is one thing. Another Gonzo presidency could be disastrous

Feds may spoil the Beacon Hill Porkathon

Press Releases on the eve of a three-day weekend are like the contents of a registered letter. Neither one hardly ever contains good news. Over our morning coffee yesterday morning(Happy Fourth of July), we learned the details of the $28.2 billion legislative budget which came in for a colorful characterization by, Rob Willington, executive director of the Massachusetts Republican Party, as quoted in a Boston Globe article:

"This budget, which comes three days late already, contains enough pork in it to make BLTs for the Whole Commonwealth."

Not that this comes as an unexpected shock. Representative James R. Micelli's (D-Wilmington)comments in the same article speaks to the expectations of many:

"You're there to deliver for your district. Show me a legislator who can't and I'll show you someone who will not be there very long."

Micelli was successful in bringing home a $200,000 piece of pork to rehabilitate an historic Wilmington farm. This, and many of the earmarks scattered throughout the budget can, I am sure, be rationalized on some basis, assuming an bottomless supply of funds. The watchword on Beacon Hill continues to be more along the lines of: Spend it and they will pay. They? The taxpayers, natch. Ah the joys of living in a one-party state.

For a more in-depth analysis of the list of earmarks, see Sharilee's analysis at Worcester County Freedom Trail. I thought the Santa Train earmark was particularly telling.

Interestingly enough, however, the earmarks may not be the budget's biggest problem. One of its underlying assumptions is that the Federal Government will not only re-new its Medicaid Waiver for another three years, but will also grant Massachusetts a 14% increase. This relates to the anticipated federal matching funds used to pay for the state's Commonwealth Care program which helps provides health insurance to low-income residents. At issue is the fact that Massachusetts has been operating under a temporary waiver outside the Medicaid guidelines. For example, Medicaid usually provides hospital care for the poor, with incomes at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. The Massachusetts Plan provides no cost, or low cost, insurance to those with incomes at or below 300% of the FPL. A family of four can qualify for state subsidized health insurance if it has income of less than $63,612 per year.

Quoted in an article in the Wakefield Observer, State Senator, Richard Tisei (R-Wakefield) says, "The fiscal year 2009 budget has been built on a house of cards." He goes on to provide an excellent analysis of this issue. Should the waiver extension be denied, a significant funding deficit could suddenly be added to the new budget. On June 20th, US Health and Human Services Secretary, Michael Leavitt, allowed a short extension of the Medicaid waiver, then set to expire on June 30th. This means that by July 18th, we should know what to expect in terms of federal matching funds. If the feds force a reversion the original guidelines, all bets are off. Not only the budget, but Commonwealth Care, and its success in attracting those seeking free health insurance, may be dragged back under the budget knife. I wonder if this means that the Santa Train may not run after all?