Plymouth Town Election, May 8th

Just in case you have been out of town for the past few months, the election that has precipitated the proliferation of lawn signs around Town will be held next Saturday, May 8th at all the regular polling places. To View a sample ballot, click HERE, then select your precinct. Aside from the election of 3 Town Meeting Representatives from each precinct, the main event, and only town-wide contest, is the election of two members to the Board of Selectmen from among three candidates: incumbent, BUTCH MACHADO, Vice Chair of the Finance and Administrative Advisory Board (Fin Com) MATT MURATORE, and former Fin Com member SERGIO HARNAIS The candidates have been busy over the past few months attending a number of debates, some of which have been televised. For those seeking more information about the candidates' backgrounds, experience, education, other community involvements, we suggest visiting the candidates web sites by clicking on the highlighted names above.

On a more qualitative basis, we offer the following thoughts:

Incumbent, Plymouth native, Butch Machado has served as Selectman for the past three years. He deserves full credit for enduring the gruelling nights of long meetings. Moreover he comes across as being a straight shooter who means what he says. One concern, however, stems from his full-time employment with the Town of Plymouth DPW. To his credit, this means he cannot accept the stipends and benefits provided to other elected officials, but it also means that he must recuse himself from many key budget discussions, especially those involving crucial negotiations and budgeting concerns relative to Town employees and their benefits. As the Town continues to face severe revenue shortfalls, these discussions and decisions will become more important than ever.

As Vice Chair of the Fin Com, Mat Muratore also knows the grind of lengthy weekly night meetings. The other side of this coin, however, is the in-depth knowledge of Town finance that this service has provided him. As a business executive, he also knows first-hand about the challenges of running a large private organization in the demanding health care field.

Serge Harnais also brings Fin Com experience to the table. In addition, he has twenty years experience in Information Technology with the Federal Reserve bank of Boston.

The View sees Muratore as the strongest candidate. Butch Machado is a good man, but is handicapped by his position with the DPW. In better times, this may not have been as important as it is today. Due to anticipated revenue shortfalls, the Town will be forced to consider major cuts in these areas as they constitute a major portion of the Town budget.

Serge Hernais brings enthusiasm and talent to the task. While lighter on experience than the other two candidates, he may well have the ability to quickly climb the municipal learning curve.

Thoughts from the Plymouth Town Meeting

It took a long Saturday and one additional evening session, but the Town Meeting managed to deal with all 57 Articles before it. What follows is a brief summary of some of the key issues that were decided.

One of the most important tasks for the Annual Town Meeting is the approval of the operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year. This is essentially the amount of money that the Town estimates that it will need to keep the lights on for the year ending June 30, 2011 and is a key variable when it comes time to set the tax rate. The final approved amount came in at $149.6 million, and by all measures, it was a fairly conservative tally. There was not a lot of fat in this number. And while this would ordinarily give rise to some optimism for next year's property tax bills, the introductory remarks delivered by state and local officials indicated some potential rain on that parade

In case there is any confusion, the recession is still with us and Town officials put up slides showing a persistent decline in income from fees as well as income generated by Excise tax receipts, two income items that help to offset property taxes. The really bad news came from State Senate President Theresa Murray who noted the continued decline in the state's revenue stream. The rainy day fund seems to be down to the bottom of the barrel and the federal stimulus money that closed many a budget gap, has come and gone. And this was before the Governor started talking about a major shortfall for the state's health care program. The bottom line, for those willing to see it, is that state aid to cities and towns is going to be hard to come by in fiscal 2011. And unless there is a miraculous economic boom, fiscal 2012 could be tougher still.

There has been a great deal of debate and at least one law suit (between the Plymouth Planning Board and the Plymouth Zoning Board of Appeals) over whether a Honda dealership might be built on the now vacant lot on long Pond Road near the southbound off ramp from Exit 5. It is good to finally have this dispute settled. As it finally played out, the Dealership will be allowed, but under a Special Building Permit, which will allow the Town to get intimately involved in the projects design. While some residents are afraid that this might be the start of an "Auto Mile" on Long Pond Road, most others welcome the addition to Plymouth's economic base, especially those planning on buying a Honda.

Graffiti is an eyesore, especially in Plymouth's historic center. While the Town has been proactive in its efforts to eradicate this blight, it has been stymied by a few absentee landlords who ignore repeated requests to clean up their properties. The new anti-graffiti law adopted by Town Meeting will provide the Town with the power to effect the needed clean ups on these properties.

You may, or may not know what happens to our trash, aka solid waste, after it has been deposited in the Town's transfer station. Turns out, that it is trucked to a facility run by SEMASS of Wareham where it is used as fuel to generate electricity. Plymouth currently pays SEMASS $22.53 a ton for accepting our trash under a contract that continues until January 1, 2015. Since the current "market rate" being charged by SEMASS to others is substantially higher than this amount, it is generally agreed that the tipping rate paid by Plymouth after 2015 will see a big increase. In order to smooth out that increase, it was proposed that a new contract be signed that would step up the rate each year, but provide for an ongoing rate that would be below the expected market rates. Got it? Well, I hope you do because then there are a number of questions as to the total tonnage that Plymouth will provide annually, the availability, or lack thereof, of viable alternatives to the SEMASS plant and a whole host of possibilities that might be triggered by technical changes, and/or, regulatory changes. Looking out to the future is always tricky. In this case, there are way too many variables which is essentially why the Town Meeting turned down the proposal. The Solid waste Committee and other Town officials worked hard on this contract, and it may well turn out to be a good deal for the Town. The Town Meeting was willing to take that risk and let the existing contract stay in place, at least for a while.

In case you missed it, look at the property tax bill that you received last week. The item marker CPA, that equals 1.5% of the Real Estate Tax amount is not to pay for public accounting services. This is a surcharge payable under the Community Preservation Act, which raises funds (i.e. additional taxes) with which the Town buys opens land, historical properties and helps fund low and moderate income housing. The proponents of the CPA tax were vocal in their defense against a pair of TM Articles that would have reduced or eliminated the tax. Supporters noted that these funds, which are matched by the state and often used to garner grant money, have produced almost three times the amount of the original tax. These funds have been used to buy and retire some 840 acres of open land under the premise that developed housing tends to attract families which leads to an increased need for schools and other Town services. Other land has been purchased to protect environmentally-sensitive tracts. CPA funds contributed to the Town's purchase
of the 1820 Courthouse and have been used in the development of affordable housing.
while these efforts have been defended as a win-win no-brainer for the taxpayers, there are some questions to be asked. The state has reduced its matching percentage, which is not expected to increase any time soon. Moreover, more light needs to be shed on the exact nature of some of the CPA funded acquisitions and just what the costs are to the Town. In the meantime, both articles were handily defeated so the CPA tax continues.

Of interest to many Precinct 5 residents was the Article put forth by Pinehills LLC seeking changes to the zoning rules for Pinehills. Suffice it to say, the Article that was approved by TM was the product of endless negotiation with Town Officials, resulting in a slight increase in building heights within the commercial district, some minor changes in the setback requirements from Beaver Dam Road and an increase in the number of drive-through windows from one to two for non-financial tenants.
The issue regarding the parcel of land located on the east side of Great Island Pond was withdrawn. During the past several months, John Judge has been ubiquitous in his campaign to get these changes made. While rumors abound as to what tenants might be in the wings, Judge has stated that there are none that are teed up and ready to go and that these changes are merely a part of long-term planning.

One additional note concerns a recasting of the precincts within Plymouth. According to Town Clerk, Larry Pizer, a new set of precincts will be established subsequent to the 2011 Town election but prior to the 2012 Town elections. It is expected that two additional precincts will be added bringing the total to 16 and that most, if not all of the existing precinct boundaries will probably be re-drawn. It is expected that all 9 Town Meeting seats in each new precinct will be up for election.

While there are Critics of the Town Meeting System of government, we think that the efforts of all concerned deserve a well-done for its attention to performing the Town's business in a very open and transparent process.

Homeward Bound

Our Revels now are ended - Prospero

Prospero may be one of the few characters that hasn't been spotted on Naples Fifth Avenue, but his quote captures the sentiments of the many who will soon be heading north on I-95, back to the struggles of spring as it strives to throw off the shackles of a New England winter. The tents of the View's winter quarters are being folded as we type.

There is a lot to get back to. Town Meeting starts next Saturday, with the Town elections coming up in May. And if the the November elections are even half as contentious as advertised, it should be quite a year for campaigns as the healthcare "victors" go back and face the music in their home districts.

As Willie Nelson would say, we are "On the Road Again", but heading for home.

The Mittster Comes to Town

Mitt Romney took advantage of a recent visit to Naples to meet with the View at its Winter Quarters, in an obvious effort to garner whatever sage political advice he might find in anticipation of a presidential run in 2012. Well, maybe we are guilty of a little exaggeration here, but Mitt did come to town and we did have the chance for a chat, albeit briefly, with the man who may well be our next pres.

Mitt was actually in town to promote his new book, "No Apology". The View caught up with him at the local Barnes & Nobles where he gave a brief talk before signing copies. We will have plenty of time to draw comparisons over the next two years, but we couldn't help but draw the distinction between this attractive and accomplished former governor with the putative wunderkind presently occupying the Oval Office where he, unencumbered by any private sector experience(and frankly, his public sector experience is a little on the thin side) is flogging everyone in sight to buy into his efforts at converting The United States to a socialist waste land. We would like to believe that Americans are too smart for this blarney.

When our turn came and Mitt was signing our copies, we told him that we came from the Bay State and he asked what part. When we told him that we lived in Plymouth, I thought I caught a glint of calculation in his eye. No doubt, Mitt was already thinking ahead to all those cabinet positions that he will have to fill, once elected. Okay. okay, perhaps we are reading a little bit more into this brief exchange, but we will definitely enjoy the book and look forward to 2012.

Cruella goes to Jail? (You wish)

Between Scott Brown's great victory and the stampede of congressional democrats heading for the exits, it's understandable that many conservatives are being lulled into complacency in anticipation of the big shootout in November. Don't let down the guard, there is still a lot at stake in the short term, Most importantly the infamous Health Care Bill which keeps rising from the crypt.

On Friday, none other than Madame Speaker, Nancy Pelosi was in Boston for a fundraiser. Super thanks to Iron Mike and his small cadre that showed up at the ironically-named Liberty Hotel (The Olde Charles Street Jail, sans cells) to show the flag and let Nancy know we are still on the job. Read Mike's report of the event HERE. Predictably, the Globe was quick to minimize the significance of the protest, labelling it as a Tea Party event. This, of course, comes right out of the Alinsky playbook which calls for isolating and ridiculing the opposition. As if it was just a few Tea Baggers that elected Scott Brown. And yes, we do know the too-clever-by-far double entendre for tea bagger.


But don't miss the importance of Ms. Pelosi. There is a lot of talk about the Reconciliation process but what it boils down to is if the House can muster the votes to pass the Senate Health Care Bill, the 2,000 page, plus bill that no one seems to have read fully, it will go to the President's desk in a heartbeat. Yes it's a long shot as the Democrats do not seem to have the House votes, but don't think for a minute they aren't pulling out all the stops to make it happen. This is the big enchilada for the Left. Let's not take our collective eyes off the ball.

Hold the Tomatoes

During the winter months, Florida tomato growers provide the bulk of the fresh tomatoes consumed in the U.S. Most of it coming from the middle of south Florida, just east of the View's current location. Due to prevailing low temperatures, production is well below normal. To wit:

A shortage of tomatoes from weather-battered Florida is forcing restaurants and supermarkets to ration supplies amid soaring prices for America's most popular fresh vegetable.

As reported by a recent ARTICLE in the WSJ.

As part of the View's continuing commitment to public service, we are pleased to provide an "on the ground" report confirming the reported weather conditions. It's cold here in paradise. The beaches are windswept and empty, pools lie unused and even the golf courses are suffering. All is not lost, however, as the polar bears at the Naples zoo are feeling right at home.

So, faithful readers, be sure to pass this information on to your favorite promoter of Global Warming. I am sure they are trying to convince everyone that the "no tomatoes" signs at your local Wendy's are part of a capitalist plot. Does Al Gore need a giant wedgie or what?

A New Point of VIEW

Sorry for the lack of new postings, faithful Readers, all three of you, but the afterbuzz of the election that sent Scott Brown to the U.S. Senate carried on to flow into the preparations for our annual Florida migration. Busy times, indeed. But while our geographical orientation has shifted, know that our commitment to truth, justice and the American way endures.

Amid the jubilation at Brown's victory was a bit of jealousy perhaps as the MSM took our own candidate and thrust him onto the national stage. But we were proud of our lad from Wrentham. There were even a few feeble attempts to minimize the event by downplaying Scott and the significance of his win. Patrick Kennedy's comments come to mind. But this event was bigger than Kennedy's eloquence, even as the chattering class tried to understand it. The following two vignettes now, in 20-20 hindsight, turned out to be key indicators of the Brown vote surge:

On the Saturday prior to the election, the Brown Campaign bus made a stop at at the Plymouth campaign office. The candidate, shaking hands and posing for pictures waded through the large and enthusiastic crowd that included more than a few union representatives. But it was one one large hand-made sign that was a real eye opener. Written in white letters on a blue background the sign proclaimed: "Local 103 IBEW for Brown." I'm not sure anyone outside of greater Boston understands the significance of such a statement but if the Democrats had lost the support of Local 103, all bets were off. We will probably be discussing for years who was dumber: The guy who advised Obama to go after the unions' "Cadillac" health plans in his quest for socialized medicine, or Martha Coakley who went down the line for Obama's health care fiasco.

Standing outside the Precinct 5 polls with our signs on election day, we watched, and waved, as a steady stream of voters suggested a strong turnout that was officially clocked at 65%. Prominent among the throng was a significant contingent of seniors who, through the seriousness of their expressions, and an occasional jaw jut, telegraphed the concern they were bringing with them. Tip O'Neill knew what he was talking about when he called Social Security the third rail of politics. Someone should have pointed out to Obama and his water carrier that there is a certain linkage between SS and Medicare before he allowed a major cut in Medicare to be a prominent feature of his "reform" of American health care..

In Plymouth we had an extra reason to celebrate on election night. In addition to the senate race, voters had a chance to make a binding vote on a proposed increase to the meals tax. It went down by a four to one margin. Power to the People!

All in all, it was an election night for the ages.