View From Plymouth Rock

Meals Tax Redux

2011-11-19T05:41:00.000-08:00

By now, it is widely known that the recent Plymouth Town Meeting passed, by a vote of 64 to 47, an increase in restaurant meals tax from 6.25% to 7%. Under Article's terms, the revenue from the increase would be returned to the Town and used exclusively for funding the Town's 400th Anniversary celebration and infrastructure improvements to Town Square, Burial Hill and Court Square.

Subsequently, a petition drive was successful in garnering the required number of signatures to bring the question to a popular vote. A special election is now scheduled for January 14, 2012 to allow the voters to decide the issue. Sound familiar? It should as we went down this same path two years ago, albeit lacking specific fund uses, and it was voted down by a four to one margin.

With the election a few months away, and the busy holidays upon us, it is probably too early to get into a full blown discussion of the issues. But be assured that both the Pro and Con camps are ramping up their campaigns. In the aftermath of the successful petition drive, there has been some finger-pointing and tongue clucking (hopefully not at the same time)concerning the cost of holding a special election.

In an October 18th letter from the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce to all Town Meeting members, the Chamber, on behalf of 70% of its members requested a No vote on the tax. In addition, the Board of Selectmen had voted unanimously against the proposal. In spite of these signals, and with the definitive vote of two years ago fresh in every one's mind,the proponents apparently thought that the specific uses for the money would change voters' minds even as anti-tax activists made it clear that they intended a petition challenge should the increase be passed by Town Meeting. It was and it was and now we are looking at a special election, which according to Town Clerk Larry Pizer, will cost the Town between $32 and $34 thousand.

But just as we would defend the Articles sponsor's right to re-introduce a previously rejected tax proposal, we also defend the voters' right to have the final say. There was ample previous notice of this reaction. So somewhere right after New Years, be prepared to be inundated with arguments pro and con. But remember, the issue is not one of procedure, but rather the merits of the proposal itself. Let the games begin.

Psuedo Wisdom Gone Viral?

2011-09-29T07:43:00.000-07:00

Much has been made of late of remarks made by Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren at a recent Andover house party. In case you somehow missed it, click HERE for a link to her original comments. The comments have, so we've been told, are in the process of going viral which is meant to indicate popularity and, perhaps, great veracity. Frankly, the whole thing seems to smack of grasping at straws, but if I were a newbie candidate who decided that the U.S. Senate seat might be an appropriate goal for one's initial try at elective office, I might encourage that thinking too. Especially given that incumbent, Scott Brown, may well be unbeatable. At the same time, we realize anything is possible here in the land of the Moon Bat.

There's much truth in Ms. Warren's statement. But if government stuck to what it does fairly well—roads, police, fire and the courts; enforcing contracts that help businesses interact with their customers and other businesses—the federal government wouldn't need to spend over $3.5 trillion a year, as it now does. And of course it's state and local governments—and not Washington—that primarily fund police, fire and education, so it's a bit strange to ask the rich to pay their fair share of federal income taxes because they enjoy police protection.

He continues by citing a more basic reason for the widespread resistance to increased taxes:

Much government spending supports activities that are ineffective or even harmful to the economy, often helping the politically powerful at the expense of the rest of us. Wouldn't it be great for the federal government to stop federal export subsidies, propping up financial institutions, meddling in the education system, and trying to engineer the entire health system from the top down? If the feds stopped all that, Ms. Warren would have a stronger point. We could all feel some gratitude for government's role in helping us live better lives. All of us, rich and poor, would look at government differently.

Say what you want, but we are getting tired of this assault on "the rich", whoever they may be, and their refusal to pay their "fair share" of taxes, whatever that might be. Somehow, We don't think the high earners are refusing to support maintaining roads and paying the cops a fair wage.

Give Roberts' ARTICLE a read and let's try to put some balance back in this discussion.

Municipal Bond Boggle

2011-09-21T05:54:00.000-07:00

Trying to understand the economic impact of the president's latest "Jobs Bill" is a thankless and confusing task, especially for the average voter. A hat tip to former American Express CEO, Harvey Golub, who highlights one bill provision that clearly reflects the ineptitude that passes for public policy in the current administration. Writing in today's WSJ, Mr. Golub concludes, in part:

From green jobs to "cash for clunkers," many of us have suspected that economic illiterates were setting the economic policy of this administration

The article, entitled "A Jobs Bill That Boggles the Mind." does just that. It is widely known that states and municipalities are able to issue bonds at much lower rates than, say corporations, because the interest they pay is tax-exempt to the bondholders. This means that the state or city saves big on its debt service. Investors buy the bonds, accepting lower interest rates than they might get elsewhere because they don't have to pay taxes on the interest. Don't worry about the math, that's what we have CPA's for.

So now, the "Jobs Bill", in an attempt to close "loopholes" and make all those millionaires and billionaires pony up their fair share, would remove the tax-free status of municipal bonds. The first thing that happens, is that the rates on municipal bonds increases which jacks up the cities and towns cost to borrow. As for the bond investors, they will simply reevaluate their investment choices on the basis of net (after tax) yield. Let's ignore for the moment what happens to the value of previously issued bonds if this change is made retroactively, as the "Jobs Bill" calls for. Answer: big decline in value. But if we sort through the rubble, we realize that the real loser here is the issuer of municipal bonds. And that, dear reader, is us.

But don't worry folks, help is on the way for the municipalities. Half of the $475 billion from the "Jobs Bill" would be sent back to the states to help with the increased operating budgets, now inflated by increased debt-service costs. Why does this elicit a vision of Yogi Berra sitting in a barber's chair telling us that cash is just as good as money? No offense Yogi.

One of the more poignant questions raised by this article is:

The interesting questions for me are: Did anyone on his economic staff, at Treasury, or at the Office of Management and Budget tell him about this? Did he even ask?

To which we might add: As long suspected, these policy-makers don't seem to know what they don't know. Always a dangerous state of affairs.

Meals Tax, Here We Go Again

2011-09-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Two years ago, the Plymouth Town Meeting passed an increase in the local Meals Tax from 6.25% to 7% by a three-vote margin. "It's a tiny amount" we were told, 38 cents on a $50 restaurant tab. "It will take some of the pressure off real estate taxes" we were told as the revenues from the increase would be added to the general fund, but without any way of tracking its effect. Days after the vote, signatures were being gathered and the question was subsequently put to the voters who voted four to one against the measure. Increasing taxes, never popular, seemed like a real bad idea in the face of a looming recession.

And now we have a new proposal to increase the local Meals Tax from 6.25% to 7%, which will come before upcoming Town Meeting on October 24th. Aside from the fact that the recession of two years ago is either still with us, or preparing an encore, what is different this time?

Sponsored by Advisory and Finance Committee member Michael Hanlon, the current proposal has two main differences; First of all, the revenues generated by the tax are to be earmarked exclusively to three specific uses. 25% of the money will go to funding the Plymouth 400th anniversary celebration in 2020, the 1820 Courthouse Renovation, and improvements to historical Burial Hill. The fourth 25% would be "up for grabs" among the three. The second major difference is a "sunset" provision that would end the tax in 2021 unless continued by Town Meeting. Okaaaay!

So let's get this straight. The voters overwhelmingly defeated the proposal that at least would have had the possibility of the money flowing to ongoing Town operations, like maintaining the streets, for example. And now, they are expected to approve the same measure for three vague uses. The 400th anniversary is at least eight years out and while it presently lacks a specific funding source, it also seems to lack specific programs and events. The 1820 Court House, unfortunately, is emerging as a massive money pit. This project could become a case study in the pitfalls of redeveloping an historic building by a well-meaning public sector, unequipped to deal with the high risks of real estate development. And here again, the plans for this project have yet to advance beyond the "concept" stage. And Burial Hill? When did this become a priority requiring multi-millions of dollars of public monies?

Yes, multi-millions. Appearing before his own committee last Wednesday, Hanlon estimated that the tax increase would generate $500,000 a year, which would imply nearly $5 million by the time the sunset provision kicks in. But according to today's Boston Globe, Plymouth Finance Director, Lynne Barrett, sees it generating nearly $1 million a year. Take your pick, but these amounts are a long way from the innocuous sounding 38cents. Especially for a Town that needs to mete out monies for basic services like road repairs and other DPW projects.

This tax is a bad idea for a host of reasons, but foremost is the fact that it provides an end run to the normal budgetary process which makes the hard decisions on how to spend the Town's limited funds. Projects like those being earmarked for the Meals Tax increase proceeds should be held to the same standards of evaluation that apply to most other budgetary items. Frankly, it comes as a surprise that a member of the very Committee that vets the Town's expenditures is the one calling for this end run.

Also appearing at the Committee meeting the other night was Chris Fava who lead the repeal process two years ago. Chris did an excellent job of delivering the message that those opposing this tax have not gone away and in all likelihood, would bring the question back to the people if passed by the Town meeting. Committee members bristling at an implied threat of the cost of a special election are missing the point. There is no appetite for raising the Meals tax.

Bad News, Good News

2011-08-02T04:33:00.000-07:00

Shopping ranks so low on our least-liked activities, it needs it's own page. So, clearly, any possibility of a shopping errand is definitely bad news. Moreover, if the main goal of the expedition is home decorating-related, the classification falls even further into the little-known, but very real, abyss of despond, located just down the street and around the rotary from the slough of despond. Think root canal. all of which sets the stage for the soon-to-be-announced search for new wallpaper.

How, you may ask, could anything this oppressive have an element of good news? The good news is the reason we need to shop for wallpaper. Now that it appears that the Beltway wizards have struck a last minute deal avoiding a U.S. Treasury default, we will not be able to use our Treasury bonds to paper the walls. And while the View's investment account doesn't hold enough of this paper to cover much wall area, we felt we would have no problem snapping up enough bonds from other bondholders to get the job done. We could paper the entire house at a substantial savings over more traditional wall coverings.

Of course the deal is not entirely done and there is still a slight possibility that the agreement might fall apart, but we think the process has finally run its course. Look next for those claiming credit for averting financial chaos. The Pres, will of course, take center stage in this regard, even though his participation in crafting an acceptable plan seemed to be limited to telling us we have to eat peas, or some such nonsense. The View would point, instead, to John Boehner and his few stalwarts who actually made it happen. The only thing louder than those claiming credit, will be the critics. Those on the left will scream that taxes, or is it revenues, have not been increased enough. Those on the opposite side will match the outcry, arguing that spending has not been sufficiently cut. While we would like to see government spending rolled back to say, 1959 levels, it just ain't gonna happen.

There are two things, the old saying goes, that are totally unfit for public observation: making sausage and crafting legislation. Unfortunately, this deal that will at least allow us to stay solvent for the short term, has probably created the biggest wiener since Oscar Meyer.

Deadline Looming

2011-07-31T04:41:00.000-07:00

We still subscribe to the old idea of Sunday being a day of rest, even though retirement has provided whole weeks of Sundays, at least as compared with the old rat race days. But in many ways, Sunday is still a day for quiet reflection, especially if it includes a little spiritual rejuvenation. And while it generally is a slow news day, we are too well aware of the financial tsunami poised to wash over us this week as the clock ticks down to the federal debt ceiling deadline, which may, or may not, see the collapse of the US economy as Washington maxes out all of its credit cards on Tuesday. Some people are forecasting scenes of anxious Social Security recipients, and other retirees, staring at their empty mail boxes, or the electronic equivalent thereof, while others claim that such forecast are simply partisan hype and the government will somehow avoid a default through some last-minute brinkmanship. While we have generally expected the latter, time is now getting short and the worm in our brain is starting to re-consider the real possibility that Harry Reid and friends may not be up to the task of producing a rabbit from his hat.

Let's be clear, to coin a phrase. We wholeheartedly see this crisis as one of over-spending rather than a shortage of tax revenue. When the pres was pimping for passage of his health care juggernaut, many pointed out the effect that plan would have on the federal deficit. His response? Wait until we come back next year for funding and we'll see how those critics feel about the deficit. There is a subtle, but crucial, twist to this logic, which lies, in our belief, at the core of the problem. The Left pushes for programs solely on the basis of an oft-hazy perceived need, without thought to the source of funding. Then, when the bill comes due, taxpayers are told they must pay more to meet "their fair share" or be labelled heartless and mean-spirited. Any remaining shortfall is then put on our collective tab. What is so hard about understanding that you can't spend money you don't have without running up the deficit? John Boehner and Co. are the only remaining adults in the room, calling for a halt to this irresponsible run up to the federal Master card account. No matter which side blinks first, and especially if neither does, we could be in for one uproarious week of fiscal uncertainty.

What do we do now? It's probably too late to buy gold with the price over $1,600 per ounce. Gold may have a place in some portfolios, but it's not much use in balancing the family budget as it doesn't pay any dividend and it's expensive to buy and expensive to sell. Sell everything and go to cash? Theoretically possible but impractical and you have to be clever enough to know when to reverse the process. Did any of us ever confront the possibility of The United States as a financial banana republic?

Small, and not so small, investors have long used Treasuries as a safe-haven investment, and it's staggering to face the real possibility that the values of these securities are facing a downgrade within the next few days. While we support the Republicans in their efforts to scale back federal spending, there will be enough fallout from this scenario to cover the shoes of everyone, regardless of which side of the aisle they sit. And before the White house says it, this is not George Bush's fault.

So what does one do? Hold on tight, wait it out in the belief that any interruption in the financial markets will be short and reversible. Watch very carefully how this week unfolds. There really isn't another choice.

The Hermit Kingdom - Update

2011-07-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

A tip of the propeller beanie to the Boston Globe for picking up and re-publishing the article by Jean Lee of the Associated Press entitled N. Korea Food Shortage is Worst in Years. It seems that after the great 1990's famine, the state established an ostrich farm which it hoped would help feed its people and develop export products. North Korea has many attributes, but a balmy climate is not on of them. In fact, to keep the bird's warm during the brutal winters, they have been equipped with quilted vests. You just can't make this stuff up. Beyond becoming an exotic menu item at some of "Pyongyang's finest restaurants" (maybe they still have a Howard Johnson's or two)those yummy ostrich burgers just haven't found their way to the local commissaries. Meanwhile, the people have been busy, of late, punching multiple new holes in their belts to better facilitate tightening.

Citing a litany of causes for the food shortfall; such as, rising global food prices, shortfalls in fertilizer (there's a good line there somewhere) and adverse weather, the state is quietly sending out requests for aid to avoid mass starvation of its population. Not given as a cause is the abject failure of the communist government which excels only in rattling its nuclear sabre. Apparently, this time around,foreign governments and Relief Agencies are not rushing to provide aid. Probably because this calamity bears a striking resemblance to the famines of the last twenty years or so. Go back and read the prior VIEW POST on this topic. Hasn't anyone over there learned anything during this time? Weren't there at least a few Teachable moments, to coin a phrase.

There is also suspicion that the government is stockpiling food in order to distribute gift baskets during next year's one hundredth anniversary of the birth of the late president, Kim Il Sung. Won't those be welcome by those that manage to survive until then. Agencies that might otherwise provide food relief are also demanding guarantees that any relief supplies will, in fact be given to the people rather than being stolen by the military and resold on the black market, an all too common practice. Once again, we are not making this up, read the AP article.

Please understand that this is no excursion into schadenfreude as we take absolutely no pleasure in the suffering of the North Korean people. But an ostrich farm? This sounds like one of Ralph Cramden and Ed Norton's get rich quick schemes. How can this government, or any government, with 24 million souls under it's wing, continue to exist in face of this totally inept and incompetent record? While you think about it, ponder this: gaggles of ostrich, wearing quilted vests, wobbling around, trying to stay warm, all to the tunes of an accordion ensemble.

The American People

2011-07-20T05:31:00.000-07:00

We don't know about you, but we are more than mildly annoyed every time The President tells us what the American people want. I mean, no one has asked me, and I am very definitely a card-carrying member of this ultimate special interest group.

What to do? Beside the obvious remedy that will be available in November of 2012, you can drop the Pres an email (Hey, let technology work for you) by clicking here: YO, MR.PRESIDENT. No disrespect meant, he was a community organizer.

A few pointers, however.

Be sure to identify yourself as one of The American People. Even better, indicate that you are part of the subset that votes.

Be brief and concise. Short declarative statements are best. The Pres is much too busy to read long treatises, no matter how well constructed. So many vacations, so little time. So get to the point and hit it hard and plain.

Once you get started, move on to the other co-conspirators. Drop an email to your senator(s) and congressman.

For Example: Senator Scott Brown If anyone needs the encouragement and support, Senator Brown, as the Bay State's lone Republican on the state's legislative delegation, needs to hear the love. Go Scott!

keep going.
To find other Senatorial emails, search U.S. SENATE

For Congressmen, search; USCONGRESS

Don't stop now. Consider contacting legislators who serve in key chairs, like House Speaker John Boehner and Republican Minority leader Mitch McConnell. It also doesn't hurt to include those in the opposite party. Harry Reid may not be thrilled to hear from Republicans, but we need to let folks like him think a bit before speaking for the American people.

Admittedly, this might seem like a small step to take, but if enough of us take the time to pass on our views, they may just start to get the idea that they don't, in fact, speak for all of us. At the least, you will feel a little better. Don't curse the darkness, light a match.

Priorities

2011-07-17T05:27:00.000-07:00

Did you ever notice (maybe you were on Mars for the weekend) that every time government is looking for new revenue, or taxes as we know them, the pols roll out the same threats to discontinue the most sensitive services. Top of the list is always the possibility of interrupting Social Security checks. Visions of grannies scrambling for a crust of bread are envisioned, followed closely by shutting down help for the poor, the sick and the lame. On a local level, the perennial favorite is a reduction of public safety entities. No cops to answer the 911 calls and get ready to watch your house go up in flames for lack of adequate fire protection. Laying off teachers is usually in the mix too. And the (greater) we usually fall for it. If legislators comes out against new taxes, they will be pilloried during the next election for fiscal crimes against humanity.

We aren't buying it.

Here are a few suggestions for alternative measures of reducing the spending gap. Rather than raising taxes, they could:

Defer indefinitely the plans for new high speed rail lines. Who would notice?

Cut the funding for pork-laden earmarks. Talk about a target-rich environment.

It may be too late, but who thought that we had to have all those new mile-marker signs on our highways at two-tenth mile intervals. These could wait, maybe forever.

Speaking of signs, how about those beauties that announce the fact that the federal government stimulus money is paying for road maintenance? Insult added to injury.

Obamacare off the table? Trimming this porker might just restore fiscal sanity and mental health all by itself.

Social Security was designed to be an insurance plan. Everyone received benefits in proportion to what they had contributed. This was not a handout funded by general tax revenues. Moreover, the contributions were to accumulate to pay benefits, not to be looted to fund pork. Tip O'Neill said that Social security was the third rail of politics. Politicians who tried to cut benefits got fried. On the other side of the coin were those demagogues who would vote benefit increases in order to be able to crow about it during the next election. To the uninformed it seemed like a free lunch, when in fact, it was a step towards destroying a reasonably equitable, albeit government-mandated, program.

You get the idea, there are at least a zillion things that could be deferred or even eliminated before you need to go after the Golden Agers. Send in your suggestions and we will give you full credit when we compile the comprehensive list.

A Tale of Two Arguments

2011-07-16T03:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's hard to keep things straight when listening to the two conversations going on in the federal government. Both sides claim to be addressing the same issue, but their collective arguments seem to exist in parallel universes.

Lead by the democratic president, the left has produced at least two blockbuster spending bills. First there was the stimulus package which seemed to be a thinly- veiled attempt to re-pay public employee unions with a flood of federal money ostensibly to revive the flagging economy. Why is anyone surprised that the economy hasn't revived? Next came the massive new federal health care program, which we are still trying to figure out. The only thing about this monster, that was rammed through congress with Houdini-like deftness, is it's massive costs that spiral off into the future like the Eggplant that Ate Chicago.

So now, the creators of these two deficit-busting gems are arguing that taxes must be raised, while Republicans stand like the Dutch boy with their collective fingers in the dike of fiscal restraint.

The left is calling for higher taxes, even in the face of a protracted recession as well as warnings from the debt-rating agencies that U.S. debt stands a good chance of losing its AAA rating. This comes while, at the same time, vilifying the Republicans who want to solve the problem by reducing spending and who recognize the dangerous fiscal abyss that yawns ahead.

Often, in these discussions, the metaphor of the household budget is used to illustrate the problem. Ok, so it's not sophisticated economics, but it does have some illustrative value. To wit: Families have recognized for eons the importance of living within one's means. New purchases, no matter how rationalized, must be subjected to a means test. The choice is usually clear. If you can't afford it, you can't buy it. If the expenditure is, in fact, absolutely necessary, then cuts in other areas of the budget must be made to accommodate the new item. The alternative to making these adjustments, is to crank up the credit card balances, or perhaps tap into the equity in one's home through additional mortgage debt. Well, maybe that option isn't quite as available as it used to be. Such actions may bring temporary relief, but the eventual result can be a painful reconciliation with reality. Being underwater on your mortgage, or in default, or both, can be very unpleasant as way too many of us now know.

It's easy for demagogues to paint the Republicans as uncaring tightwads. In fact, they are the last bastion of fiscal restraint standing in the way of our country's slide into third-world status. We have a president who has a vision of the U.S. as neo Sweden. A president who claims that 80% of the U.S. population wants higher taxes! A president who, doesn't know what he doesn't know. A president who is supported by the takers of the left. Our only hope is that the Republicans can prevail and preserve our precious way of life as the August 2nd debt-limit deadline approaches.

The Hermit Kingdom

2011-06-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, aka North Korea, is a country of almost 24million souls governed by a totalitarian Stalinist dictatorship under a personality cult headed by several generations of the Kim family. North Korea is one of the most isolated impenetrable societies on earth and is ruled through continual and intense propaganda and iron-fisted control of virtually every facet of day-to-day life. So little is known about this country that the fact that it suffered an almost decade-long famine during the nineteen nineties during which an estimated 2 million people perished, was hardly known in western countries. The actual number is probably higher, as many deaths were classified as having been caused by collateral diseases.

In her book, Nothing To Envy, journalist Barbara Demick presents an oral history of several North Koreans who were able to defect to economic powerhouse, South Korea. It is through these stories that the desolation of life in the Hermit Kingdom can be understood. The particular, but by no means only, example of the miseries foisted on its citizens brings home the extent to which the residents of this closed society have been forced to suffer. The state's ability to provide fundamental nutrition for its people experienced a massive breakdown resulting in continuous foraging for scraps and even edible weeds causing sickness and death on a massive scale.

One very sobering story is told by a former kindergarten teacher who's pupils would arrive at school wearing ragged hand-me-downs, layered to counter the lack of heating in the classrooms. The children themselves being so undernourished that they appeared to be several years younger than their actual ages.

After the students had settled into their seats, the teacher would bring out her accordion to lead the class in a rousing rendition of "We have nothing to envy in the world."

Our father, we have nothing to envy in the world.
Our House is within the embrace of the Workers Party
We are all brothers and sisters
Even if a sea of fire comes toward us, sweet children
do not need to be afraid
Our father is here
We have nothing to envy in the world

The "father" is of course whichever Kim happens to be in power. The government supplies framed Photos of the Kim's for every home and public building, but can't seem to bridge the massive food deficit.

It turns out that the accordion is the official "people's instrument" which all teachers must master before graduating. In addition to schools, forced labor parties are also serenaded with accordion propaganda tunes. This brought to mind the great lamented Boston writer, George V. Higgins, who maintained that nothing good ever came from any event at which an accordion was played.

This might be funny if it weren't for the widespread suffering of the North Korean people The Kims can find money for nukes, but let the people forage for roots and weeds to eat. George Bush was right, this country has definitely earned its place on the axis of evil.

Against All Odds

2011-06-12T05:58:00.001-07:00

It would seem that any concern over whether or not it is too early for Scott Brown to ramp up his re-election effort can be put to rest. In a half-page OP-ED PIECE in today's Globe, old friend, Joan Vennochi makes a case for a rematch between Brown and Mass. Attorney General, Martha Coakley. Citing a recent poll by the Democratic polling company, PUBLIC POLICY POLLING, the article shows that Coakley appears to be the best match up against Brown of the seven potential candidates included in the poll. At that, the poll shows Brown ahead of Coakley, 49%to 40% in a head to head match. Coakley's relative strength appears to stem solely from her high name recognition.

When Scott Brown's autobiography, Against All Odds, was released earlier this year, it seemed as though all anyone wanted to talk about was Brown's brush with an attempted sexual abuse by a camp counselor when he was ten years old. Not to minimize the seriousness of such an event, but the book is 324 pages, and there are a number of more important topics covered.

First of all, the story of Brown's early life is sobering, to say the least. Dealing with the insidious effects of a broken home life: his father's abandonment at a very early age, his mother's bouts with alcohol and her several husbands, including at least one psychopath named Larry McShane who threatened to break Scott's hands, which would have curtailed his basketball career. Not only was basketball his first love, but would also become his ticket to a college education. The fact that Brown was able to rise above these circumstances speaks volumes about his character. Even more amazing, is by the time he was running for office later in life, he managed to salvage a good relationships with each of his parents.

Towards the end of the book, Brown writes about his political philosophy.

There is a core set of beliefs that have shaped my thinking since the beginning of my service in public life. They are uncomplicated and straightforward. I believe that government is getting too big. We have too many laws, and we don't need more of them. I have always felt that we need to get rid of some of our laws and streamline the ones we keep, and we need to better enforce the laws that we have.........

I believe strongly that taxes are too high. But they are now getting much worse. Congress and the administration dithered over taking still more money out of the pockets of hardworking Americans......

Lowering tax rates encourages citizens to invest and to save and also to spend. It encourages businesses to hire new workers. It encourages entrepreneur's to start new ventures. We can solve a significant portion of the federal government's fiscal mess by growing our economy.

I believe that power concentrated in the hands of one political party, as it is in Massachusetts leads to bad government and poor decisions. That holds true for Democrats and Republicans...... There is little uglier than the arrogance of power or the bashing of our opponents for partisan and selfish ends.

Yes, Scott Brown is a Republican, but is not an ideologue. His main goal is to find solutions to our common problems and is willing to work with good ideas regardless of their source. We would argue that he is the prototype of a new politician, one that Massachusetts badly needs if it is to get beyond the morass of corruption and pandering to special interests that that threatens to drag the state down. Read "Against all Odds" and learn the rest of the story.

Re-elect Scott Brown

2011-06-06T09:14:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that with seventeen months to go before the election, Scott Brown, and the Brown Brigade, are up and running in full re-election mode.

The Senator was in town yesterday to make the case that, given all the hot air coming from the left, not to mention the cadre of candidates lining up for the nomination, it is not a bit too early to start generating support for the re-election of the only Republican holding high state or federal office in Massachusetts. Brown was frank and open, especially regarding some of the votes he has made as senator. "I didn't go down there to do nothing", Scott stated and was unabashed in his willingness to work with whomever could develop new ideas to solve our serious fiscal problems. "It's all about jobs", he continued. "We must enable businesses to begin hiring and put people back to work". This requires the re-establishment of a sense of tax and regulatory stability to encourage investment in the future.

With respect to the federal deficit, Scott cited a dangerous "precipice" yawning out into our future if nothing is done to stop the out of control spending. He reassured those in attendance that raising the debt ceiling without serious and meaningful cuts in spending is a giant non-starter. Attendees were also assured that efforts are underway to tame Obama care, especially its most damaging provisions.

So don't be a wallflower. Get it on and start thinking Re-election for Scott Brown. The other side has already spent an incredible $45 million in an early effort to capture this most important Senate Seat. Don't let it happen. Click on Scott Brown for Senate to learn more.

You betcha! .......Sorta

2011-03-24T09:49:00.000-07:00

Sarah Palin was in town last night for a speech to a sellout crowd at the Ritz. This morning's Naples Daily News headline brought us up short:

Palin in 2012? You Betcha!

Had Sarah announced for the big dance?

Upon closer inspection (i.e. We read the article) there was really no new news in the news:

“I’m thinking about it and praying about it,” Palin said when asked whether she’d run for president in 2012. “(But) whether I’m a candidate or not … I’m going to stay engaged.”

No harm done, we guess, if the local editor was trying to sell a few papers to those of us without the wherewithal to catch the speech in person. What came as a bit of a surprise was the negative tone of readers comments regarding Sarah's suitability for candidacy. Being from a blue state, we were ready for the nasty comments from the left, but there also seemed to be a lot of grousing coming from the other side of the aisle. Click HERE to check out the article and comments.

Sarah may not be our first choice for the 2012 Republican nomination, but we in no way subscribe to the over-the-top dismissal of her as a total light weight. I mean, last time around we elected a community organiser who, while he apparently did attend Columbia, managed to avoid any study of economics. And Harvard Law School where he seems to have been MIA when they covered constitutional law. So Sarah had to settle for plebeian state universities, but last we heard, the ivies, fine institutions that they are, do not have an exclusive on effective education. And lets not get too hasty in minimizing Sarah's experience as the Governor of Alaska. Of the four candidates in the last presidential election, she had more administrative experience than the other three combined. She also seemed to be the only one who could speak with experience regarding energy issues.

We welcome Sarah Palin's participation in the primary process and let the chips fall where they may. There are at least six serious candidates poised to toss their hats in the presidential ring. But as of last night, the only hat actually in the ring belongs to Tim Pawlenty. Wait, is that a hockey helmet?

And So it Starts - Pawlenty is In

2011-03-23T07:41:00.000-07:00

Some say that it doesn't seem possible that we are once again at the beginning of the next presidential campaign. Others, including the View, think that it can't come fast enough if we are to sort out and resolve the confusion, uncertainty and gibberish that has symbolized the current administration's governance, first revealed in the jumble of domestic programs such as the massive health-care bill that still defies understanding and, more recently in the arena of international affairs. But with 2012 just around the corner, it is clearly time to start the process that will identify and nominate a candidate to run on the Republican ticket next year. Amid the six, or so, individuals generally seen as the most likely contenders, Tim Pawlenty stands out for a number of reasons.

First of all, Pawlenty may well be the least well-known of the field. But as the former two-term governor of Blue-state Minnesota, he established the reputation for effective management while dealing with a democratic legislature and strong public unions. He presents strong conservative bona-fides and is well-grounded in understanding the concerns of the average voters.

There are several reasons why Tim Pawlenty may well be the candidate we need in 2012:

We need a president with strong executive skills to effectively manage the massive federal government, ensuring that the purpose for each agency continues to be a high priority and revamping, or even eliminating, agencies where this is not the case.

We need a president who can establish and maintain a meaningful discussion as to which of our national goals should be pursued and which should be deferred so as to accommodate economic policies designed to preserve and defend the public fisc for generations yet to come.

And we need a president who can lead the movement to re-charge the American tradition of opportunity, rather than a handout, for all its citizens.

Last, but certainly not least, we need a president who recognizes and defends the role of the social structures and values that have provided solid underpinning to America's greatness for over two and one half centuries.

Job one for the rest of us is to get to know Tim. A good place to start is to view his recent facebook announcement message by clicking HERE Listen to his message and commit to find out more about him. Then, compare him with the other candidates. I think you will agree that Tim Pawlenty deserves a place on our short list.

Gentlemen, Start your Volvos

2011-03-16T07:06:00.000-07:00

Former NPR commentator Juan Williams writing in the New York Post, March 15:

The recent videotape showing NPR chief fund-raiser Ron Schiller . . . is just an open microphone on what I've been hearing from NPR top executives and editors for years. They're willing to do anything in service to any liberal with money, and then they'll turn around and in self-righteous indignation claim that they have cleaner hands than anybody in the news business who accepts advertising or expresses a point of view.

Ron Schiller's performance on videotape—which included lecturing two young men pretending to be Muslims on how to select wine—is a "South Park"-worthy caricature of the American liberal as an effete, Volvo-driving, wine-sipping, NPR-listening dunderhead.

NPR's many outstanding journalists are caught in a game where they are trying to please a leadership that doesn't want to hear stories that contradict the official point of view. . . . This just confirms my belief that it is time for our government to get out of the business of funding NPR. The idea, to me, of government-funded media doesn't fit the United States.

Do you think that NPR regrets firing Juan?

2011-03-05T11:43:00.000-08:00

YAWN!!!

Bears hibernate in the winter, probably because its cheaper and easier than migrating to a warmer climate. Not having known many bears on a personal basis, however, I'm not real sure how long it takes for the bear to re-acclimate once it has climbed back out into the real world. All of which is a round about excuse for the lack of posts over the past two months. Now that The View is ensconced in its southern quarters in sunny Florida, perhaps the creative juices might begin to thaw.

Fortunately for Western Civilization, current events have continued during our extended winter recess, and there is ample material crying for comment.

To wit, the labor wars in Wisconsin have provided quite a spectacle. There they are, the rank and file, chanting and beating on drums, protesting the Governor's efforts at achieving something approaching balance with regard to the public fisc. This standoff has raised a long overdue discussion about the rationale for public employee unions. But before we get all tied up in a discussion of the linkages, or lack thereof, between teachers union and the efficacy of the public schools, some thought needs to be given to whether such unions make sense in the first place.

Writing in today's Wall Street Journal, Peggy Noonan makes an excellent point about the difference between public employee union negotiations and real world union negotiations. The Pegster is one of our faves, even if she does get a little off track now and again. Fortunately for all, she is spot on here:

When union leaders negotiate with a politician, they're negotiating with someone they can hire and fire. Public unions have numbers and money, and politicians need both. And politicians fear strikes because the public hates them. When governors negotiate with unions, it's not collective bargaining, it's more like collusion. Someone said last week the taxpayers aren't at the table. The taxpayers aren't even in the room.

Given the ever-tightening fiscal noose, it will not be long before the question of public employee unions comes to a municipality near you. stay tuned.

You also might want to read all of Peggy's article and decide who we might select to play Johnny Friendly in the inevitable remake of "On The Waterfront". Instead of a longshoreman played by Marlin Brando, we could have Jonathan Kozol as head of the Romance Language department at Boston Latin leading the charge for union equity. Click HERE for the entire article

A New Year and New Beginnings

2010-12-31T05:32:00.000-08:00

Good news! The earth’s wobbling has, once again, brought us to the start of another year and for those who mark its beginning, it provides a moment to reflect on years gone by. Well-worn memories of dear friends and good times flicker past like old newsreels shaking loose more memories still; some mellow, some sweet and maybe just a few tinged with bittersweet.

After a salute to Auld Lang Syne comes the chance to look ahead and identify a few areas where we might initiate changes. Lists of resolutions have become a corny cliché, but it never hurts to revisit long-held ambitions that have yet to pan out, an old habit to put aside or a new one to set in place. For many of us who are increasingly aware of the finite nature of time, we might prioritize a commitment to nourish old connections that may have languished or, perhaps, attend to some fences in need of mending. There is nothing like the quiet of a bleak mid-winter winter night to engage one’s mind and put some meat on these bones.

So, embrace the New Year. Take it for what it can be, a shiny new opportunity to jump start new efforts. I have heard that quality, not quantity, is the ticket here. And, to all, best wishes for good health and clarity for the New Year and may 2011 be, for you, a year of achievement, prosperity and good fortune.

John

12/31/2010

Be Careful of What You Fear

2010-12-11T09:13:00.000-08:00

In the early days of the run up to the 2008 presidential election, we worried endlessly at the impact of a Hillary Clinton presidency, which appeared to be more and more inevitable. That is, until we came to realize, a dollar short and a day late, that a little known, and embarrassingly inexperienced, Illinois senator was in the process of winning the Oval Office. Hillary's candidacy evoked a litany of concerns. For example, she would surely try and re-introduce a big national health care program. But one of the unique concerns regarding her possible election was the return of Bill Clinton to the White house, albeit as first dude. How would that play out?

As the saying goes, the rest is fast becoming history. We didn't get Hillary after all. Instead we got this unknown, ill-prepared cipher who quickly took the country into a massive left turn as he strives to turn the good old U.S. into Sweden. More astute observers were quick to recall that the new president had clearly telegraphed his political orientation. I thought of his conversation with Joe the Plumber where he called for "re-distributing the wealth", and had to admit that the signs had indeed been there. However, as a small part of our futile efforts at finding a silver lining in this cloud, it was noted that at least Bubba wouldn't be back at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue anytime soon.

So imagine my chagrin (don't worry, my family hides the sharp-edged objects)when I happened upon the above photo on Drudge. In case you have been out of touch and need to get a back story for this photo, click HERE to get the gory details. Yes, it is as bad as it looks.

Back to Basics for the RTC

2010-11-12T07:31:00.000-08:00

Brad Marston's POSTING over at Red Mass Group is an excellent summary of specific steps that Republican Town Committees must take if the party is to compete more effectively in 2012 and beyond. This posting, and the following comments, are a must read for anyone with a stake in the future of the Republican Party in Massachusetts.

Karl (TLC) Weld's comment is especially notable:

The data is available to identify these folks. We just need to do it. We must make year-round activism the norm instead of getting in motion only during election season. There are plenty of votes taken on the Hill that are a sound basis for year-round lit drops in the form of "fact sheets' and "Did You Know" messages. Let's not save these for the run-up to elections but constantly remind voters of what's going on up there. Maybe we can break through to some folks and get them to realize that the only way to reform state government is to change the players. And then offer them viable players with viable solutions. Waiting until it's time to campaign to do this is like starting from scratch every time. And that's unproductive and an inefficient use of resources.

Let's not wait until the spring of 2012 to get started.

2010-11-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

Mornings after can be painful, especially today as we look at the local election results in the cold hard light of day. But even given the one-sided results, there are definitely points of light amid the gloom.

First of all, the GOP fielded a strong slate of candidates, generating tightly- contested races in just about every election. Landslide victories were few and far between. It is easy to forget that only a few years ago, most incumbents ran happily un-opposed. Those days are gone. The GOP is back as a factor to be reckoned with in Massachusetts. Would it have been better to win some of those races? You bet. But don't think for a minute that we won't be back, applying our new-found and well-earned knowledge to future elections.

Also, Don't gloss over the importance of the Republican gains on the national level. We now will have a majority in the House, and a stronger position in the Senate. most political commentators are convinced that this election was a profound repudiation of Obama's socialistic agenda, and we have the antidote. The vision of Nancy Pelosi moving out of the Speaker's chair has to bring a smile to even the most disappointed among us.

Like the Macy's Thanksgiving parade, preparation for next year's event starts the very next morning. Stay the course. Redouble the effort. Stick to your principles. We will be back.

Jeff Perry Hits His Stride

2010-10-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

Jeff and Lisa Perry were in town the other evening at what must seem, to them, like an endless series of campaign events as Jeff heads into the gun lap in the race for The Congressional seat representing the Mass. 10th. But they were quick to dismiss any suggestion of fatigue, pointing out that they draw strength and stamina, not only from their personal commitment to Jeff's platform, but also from the tremendous support of their growing legions of supporters.

It's already been a long campaign, but as we head into its final four weeks, the key issues are coming into razor-sharp focus. And to no surprise from many of us, the key issues, those that most concern the majority of voters, are those that form the cornerstones of the Perry campaign. Click on NEW AD, to view the new Perry campaign ad. You are probably going to have to watch it a few times, because Jeff's granddaughter, Faith, steals the show first time around. But the message is crystal clear. We are facing an election that may well become the most pivotal of our generation and Jeff's prescription of cutting spending, reducing debt and lowering taxes points the way to re-claiming the way of life that has made our country great.

Writing in the current week end issue of the Wall Street Journal, Peggy Noonan points to the key issues for the November election:

Whatever stand you take on the social issues, you have to be blind to think they will make a big difference this year. The issue this year is the size, role, weight and demands of government, and the public sense that its members selfishly look to their own needs and not those of the country. A GOP congressman told me this week that he very much disagrees with the characterization of tea party and Republican voters as enraged or livid. They are scared, he said. He has never, in two decades in politics, heard so many people tell him they are "scared," frightened for their own futures and for the future of their country.

Read the whole article HERE

Whether fearful, angry or somewhere in between, this election is, perhaps, our one chance at stemming the tide of the progressive takeover of not only the U.S. Government, but the American way of life. Sending Jeff Perry to Congress may well be the most important choice made this year by the voters of the Mass. 10th.

A Night to Shine for Charlie Baker

2010-09-28T07:10:00.000-07:00

Charlie Baker came to Plymouth last night and was well-received by a large crowd of supporters, lead by host, Vinny deMacedo. Also in attendance was Charlie's running mate, Richard Tisei, Congressional candidate, Jeff Perry, incumbent Plymouth County Sherrif, Joe McDonald and a host of elected officials representing local government. It's been a while since we have heard Charlie in person, and we all came away with the recognition that Charlie is hitting his stride as a speaker. he has, of course, always had a well-reasoned platform supporting his candidacy, but now we are hearing the emotion and conviction, which underlines the rhetoric. It was exciting to hear him and he brought the crowd to its feet several times. And while there were no reports of leg tingles, ala Chris Matthews, Baker's message came across loud and clear.

Three main points have consistently been the main support for Charlie's strategies: Spending, taxes and jobs, as well a clear recognition that our government has lost sight of the equity due to those who pay the bills, the taxpayers. Another Baker axiom is "time is not our friend", when it comes to solving the state's problems, and a tight focus on each issue in turn is more effective than a sense of universal concern.

What voters are now understanding is that in order for state government to be effective, it must first put its fiscal house in order and create a business climate that will support the growth of jobs and opportunity. To make this happen, we need leaders with a clear sense of priorities as well as the experience and skills to craft a lasting recovery. The incumbent governor, Baker pointed out, has over forty union endorsements. The very thing that has hindered his efforts over the past four years, has been his need to satisfy his debt to these groups, at the expense of developing long range solutions. Let there be no doubt, Charlie baker and his team know how to turn this around.

While it is tempting to crow about a Republican re-emergence, it is more interesting to note that support for these ideas is coming from all across the political spectrum. Republicans, conservatives, Libertarians, Independents and even many Democrats are realizing that the tax and spend strategies are digging us a hole that future generations will have to deal with.

The election is five weeks from today. Get involved, get active and let's make it happen on November 2nd.

Tuesday's Primary Election

2010-09-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

The polls, in Plymouth, will be open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Tuesday, 9/14/2010.

As you go to the polls, keep the following in mind:

Un-enrolled voters (those not registered for a particular political party) can request a Republican (or some other party) ballot in order to vote in the primary.
You will have to re-register, after the vote, to go back to un-enrolled status.

Many of the party candidates are running unopposed in the primary. They would still appreciate your vote. Show Charlie Baker (Governor) and Karyn Polito (Treasurer)some love.

Of course there are a few key races that are being hotly contested, including:

Jeff Perry, running for U.S. Congress

Mary Z. Connaughton, running for State Auditor

While there is no Republican candidate on the ballot for Massachusetts Attorney General, two candidates are running write-in campaigns in an effort to get on the November ballot to challenge incumbent Martha Coakley. The two write-in candidates are Jim McKenna - Millbury, and Guy Carbone - Belmont. Remember to write the name AND home town, and to fill in the oval on the ballot.

Vote for Jeff Perry, Tuesday, September 14, 2010

2010-09-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

This primary election, especially for voters in the Massachusetts 10th Congressional District may well be one of the most important elections of current times. Hyperbole? Not a bit. anyone with a modicum of sense and who has witnessed the results of one party rule in Washington DC for the past eighteen months should realize that it is crucial that we right the ship of state by bringing balance back to the U.S. Congress. Here in the 10th, our choice is clear. Jeff Perry has laid out his conservative credentials and his plans for stopping our country's slide into a socialistic morass.

In more ordinary times, this battle would be fought in November, but in this election, the primary election may well be the telling event. Jeff Perry is faced with an opponent who is committed to destructive campaign techniques in an attempt to discredit Perry. With the help of the lefty media, He has resurrected decade-old events and accusations that have been thoroughly investigated and resolved years ago and which resulted in Perry being fully cleared of any wrongdoing.

So it comes down to the September 14th primary. Voters will have the choice of voting for Jeff Perry, a true conservative with a public record of accomplishments and fresh new ideas for putting America back on track. Check out Jeff's WEBSITE for more detailed information. Or, his opponent, who seems to have focused most of his efforts on slinging mud at Perry. Perhaps not a bad idea for him. If he can succeed in focusing attention on these questionable charges, then perhaps voters might not notice the opponents total lack of favorable accomplishments or any ideas he might have to solve our country's problems.

Voters of the Mass. 10th. Go to the polls on Tuesday, September 14th and help Jeff Perry take a big first step towards the U.S. Congress.

Is There a Point Here?

2010-08-12T06:42:00.000-07:00

This editorial cartoon, published in the August 7th edition of the Old Colony Memorial, prompted the following letter to the Editor on August 9, 2010:

To the Editor:

The editorial cartoon featured on the Opinion page of Saturday’s edition not only missed the one of the most serious problems facing Town Government, but gave the Pinehills community a gratuitous back-hander by casting its residents as boozing golf fanatics. Mr. Dorn might find it enlightening to discover the impact that Pinehills residents are making on Plymouth, not only through its collective tax revenues, but also through their widespread volunteer efforts on behalf of many public and private local organizations.

More importantly, one of the biggest, non-fiscal, problems facing the Plymouth Town Government is not some vague power grab by a few precincts, but rather a widespread lack of participation by many of our fellow town folk. As David Peck notes in his comments, posted just below the cartoon, some precincts have had trouble in recent elections fielding enough candidates to run for vacant Town Meeting seats. As recently as last Sunday, the Boston Globe reported that the Selectmen are actively seeking volunteers for a number of Town boards and committees. Broad representation is clearly a key driver of Town Government, but it takes an interested and engaged public to make it happen.

John F. Malloy
TMM, Precinct 5

The following reply was received the same day:

John: Managing Editor Scott Smith and I have discussed your letter at length and we have no problem with the majority of it, however....Jon Dorn is one of the Jam session participants, just like all the others except that his contribution is in the form of a cartoon rather then a paragraph of words. Editorial cartoons by their very nature are caricatures - to identify me the cartoon might have a really big nose or funny glasses, for instance.

Also, neither of us think that Jon portrayed all Pinehills residents as booze swilling golf fanatics. The Jammers were all directed to the same story, which explained that the town charter requires the Fin Com be comprised of a member from each of the town's precincts with the only duplicate being from the precinct of the chairman, who does not vote unless there is a tie. Yet, Precinct 5 currently has multiple members on the committee, meaning there are none from some other precincts. You make the point, yourself, that it's difficult to find people to serve in town government.

Questioning whether Jon knows how much the residents of The Pinehills contribute to the town has no connection to the question posed.
Other Jammers also questioned allowing multiple Fin Com members from one precinct, yet you did not challenge them.

We'd be happy to print your letter without the statements we feel misinterpret the opinion solicited from Jon as part of his participation in this forum and the very nature of an editorial cartoon.

Tam Burgess, senior editor
GateHouse Media New England

There are a number of issues here, not the least of which is our concern for the portrayal of the Pinehills Community.

The last paragraph of the editor's reply comes perilously close to offering a quid-pro-quo which would offer to publish the original letter on the condition that certain comments be removed. Perhaps the "Letters to the Editor" section of the newspaper might then be re-named "Edited Letters to the Editor". For the record, we stand by our original version.

Finally, there is at least one point of confusion running throughout this exchange. The Charter Review Committee which has no restrictions on the number of its members from a particular precinct, and the Advisory and Finance Committee which, under current rules, should be made up of at least one member from each precinct. It is the Charter Review Committee that reportedly includes five members from precinct 5.

If you are still reading at this point, you may be want to read, or re-read, the entire August 7th JAM SESSION article including the opinions of the contributors.

How do you feel about the cartoon? Is it insulting to a whole community, or is it an acceptable response to this opinion poll?

Comments to the View are always welcome. You can also email your comments to the OCM editorial staff at ocm@cnc.com. You may, or may not, have your comments printed in the newspaper

Out of The Blue

2010-08-05T17:06:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like a new book, especially one written by someone you know, to pull oneself out of the summer doldrums. Last week, our good friend Virginia Young was at Plymouth's Blue Blinds Bakery and Cafe' to introduce her new book, Out Of The Blue. This pleasant and readable Romance is set right here in America's Home Town and features a full cast of well-drawn characters. We guarantee that the pages will turn quickly and you will soon be drawn into trying to figure out if the attractive and sophisticated Samantha and the handsome and talented Gray will ever find in each other the gentle and loving partner that each seems to be seeking.

The story unfolds within the contours of two families whose warmth and caring come to life under Virginia's precise descriptions which emerge from the page like carefully-drawn etchings. And, of course, contemporary Plymouth, serves as a soothing and pleasing backdrop, where family traditions quietly echo the Town's long and well-chronicled past.

While the author brings the story to a satisfying conclusion, there are enough un-answered questions sprinkled through the text to spawn at least one sequel. We will all look forward to the next installment.

Do yourself a favor and get a copy of this book. Contact RiverhavenBooks for a listing of the local shops carrying the book, or order directly from the publisher.

Summer-the Opening Belle

2010-06-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

Plymouth's summer season kicked off last week end, just a few days short of the official opening day on June 21st. Along with a few thousand of our closest friends, we spent some enjoyable Sunday hours on the waterfront as a full complement of tourists (anyone who doesn't live in the 02360 zip code) enjoyed the sights and the fine weather. And lets be clear about tourists. Now that Plymouth apparently won't be morphing into Hollywood East anytime soon, tourism is America's Home Town's primary industry. The term "tourist" is absolutely not a pejorative. Tourists are our friends, ka-ching, ka-ching.

So to mark the new season, here are a few thoughts, observations and recommendations, geared toward making the season more enjoyable for all, or at least those who agree with us.

First, Plymouth should get rid of the Pilgrim Belle. Why anyone who thinks a Mississippi River - style paddle wheeler fits into the historic waterfront, especially when docked alongside the Mayflower II, is beyond us. Send this floating eyesore packing. The Town also needs to replace those parking fee machines like the ones in the lot in front of The Cabby Shack. First it takes your money, then it refuses to print a receipt, then you get an extra souvenir of your visit in the form of a parking ticket. This shouldn't be so hard.

We do not join with those who look down their noses at motorcycles and those that drive them. Most of these bikes are attractive, well-maintained and driven with care. There are a few bad apples, however, that need a whack upside the head; namely those bikers who think mufflers are something you wrap around your neck in winter. Nothing shatters a pleasant afternoon like some yahoo revving up his engine from hell, startling the tar out of all within a half mile radius. And while we are on the subject, someone needs to tell those few riders still looking to recapture the glory days of the Hell's Angels that the tough biker-gang look is at least a half-century out of date.

We will close with a few fashion tips designed to improve the general atmosphere. We understand that the shaved head look is "in", and it certainly implies an ease of care, but this look is not for everyone. Before you venture forth sporting a shiny dome, invest in a good mirror and give yourself a critical look. Remember, you can always wear a hat. Ditto for those into multiple facial piercings. If a mirror isn't in the cards, find a trusted friend with some fashion sense. Also, a sure bet for the most promising career path is that of a certified tattoo removal specialist, when, in just a few years, all these tattoo aficionados start to realize that these things really are permanent.

A more general recommendation to motorists: scrape those fading "Obama for president" stickers off your cars. In spite of the speed with which his presidency is melting down, there might still be time to establish some distance from your support of his election.

So happy summer to all and don't forget the big celebration of Plymouth's 400 year anniversary, in 2020. It's not too early to start making plans now, those T shirts are sure to be collector items.

Bloomsday

2010-06-16T06:48:00.000-07:00

When the great lamented Irish man of letters, James Joyce, wrote the novel, ULYSSES, he chronicled the wanderings of one Leopold Bloom as he made his way around Dublin on June 16, 1904.

The annual marking of this day by Joyce aficionados throughout the world provides the perfect opportunity for would-be intellectual types to gain credibility by dropping a casual allusion to the day into conversations. This is almost foolproof, as in spite of the book's historical importance in the field of literature, it remains, we suspect, one of the best known, but most unread books in history.

So if you do decide to slip an allusion to Bloomsday into your daily patter, there is a good chance that others will not have read the book. They might, however, know who James Joyce was and this would give your tender ego a small boost. To be safe, you could actually read the book, or at least the Cliff notes. Then, at least, you might glean a few tidbits, such as our favorite: The word, "yes", as featured in Molly Bloom's Soliloquy.

Have a good Bloomsday!

Jeff Perry Follow Up Interview

2010-06-16T06:20:00.000-07:00

Click on the link and hear Jeff perry's response to the flap surrounding the press articles discussed below.

HOWIE CARR INTERVIEW

We think that this exchange goes a long way in putting this issue in perspective.

Jeff Perry, Now More than Ever

2010-06-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

This past week, The Boston Globe ran its second FRONT PAGE STORY in five weeks regarding Republican congressional candidate Jeff Perry's involvement, or lack thereof, in a pair of twenty-year old cases involving unlawful strip searches of two girls by the same Wareham policeman.

Let it be said clearly at the outset that this type of behavior should absolutely not be tolerated by any police department or its community. And it should be noted, that Scott Flanagan, the police officer accused in both cases, was fired from the force and later confessed to the acts and went to prison. The Globe articles, as well as several articles appearing in the Cape Cod Times, have attempted to tar Perry who was Flanagan's shift supervisor at the time.

The bottom line is that the guilty party was punished and Perry was exonerated. His only failing was to believe the word of one of his men, but that only lasted until the facts emerged. The incidents gave raise to Flanagan's criminal proceedings as well as two civil suites brought by the girl's families. The Globe and the Cape Cod Times are now sifting through testimony from these events, as well as police records, to find any inconsistencies between those sources and Perry's current recollections. Those with plenty of extra time and access to Google, can revisit the press reports in their dizzying detail. Note to Press: Just because something is maintained in a deposition or trial testimony does not automatically make such statements factual. Trials essentially try to determine which party's perceptions of events most closely resemble reality. These articles are scrambling to connect a collection of shadowy dots to somehow prove, twenty years later, that Perry acted improperly. All this scenario needs is a grassy knoll.

But the goal of these articles is not necessarily to "prove" anything. What they have been successful in doing is generating headlines that link Perry's name with provocative words such as "strip search". Those of us who know Jeff Perry will dig for the truth in the quasi-allegations. Unfortunately, many others will remember only the headlines.

Jeff perry is guilty, but not of the shadowy charges surrounding these articles. Jeff is "guilty" of offering voters in the Massachusetts 10th congressional district the choice of a candidate with strong conservative Republican principles, who would bring a voice of sanity and balance to the funny farm currently masquerading as the U.S. Congress. Now, more than ever, we need to send Jeff Perry to Congress.

Newsbusters with Jack Coleman

2010-06-04T09:01:00.000-07:00

The View is always on the lookout for interesting websites, especially those dealing with national current events. We are, then, pleased to recommend Jack Coleman's blog which is published under the Newsbusters.org umbrella. Click HERE for a look at this well-written and informative site.

A tip of the Hat to Plymouth's own Jack Coleman

Golfing in America's Home Town

2010-06-02T05:46:00.000-07:00

To say that golfing venues abound in Plymouth is an understatement as it is home to a staggering ten golf courses, which offer a broad range of difficulty and amenities. These range from casual par 3 atmosphere of The Village Links to the challenging formality of the two Pine Hills eighteens. It also includes the View's favorite course, Atlantic Country Club. All told, the Town hosts over 200 holes of golf. This might not raise many eyebrows in Myrtle Beach, but its quite notable in frosty New England. Accessibility is excellent with seven of the courses open to the public, but two of the private courses, Plymouth CC and White Cliffs, seem to be actively recruiting members. Only the new ultra-private, and ironically-named, Old Sandwich course shields its 163 members, each of whom shelled out a reported $200K initiation fee, with a guarded entrance that prohibits un-invited visitors. What was it that Groucho Marks said about private clubs? But we digress.

We were over at Waverly Oaks last Saturday, playing the nine-hole Executive course with friends as part of an impromptu Nine & Dine. The well-maintained nine-hole is an interesting course that can provide just enough of a challenge to make it an interesting golf experience while still being kind to golfers preferring shorter courses. As an aside, the adjacent eighteen-hole course is not only one of the most attractive golf courses in Plymouth, but perhaps in New England.

The significance of last Saturday's outing was that had the movie studio development plan had gone forward as planned, The Executive would have been under excavation in preparation of multiple sound stages. For several years now, Plymouth Rock Studios has been trumpeting plans for a $500 million project that would transform Waverly Oaks into Hollywood East. Golfers and others shuddered to think of bulldozers destroying this beautiful golf property.

Initially, the project garnered Town-wide support, as would any development that promised jobs and tax revenue and an environmentally-friendly business. Add in the excitement of having Hollywood actors cruising Court Street and the package was hard to resist. Seemingly, the most important among the few that refused to buy-in to the project were the lenders that were expected to provide what amounted to all of the development money. Granted, banks and other lenders have been under the gun due to the the sub-prime mortgage saga, but an early indication came when the Commonwealth passed on the $50 million I-cubed bond issue which would have paid for the infrastructure that would make the development site accessible. In spite of the fact that the project seemed to fit the I-cubed program to a tee, the state couldn't bring itself to fund the project. Many reasons were offered for the turn down, but at the bottom of the pile seemed to be a lack of confidence in the studios business plan. Then came the Globe's Spotlight on the principals of PRS. Suffice it to say, with the exception of certain Plymouth Selectmen, the confidence level for the management team went south real fast. As of late there have been a few minor bleats as PRS goes through its death throes. If Las Vegas were giving odds on the studio ever getting out of the ground, there would be very few takers. With deference to the "never-say-never" school of thought, Plymouth's version of Hollywood East just isn't in the cards anymore, if it ever was.

As we finished our round on Saturday, we all agreed that we were glad that the course was still in place for all to enjoy. This view is also shared by many local golfers who love the facility. We stopped in the clubhouse for the "dine" part of the outing and marvelled once again at the building's magnificence. How this facility could be virtually empty on a Saturday evening make one wonder as to the management skills of the current owners. Now that a buy-out seems unlikely, perhaps they will bring in a management team that could take advantages of the attractive physical plant and allow the course to achieve its potential.

Recognizing the benefits of the tourism industry, Plymouth makes a concerted effort to attract visitors to its historic sites. Given that the golf courses are already in place, the Town could easily promote its golf courses as part of the effort, and at little additional promotional cost. Suggested New motto: "See the Rock and golf like a pilgrim".

'

A Day for Remembrance

2010-05-31T05:55:00.000-07:00

On this day for remembering, we recall a favorite quote of Winston Churchill:

'Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few'

While Churchill was, at the time, speaking about British pilots during the Battle of Britain in 1940, the words are easily applied to other times and other places. He liked his whiskey and his cigars, but the man brought an eloquence to the English language that is fast going the way of the Dodo in our contemporary world of texts and tweets. And maybe it's his American mother that gives many of us a special link to his greatness.

Today, we rightly honor those who have served to protect our way of life, especially those who have fallen in the line of duty. But we also take this special day to remember those of our own families and communities that have gone before us and in many ways, large and small, helped pave our way into the future. It is important to celebrate those memories thereby perpetuating their influence beyond mortal constraints.

The View's Favorite Sports Bar

2010-05-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

It all started at a Red Sox spring training game in Ft. Meyers this March. We were checking the scoreboard when up came an ad for Johnny Malloy's Sports Pub in nearby Bonita Springs. We never did stop in for the two-for-one chicken wings, or whatever they were offering to Sox fans, but we eventually did do a little research and learned that this restaurant is actually a franchise with nine additional locations.

But when you click on the LINK, the plot thickens as it turns out that the eponymous Johnny Malloy was a mounted policeman. The music, alone, is worth the click

In our family, we have our own mountie, cousin, Jamesie Leahy. So if we were to bring one of these franchises to Massachusetts, we would have to re-craft the name to somehow include our mountie while still taking advantage of the franchise. Any thoughts? And while you are thinking, try to come up with someone with deep pockets that also knows how to run a sports bar.

Plymouth Town Election, May 8th

2010-05-01T07:06:00.001-07:00

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

2010-04-07T13:39:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-28T06:54:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-12T07:03:00.000-08:00

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)

2010-03-07T09:19:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-04T08:32:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-26T12:07:00.000-08:00

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.

A Tough Month for Writers

2010-01-31T13:03:00.000-08:00

Today marks the end of January which brought with it a good dose of the bleak mid-winter with enough snow, wind and cold to make anyone question the notion of global warming. The month also, in a dizzying eight-day period, marked the end of life of four very influential writers. If this starts to sound like a well-reasoned academic analysis of four authors and their works, you will have to look elsewhere. The influence I refer to is the influence that these writers had on me as I made my way to adulthood.

I have always been a voracious reader, driven by a desire, or perhaps a need, to learn more about life as it unfolded before me. For reasons that won't be touched on here, I was largely left to myself to plumb the mysteries and pursue a measure of truth about the world into which I was born as I struggled to understand the opportunities which would allow me to aspire to greater things.

As I entered my teen years in the late fifties, I learned that one of the books that seemed to be on every thinking-person's reading list was the Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger. I read the book several times in an effort to unlock the wisdom that, I reasoned, must clearly be the basis of the book's popularity. I had a sense that I should have been entertained by Holden Caulfield's great adventure in New York City, a place I had never been but seemed to have a bottomless capacity for adult-level evil. But I had a hard time understanding that he would turn his back on what seemed to be a rich comfortable life of learning at his prep school. I wasn't exactly sure what a prep school was, but it sure sounded different than my public junior high school. So the net result was a sense that I had failed to unlock the wisdom of Salinger's book. Perhaps the real lesson to be learned was that there was a lot for me to learn. At this point in my life, I had yet to learn the way to appreciate the author as a separate entity from the book itself. Of course Salinger's reclusiveness was a factor. I wonder how many others on hearing of his passing on January 27th at age 92 didn't privately marvel that he had survived all this time.

When Love Story exploded on the scene in 1970, both as a novel and in film, I was a young husband and father, a year out of college, and in the beginning stages of a business career. This was the tail end of the post-war era. And while there were student demonstrations in places like Cambridge and Boston Common, primarily against the Viet Nam War, observers would also note the beginnings of social changes that would rock our culture to its core. But that was to come a few years later, after Watergate when fashions began to dictate long hair sideburns and wide wide neckties, even on normally buttoned-down business types, as the youthful madness of the sixties spread to engulf a wide swath of the entire culture. But, for a brief moment before that there was Love Story in which Oliver Barrett IV, a Harvard student with all the cultural and economic support he could have, lays it all on the line for the love of Jennifer Cavalleri, a beautiful, brainy Cliffie but who also was a product of gritty Cranston Rhode Island. To add a small dimension of adventure to the manor-born Barrett, author Segal cast him as a varsity hockey player, scrappy enough to take his licks in the Ivy League rinks. I glommed onto the fact that this character and I shared the love of the same game. In fact, my school teams and I had practiced at the Harvard rink. When the movie came out, kids would go down to the theatres and check out the exiting audience to see how many had been crying. Having read the book, I knew what to expect, but watching Ryan O'Neal say good bye to a dying Ali McGraw made sure that I was among those who gave the kids something to laugh at. On January 17th, Eric Segal died at the age of 72 in London. I was never able to forget Love Story but I was able to forgive him for allowing Al Gore to claim a shred of reflected notoriety.

While he wrote some 60 books, both fiction and non-fiction, it was Louis Auchincloss's beautiful descriptive stories of the old New York aristocracy that I found irresistible as it spoke to a way of life that may well be gone for all time. He wrote of wealthy urbane men who peopled the white-shoe law firms. He was a white-shoe lawyer himself spending the latter part of his career caring for the personal trusts and estates of many who resembled the characters in his stories. He was a maestro with the language who could capture just the right mood with his deft choice of words that seldom needed an expletive to make it clear. As New York Society has been subsumed by hedge fund cowboys and corporate raiders, the body of American literature will miss his writing skills which are receding in the face of emails and tweets. Louis Auchincloss died on January 26th at age 92.

If Auchincloss wrote about the cream of society, Robert Parker went to the other extreme and wrote mostly about the dregs. While his prolific output included books about a small town police chief with a drinking problem and even a few westerns, he is probably best known for his hard-boiled crime novels featuring Spencer the private investigator. An ex cop, and ex boxer and all around tough guy, Spenser, with his sidekick Hawk would pursue their quest to solve the mysteries that regularly came their way. Parker tried hard to capture the raw underworld of Boston and in doing so, he created a number of colorful, if a little one-dimensional characters. And while this may not have had the ring of authenticity as does Dennis LaHane, his dialogue was something to behold. Spencer was so good at having the perfect comeback remark, it sometimes consisted of just a thin smile. Academics seemed to have a field day pointing out the shortcomings of his writing, and I often felt that a little too much Cambridge Lefty found its way into the mouth of a guy who could be a perfect Neanderthal, but I read every Parker novel I could get my hands on, usually without putting it down. Robert Parker died on January 19th at age 77.

A grateful reader wishes that all four men rest in Peace as their words, thankfully, live on.

Yes We Did!

2010-01-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

The day at Precinct 5 in Plymouth got off to a strong start. From the moment the polls opened, there was a steady flow of voters to the polls. By 11:00, we knew that we had a strong turnout, and based on the numbers of horn honks and thumbs up we began to ratchet up our belief that Scott Brown could carry the day.

The afternoon brought a steady rain, but we stood our ground and waved our Brown signs as the after work crowd began checking in. By the cold and soggy end of the day, we went home, buoyed by the strong turnout and looking forward to the final state-wide results. Seeing those final numbers up on the screen made all the effort worth while.

Congratulations to Senator-elect, Scott Brown, and his family and to all the "believers" who worked so hard to get him elected.

Scott Brown Comes to Town

2010-01-17T07:26:00.000-08:00

For at least an hour yesterday morning, we all waited in the cold, brandishing our Scott Brown signs and waving at the cars going by, honking their horns in support and giving us the thumbs-up for Scott. There were so many Brown supporters that the din of honking horns seemed to keep up without hardly a lull. When Scott Brown's Bus finally appeared we all gathered beside the campaign office on Long Pond Road to welcome our candidate who soon appeared, and, in shirtsleeves, worked his way through the crowd, signing autographs and shaking hands with the hundreds of supporters on hand. After visiting with the phone bank volunteers inside, he came out and climbed into the bed of a pickup truck with our own Vinny de Macedo, who welcomed Scott to America's home town.

The enthusiasm was palpable among the crowd. And while there were certainly some younger campaign workers there, there was also a large contingent of older solid citizen types, many of whom stood quietly and listened carefully as Scott addressed the crowd. There was a sense that there were many people here who, while perhaps not Republican activists, and perhaps not Republicans at all, had been drawn out by Brown's straightforward message of fiscal sanity and thoughtful government. We had the sense that these were representatives of the great American middle, who have become appalled at the excesses of the Obama-Pelosi-Reid axis, and were looking for a return to a moderate balanced government.

Significantly lacking were the low-ball personal attacks that the other side has been firing at the Brown. Brown's only acknowledgement was a call for shame on Martha Coakley, and her minions, for attempted character assassination. When asked what he thought of the president's planned Sunday trip to Boston, Brown said:" I wish him a safe trip to Boston and I can recommend a few good restaurants where he might eat. Then, I wish him a safe trip back to Washington." Besides being an articulate proponent for thoughtful, effective policies, Scott Brown is a classy guy, a good family man and someone we would be proud to have filling "The People's Seat."

Bubba to The Rescue?

2010-01-15T09:51:00.000-08:00

With the Mass Senate race in a virtual dead heat, the Dems are resorting to a desparate Hail Mary play. Bill Clinton will be in town today to try to help the Dems maintain the seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy, but more accurately known as "The Peoples Seat." As Reported in HUMAN EVENTS:

Most Americans have seen Bill Clinton on television, mobilizing worldwide humanitarian assistance in the wake of the earthquake that devastated Haiti.

But before he takes up his new portfolio as UN special envoy to Haiti, the 42nd President of the U.S. will try to shore up another potential disaster area closer to home: Massachusetts, where a Suffolk University poll released last night showed Democrat Martha Coakley trailing Republican Scott Brown by four percentage points statewide and only four days before they compete in the race for the late Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat.

Let's all hope that Bubba can do for Martha what he did for his wife during her ill-fated presidential campaign.

It's Show Time!

2010-01-14T08:18:00.001-08:00

Yes, there are a few days left before the special election, next Tuesday, but with Monday being a holiday there is a three-day weekend between here and there.

If there is any chance that you might be unable to get to the polls on Tuesday, go to Town Hall today and vote at the Town Clerk's Office. Also, while the rest of Plymouth Town Hall is closed tomorrow (Friday), the Town Clerk's office WILL be open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, to acccomodate voters.

While the main event is, of course, Scott Brown's crusade to upset the Democratic opponent, there is also a separate Plymouth Town ballot on the question regarding the proposed increase in the Meals Tax. By voting NO on this question, voters can roll back the .75% increase in the meals tax under the local option. Having the chance to cast a binding vote on a tax increase is as rare in Massachusetts as a strong, attractive Republican candidate. What we have here, folks, is a twofer!

So do it today, do it tomorrow or do it on Tuesday, but get to the polls. EVERY VOTE COUNTS!

If you have any doubt that Scott Brown should be our next Senator, click HERE and read the post on the lefty Blue Mass Group, which contains the most half-baked endorsement you have ever seen. I apologize for the language, but here is a direct quote of the Headline:

Yes it Sucks, yes you have to vote Coakley

BMG's motto: Reality-based commentary on Politics and Policy in Massachusetts and around the Nation.

Still on the Fence?

2010-01-08T07:06:00.000-08:00

Love him, or hate him, Howie Carr has been one of the most consistent voices, speaking our against the foibles of party hacks for many years. He also is one of the few in the MSM who takes on the entrenched Democratic Party, no mean feat here in the bluest of blue states.

With many voters, especially Independents (or should I say Unenrolled?)wondering if the political pendulum isn't overdue for a swing away from the Liberal apogee and back to, at least, some fiscal sanity, and, at the same time, looking at the upcoming senatorial election and wondering if Scott Brown may not be the breath of fresh air many of us are seeking. If you are perfectly comfortable with the Democratic candidate, there is probably little hope in changing your mind. But if you think we can do better, I urge you to read Howie Carr's COLUMN in today's Herald.

Come to think of it, if you are leaning heavily towards voting for the Democrat, maybe you should read the article, especially if:

You’re in a union, and you’re going to have to pay a 40 percent tax on your “Cadillac” health-care plan if Martha Coakley gets a chance to vote for Obama’s health-care rationing bill.

I bet you didn't know you were a fat cat.

Or:

You’re a veteran, and you wonder why you’re supposed to vote for an ardent supporter of the administration whose Homeland Security secretary refuses to call real terrorists terrorists, but who last spring issued a memo to local cops warning that “the return of military veterans . . . could lead to the potential emergence of terrorist groups.”

By the way, thank you for your service.

And get off that fence.

Scott Brown for U.S. Senator

2010-01-05T07:36:00.000-08:00

Two weeks from today, Massachusetts voters will go to the polls to elect one of its two U.S. Senators. Yes, we said elect, which is in stark contrast to how we acquired one of our sitting senators, Paul Kirk. If you were comfortable with the process whereby Kirk was knighted, you may not want to continue reading this post. This also holds true for those of you who are perfectly comfortable with the one-party system that has done such a stellar job, both on Beacon Hill and Capitol Hill. For those true believers, don't worry about the election. Massachusetts always goes with the Democrat, right?

State Senator, Scott Brown (R-Wrentham) is running for U.S. Senator from The Bay State. To those of us who are appalled by the out-of-control spending of the current administration in Washington, not to mention the back-room, one-party juggernaut, lead by Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, who are ready to ram an earth-shattering Health Care bill down our throats, Scott is more than a breath of fresh air. Click on his WEBSITE and read his common-sense views on current issues. Scott Brown will bring a strong counterpoint to the left's shopworn party line and help bring back the basic concept of open debate to the U.S. Senate.

What can we do?

First of all, be sure to vote. Encourage your friends to do likewise. Remind everyone that every vote is needed. Going to be away? Use an absentee ballot. Worried about the weather? Vote early at Town Hall. They can ignore our emails and letters, but the Pols cannot, and will not, ignore the election results. Electing Scott Brown to the U.S. Senate will send a loud and clear message to those playing fast and loose to advance their socialistic agenda.

If you can send a contribution, no matter how small, do it now! With only fourteen days left before the election, Scott needs the support today.

Massachusetts voters have a chance to, once again, make history by voting Scott Brown in as U.S. Senator. A victory for Brown will be the "shot heard 'round the world" that says NO to the destructive and poorly-crafted Democratic agenda.

Greet Well the New Year

2009-12-29T12:57:00.000-08:00

The earth has recently spun its way through the Winter solstice. The days have begun to lengthen, even if the change is barely perceptible. This is always a good time to reflect on the year just ending, perhaps to catch our breath for a few days before filling in next years to-do list, making resolutions, establishing goals and, maybe, putting just a few wishes on the board. This is also the time for remembering good friends, especially those with whom we haven't had as much contact as we would have liked.

We all realize that the New Year is not the blank slate we wish it were. Our troubles and challenges carry over as they are want to do. At the same time, there is nothing like a new point of view and a renewed burst of energy, a new resolve that can sometimes jolt loose a remedy where none had existed. And so, we wish you good health and good fortune for the New Year, set to begin in just a few days. And perhaps some clarity and a resurgence of determination to help you jump start a new, or dormant, ambition.

Stay well and make an extra effort to stay in touch. Believe it or not, Face book and Linked-In are good ways of contacting old friends.

And finally, a bit of tradition for those so inclined:

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
And here's a hand, my trusty friend
And gie's a hand o' thine
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

Listen,

2009-12-24T05:16:00.000-08:00

Greater than all the Christmas presents ever presented is the gift of peace. Read and reflect on Luke's narrative below about a simple, long ago event that continues to spread its influence, even today, as its mighty presence has the power to outshine even the most trying of the day-to-day challenges we all face. Even if only for a brief respite, may you find that peace now.

In those days a decree went out from Caeser Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment when Quirnius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazarath to Judea to the city of David because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her first child, and she gave birth to her first born son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them at the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them "do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David, a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. and this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying a manger. And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

"Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on
whom his favor rests."

Wicked Straight Talk on Property Taxes

2009-12-09T12:53:00.000-08:00

As Plymouth's home town newspaper, the Old Colony Memorial usually does a good job of reporting on local government affairs. But in its December 5th front page ARTICLE concerning Plymouth's new property tax rate, many residents were scratching their heads trying to make sense out of the article.

While the headline accurately reports that the tax rate has been increased by $1.35 to $12.42, the sub-head statement that the Average tax bill will increase by $125 is impossible to verify with the information provided.

First of all, the $125 increase refers to the average residential tax bill. If we use the new average assessed value of $314,154 and apply the new tax rate of $12.42, we get the new average tax bill of $3,901.79. Trust me on this, I was a math major.

We know, from the body of the article, that this amount is $125.12 (not the $125 mentioned in the sub-head) higher than last year's average, or $3,776.67. Dividing last year's average by last years tax rate tells us that last year's average assessed value was $341,163.

Put another way, the tax rate has increased by 12.2% while the Average assessed value has declined by 7.92% resulting in a net increase of 3.31%. Once again, this applies only to residential property.

So, now we know what the tax rate is, but we must wait for the arrival of our tax bills to tell us the full story. Depending upon how your property's assessed value this year compares to last year, you could see a wide range of results. While it can be painful to watch the value of your home decline, it can be even more painful if your assessment is not adjusted accordingly and your tax bill shows a big increase.

It's hard enough to deal with tax issues when we are provided with the facts. This article clearly fell short. And while there is no reason to believe that the OCM has any reason to cloud the issue, they either were only given part of the story, or garbled the information they were given. Either way, the clarification provided by Emily Wilcox that can be found well down in the comments section of the on-line copy of the article, should have been published prominently in today's (hard copy)edition.

NO on Meals Tax Increase

2009-11-19T07:52:00.000-08:00

As part of the reaction to the Plymouth Town Meeting's recent approval (by a three vote margin) of an increase in the local meals tax, a petition drive has succeeded in putting the question on the local ballot for re-consideration. As part of that effort, the "Vote No on the Meals Tax Increase Committee" has been formed to help communicate the issue's details to the voters:

We are pleased to announce that we have formed the Vote No on the Meals Tax Increase Committee.

We are seeking your support with the upcoming town election to repeal the meals tax increase. The vote will either be held on Saturday, December 19th in a special election (as approved by the selectmen) or on Tuesday, January 19th as part of the U.S. Senate special election. Rep. deMacedo has developed legislation which would allow the meals tax question to be placed on the ballot on January 19th, preventing the town from the need to hold a separate election in December. We will keep you posted on additional developments.

Please let us know if you are able to participate in this campaign in any way as we will need many volunteers to ensure our success.

We are also grateful for any contributions. Contributions may be sent to the committee address below. Individual and corporate contributions can be accepted in any amount. Please include your contact information with any contribution. Under state law, we are required to record the name of employer and occupation for all individual contributions of $200 or more.

Contact information:
Vote No on Meals Tax Increase Committee
P.O. Box 1193
Plymouth, MA 02362

Chairman: Chris Fava
508-269-1381 (cell)
kjfclf@comcast.net (e-mail)

Treasurer: John Malloy
774-454-4190 (cell)
Malloy_001_1@msn.com (e-mail)

Executive Director: Laurie Curtis
508-479-8034 (cell)
laurie@1620associates.com (e-mail)

If you know of anyone else who would like to be added to this list or if you would like to be removed, please reply to this e-mail.

For the back story on this tax, click HERE for an article in this morning's Globe.

Spread the word. It's not often that the voters get a chance to reject a tax. Let's take advantage of this opportunity

Plymouth In The Spotlight

2009-11-15T18:21:00.000-08:00

Ordinarily, having one's home town featured on the front page of the Sunday Globe elicits civic pride among the townies. But when the story consists of a Spotlight Team report, all bets are off. Plymoutheans perusing this morning's edition, learned that the latest target of the spotlighters investigative zeal was none other than Plymouth Rock Studio, America's Home Town's favorite development project. Suffice it to say, the news, especially for those (and they are legion) who see the creation of a new movie studio on the fairways of Waverly Oaks, as town's primary future economic driver, is not encouraging. It appears that had anyone bothered to look beyond the glitzy front put up by David Kirpatrick and his posse of Hollywood poseurs, they would have found a financial house of cards kept alive only by questionable claims of industry experience and ephemeral financial backing. In case you missed it, click HERE to read the whole story

While the View has not been a strong supporter of the proposed studio, it has refrained from criticising the plan, primarily due to our lack of understanding of the studio's business model. But, we were led to believe, an experienced and well-financed team of Hollywooders were planning to create a movie studio in Plymouth that would provide jobs, tax revenues and career training to us locals. Most of the Town's political leaders swarmed to support the project, and why not. The benefits to the Town were not insignificant. But if a story sounds too good, maybe it is. Which brings up the need for a due-diligence investigation into the promoters' bona fides. Someone has to look behind the curtain.

What we now know, thanks to the Globe's Spotlight Team, is that there is a lot of sunshine in Kirkpatrick's resume and his mysterious sources of financial backing are linked to a number of shady investors with, apparently, more jail time than assets. Moreover, his personal record is fraught with a litany of law suits, unpaid bills and nasty disputes not to mention a career that has been in decline for the past eighteen years culminating in a personal bankruptcy that has had him hitting up his mother for pocket cash.

While clearly not the only local official with a seat on the studio bandwagon, the Globe came up with several quotes from Board of Selectmen Chair, Dick Quintal, who emerges from the story as the odds on favorite for designated goat. First off, he maintains that he sees his paving the way for the studio as his legacy. He then touts his business acumen:

“They’ve got a track record,’’ he said. “I can pretty much tell somebody the minute I meet them if they’re real.’’

Amazingly, Quintal was made aware of Kirkpatrick's bankruptcy and at least some of the lawsuits, to which Quintal replied:

“I didn’t pay no attention to that,’’ he said. “That’s none of my business.’’

Somehow we think that his legacy may not turn out to be as quite as positive as he had imagined.

Plymouth Tea Party ?

2009-11-07T06:21:00.000-08:00

This just in.

Following the very narrow approval of the increase in the meals tax at the recent Plymouth Town Meeting, a small band of activists refused to stand by and watch another tax increase, especially in the face of a recession featuring, as we now know, 10%+ unemployment, be foisted on local taxpayers.

Working under a very tight time constraint, the required number of signatures have been gathered to ensure that the question be placed on the Spring Town ballot.

This not only speaks to the potential of a small, but determined, group of committed citizens, but also of the relative receptiveness of local government. We should be glad we didn't have to depend on Terry Murray and her Beacon Hill cronies to ignore the people's voice as they did with the petition to put the Gay Marriage issue on the ballot.

Stay tuned.

MassRoundUp.com

2009-11-05T07:42:00.000-08:00

Thanks to EABO Clipper over at RMG for suggesting this new site that reports on Mass politics, ala Drudge.

Direct SITE Link

Last, But By No Means Least, A New Tax

2009-11-03T08:42:00.000-08:00

As an example of the Commonwealth's effort to help the cities and towns deal with the property tax burden, a local option to the tax on restaurant meals has been instituted whereby the tax rate would increase from 6.25% to 7% on a local option basis, but the additional .75% would go to the municipality. This came up for a vote at the Plymouth Town Meeting last week and was passed by a three vote margin.

Supporters argued that the Town should take advantage of this option to help offset the dramatic decline in state aid. Hands were wrung as this was seen as a small bit of relief to the property tax burden. And while money is fungible, I suspect instead of keeping the lid on the growth of property taxes, the money raised will probably end up funding another parade, or perhaps buying a third big belly trash compactor. And,as one opposition speaker noted, perhaps paraphrasing Gertrude Stein, "a tax is a tax is a tax." Here we are in the middle of a recession-induced 10% unemployment rate and we are increasing taxes, again!

But the story doesn't end here. Tax opponents have hit the bricks with a a petition to send the decision to the voters for a second opinion. But time is short. Most of the local restaurants have the petitions, so drop by and add your signature. If you can't find one, drop me an email. The petitions have to be turned in within the next few days, so act now.

Sunday morning, we signed the petition at the Stop & Shop at Exit 6. Interestingly enough, there was also a second effort going on to petition the state to rollback the recent state sales tax on alcoholic beverages, which already carry an excise tax. In other words, a tax on a tax. Dueling petitions, right here in America's Home Town. I suspect that the local effort will stand a much better chance of achieving at least a small bit of tax relief.

The Morning After

2009-11-01T08:51:00.000-08:00

Okay, it took me a few days, but here is the report from the Plymouth Town Meeting held last Monday Night at Plymouth North High School. After the colors were smartly presented by the police honor guard, and after the National Anthem was ably performed by the High School chorale, and after we all pledged allegiance to the U.S. Flag, America's Home Town took up the people's business, or at least that portion of the people's business as was properly included on the official Warrant.

Many of the articles dealt essentially with housekeeping matters and even some which involved significant sums of money were quickly passed without debate. A few of the Articles, however, precipitated spirited debate.

For a community being pressed financially by the weak economy and cut-backs in state aid, Article 7, involving a misplaced $190,000, brought the debaters to their feet. While it was stipulated by the chair that this money could not, under the law, be put back into the general fund, speaker after speaker insisted that the money could be better spent than the items included in the article. $10,000 each was allocated to the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving parades, respectively, apparently to pay for public safety (police details?) And while someone suggested that the Thanksgiving parade had its roots in a religious celebration, the use of the money was approved.

$45,000 was allocated to something called Plymouth 2020, the celebration of the Town's 400th anniversary tens years hence. It sounds like quite a party.

Why this article included $10,000 to pay for two trash containers sporting the unlikely name of "Big Belly Compacting Trash Receptacles", for use on the waterfront area, seemed highly incongruous, but passed handily. Go figure.

Articles 21 and 22 provided for the establishment of a Right To Farm Law and the establishment of an agricultural Committee. Throughout the extensive promotion of these proposals by the Right-To-Farm Steering Committee and the Open Space Committee, we were assured that the principal act was essentially a re-codification of existing state law into the local by-laws; as a result, no new laws were enacted. The Ag Committee would simply help existing Town Departments deal with agricultural and farming issues, thereby no new powers or responsibilities were created. And all of this would come at no cost to the Town! The only question remaining is then why do we need these two new by-laws in the first place? BTW, both passed unanimously. Stay tuned.

The final issue of the night, resolved just prior to 10:30 p.m., was the rejection of Article 24, aka the Sex Offender Residency Restrictions by-law. Originally intended to restrict Level 3 Sex Offenders from residing within a half mile of a school, park, playground or elderly housing facility, the proposal was amended to also restrict loitering by certain sex offenders in or around Town or state parks.
Moreover, an amendment was proposed and voted down to remove the residency restrictions from the act. This was a badly-written law which had been cobbled together in, frankly, an amateurish manner. The Town Meeting wisely voted against the proposal. This rejection should be in no way seen as support for sexual predators. The expectation is that the issue will be sent to an appointed committee where a carefully considered by-law will be drafted. Re-consideration of this highly-emotional issue is expected at a future Town Meeting.

Sex and The Town Meeting

2009-10-18T08:06:00.000-07:00

Maybe the title of this post could be used by PR Studio should it decide to produce a Plymouth-based TV series similar to "Sex and the City". In the meantime, the title may have caught the attention of a few readers who might otherwise have passed on a posting about the upcoming Plymouth Town Meeting. Sorry folks, this isn't quite as exciting as you might have thought.

In a perfect world, or even a perfect town, we wouldn't have to worry about sexual predators, but in case you haven't noticed, we haven't quite achieved perfection. Currently ten registered Level 3 sex offenders reside in America's Home Town. Not to put too fine a point on it, the Level 3's are the worst of the worst, with a proclivity to re-offend. Not the kind of guys you want lurking about, especially near our schools.

The Plymouth Board of Selectmen, taking a page from several other Massachusetts Towns, have proposed a new By-law which is scheduled to come before the Annual Town Meeting, which starts October 26th. This proposal would prohibit registered Level 3 Sex Offenders from living within 2,500 feet, or half a mile, of a school, Day Care Center, Elderly Housing Complex or Park or Recreation facility located in the Town of Plymouth.

When, in due course, the proposal came before the Advisory and Finance Committee, testimony was received from, among others, Police Chief Michael Boteri and Retired Director of Operations of the Mass. Sex Offender registry, Robert Baker, where it was learned that the law might entail some unintended consequences and weak spots. For example, forcing Offenders out of housing might cause some of them to become homeless and therefore, harder for the police to monitor. Moreover, concern for where the offenders spend their days, might be more important than where they live. There was also some question as to whether the 2,500 foot restriction might be too wide an area and the suggestion that 1,500 feet might be more appropriate, especially given the fact that after all the 2,500 foot circles are drawn around the restricted facilities, precious little of the Town is left open. In the opinion of some, this result might be a good one as Offenders would find it extremely difficult to move into Town. What's more, if other Towns pass similar laws, any town without such a law might become a dumping ground. At the end of the day (or night, as it were) the Committee voted not to recommend the proposed by-law.

Subsequently, with the addition of non-loitering language, the Board of Selectmen voted to continue their support of the law. Other tweaks, such as the changing of the 2,500 foot radius to 1,500 feet, will have to come from the floor of the Town Meeting, where the final language of the by-law will be determined. And while the tenor of the debate might not be as spicy as the title suggests, it may just attract a few more viewers.

Town Meeting Time

2009-10-10T06:31:00.000-07:00

Time to shinny down the political food chain in an attempt to reach the level of rational discussion that seems to be eluding the state, national, and, now we learn, the international wizards as well.

And be assured that we are not wallowing in sour grapes. If the Nobel Committee wants to give its Peace award to someone else, well that's their choice. I do think, however, that a personal note to those of us in the also-ran category would have been appropriate rather than us having to learn the results from the media. We include The View among the possible recipients, as this choice makes just about as much sense as does the guy they actually picked. And yes, this does imply a rather large number of possible recipients (how many people are there on earth at this point?). Of course that would mean a huge number of personal notes, but its not like they haven't had time to prepare given that they they made their first cut back around Inauguration Day.

So, for the moment, let's put aside the Afghan War, The Iraq war, The Iranian nuke threat and the Democrats on-going efforts at destroying the American Health Care system. Ditto for the state government's ongoing frenzy du jure, as we focus on the upcoming Plymouth Town Meeting.

It seems highly appropriate that America's Home Town, where is currently in the early stages of planning the Town's four hundredth anniversary in 2020, continues to utilize this definitive grass roots form of government where the town's people gather to directly resolve the issues of local governance. Due to the fact that our population is in the range of 55,000, we now must utilize a representative system where 126 representatives are elected to represent the Town's 14 precincts; otherwise, we would have to hold the meeting in Gillette Stadium, during Patriot away weeks. But this body is still much more representative of the town folk than the usual bevy of slick politicians that populate most legislatures (no offense, Vinny).

The Fall Annual Town Meeting will convene on Monday October 26, 2009. Of the 28 Articles, or proposals, on the warrant, 20 continue on track for consideration, the other eight having been withdrawn. Over the next several weeks, the View will provide ad hoc analysis of the proposals. In addition, the Moderator's Town Meeting Review will be held on Thursday, October 22 at 7:00 in the Town Hall. This event, which Will be carried on local cable TV, will include a full review of all of the Articles.

All Plymoutheans are encouraged to learn about the Town Meeting's agenda and make their feelings known to their Town Meeting Representatives. For a list of the Reps, click HERE.

The Joke's On US

2009-09-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

Given the Democratic majority in the U.S. House of representatives, yesterday's 345 to 75 vote for cutting off all federal funding for ACORN was an eye-opener as a large majority finally recognized that it was time to throw this gang under the bus. EaBo Clipper, over at Red Mass Group, has an interesting POST which highlights the fact that eight of the ten members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation voted against measure. Talk about drinking the Kool Aid?, the ACORN eight must have a Kool Aid IV. But to those of us in the Massachusetts 10th, the significant news was our Congressman Bill Delahunt who voted to keep the federal money flowing to those wonderful rascals at ACORN!

Some might say that at least he showed up, unlike Barney Frank, that tower of Jello, who managed to be AWOL for the vote in spite of having been present for a vote only minutes before. As a small blessing, we should also be glad that Bill wasn't in Caracas with his bud, Hugo Chavez, who seems to be doing his best to join the Iran-lead push to creating another atomic weapon coalition.

Meanwhile, back at health care debate, many of us in the 10th are wondering if we somehow missed Bill's Town Meeting to collect input from the constituency regarding this mother of all social programs. Not to worry, no such meeting was held. So just jot your thoughts down in an email and send it off to:

William.Delahunt@mail.house.gov

Unless the email servers are still in meltdown, Bill will surely appreciate your input.

And don't worry if you missed the August 22nd demonstration at Delahunt's Hyannis office. CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO. Apparently, Bill missed it too.

So during this, our summer of discontent, we can jokingly ask: "where is our Congressman?" But the punchline is not quite as pleasant. He appears to be running unopposed for re-election. The better question is where are the voters of the 10th?

Taking It To The Streets, II

2009-09-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

To say that coverage of last Saturday's march in Washington drew minimal coverage from the MSM could be the understatement of the year. Not for nothin' the best article we could find was from the UK's Daily Mail Click HERE to read about the huge turnout of private citizens concerned enough about the left's raid on the U.S. Treasury to spend countless hours riding buses from all over the country to our nation's capital to express their frustration and concern directly to the federal government.

The few articles we could find in the MSM reported "tens of thousands" of demonstrators, clearly an attempt to minimize the impact of this historical event. The Mail mentions as many as one million in attendance, but before we get drawn into a side bar argument on attendance numbers, click on Sharilee's POSTING on Worcester County Freedom Trail to see the evidence that time-lapse photography produces.

Reporting in National Review On Line, Mark Hemingway provides some interesting insights into the makeup of the marchers:

As for the composition of the crowd, well I personally spoke to people from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Idaho, Alaska, Delaware, Tennessee, Nevada, California, Montana, as well as Virginia and Maryland, natch. (And I'm probably forgetting a few.) What also bears noting is that a lot of people came by bus — and of the people that came to the march by bus, almost all came on privately chartered buses organized by someone they knew. I asked one guy, who came up from South Carolina with 160 people on three buses, who put his trip together. He laughed and said, "My neighbor." Can we drive a stake through the astroturf claim now?

Click HERE to read the rest of Mark's report and view the great photos.

Perhaps the lack of coverage may keep some uninformed, but you Can be sure that the members of Congress know about the march and now have even more reason to question whether they want to support the president's crusade to bankrupt the U.S. to finance his socialistic agenda.

Congressman Joe Wilson may have been impolite, but he sure wasn't wrong. Do the math.

Taking It To The Streets

2009-09-02T07:09:00.000-07:00

The protests of the Sixties with vast crowds marching to call for the end of what they saw as an unjust Asian war, using tactics copied from the civil rights movement, brought a new dimension to American politics. And whether you agreed with the cause or not, you couldn't help but acknowledge the impact that these events had on the political establishment. Many, in those days, dismissed the protesters as rowdy hippies, but we were seeing what happens when elected officials fail to read a marked change in public sentiment. Frustration overcame the sending of polite letters to one's elected officials.

Which brings us to the September 12, 2009, March on Washington. This protest is being billed as an effort at defending liberty, and restoring our Constitution by reducing the size and scope of the federal government, especially with respect to the proposals for nationalizing health care. Put another way, In this march, the Tea Party Movement Goes to Capitol Hill.

This march represents a national focus on a movement that has grown up from the town hall meetings held across the country where many elected officials ran into a buzz saw of resistance to the Democratic plans for a socialistic national health care system. In an ironic reversal of roles from the Sixties, the liberal Democrats are labelling the their critics as a small band of right-wing nuts, a characterization that seeks to marginalize the growing breadth and strength of this movement.

An article by Ben Stein entitled, Why We Must March, provides an excellent analysis of the issues at stake, which extend well beyond the health care proposals.

In the last year or so those of us who cherish liberty have been pushed up against a wall. We have watched the federal government bail out the elites on Wall Street for their own bad decisions. We have seen a new president waste a trillion dollars on failed economic ideas and increase our debt to dangerous proportions.

We have heard the soaring rhetoric and watched the media fawn all over this new president who we are told is a new FDR. But we don’t want another FDR. We want our freedom, we want less government in our lives and we want to be left alone.

Which brings us to the present:

Now we come to the heat of August, and the protests and town hall meetings are keeping the pressure on the politicians. As one woman in Pennsylvania told a prominent senator, “You have awakened a sleeping giant.” This month the media and the left will continue to write us off, or malign us, but we will press on. And once the dust settles and the politicians return to Washington, they will think that it is all over. They only wish.

As the politicians return, we will follow them to Washington. We will come from every state, in big cities and small towns, to descend upon the capitol building with one voice. Our message will be a simple one: we demand our freedom. We reject the growth of the federal government and want our republic restored. This is not, and never will be, a socialist nation.

Read the entire ARTICLE. Better yet, send it to your elected officials. This is far from over.

Also, don't forget to sign the ON LINE PETITION

Grass Roots at Town Hall

2009-08-22T08:19:00.000-07:00

They’re un-American,” says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. “They’re spreading lies and distortions,” says senior White House adviser David Axelrod. They are “being funded and organized by out-of-district special-interest groups and insurance companies,” says the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

"They," as you probably guessed, are the concerned citizens who've shown up at town-hall meetings across the country to express their displeasure over what President Barack Obama and the Democrats are about to do to our health-care system. But who are they really? What motivates them? And why are they so angry?

So begins an excellent article by John Goodman, President of the National Center for Policy Analysis in the weekend edition of the Wall Street Journal which looks at the makeup of the rising tide (Tsunami?) of realization that proposed health care reform bill is a neutron bomb of change to health care as most of us know it.

Remember, according to a Fox News poll conducted last month, 84% of Americans rate the quality of their insurance as "excellent" or "good." When they voted for Mr. Obama for president, they thought "universal care" meant helping some unfortunate Americans obtain insurance they cannot otherwise afford. Not once did candidate Obama say he was going to make changes that affected them and their health care. In fact, he promised the opposite.

As Tonto once said to the Lone Ranger: "man speaks with forked Tongue"

The left is quick to characterize the outpouring of concern for the proposal as something sinister that is being orchestrated by Right Wing subversives. Look again at the picture above. Where are the uniform tee shirts and professionally-designed signs that characterize the "spontaneous" left wing protests? What the Democrats are slowly learning, is that they have kicked over a hornets nest of anger among the vast middle class of Americans who don't want their medical care messed with. And these folks are not being misled by partisan interest, they are horrified at the actual provisions of the legislation. Maybe the legislators are too busy to read the bills, but the voters aren't that dumb.

Want to do something? Click on the ON LINE PETITION and add your name to the 1.1 million of concerned citizens who have signed the Free Our Health Care Now petition. And don't take any one else's word for it, read the bill's language and don't let a bunch of socialist wannabees bulldoze the best health care system in the world into the abyss.

The Bust of a Rolling Stone

2009-08-19T09:45:00.000-07:00

By now, everyone on the planet knows about the famous Harvard professor who got himself pinched by the Cambridge Cops for mouthing off while they were answering a report of suspicious activity. But the coverage of an eerily similar episode that took place a few days later in New Jersey seems to have garnered negligible coverage.

As described HERE by abc news, A mere forty years after Woodstock, where he did not perform, and fifteen years after Woodstock 94, where he did, Bob Dylan apparently needed a few hours of down time from his current tour stop at the Jersey Shore and took a walk around a nearby neighborhood. Seeking anonymity, he disguised himself as a mental hospital escapee as he tromped around in the rain checking out local real estate listings. The neighbors knew a weirdo when they saw one and called the cops. Just like Skip Gates, Dylan was asked for ID to prove he really was Bob Dylan. The cop, twenty-something Kristie Buble, recognized the name Bob Dylan, but didn't see how the soaking-wet reprobate in the back of her squad car could possibly be someone who was touring the country with Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp, as he claimed. Nor was he recognized by any of the other cops who eventually came on the scene. Maybe if he had been wearing his harmonica?

Unlike the dust up in Cambridge, however, the situation was quickly de-fused when the cops brought Dylan back to the hotel where the tour was staying and someone finally produced an ID. Dylan, apparently, took it in stride with no hard feelings.

To some extent, that's the end of the story, but many are asking difficult questions. Is there a double standard that a national flap erupts when a black man is arrested breaking into a (ok, his own) house, but when a 68 year old white man (who is still a celebrity in the minds of many aging music fans) is arrested for merely dressing funny and walking around in broad daylight (and the rain), there is no reaction from the White House, or (with the exception of one abc news article) from the media. Why weren't Bob Dylan and the cop, invited to the White House for a beer? What does this say about America? How is it that we can read about the Dylan bust and smile, while the Gates fiasco brought the world to a standstill?

At least Bob Dylan's travails provide a small break from the never-ending health care debate and shouting match.

Common Sense? What a Concept.

2009-07-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

As we watch the hurtling train wreck of Health Care "Reform" slam its way through Congress, The View is over-whelmed with a sense of helplessness. How do we stop this juggernaut before we all end up in socialized medicine hell? I could write to my Congressman, but he is high atop the liberal bandwagon, and our Senior Senator is Ted, "Public Health care is Us", Kennedy.

As we clutch for some thread of good news, we happened upon Peggy Noonan's article in the weekend edition of the WSJ. Essentially, Noonan takes a step back from the minutiae of the health care maze and focuses, instead. on a more practical analysis:

I think the plan is being slowed and may well be stopped not by ideology, or even by philosophy in a strict sense, but by simple American common sense. I suspect voters, the past few weeks, have been giving themselves an internal Q-and-A that goes something like this:

Will whatever health care bill is produced by Congress increase the deficit? “Of course.” Will it mean tax increases? “Of course.” Will it mean new fees or fines? “Probably.” Can I afford it right now? “No, I’m already getting clobbered.” Will it make the marketplace freer and better? “Probably not.” Is our health-care system in crisis? “Yeah, it has been for years.” Is it the most pressing crisis right now? “No, the economy is.” Will a health-care bill improve the economy? “I doubt it.”

Read the rest of the article, and give it some thought.

This morning on This Week, George Will described the President of being ubiquitous. We would agree, he is everywhere and into everything. He has taken his election victory and sees it as a carte blanche to involve himself anytime anywhere. At this point, even the Democrats are looking for relief. Witness his chiming in on the Gates flap in Cambridge this week. He may not know the facts, but "Skip" is a friend of his" which means the Cambridge PD must be stupid. One of his staffers might have read the POLICE REPORT before he jumped in. The proposed solution? Gather the participants at the White House for a "beer" Then they can all bump fists and have a photo op. For a guy who is anti-profiling Obama seems quick to generalize that a drink of beer would be appropriate for Sergeant Crowley, an Irish cop. That kind all like beer, right?

Maybe the new Surgeon General should prescribe some Ritalin to her new boss.

Good Ideas at Plymouth Town Hall

2009-07-19T16:20:00.000-07:00

State Lieutenant Gov., Tim Murray, accompanied by members of Municipal Affairs Coordinating Cabinet (MACC), rolled into Plymouth last Friday for a discussion meeting at Plymouth Town Hall. Billed as a "listening tour", this meeting is part of a state-wide effort to develop ideas of ways for the state government to work more closely, and efficiently, with local governments.

There was at least one very familiar face among the panel members. Former Plymouth town manager, Mark Sylvia, now Director of the state Division of Green Communities, happily greeted many of his former co-workers. At one point, Sylvia shared a moment with Selectman, Dicky Quintal. We're not sure what they discussed, but we suspect it was not the $101,000 payout that Sylvia received on his way out the door last winter, as they both appeared to be smiling.

One of the more interesting presenters was Dolores Mitchell, Executive Director of the Group Insurance Commission. Essentially, the GIC helps municipalities save significant money by providing employee health insurance through the state process, rather than group policies negotiated by each individual group of employees. Due to the available economies of scale, Cities and Towns can save significant money by providing employee benefits through the GIC. But individual employee groups have been slow to accept the new approach. According to Mitchell, only 26 municipalities are presently taking advantage of this money-saving option, presumably unwilling to trade local control for significant savings to the taxpayers. perhaps if this trade off were re-cast, it might be better received. Mitchell mentioned that the Town of Swampscot saved enough money from the switch to the GIC that it was able to avoid twelve teacher layoffs. If some thought were given to splitting the savings, we might even achieve a win-win result.

Enduring Conservatism

2009-07-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

Do Conservatives prefer the past to the present? Writing in today's GLOBE, staff writer, Drake Bennett attempts to paint American conservatism as being firmly ensconced in the political wilderness, bereft of "ideas" with which to counter the flood of new legislation from the democratic legislative majority. While it comes as no surprise that the democratic party is flexing its new-found muscle as it promotes its ultra-liberal agenda, the frantic pace at which massive bills are being rushed to a vote, often without allowing adequate time for thoughtful review, or even a cursory reading, evokes widening skepticism. What's the rush? If they believe in the value of their ideas, why not subject them to a thorough vetting and introduce them in a orderly coherent form?

Writing in the Introduction of "The Future of Conservatism", Charles W. Dunn lists ten Canons of conservatism, the first of which reads:

"Continuity stands out as the most widely accepted canon of conservative thought because conservatives place a high value on order in in society. Preferring organic change to revolution, conservatives oppose large-scale and abrupt alterations that disrupt and unsettle society. Their respect for the past reflects a desire to incorporate change within existing community institutions, standards and traditions, making continuity from generation to generation the most essential canon of conservative thought."

Thus, it may be argued that conservatives do not prefer the past but, more importantly, chose to build on the important lessons so learned. In addition, this tenet is evidence of the fact that the basic canons of conservative thought are as applicable today as they have been in the past.

The rush of "new" liberal ideas will appeal to many who are impatient with the traditions of society. The siren song of politicians, offering quick fixes to complex problems, can be irrisistible, especially to those with limited forsight. Eventually, however, reality reasserts itself and the utopian promises are revealed for the unworkable fiascos that they are. This re-balancing process is already beginning as the American people have started to realize the terribly pervasive financial burden of the so-called Cap and Trade proposal. Similarly, the reality of the stupendous costs, both financial and in terms of access, associated with the clamor for a national healthcare system, are beginning to emerge through the fog of liberal rhetoric. And this is just two of the multiple liberal proposals being rolled out in a manic fervor. As the reality continues to emerge, look for public opinion to shift back to a more prudent and conservative point of view.

Senator Franken ?!?!

2009-07-01T18:14:00.000-07:00

.

Not, "God Bless America"

But "God Help America."

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Here We Go Again

2009-06-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Congressman Barney Frank who has succeeded in finally cracking through the crippling miasma that had smothered the View's will to respond to the liberal mania that has gripped our national government since January 20th. What with the new administration rolling out one hair-brained scheme after another, aided and abetted by the liberal congress with the MSM providing cheerleader services, it's been hard to get out of bed, let alone begin to respond. But good old Barney, he of the Massachusetts 4th, has finally gone over the top, which these days, really takes some effort.

According to my limited recall ability, things began to get particularly dark and ominous when the financial crisis hit last fall, just before the election, when a number of major financial institutions began to teeter and, in some cases, fall, all due to the "sudden" realization that no one really knew what all these these mortgage-backed securities were worth. And since these securities were owned by virtually every bank, pension fund, mutual fund, hedge fund and endowment in the country, we had trouble with a capital T. The clamor of the rush to government bailouts and forced mergers nearly obscured the underlying cause of this failure, namely, the poor credit quality of many of the mortgagees. In an effort to promote home ownership to more Americans, i.e. those unable to satisfy the lending requirements, the government had pushed for a relaxation of those requirements. It had been good old Barney who had called for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to "roll the dice" in the name of affordable housing.

Which brings us around to the letter that Barney, along with Anthony Weiner (D-NY) wrote recently to the heads of Fannie and Freddie seeking to have them relax recently-tightened underwriting standards for condominium buyers. For more details, read the article HERE in the WSJ, but the following excerpt neatly sums it up:

Fannie and Freddie have already lost tens of billions of dollars betting on the mortgage market -- with that bill being handed to taxpayers. They face still more losses going forward, because in the wake of their nationalization last year their new "mission" has become to do whatever it takes to prop up the housing market. The last thing they need is lawmakers like Mr. Frank, who did so much to lay the groundwork for their collapse, telling them to play faster and looser with their lending standards.

Perhaps the reaction to Frank's audacity will spread to others and help us all shed the lethargy and helplessness that seems to be all too prevalent. It sure got our attention.

Amy MacKinnon to Speak at South Shore Writers Club

2009-06-07T06:46:00.000-07:00

Amy MacKinnon, author of "TETHERED" will speak at a meeting of the South Shore Writers Club being held at The Abington Public Library on Saturday June 13th at 10:30 am. The talk is free and open to all. Refreshments will be served. For more information click on South Shore Writers Club, and/or Amy MacKinnon

A Tale of Two Governors

2009-05-22T06:33:00.000-07:00

Last November, 54% of the good people of Minnesota voted for the Democratic candidate in the presidential election, thereby continuing their string of voting for D's in every presidential election since 1969, except for 1972. The point being that Minnesota is no mid western red state. And like many other states, it is faced with a huge budget shortfall. The Democratically-dominated legislature has followed a predictable and familiar-sounding solution. Propose increases in virtually every state tax. Cut spending? Not a chance, in fact many new programs are still being introduced, like $1.2 million in grants for film production (why didn't we think of that?)and $200,00 for a youth environmental educational program. To this point, there seems to be a lot of parallels to the Bay State's politicians who are now trying to convince us that we are lucky to only have a 25% increase in our sales tax instead of all those other proposed taxes. But, I digress.

Minnesota is fortunate to have a governor with not only a sense of fiscal responsibility, but also the backbone to stand up to his out-of-control legislature. Republican Tim Pawlenty, who we have met HERE before used every available measure to roll back the tide and achieve a rare fete:

Mr. Pawlenty is now free to strip $2.7 billion from state spending to balance the budget. Tax hikes are dead. He tells me this will be one of the first times in modern Minnesota history that the state will reduce the size of government in real terms, not just slow its rate of growth. "The correlation in recent history has been between job growth and states that have reasonable government cost structures," he says. These cuts, he says, will position Minnesota to take advantage of the recovery when it comes.

To fully appreciate this achievement, you may want to read Kim Strassel's story in today's WSJ

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, our governor, the one who promised tax relief, was, believe it or not, out of town while the legislature scrambled to increase taxes. As was reported in RED MASS GROUP:

Members of the Senate Republican Caucus could have used the Governor's help in leading the charge against the sales tax hike on Tuesday, but he was in Washington, D.C. As Senate Minority Leader Richard R. Tisei pointed out, Patrick has a tendency to skip town at crucial times, such as when he travelled to New York last year to negotiate a book deal even as his casino gaming proposal was going down in flames. With all the time he has been spending away from the State House, it's no wonder Patrick is becoming increasingly irrelevant, prompting Tisei to refer to him as the "incredible shrinking governor".

No one has ever accused our Guv of being an anti-tax conservative, but he could at least show up and do some of that leadership stuff that comes with being the head of the executive branch.

Grass Root Politics

2009-05-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Ordinarily, the election for town meeting representative here in America's Home Town is a fairly mundane event. In most of the fourteen precincts, we are lucky to have enough candidates to fill all of the open seats; not what you would call robust public interest. with this in mind, I decided to toss my hat in the Precinct 5 ring. If elected, I felt equal to the task and wanted, in a small way, to contribute something to the Town's efforts at self-government.

It was easily accomplished. Just gather a few signatures and submit the forms to the Town Clerk. I filed in late February, just before setting off to a two-month sabbatical in the sun. Returning home in early April, however, I found that the earth had undergone a subtle shift. Three incumbents, plus myself and three other newbies, all vying for three open seats. This thing had turned into a campaign.

I won't drag my readers through the tedium of analyzing voter lists, printing and distributing materials and the saga of the lawn signs. Suffice it to say, the effort grew to almost blot out the sun. Last Saturday, we stood at the polls in the rain, waving to the voters, driving through the gauntlet of waving signs. I have to admit it was exciting, but yet, exhausting at the same time.

We had worked hard at getting out the vote. Due to the small number of contested seats, a low turnout was predicted and that was exactly what resulted. Our precinct turned out better than most, but town-wide it was not our finest hour, with barely 14% of the voters showing up to vote. I was blessed with a solid core of supporters who went out of their way to be heard. This great wave of support made it all worthwhile.

Amid the many congratulatory messages I received was a notification for the first caucus meeting in two weeks. As I start to climb the learning curve on municipal budgets and finance, I will remember all those who "showed up" for me. Read the whole story in today's Old Colony Memorial

OOOPS

2009-04-20T16:22:00.001-07:00

Iranian Justice, an Oxymoron

2009-04-20T05:47:00.000-07:00

Roxana Saberi, 31, an Iranian-American free-lance journalist has been convicted of spying by the Iranian Revolutionary Court, and sentenced to eight years in prison. As reported in a WSJ ARTICLE, she is charged with passing "information" to American intelligence agents. But according to her lawyer, Abdul-Samad Khoramshahi and her parents, she is being railroaded by "inappropriately applied justice". Say it ain't so.

With one of our journalists in a foreign jail under suspicious circumstances, it didn't take long for the Obama team to come to her aid:

On Saturday, both the White House and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said they were deeply disappointed by the sentencing, and that the U.S. will continue to vigorously raise its concerns to the Iranian government

.

"Deeply disappointed"? What's next? An official stamping of the feet?

Why is this reminding us of the Carter Years?

Facts Are Stubborn Things

2009-04-16T04:45:00.000-07:00

No one likes a scold, but at the same time, facts are stubborn and we avoid them at our peril.

An Editorial in the April 15th edition of OLD COLONY MEMORIAL may have been annoying to read. We don't like to hear our faults catalogued for all to see. However, the editorial, published, coincidentally, on Tax Day, makes a compelling case for the poor job we Plymoutheans have done in participating in Town Government, specifically relative to the May 9th Town Election.

To wit:

The only town-wide race is for one seat on the Board of Selectmen.

Three candidates are running unopposed for School Committee

There is no race for the open seat on the powerful Planning Board

The incumbent on the Housing Authority is running unopposed.

There is no contest for the seat on the Redevelopment Authority

Barely half of the precincts have races for Town Meeting member seats. Four precincts do not have enough candidates to fill all the open seats.

And this, in a town with almost 60,000 residents

The editorial sums up the situation succinctly:

Democracy is inherently a participatory process. It requires citizens to get involved. It means they must, first, register to vote (which you still have a few days to do in time for the May 9 election). Next, they are responsible to educate themselves about the process, the issues and the candidates (we work day-in and day-out to help you with that). Then they have to actually cast ballots (imagine if a whopping 50 percent of the electorate actually cared enough to vote). And, of course, if they really give a darn what happens in town, they can extend their participation beyond election day and volunteer to serve the community in one of literally hundreds of positions. Perhaps, they’ll even run for elected office (there are at least 42 Town Meeting seats on the ballot every year).

We have been debating a new form of Town Government for at least the last ten years. Maybe we could just concentrate on getting the existing system to work better through increased participation.

The Second Coming

2009-04-08T19:00:00.000-07:00

Ninety years ago, Mr. Yeats wrote this poem to express his concerns that the heavy-handed resolution of the Great War and the upheavals of the Russian Revolution were poised to rent the fabric of the civilized world for decades to come. History has shown that those concerns were well-founded. We now find ourselves asking whether those words will be as prophetic as they are appropriate to our current affairs of state.

The Second Coming

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
the falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the center cannot hold;
mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
the blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
the best lack all conviction, while the worst
are full of passionate intensity.

surely some revelation is at hand;
surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are the words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in the sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
a gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches toward Bethlehem to be born?

W.B. Yeats, 1919

CPA Surcharge to Continue Unchanged

2009-04-05T07:35:00.000-07:00

The news from Plymouth's Memorial Hall yesterday was good, at least for those tax payers who really enjoy paying that 1.5% surcharge on their property taxes each year that enables the Town to participate in the Community Preservation Act (aka CPA) program. This is the program that allows the Town to use the proceeds from the surcharge to fund the purchase of open land, affordable housing and/or historic preservation. Yesterday, the Plymouth Town Meeting voted against two Articles put forth by Precinct 5's own Laurie Enos. The votes basically leave the program unchanged. The first article called for a roll-back of the percentage, while the second would eliminate it entirely. And the actual question was not whether these changes be made, but rather that the question(s) be put on the ballot so that the voters could decide. What happened to "let the people vote"?

Some folks think that this program is valuable in that it is matched with state funds that has, in the past, doubled its purchasing power. But with the fiscal crunch at the state level, the match is expected to drop to the 30% range this year. In addition, there is a sense that the CPA funds, and their use, exist totally outside the scope of the municipal budget. It's not clear whether a project initially acquired with CPA funds could result in future costs for the Town.

At yesterday's session, the Town Meeting also voted to use up to $1.4 million to purchase the 1820 Court House property. While the case can be made for preserving the dignity (see above photo) of this historic property, there are substantial questions regarding the costs of renovations as well as the possibility of environmental clean ups.

One solution is the possible availability of Federal funds to help defray the costs. First of all, this reliance on other levels of government to pay for local projects seems to ignore the severe fiscal problems being experienced by both the state and federal level. A second point worth considering is where do people think that these other levels of government get their cash. This process begs for some recognition that the taxpayers of Plymouth also pay state and federal taxes. Town fiscal programs that perceive such funds as "free money" are, at best, disingenuous.

Heading for Home

2009-03-29T05:58:00.000-07:00

The Southern Command tent is being folded, the car loaded up like the Joad mobile with a full gas tank. Soon our only view of palm trees will be in the rear view mirror. The great migration is about to commence and we plan to be back at The Rock by Good Friday. Our time in the sun has been grand and productive, but great events await: Opening Day at Fenway, Town elections, the beginning of the golf season and the warmth of the summer sun on Plymouth Beach.

As that noted philosopher, Dorothy, is oft quoted, "there's no place like home." Right Toto?

The Town Hall Readers Series

2009-03-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

Life here at the tail end of Florida, with its balmy weather and gentle breezes, has a way of lulling one into a semi stupor, especially if you don't turn on the television and put those broker statements in the drawer to read later. So when the Town Hall Series of Distinguished Speakers brought P.J. O'Rourke to town, many of us saw it as an opportunity to hear this conservative/libertarian /writer/journalist hand it to the Democrats and listen to a master satirist throw cold water on the persistence of Obamamania. O'Rourke, is a witty, nay funny and eminently quotable writer who knows how to stick a sharp pin in the left wing's hot air balloon. Putting him in front of an audience of right wing fat cat (the poor folk weren't buying tickets at these prices) retirees, many of whom also shell out extra to attend an elbow-rubbing drinks and dinner event after the talk, had slam-dunk written all over it. Think of the cocktail party chatter spawned from this get together, as in: "As I said to P.J. O'Rourke the other night,........"

The talk began with some red meat as O'Rourke asked if it were too soon to begin discussing the failed Obama presidency? This was followed by some analysis of why the Democrats were on the wrong track, but mostly he cited the fact that they are, well, Democrats. It was shortly after this that the talk began to take on the tightly knit syntax of one of O'Rourke's columns. Moreover, due to the two huge monitors flanking the dais, we were able to see clearly that our boy appeared to be reading his remarks. Hmmm. His rapid fire delivery was entertaining, but taking notes became a challenge.

In preparing this post, I found that my notes were a little sketchy and I needed some additional background to flesh the piece out. Imagine my surprise when I found O'Rourke's November 17, 2008 ARTICLE from the Weekly Standard and realized that a large chunk of his talk consisted of him reading this article, verbatim. Now don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of P.J. and the man can write entertaining prose, but on some level, especially given what I had shelled out for the ticket, I felt like I'd been had. I expected better.

At the start of the evening, Co-Producer of the event, Rick Borman, spoke at some length about the intense quality of the Speaker Series and how he feels that it is one of the best such series in the entire country, and certainly better than those poseurs up in Sarasota. Clearly, this was an effort to placate the first few rows of the audience who had shelled out $4,000 to be at the Benefactor-level. He then went on to near ecstasy about the fact that President George W. Bush and his brother Jeb, were already booked as speakers for the February 16, 2010 event. get those subscriptions in right away.

I wouldn't mind hearing George Bush speak and I know that Jeb was a popular governor here in the Sunshine State. But I wonder whether they will deliver well-crafted, incisive and informative talks, or will they read excerpts from their mother's dog book? who knows. In addition, the other three speakers for next year are not yet announced. Given that one of this year's speakers was Mia Farrow, that might be additional information one might want to have before firing off that subscription renewal. Oh well, nothing, I guess, is perfect, except, perhaps, the Naples weather in non-hurricane season. But as I was saying to P.J. O'Rourke the other night,.........

Conflicting Reports from Venezuela

2009-03-23T13:07:00.000-07:00

When Bill Delahunt returned from his meeting with Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, in Caracas last Thursday, SEE STORY he indicated that he and Chavez had shared a "very positive and constructive conversation. To wit:

Delahunt, who has visited with Chavez previously, says he came away from the meeting at the presidential palace on Thursday night "feeling better about the possibilities between the United States and Venezuela."

Moreover,

The congressman won’t speculate about the possibility of an eventual Chavez-Obama meeting. But he says there is a desire on Obama’s part "to have a good relationship" and says he’s confident Chavez also wants good relations.

Based on this assessment, it came as a bit of a surprise, a few days later, when Chavez, speaking on his Sunday TV broadcast, called the U.S. president an "ignoramus". SEE STORY This comment was presumably an amplification of the comments he made in an Al Jazeera interview on Friday where he bemoaned Obama's lack of knowledge of Latin American affairs. He also cited similar remarks made by Brazilian president Luiz Inacio da Silva after a March 14th meeting with Obama in Washington. SEE STORY

For those of us here in the Massachusetts 10th Congressional District concerned about all the time and effort that our congressman spends courting this unbalanced despot, we had at least hoped that those efforts might have made at least a small contribution to toning down the Premiere's toxic, anti-American rhetoric. Given the discrepancy in the above reports, we are now wondering at Bill's diplomatic skills. And maybe, Bill should just spend more time tending the business of the Massachusetts 10th, and leave the international work to the Foggy Bottom crew.

CPA Reconsidered, Caracas Revisited and a Vinny Interview

2009-03-20T06:31:00.000-07:00

CPA
The Community Preservation Act (CPA)currently provides a one and one half percent surcharge be added to each Plymouth property tax bill. This money, along with State matching funds, is used for open space purchases, historic renovation and affordable housing. When Plymouth adopted the program seven years ago, the State match was dollar for dollar. Last year, Plymouth taxpayers kicked in $1.4 million to the CPA fund and received $991 thousand in matching funds. Given the severe fiscal problems in the state budget, the matching rate is expected to drop to the 30% range this year.

Those same state fiscal problems are widely expected to fall heavily on municipal budgets, which means upward pressure on property taxes. While the CPA program may have looked like a worthwhile deal during sunnier economic times, it should now be reconsidered amid today's bleak fiscal climate. Precinct 5's Laurie Enos is asking the Town Meeting to send the question to the voters so that they may decide whether or not it should be continued. The View is encouraging the Town Meeting to pass this recommendation. Click HERE for an article about Laurie's presentation to the Selectmen.

ANOTHER CARACAS SOJOURN
The fiscal problems facing Massachusetts are serious, but they pale when compared with the economic problems facing the Federal Government. It is a wonder, then, when we read of our local Congressman, Bill Delahunt, somehow having found the time to travel back to Venezuela to visit his old pal, Hugo Chavez, as was reported TODAYThe banks may be teetering on the brink of disaster, the Auto Makers on the verge of going belly-up, while the new President and the Congress are borrowing money from generations of taxpayers yet unborn and shoveling it out the door. But fear not. Our Congressman is encouraged about the the possibilities of improved relations between the US and Venezuela.

A VINNY INTERVIEW
A hat tip to Red Mass Group for its exclusive interview with our own State Representative, Vinny DeMacedo. There is allegedly a Part II of this piece. I will provide the link when it surfaces. In the meantime, Click HERE to read Part I and appreciate that we have at least one sane fiscal voice in the House.

Tis' the Day

2009-03-17T08:11:00.000-07:00

Since the Irish diaspora reached to Australia and beyond, it should be no surprise that it found its way to Southwest Florida, from which, the View wishes its readers that the grace of St. Patrick and the uplifting Irish spirit put a bounce in your step today, and for many days to come.

Our days here in the sun are drawing to a close and we will soon be following the Red Sox 18-wheeler up I-95 as it makes its way back to Fenway for Opening Day. Being away has been fun, but we are looking forward to getting back home

A More Pleasant View

2009-03-06T10:25:00.000-08:00

For those readers who keep track of such things, you may have noticed that the frequency of our postings here have tapered off somewhat. Some of this is due to warm weather, enjoying time with our visitors and the various activities that all conspire to keep me away from the keyboard. Exhibit one is the nearby photo of sunset at Naples Beach. Judged by the crowd on hand, we are not the only ones who enjoy watching the sun dip into The Gulf of Mexico. Talk about one of life's simple pleasures? it doesn't get much better. A few minutes to forget about the economic disaster that is hurtling down the tracks.

I have to admit to being depressed by the combination of the relentless bad news, headed up by the stock market's continuing plunge, coupled with the endless TV coverage of the new President, and his cockeyed economics. Many of us knew he would revert to the left once elected, but I don't think that any of us expected this rush to socialism. In some ways, the most difficult part is the lack of a strong chorus of dissent from the right. Perhaps many feel that Obama should get his chance to try his ideas. But such a miscast sense of fairness ignores the destructiveness of many of his proposals. It seems as though Rush Limbaugh is the only public voice to accurately note the way these new programs could cause permanent damage. Given that potential, it makes little sense for anyone to wish them success.

But if the right has been silenced by this onslaught, I must also admit a difficulty in finding my voice. While we make the effort to reorganize our ideas and put forth cogent dissent, we look to those few who have managed to keep up the good fight. I invite you to read Iron Mike's latest BLOG. Thank goodness that we have a few good men and women that can still make our case.

An Old Joke

2009-02-25T07:55:00.000-08:00

"All I ask for is a one-armed Economist," starts the old saw. "Then, at least he won't be able to say, 'on the other hand'" (rim shot, cymbal smash). Like so many tired jokes, however, it contains a kernel of veracity. The "dismal science" just doesn't have the specificity of the hard sciences, especially when it comes to forecasting. As a matter of fact, it's not too reliable when it comes to analyzing past economic performance. To wit: equally strong cases can be made, for an against, the effect of FDR's programs on the Great Depression. So when the new President cites the support of hundreds of economists for his stimulus package, it needs to be understood that there are just as many learned economists who can make the opposite case. In other words, it might work, but on the other hand......

Our country has prospered for centuries under a private sector system that rewards industry and hard work. Among the many benefits of this system is the where withal to care for those in society unable to provide for themselves. While it is difficult to accurately determine the optimum share of private wealth that should be taken in taxes to provide for society's unfortunates, but there clearly is a point where an increasing tax burden hinders private ambition. Why work for more income if the government is going to take most of it in taxes? Inversely, lowering the tax rate encourages production.

The new Administration, to make an understatement, has been busy. It has been cranking out major programs, any one of which could take years to plan and implement. Maybe the new Administration is just that much smarter and more efficient to crank these "solutions" out like loaves of bread. Or, maybe they are just winging it.

In addition to a massive bank bailout, it has passed a huge stimulus package that may or may not stimulate the economy, but sure will provide pork for the legislators. There is also a plan afoot to solve the housing crisis which may or may not be linked to the banking crisis and unsound lending policies. Then there is the auto industry which has been deemed too big to fail, especially if the UAW is to continue to collect over-the-top-salaries and benefits. Oh, and by he way, next week they are going to reorganize the American health Care System. Amid the euphoria of chanting "Yes, we can" can be heard a thin but clear wail of realism that asks, how are we going to pay for all this? The Administration is already admitting to $1.5 trillion, but I wouldn't take the under on this puppy.

So, here it comes. Once all these new spending plans are in place, there will be an epiphany in Washington that we will have accumulated massive deficits, which, of course, must be paid. Since the only way the government can acquire money is through taxes, major tax increases are guaranteed, so that the government can rake in more dough. Unfortunately, those higher taxes will be pushing the economy the other way, thus reducing tax revenues. This being the inverse side of supply-side economics, may not be popular, in some quarters, but the record can be ignored at our peril.

The stock market is down 2% today, on a course that will negate yesterday's dead cat bounce. In addition to providing an eerie forward economic indicator, the market is also marking down the private retirement accounts of those who have worked hard to provide for their future. I'm only guessing, but I suspect that this might be a bad time to approach these folks about chipping in big time to Obama's schemes to redistribute the wealth.

What a Difference a Week Makes.

2009-02-18T06:59:00.000-08:00

Newt came to Naples the other night to speak at the 2009 Town Hall Distinguished Speakers Series, just a week after the President appeared in Ft, Myers to herald the salvation of mankind, aka the Stimulus Plan. As might be expected, the press coverage for the two events was markedly different, but the local Bugle (The Naples Daily News) did feature a front page article, where it labelled Newt as a "strong opponent of the government's stimulus package, as if this this constitutes an outlandish position. And this from a newspaper that most people around here see as a bit right of center.

Newt spoke for an hour, but the only comment on the Stimulus Plan that was covered was:

When it came to politics, Gingrich said he was “disappointed so far” with President Barack Obama. That disappointment, he said, stemmed from the most recent stimulus package, and the push to get it through both the House and the Senate without many people being able to read it.

Read the article HERE.

Recall the urgency, the bill had to be passed by Friday night or civilization ,as we know it, was in jeopardy. The bill was indeed passed, at which point the Obama's took off for a three day, week end media love fest in Chicago. The bill was finally signed in Denver yesterday at still another staged appearance that makes it seem that this presidency will be run in bite-size personal appearances, produced like diet cola commercial.

Where is the outrage? The biggest lump of liberal federal spending since LBJ, and no time for any analysis, let alone debate? Maybe the Democrats really do believe that the government is one big piggy bank. Have we lost our collective minds? The stock market sure thinks so.

But I am being too kind. For a more determined comment, I invite you to view Iron Mike's COMMENTS, appearing today in the blog sponsored by the Fall River Republicans. Say what you want, but the man tells it like it is.

Presidential in Ft. Myers

2009-02-10T16:21:00.000-08:00

In describing Obama's style during the campaign, one wag stated that while he said very little, he did so with great eloquence. He seemed to have something for everyone, but precious little when it came to specifics. Many of us wondered, especially after he was elected, how he would adjust to the responsibilities of the presidency. Turns out, he adjusted very well in that he just kept on spewing the same platitudes that got him there in the first place.

Ft. Myers is right up I-75 from Naples and, until recently, was perhaps best known as the spring training home of the Red Sox. It's also the airport you fly into to get to Naples. But today, Obama came to town to promote the Great Stimulus Plan which, while he was in town, gasped its way through the U.S. Senate. Why Ft. Myers? Turns out, this small city in Southwest Florida, according to the New York Times, is "ground zero" of the country's economic recession. Eat you heart out, Detroit.

The locals began lining up for tickets on Sunday for the event taking place at the Harborside Event Center, which holds some 3,200 people. When asked why the event wasn't held at the nearby, and much larger, Germain Arena, local Democratic officials thought that the larger venue would detract from the intimacy of the "town-hall" format.

Right off the bat (Go Sox) one third of the tickets were snapped up by the White House staff and traveling press. According to Harborside management, the distribution of tickets was handled entirely by the White House. When tickets were distributed to the general public, most of whom had been waiting in line all night, it seems only an estimated 400 tickets were given out. A spokeswoman for the White House stated that her office does not comment on the number of available tickets. So there. A lot of folks who stood in line all night, were still standing outside when the event took place.

So what exactly was going on here? Rather than an open forum to discuss the local economy, we had a staged presentation for the president to pitch his Stimulus Plan. This is troubling, especially given the fact that the members of the press allowed to put questions to the President at Monday night's nationally-televised press conference had been pre-selected. Here we are dealing with the mother of all spending bills, and no one seems to be asking him the tough questions.

The bill is massive, both in its size, scope and, of course, its cost. Moreover, it has been written almost entirely by Democrats, and is likely to be passed into law with virtually no Republican support. The bill is loaded with liberal spending programs, which are stimulative only to the extent that one could argue, as Obama has, that any money spent by the government is by definition stimulative. You want tax cuts? we'll give you tax cuts, but only if you don't pay any taxes in the first place. Gotta redistribute that wealth.

We need to do something, says Obama, because we are in the deepest doo doo since the Great Depression. Jobs are disappearing at an accelerating rate, right Nancy? So don't even think of doing nothing, says the Pres. And we may not have it 100% right, but some of it is bound to work. Just how this porker is going to provide 4 million jobs? Details to follow.

Yesterday, Obama comforted a weeping homeless woman in Ft. Myers, The Senate passed its version of the stimulus bill and Secretary of the Treasury spent the day hinting at the plan for stabilizing the financial markets. The stock market reacted by losing 5% of its value in a single day. Someone needs to tell these guys that the campaign is over

Go Mitch!

2009-02-06T06:40:00.000-08:00

Turns out, the new Pres was showing some of that slick hoops footwork, when he told us in his inauguration speech that the choice de jure was "hope over fear". He now tells us, only a few weeks later, that we have a lot to fear if we don't pass the massive, so-called, stimulus package, efsoon. Moreover, the libs are flogging the airways with ads designed to rush this mammoth porker to his desk for a quick signature.

The only thing standing between this bill and any sense of fiscal reality is the small band of Republican Senators, led by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R, Kentucky). Here is an email that we sent to McConnell's office this morning:

Senator McConnell:

The media is reporting that the President and his allies are "turning up the political heat" in an effort to break Republican resistance to the passage of the so-called stimulus plan. I know that I speak for many Republicans, conservatives and ecominc realists when I urge you and your colleagues to stand firm against this pork-laden fiasco. Please continue your efforts at reducing (especially, non-stimulative) spending, and increasing tax cuts designed to stimulate economic growth.

Click HERE to send your own email message to Senator McConnell. The pressure is building to force this pig into law, so do it today.

Both sides of the coin

2009-02-04T07:14:00.000-08:00

we are pleased to report our arrival at the Southern Command HQ/Spring Training venue here in sunny FLA. Not to gloat, but we did notice that the temp was 18 degrees this morning back at the Rock.

The trip down went well, but a week on the road can be draining. In addition, it was hard to stay current on current events while cruising along on I-95. Before leaving, we had posted our letter to the Globe on the Bush bashing at the inauguration, as well as mea culpa post when the Morrisey Boulevard crowd surprised us all by printing it. Since then, the letter has sparked a fullsome response from the anti-Bush crowd.

Over the week end, Peter Berkowitz of the Hoover Institution published an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal in which he examined the linked phenomena of Bush hating and Obama Euphoria. The ARTICLE is well worth the read, but we especially found the following excerpt telling:

At first glance, Bush hatred and Obama euphoria could not be more different. Hatred of Mr. Bush went well beyond the partisan broadsides typical of democratic politics. For years it disfigured its victims with open, indeed proud, loathing for the very manner in which Mr. Bush walked and talked. It compelled them to denounce the president and his policies as not merely foolish or wrong or contrary to the national interest, but as anathema to everything that made America great.

In contrast, the euphoria surrounding Mr. Obama's run for president conferred upon the candidate immunity from criticism despite his newness to national politics and lack of executive experience, and regardless of how empty his calls for change. At the same time, it inspired those in its grips, repeatedly bringing them tears of joy throughout the long election season. With Mr. Obama's victory in November and his inauguration last week, it suffused them with a sense that not only had the promise of America at last been redeemed but that the world could now be transfigured.

In fact, Bush hatred and Obama euphoria -- which tend to reveal more about those who feel them than the men at which they are directed -- are opposite sides of the same coin. Both represent the triumph of passion over reason. Both are intolerant of dissent. Those wallowing in Bush hatred and those reveling in Obama euphoria frequently regard those who do not share their passion as contemptible and beyond the reach of civilized discussion. Bush hatred and Obama euphoria typically coexist in the same soul. And it is disproportionately members of the intellectual and political class in whose souls they flourish.

We suspect that this will all die down as George Bush settles in to his private life in Texas, and the new president continues to deal with the demanding realities of his new office. It would appear that the "hope and change express" seems to have already hit some rough going as he tries to fill his cabinet posts with tax payers and tries to guide the pork-laden stimulus package through an increasingly skeptical congress. Stay tuned.

Stimulus by another name

2009-01-28T06:27:00.000-08:00

From somewhere on I-95 South.

It's tough to stay in touch while on the road. Latest news comes in dribs and drabs, but congrats to Jennifer Nassour for her election to the chair of the Mass GOP. You have some work to do, and we all wish you the best of success in the effort of jumpstarting the state party.

On the national front, it sounds as though the Republicans have circled the wagons in a stand off on the stimulus package. While the media has gone into terminal hyperbole over the economic woes, we can all agree that we are in a major correction. Now that we are all Keynesian's, the federal government is ready to throw megabucks at the economy to right the ship of state. Thing is, putting money in the Democrats hands is a dangerous exercise. Nancy Pelosi sees a major economic benefit in pouring big bucks into abortion programs, while the new president, reinforcing his goal of re-distributing the (your) wealth, wants to funnel the dough to the poor. Let's just hope that the GOP can keep stem the liberal surge.

Time to fill the tank and get back on the road. More later.

An Unexpected By-line

2009-01-24T05:33:00.000-08:00

This may not be the most unlikely thing you will ever see in the View, but it will definitely be a perennial top ten.

A Tip O' The Hat to The Boston Globe for printing our LETTER TO THE EDITOR in today's edition. Perhaps the Op-ed crew feels compelled to present a small measure of balance in its pages and felt our letter was a reasonable objection to the Bush-bashing that has gone hand-in-hand with the new president's inauguration; or perhaps, the letter has been included as an example of a right wing rant. Let's "hope" for the former and commend the Globe for its efforts.

For additional background, see THURSDAY'S POST.

Enough is Enough

2009-01-22T10:34:00.000-08:00

We miss Harry and his Squaring the Boston Globe Blog.

Today's issue of the Globe continues its seemingly endless, showcasing of the Obama Inauguration by including an Op-Ed graphic by Ward Sutton which purports to reflect on the departure of former president George W. Bush. Enough is enough! Obama won the election and he now sits in the Oval Office, and yet, the drumbeat of media vilification of George W. Bush continues with open personal attacks on him and his family. Enough is Enough!

The View sent the following letter to the Boston Globe today:

To the Editor of The Boston Globe:

Caught up in the euphoria of Obama's inauguration, it is understandable that your Op-Ed crew may have missed the new president's call for unity, cooperation and mutual respect. The featuring of Ward Sutton's graphic in today's edition spotlights, instead, the base level of ignorance and hatred on display during an otherwise landmark event.

Not for a minute should anyone shrink from disagreeing with our government’s policies, as open debate is a cornerstone of our way of life. But the kind of personal attacks on George W. Bush and his family, as illustrated by Sutton’s piece, marks a new low that not only disrespects Mr. Bush but defiles the Office of President itself. Admittedly, several of the panels were simply examples of vapid grousing by repressed lefties. But, endorsing those in the crowd on the Mall singing “goodbye” is to support ignorance and the denigration of the entire ceremony. And the next time you feature a web address in a cartoon, I suggest that you review it first. Is the type of material featured on FingerSaluteToBush.org, what passes for learned discourse at the Globe?

We have no illusions that this letter will find its way into the Globe, so this may well be the only chance for our readers to see it. We hope that many will agree with its sentiments. Be sure to click on and view the photos at FingerSaluteToBush.org before you make up your mind. The time for Bush bashing is past and the media needs to hear it. Obama won the election. Now its time for him to show us what he's got.

Brian Leahy, R.I.P.

2009-01-17T06:10:00.000-08:00

Brian Leahy was my cousin and my friend. And while we may not been the lead players in each others day-to-day lives, I wanted to express my feelings on his recent passing. For a more personal and intimate look at his life, click HERE to read a warm tribute by his daughter Ann.

We were nearly the same age, but Brian was nine months older, and while we were in the same grade, he was always a little taller and thus a pattern was set that would endure for many years. He was my cousin, and we always had that family bond, but as high school seniors, he was a star footballer, heavily recruited by many name colleges before finally accepting a scholarship to Boston College, Meanwhile, recognizing that my meager hockey talents weren't going to take me very far, I scrambled after acceptance letters. And everyone in the CYO seemed to know him, especially the girls. while this sounds like a foundation for jealousy, it never worked out that way. If you knew Brian, envy was impossible. Even then he was warm-hearted and funny and you couldn't help but like him, even after he might have ground you into the grid iron of a Saturday, or treated you to an old-fashioned Dorchester roll-around.

As we grew older, Brian's career followed a path in the public sector, which, every once in a while landed his name in the newspaper. He was well-suited for the rough and tumble of public life and he seemed to thrive in that arena. I always enjoyed seeing his name in print, taking a small measure of vicarious pride in his fame. I opted for a private sector career, which eventually crossed our paths when his pension fund became a client of my firm. While we decided to keep our relationship under our hats, this afforded me an opportunity to hear about him from a professional perspective. Not surprisingly, the reviews were good. Within the tangled world of public pensions, Brian stood out as a man of high integrity, a pleasure to deal with, always full of good humor and regard for others.

As the years went by, we had a chance to recapture a little of the camaraderie we had enjoyed as kids when our two families would combine for holidays and weekend excursions in my father's old Ford. Over the years of running the rat race, I had learned a few things, mostly the hard way, about the true priorities in life, the precious value of family, home roots and the importance of spirituality. As Brian and I began to see more of each other, I realized the old pattern was still in place. He had an unabashed devotion to his wife, Evie, and his family, his Catholic faith and his beloved Dorchester. Once again, he was a step ahead of me.

Last Thursday, we said good bye to Brian at St Ann's Church. His immediate family and close friends grieved openly and understandably, but even those of us more on the fringes of his life, felt the loss of the warmth of his great heart. Godspeed Brian. You were a good man, in the very best sense of the word, and you are leaving a huge void in so many lives. We will all struggle to fill that void with precious memories. R.I.P.

Who's Minding the Store?

2009-01-11T09:52:00.000-08:00

News of the "severance package" payable to departing Plymouth Town Manager, Mark Sylvia, comes at a particularly bad time. Cities and towns across the Commonwealth are bracing for deep cuts in the state budget which are expected to produce cuts in state aid to the municipalities. While Town government braces for some serious belt-tightening, Sylvia, who has resigned effective February 10th, is leaving Plymouth to take a six-figure job with the state, will take a payment totalling some $101,000 on the way out the door.

Of the total amount, Sylvia is being paid $49,000 for unused sick time, $20,700 for unused vacation and $31,400 as a severance payment. Payment for accumulated sick time and vacation are common in the public sector, but payments are usually capped well below these amounts. But the payment of the $31,400 in "severance" especially galling.

It appears that all of these payments are all provided for in the contract that he signed with the Selectmen in 2007. In comment to the Old Colony Memorial, Sylvia cites the protection that the severance provision provides in the event that he should be fired. But in this case, he wasn't fired, he is resigning, to take a new job, yet he still gets a severance! This is ludicrous.

In this morning's Boston Globe, Selectman Dicky Quintal, one of the two current Selectmen, who signed Sylvia's contract, claims he "wasn't aware of all the details" and wants to wants to look at the contract before commenting. It seems that he is a little late, perhaps he should have read the contract before he signed it. David Malaguti, the other current Selectman who signed the contract, cites the difficulty of forecasting the economy. Does this mean if we weren't in the abyss of a recession, the severance package would be acceptable?

If this is an example of the Selectmens' executive ability, maybe we really do need a mayor.

The lessons of The Forsaken

2009-01-07T06:48:00.000-08:00

This book first came to our attention via a friend's website, Winter Wells. And while it took some time for it to percolate to the top of my reading list, it has proven to be a fascinating look at American-Soviet relations prior to the Cold War. The Forsaken, An American Tragedy in Stalin's Russia, by Tim Tzouliadis, begins by examining the fate of thousands of American Citizens who, during the Great Depression of the 1930's, immigrated to Russia in search of jobs and a better life. While the oppressive effects of the Depression had perhaps heightened the immigrants' susceptibility to Russian propaganda, the generally high level of public ignorance of Russian social conditions helped pave the way for what now seems like the height of folly. Suffice it to say, it didn't end well for most of these Americans who quickly found themselves abandoned by the American Government and adrift in the hellish Stalinist society.

In addition to tracing the fate of these Americans, however, another, more sobering set of facts emerges. First is new look at the monumental loss of human life under Stalin's totalitarianism. The total number of those killed, either by torture and execution, or banishment to the slow painful agony of the Gulag, is estimated to be an astonishing 20 million souls. Moreover the fact that these deaths were, for the most part, meant to terrorize, and thus eliminate, any opposition to the Communist leadership, spread a pall of anxiety and fear over everyday life.

Given this massive scale of inhumanity, it is a wonder that such evil could elude the court of world opinion, or more specifically, American opinion? It appears that the American Government's abandonment of its citizens in Russia, was part of a much broader pattern of appeasement of Stalin. While the obsequious Ambassador Joseph Davies did his best to avoid any antagonism of the Russians, including assisting Americans attempting to return to the U.S., he was clearly acting in full accord with a State Department policy of appeasement. To some extent, this strategy can be linked with Roosevelt's attempts to encourage Russia as an ally against the rising Nazi tide, it still does not fully explain the absence of protest against this barbarianism.

During this time, public opinion was heavily influenced by the fawning press reports such as those issued for years by New York Times reporter Walter Duranty, who lived a lavish lifestyle in Moscow while sending back flowery stories of Soviet life to American Readers. Another factor was the belief held by many Americans in the stated communist goal of creating a workers utopia, while blissfully ignorant of the full-scale terror being used to achieve it in Russia. It was not until faced with the reality of the Cold War that the general population began to realize the true nature of the Soviet system.

To paraphrase George Santayana, we must learn the lessons of history or risk repeating them. Early in the presidential campaign, Barack Obama was called to task by his willingness to meet directly with the leaders of belligerent countries, in spite of their animosity towards the United States. This seemingly innocuous idea, however, implies a policy of appeasement and supplication based upon a belief that these rogue regimes are really folks just like ourselves, open to reason and common sense and ignores the hatred, and perhaps imbalance, in their stated goal of American destruction. Good faith negotiation can only come after our enemies understand our strong commitment to self-defense and all that it implies.

Yesterday, Barack Obama named Leon Panetta, a liberal budget wonk and veteran of the Clinton White House, to be the CIA Director, replacing General Michael Hayden. Maybe Obama thinks that the spies, who are in many respects our first line of defense, will do a better job of protecting America if their expense reports are properly completed. Let's "hope" he's right.

Wither the Mass GOP?

2009-01-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, our friend, Iron Mike, sent us a copy of his New Year greetings which included a hard look at the sorry state of the Massachusetts Republican Party. While the national political scene has been hijacked by the mass hysteria of adulation for president elect, we here in the Bay State have the impressive challenge of jump-starting the stalled efforts of the Massachusetts GOP. And while there is certainly some spillover from the national party's tepid performance during the presidential campaign, Mike reminds us of our own shortcomings:

- It began in 2007 with RINO Ogo's failed run for Congress - where he lambasted President Bush and no Republican anywhere in the Commonwealth [other than me] pushed back at him or told him to change his tune. Mass Republicans seemed willing to concede their sitting president was fatally flawed – even as he had the courage to make the surge happen, and bring a measure of victory to a four-dimensional battlefield.
- Then cowering in our caves and dugouts – we ran nobody against GrandMa Tsongas – who can’t tell the map of Afghanistan from the map of Iraq.

- Then our National GOP – and probably our MassGOP – ran RINO Ogo against Kerry. Most of us believe there was a deal struck between the MassGOP and the Democratic Party to offer Ketchup Kerry a weak opponent in exchange for quarterly access to Hillary’s Oval Office. Last January nobody saw The Messiah coming.

- When Ogo floundered [gee, do you suppose Kerry’s office sent “young Republicans” to help Ogo collect signatures?], - nobody got behind Jeff Beatty, at either the state or national level. McCain made only one secret trip to our state, - a secret fund-raiser on Nantucket.

Mike is joined by many others who point out that having tried to water down our conservative principles in attempt at bringing more voters under our "big tent" succeeded only in muddying the GOP's message. As we begin to re-build, the foundation should be a return to a clear statement of our conservative Republican fundamentals.

While the results of the last election were painful, this is not the time to go into hibernation. The new administration in Washington, as well as Democrats on Beacon Hill are about to be swamped by economic realities which will highlight the unsupportable costs of many of the liberal entitlement programs. The GOP has the opportunity to spotlight these failures while we re-tool our message and re-build our two-part form of government. Or as Iron Mike says:

This is not simply a battle about which party controls Congress or the White House, or Beacon Hill. This is really a battle to preserve liberty, individual freedom, free enterprise, and government by the people, - or to just watch our nation quickly slide into a socialist welfare state – without a shot being fired.

Mike thinks the choice is clear: we must fight for what we believe in! The View supports this choice.

Auld Lang Syne 2008

2008-12-31T08:33:00.000-08:00

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
And here's a hand, my trusty friend
And gie's a hand o' thine
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

Listen,

A Sneak Peek at Plymouth's 2009

2008-12-29T07:18:00.000-08:00

Year-end articles naturally divide into two types: A recap of the "big" stories of the previous year, and predictions for the upcoming year. For the former category, one wonders how big those stories were if we already need a reminder. There is also a suspicion that these articles are really filling the space vacated by the retailers' ads. As far as predicting the future, there is serious downside as some wise guy will go back and look up your predictions, especially the ones that really turned up lame, like the predictions for 2008 which saw absolutely no chance that Barack Obama could win the election.

The solution here is to focus on a few developments from 2008 and examine how they might emerge in the coming year. In addition, the focus here is on our home town where issues fly under the radar of the national media.

At last May's Town Meeting, a proposal for a new form of government for Plymouth was voted down by a two to one margin. In spite of the low 25% voter turnout, it was generally agreed that while there was significant support for a mayoral form of town government the proposal was just too complicated and failed to provide clear lines of responsibility.

Almost immediately, work started anew on another new charter for town government, which is expected to be presented to the spring Town Meeting. According to a recent ARTICLE in the Old Colony Memorial, the charter process can be lengthy:

This week, Town Clerk Laurence Pizer clarified the process and noted that, optimistically speaking, it could be two years before any major changes in Plymouth’s administration went into effect – assuming Town Meeting and voters opt for a mayor.

“If everything passed, my best guesstimate would be January 2011,” Pizer said.

The rest of the article does a good job of explaining the process. And while the primary concern was for the possible impact of a new charter on the hiring of a new town manager, it also highlights the opportunity cost going through the whole approval process with a half-baked proposal, only to be turned down by the voters. The lesson here is that we all might spend some time studying the proposed new charter before it gets locked in to the process. We need to give the concept of a mayoralty type government a hard look and be sure it is presented in its best form. Otherwise, we will lose at least a few years before we can try again.

The second issue to unroll in 2009 will be the initial development of Plymouth Rock Studios. Co-founder, David Kirkpatrick, was featured in a Boston Sunday Globe ARTICLE profiling his movie-making background and his enthusiasm for making the Plymouth studio a reality. Suffice it to say that his enthusiasm proved infectious as Plymouth provided the project with all the approvals and tax breaks it sought. And many would ask, why not? The enticement of jobs and tax revenue overwhelmed any concerns about infrastructure and traffic. If the $400 million project succeeds, the benefits to the town will be substantial. And while the project will take several years to come to fruition, construction is expected to start in 2009. According to the article:

In the coming year, Kirkpatrick says, the vision of Hollywood East will begin taking on a physical form. "Since we want to be open in the fourth quarter of 2010, part of the studio will be built by the end of 2009," he says. "We've got $200 million in payroll to spend on construction in laborers, carpenters, and tradesmen."

The studio is expected to employ 2,000 or more. "Jobs on the lot," as Kirkpatrick calls them, will start being filled in the spring of 2010.

Let's hope that this movie plays out as well as its previews.

Back by Popular Demand

2008-12-24T05:26:00.000-08:00

Amid the fallout from: political posturing, dueling bailouts, hedge fund crooks, lost elections, stock market swoons, senate seat raffles, sub-prime failures, bankruptcies, lay-offs, ice storms, sagging home values, and (say it ain't so) weak retail sales, we go back to basics to find our true values and claim the peace of mind that is there contained:

Christmas 101

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the City of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her first child and she gave birth to a son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them. and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them "do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. and this will be a sign for you; you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

"Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on
whom his favor rests."
Luke 2

May you find the peace and comfort that this simple message has brought to so many

Continued Auto Madness

2008-12-20T16:33:00.000-08:00

Its been hard to support George Bush for the past eight years. He is our guy, but it's no wonder he has an approval rating that reflects three out of four are unhappy with the job he has done. Yesterday's bailout of the American auto industry has many of his erstwhile backers scratching their heads. An EDITORIAL in today's Wall Street Journal neatly sums up the effect of the program:

Friday's taxpayer bailout of Detroit's auto makers isn't the worst moment of the Bush Presidency, but we'd put it in the top 10. President Bush will now avoid getting the blame for letting the companies declare bankruptcy on his watch. In return, he's essentially handing over GM and Chrysler to the political ministrations of the United Auto Workers and the green lobby, as mediated by Congress. Taxpayers are likely to own a piece of this Corvair for years -- and tens of billions of dollars -- to come.

If the auto makers are to avoid the stigma of bankruptcy, they must still make the required cuts, including substantial UAW givebacks, that will allow them to develop a viable business model. These requirements should have been part of the bailout package, but instead were included as strongly-worded suggestions, which the UAW quickly rejected. By granting this loan, the task of sorting out the auto makers mess becomes the job of the new administration. Rather than pursuing cost reductions, the new Administration and Congress may decide instead to focus instead on greening up the product line. This could get expensive for the taxpayers.

On the personal front, I met with the dealer yesterday as part of my buy-a-new-car campaign. As you will recall, I had decided to re-focus my efforts on a 2008 model due to a lack of 2009's and the thought that I might get a better price on a 2008. While the dealer had a few 2008's, they weren't exactly what I wanted. Moreover, the price on a 2009 was actually the better deal than buying one of the leftovers. So we agreed on a price for a 2009 subject to them finding a car in the dealer network. This could take a week or so, which is fine with me. Overall, if this deal closes, I will end up with the car I want at a decent price from the local dealer that I preferred. All in all, a good ending.

One of the things I learned through all this is that while the Detroit auto-makers are caught up in a game of financial Russian roulette, their competitors are still doing business at an impressive clip. It will be interesting to watch how the Democrats deal with the stubborn UAW. I hope that they do better than George Bush.