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Showing 50 (Show 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 1000, 2000) (Show Titles only, by Threads)
- Thu, May 8, 2008, 11:05 P
Benefits/National Priorities
Come on, Jeff, obviously I wasn’t suggesting that if the war ended immediately that we’d all the sudden see $3.4 million popping up in town coffers. Please give me more credit than that. What I was suggesting and will continue to suggest is that our national, state, AND local budgets most of the time lately DO NOT REFLECT the commonly held values of the community. For instance, I believe most people would say that they highly value a public educational system for all. They would highly value the community taking care of its poor and elderly and its children. They would highly value equal access to healthcare, fair elections that are not controlled by the wealthy and the powerful, and a way to ensure that no child in the country goes to bed hungry or unsheltered. These are just a few examples.
On the other hand, what our current federal discretionary budget does is siphon off 59% of every one of our tax dollars for the military in 2008. Education, training, and social services gets 6%. Health gets 5%. Natural resources and environment gets 3%. Transportation gets 2%. In other words, what we SAY our priorities are and what our priorities ACTUALLY ARE are very different.
How many of us truly believe that we need to be spending 60% of our federal discretionary spending on the military? How many of us truly believe that the US needs to be outspending THE REST OF THE COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD COMBINED on a defense budget in order for us to be safe? Not many of us agree with this insanity. And yet we go along paying our taxes every year and then acting surprised when there’s not enough money for schools and town nurses and senior centers and rec programs and libraries.
I’m not suggesting we stop paying our taxes. I am suggesting that the root of our local problem lies in the fact that we say we value certain things but then we don’t do anything when the exact opposite plays out year in and year out in Washington. We are living in an Alice in Wonderland world where people say one thing while they’re doing the opposite. And there’s nobody out marching in the street or calling our leaders on the carpet for their double dealing.
We are spending (drum roll please)... $341million PER DAY to press the war in Iraq. Per capita, the Town of Montague has spent over $13 million since the war began 5 years ago. Does this mean the town would have that $13 million if it hadn’t been wasted on the war? Of course not. But is the fact that the country is spending $341 million PER DAY, each and every day, for this failure of an illegal and immoral invasion having A HUGE IMPACT on our national economy AND our national, state, and local budgets? Absolutely and without a doubt. To suggest otherwise would be surprising from anyone else. From you, Jeff, it is baffling.
- Thu, May 8, 2008, 10:43 P
Town Meeting Does the Right Thing
Well, you’re welcome, I guess. It wasn’t a particularly new idea -- it’s been suggested before more than once, and the Reporter did an excellent editorial on it a couple of weeks ago that was also posted on this board. Given that, I didn’t see how we could just ignore the option at town meeting, so I put it on the table.
I must say that I think it’s a crappy option -- it hurts a lot of people, many of whom I know and like, and it doesn’t really solve the long-term problem. I think the only thing that recommends it is that it’s better than any of the alternatives, at least those that have been suggested. The main reason for that is that we’ve avoided facing the reality of our situation for so long that we’ve eliminated some better options, and if we kept on doing that we would make things even worse. I think it’s fair to ask what else people thought realistically might happen, given the mess we’ve gotten ourselves into.
I would love to find some other way, but IMHO the "Alternative Proposal" was a huge step backwards, and I think whoever brought it forward should be embarrassed. "Let’s keep on spending our reserves down to zero, while promising to fix the problem ’next year’" -- yeah, that sounds like a strategy that will work! (Hey, it’s been working for the past three years, right?)
Does all that make me a hero? I don’t know. I’ve learned not to be shy about standing up and expressing my opinions, and I’ve also learned that I feel better having done it than I do if I just sit on my hands and let the moment pass. When it turned out that town meeting liked the idea, and that implementing it consistently meant offering umpteen individual amendments, my grade school training in writing down numbers stood me in good stead. I really don’t think it was anything that a number of other people couldn’t have done, but it fell to me so I did it.
So, you’re welcome, but I’m truly sorry that I had to do it. I don’t know what it will take to convince the selectboard and finance committees collectively that we’ve got a crisis on our hands RIGHT NOW, and vague promises of building revenues or finding savings in the future aren’t helping. I don’t know why they aren’t screaming loudly and publicly to our state and federal legislators about our problems, and I don’t know why they aren’t talking publicly about things like ignoring some of these mandates that are among our biggest problems.
I think Jeff’s letter is excellent -- better late than never -- and the fin comm and the selectboard (as the heavyweights in town) should send it off and then publicly demand an answer. Put our representatives on the hot seat -- they’re supposed to be there for us, but human nature being what it is they won’t do anything unless they feel some heat. Don’t let a week go by without pointing out that they’re ignoring us and their inaction is hurting real people. At the same time, start thinking realistically about what sort of government -- including the school system -- we would choose to have if we could do what we want with the money we have available, and then move in that direction. If the state and the feds aren’t going to give us more money, then we have to live with what we have -- how do we do it?
We should have started doing this two years ago -- why are we still waiting?
- Thu, May 8, 2008, 4:31 P
Benefits/National Priorities
Ha! I’m sure "very thorough" isn’t an understatement.
- Thu, May 8, 2008, 4:27 P
Town elections
They did from the end of February when the nominaton papers were available and all the way up to the end of March when they were due.
The Montague Town Hall is open Monday thru Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm
Montague Town Clerk at 863-3200 ext 203.
- Thu, May 8, 2008, 2:22 P
Eagle
Does anyone know if the one baby Eagle now has only one parent. I overheard someone say that one parent had died. I hope not :( DM
- Thu, May 8, 2008, 1:43 P
Town Meeting Does the Right Thing
As I lay on the couch last night watching bits and pieces of the TM I was impressed with their continued work toward a better solution than the same old, same old which doesn’t work anymore. I was glad to see that the various red herrings (the L word - liability - being chief among them) did not distract TM members from continuing what they started on Saturday.
We all have our personal health insurance horror stories to tell. Having toiled for 20 years in the non-profit and no-profit sector I could bore you all with mine. But suffice it to say that everyone in town can have a clean conscience about asking the town employees to pay 20% of their premiums. That is not onerous, and is in fact still pretty generous considering what I’ve encountered personally over the years.
I hope the the Selectboard follows through on TM’s mandates (though I have my doubts given last night’s attempted derailing) and the unions do not dig in their heels when negotiations come around.
Mark1
- Thu, May 8, 2008, 12:45 P
Benefits/National Priorities
Hardymum: Joanna Frankel has a very thorough rundown on the course of events at Saturday’s town meeting in the Montageu Reporter, and there is also a follow-up on Wednesday’s second round. The paper will be at Rau’s, the Book Mill, the Mini Mart and Leverett Coop by about 5 pm.
- Thu, May 8, 2008, 12:40 P
Town elections
karen: what precinct do you live in?
- Thu, May 8, 2008, 11:58 A
Town elections
The town clerk can tell you the answer, but I believe historically there have been fewer candidates than there have been open seats in most precincts (I think Precinct 1 has been an exception). If you don’t find out beforehand, you can always tell on election day: if the ballot says, "vote for seven" and there are only five names on the list, then there are two open slots.
If that’s the case, then it’s very possible to get elected as a write-in candidate. That’s how I did it, and I won with a total of three votes.
- Thu, May 8, 2008, 11:32 A
Confronting the State re: education
Jeff,
Would you please post the text of the letter you read at town meeting?
I for one would be willing to sign it and send it off. I’d encourage others to do the same.
Doug Stephens
- Thu, May 8, 2008, 11:06 A
Town elections
Does anyone know if there are open town meeting seats that don’t have people running for them? Are all the open slots sought after by candidates?
- Thu, May 8, 2008, 11:02 A
Benefits/National Priorities
I am a little hesitant to answer the question about town employees contributions to their health plans etc because town employees in fact took a pretty big hit at town meeting. I was one of the leaders of this effort because we need to get to a balanced budget. I agree with Mik’s comments on this: many of us have experienced wage freezes and changes in health care benefits when the fiscal numbers do not match. But we also must recognize that town meeting employees are not getting rich and they are taking a big hit financially if this sticks. Let’s not pile on.
The town currently pays 90% of health insurance costs. It is for both individual and family coverage. This was originally negotiated as an alternative to wage increases (increase health care % rather than give a wage increase) but that was before health costs were so far out of control. It does not work now.
As far as school employees are concerned I believe the school district pays 85%.but school employees joined the state health plan, saving us a lot of money. So for this reason and to encourage joining an HMO, the percentage is I believe 90% (school district pays) for the HMO (Health New England) in the state group. I feel the most important thing for the town is also joining the state health plan.
PaulK:
As far as the national issues and the Iraq war are concerned, this problem will not be solved by ending the Iraq war and paying for more teachers. I understand that the National Priorities Project feels these kinds of estimates help local people put the cost of the war in perspective but I feel the NPP is to some extent barking up the wrong tree. First of all the Iraq war is creating a huge, fiscally irresponsible federal deficit. If the war stopped the savings would probable go to reduce the deficit, not hire more teachers.
If there were more money for education, the most important thing would be for the federal government to pay for special education and get this huge cost out of the local budget. NOBODY is raising this issue. I wish the NPP at least would. Hiring more teachers for a year would actually make our budget problem worse. Again, I know the Priorities Project is trying to give the cost of the war some local reality but I also feel they need to link these numbers to a much more realistic analysis of local (and the federal) budget, working for real solutions.
Finally, we have a tremendous amount of work to do to make this "solution" stick and extend the basic premise to the school budget. We also need to confront the state re school aid. I hope town meeting members keep their eye on the ball.
- Thu, May 8, 2008, 11:01 A
Benefits/National Priorities
Jeff,
I’m not asking you or any other person "in the know" to pile it on town employees or to add insult to injuries. It’s simply that those of us who are not members of town meeting nor able to attend all of these meetings are still interested in the finances of the community we live in. Town finances affect my family’s quality of life and personal finances -- both of which are already taking a hit with the closing of our neighborhood elementary and the ripple effect that causes. And yes, I include personal finances as being potentially affected because of my concern about meeting the educational needs of my children in the best possible way - -for them.
Town employees’ wages and benefits are not a secret of course. Choosing to work for a municipal goverment, I’m sure they know that hose items are public knowledge.
So let me ask this...can someone give a synopsis of the meetings held on Saturday and last night? I downloaded the Excel spreadsheet from this site, and have been reading the comments here, but refernces to Saturday’s hard work and working through "alternative proposals" doesn’t explain what was discussed. It would be really helpful to use a community forum such as this to give what happened in a nutshell to those of us who weren’t there.
I’ll look for the town meeting on MCTV and read the Reporter when I can, but again, hours and hours to watch this stuff is just not an option.
I too feel for town employees, having experienced benefit cuts myself. and fI understand or your concern for them, having worked in benefits management and collaborating on those hard decisions. But few of us are getting rich at the moment. Especially those of us who ourselves have decent jobs, work 40 hours a week and do pay 30% of the cheapest HNE HMO plan offered by our employer.
That’s how it is these days.
hardymum
- Thu, May 8, 2008, 10:14 A
Town Meeting Does the Right Thing
Jeff, your point is exactly what I was alluding to. For once Town Meeting took charge and didn’t just rubber-stamp a budget they didn’t feel comfortable with. What a wacky concept. I don’t want to paint it as "historic" but as many said last night, it hasn’t happened in recent memory.
Special thanks to Mike Naughton for standing up in front of everyone on Saturday and taking the heat and offering guidance on an issue many people didn’t feel they could stand up for and push. It was a bit surreal. Some people sitting near me wondered who he was and why he was staying up in front and doing this. They thought he was a town employee or an official negotiator or something like that. They were amazed that he was just a regular citizen like most of us, and had simply decided to lead the charge.
I am proud of TM too.
- Thu, May 8, 2008, 9:41 A
Town Meeting Does the Right Thing
I really don’t understand at all the "town meeting goes beserk" title. Wth all due respect I think it is a case of pressing the internet button too fast when you are tired and burnt out. I also feel a bit personally offended since I and a few others worked pretty hard to come up with a balanced solution to the budget problem.
Yes the ninety minutes spent debating the "alternative proposal" was probably too long but in the end the proposal was rejected and town meeting came up with a "solution" that made a tremendous amount of sense. The "solution" addressed two of the core issues creating the structural budget problem (wages/benefits and inadequate revenues) in a balanced way. It called on both the town and the taxpayers to step up to the plate to solve this problem. It rejected proposals to solve the whole problem with a tax increase or taking money of reserves (the "alternative proposal")
In short, town meeting stuck to its guns! This was not an easy thing to do at all. It was all pretty amazing and I have more respect for town meeting than ever!
- Thu, May 8, 2008, 12:25 A
Town Meeting goes berserk
It is very rare to find an employer that still pays 90% of health insurance premiums. Is that for family coverage, individual coverage, or either?
I’d be very interested to know what the whole benefit package is for town employees.
Actually now I’m curious about school employees too.
hardymum
- Wed, May 7, 2008, 11:45 P
Town Meeting goes berserk
Mik, I have to agree that I found the ninety-minute debate over Dr. Ross’ and Mr. Abbondazio’s proposal to undo all the work we did on Saturday and replace it with a motion that did the exact opposite of what we had done, a bit unnecessary. I chalk it up to the fact that their proposal so came out of left field and was so out of step with the spirit of Saturday’s meeting that it kind of threw everyone for a loop and it took a while for us all to figure out that indeed what we needed to do was continue what we began on Saturday. I have to say I was bowled over when I read the handout describing the proposal. It was as if they had not heard a word that people were saying on Saturday. I’m really not sure what to make of it, even now...that it’s been defeated. Will they try again on May 22nd? Who knows? I guess I shouldn’t assume anything.
By the way, will the override vote be held before May 22nd? How can it possibly happen that quickly? I don’t see how the voters can get all the info they need to make an informed decision by then.
On another, but related front, tomorrow our esteemed Congress will vote on the Bush Administration’s proposal for War Funding. It looks as if the Dems are going to not only approve it but ADD TO IT! Amazing! Does nobody in government LISTEN anymore??
Here are the latest figures from the National Priorities Project for Montague’s share of the proposed Bush War Request and the number of teachers we could pay (for instance) if we didn’t send our blood money to the Pentagon but turned it into community services here at home:
Taxpayers in Montague, Massachusetts will pay $3.4 million for the President’s request for additional Iraq war spending in FY2008 and FY2009. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:
49 Elementary School Teachers for One Year
$3.4 million sure would make balancing the budget a tad easier!!
- Wed, May 7, 2008, 11:33 P
Town Meeting goes berserk
MIK
How very true that it all leads to one thing. It is what it is. November is coming but I think the worse has yet to come. I also might add that It is most likely going to take a very long time for recovery. If it ever does??
- Wed, May 7, 2008, 11:08 P
Town Meeting goes berserk
I know we’re all quite emotional about what happened on Saturday, and the ramifications to families and friends and coworkers and livelihoods... but NINETY MINUTES of discussion about what happened in a SEVEN HOUR meeting -- $&!^&$^#@*&^$)@#*&$^)#@
Everyone had thoughtful, intelligent, insightful, poignant, caring statements to make, but it is what it is and we have what we have. And now we’re coming back in two weeks to probably revisit Article 9 (the school budget) and maybe even new proposals for Article 7 (the town budget) if the override doesn’t pass in the intervening time, in addition to articles 10 through 24. Yes, that’s fifteen more articles.
Regarding the Town Hall salaries and insurance pay-ins...
I don’t want to sound callous, but as I said on Saturday, I worked at UMass for several years and after 911 went three years without even a step increase -- ZERO INCREASE -- and took a cut in UMass’ contribution from 85% down to 80%. There are many people who live in Montague, and many who are users on this website, who can attest to this fact. It was a hard time. They also cut many other "fringe" benefits and events, including cancelling a MECC (Massachusetts Educational Computing Conference) one year, which I was quite upset about, and presented at twice in the past.
Some people are upset that their pay-in portion of their insurance could go up from 10% to 20%. Well, all I can say is many people around here pay 100% of their insurance, including me.
I’m sorry, but it is what it is.
You think I’m being harsh? Well, if you follow the money, it all leads to one thing. Let’s see if we can figure this out, and then rectify it in November. I’m serious.
- Wed, May 7, 2008, 4:22 P
GREEN DRINKS gathering - Rendezvous today 5-7pm
The Rendezvous is excited about hosting our drop-in green conversation gathering again. All our welcome!
They’re planning an encore of special menu items that are local or organic. Last time, these included yummy $1 appetizers on a skewer. A delicious and lively time was had by all... And today the patio beckons!
If you can’t make it this time, we meet monthly on first Wednesdays at local establishments to talk informally (no agendas, fees, or RSVP’s) about how our families, businesses and towns can be lighten our impact on the planet.
Check www.greendrinks.org for future locations in Greenfield and Turners.
Carlyn
- Wed, May 7, 2008, 3:31 P
Opening Day
The Great Falls Farmers Market is now open and in full swing. Right now we have six vendors set up and selling plants. maple products, and bakery goods. Stop by today until 6:00 pm and us check out .
- Wed, May 7, 2008, 3:09 P
need to borrow drywall taping tools
Can anyone loan or barter with me for a couple of drywall joint compound tools, specifically I need a 8-12 inch taping "knife" (for applying the joint compound) and a palette or paddle to work off. Need ’em this weekend. Thanks. Will pickup, clean, return, etc. -Paul 367.2731
- Wed, May 7, 2008, 1:57 P
Town Meeting Gets Radical!!
"Nope, not a dig."
Ok. I must have just taken it wrong. The tone of your rant and the use of Montagonist.com’s title felt like a dig.
- Wed, May 7, 2008, 11:57 A
Hummingbird Summer Day Camp for Children ages 3-6 Montague Center!
Hummingbird Preschool Program, a licensed family daycare located in Montague Center offers a unique summer day camp experience for children ages 3 to 6 years old. Camp runs Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and each session is for eight days total. The day begins at 9:00 and pick up is at 1:30. Activities include exploring the Montague Conservation Land, wading pool and sprinkler play, garden and farm animal projects, art activities, music and movement, open choice play time in the play room, story time in the barn, cooking projects, and trips to the Montague playground! Visit www.hummingbirdpreschool.com for summer camp schedule or call 413-367-2479.
- Wed, May 7, 2008, 10:47 A
Town Meeting Gets Radical!!
I work in employee benefits and have dealt with these issues in several different environments.
I’m curious - what is their current benefit package? What health plans, what share of the premium, etc.? Do they get retiree health insurance?
Is this online anywhere?
These are always tough issues and hard choices for employers to make in containing costs, but after Jeff’s post I’m really curious what the town employees have.
Hardymum
- Wed, May 7, 2008, 10:15 A
Town Meeting Gets Radical!!
I hope Mik, Paul K and others will come to town meeting to continue on the road we started. We are sending a clear message and to back off now would be a huge mistake.
TM can not force the selectboard and town employees to take a particular action via collective bargaining. But we are sending a clear message that when there is such a huge structural budget problem fundamental changes must be made. The Selectboard and employee unions are perfectly capable of acting on that message. Let’s put the ball in their court, not back off because they might not hear the message.
And I hope the Selectboard heard the comments from members re the fact that TM members and taxpayers have experienced wage freezes and changes in their health care benefits when the businesses they work for need to make the numbers add up. I myself have had employers - Good employers who wanted to do the right thing - move to less expensive health plans and change the "split" because it was necessary. It is absolutely necessary in Montague right now. Health care costs are the biggest budget buster and an over-ride without a clear signal this is being addressed is wrong.
At the same time, we really need taxpayers to step up to the plate and support a smaller over-ride. That also is fiscally responsible budget-making. And it is not fair at all to solve the whole problem by wage freezes and benefit cuts.
- Wed, May 7, 2008, 8:19 A
Open Hourses
I know Sheffield Open House is on 5/8/08 from 5:30 to 7 p.m
People will be able to have tours of the building and hear about Razzle Dazzle Summer Reading Program, Montague Rec. Dept, 21st Century (afterschool) Program, talk with Principal Wood and hear about fundraising for the Block Party coming this August.
There is the 4th grade/5th grade chorus play at 7 p.m. people/families will be able to see also.
Light refreshments will be served.
Hope to see you there.
- Tue, May 6, 2008, 7:32 P
MCTV Program Schedule 5/9/08 thru 5/15/08
Montague Community Television Program Schedule
May 9 Thru May 15, 2008
Eagle Cam:
Friday 1P-6P
Sunday 1P-6P
Saturday 130P-6P
Sunday 230P-6P
Monday 1P-6P
Tuesday 230P-6P
Wednesday 1P-6P
Thursday 1P-6P
If We Have a Signal You Will Have a Picture
Friday, May 9
8:00 am All Day Town Meeting 5/7/08
6:00 pm Franklin County Matters: Domestic Violence
7:00 pm GMRSD (4/22/08)
9:00 pm Coffee House Series: Fall Town String Band
11:00 pm Carlos W. Anderson: We Are Blessed
Saturday, May 10
8:00 am Women Girls & HIV
8:30 am The Spirit of Lake Pleasant
10:30 am TFHS National Honor Society
11:30 am Tapping Maple Ridge
12:30 pm Sheffield Play Mighty Minds
8:00 pm All Day Town Meeting (5/7/08)
Sunday, May 11
8:00 am All Day Town Meeting (5/3/08)
8:00 pm All Day Town Meeting (5/7/08)
Monday, May 12
8:00 am Coffee House Series: Joe Graveline
9:00 am Community Land Trust in Action
10:00 am Birds of Prey
11:30 am Enjoy the Ride
12:30 pm Independent Voices
6:00 pm Over the Falls: Linda Rollins
7:00 pm Select Board Meeting (Live)
9:00 pm Franklin County Matters: State Government
10:00 pm Great Falls Middle School Soccer
11:00 pm Coffee House Series: Ferne Bork, Dan Tinen, Bruce kahn Trio
Tuesday, May 13
8:00 am All Day Town Meeting (5/3/08)
6:00 pm Coffee House Series: Fabulous Maurice
7:00 pm GMRSD (Live)
10:00 pm Discovery Center: Fossil Tracks
11:00 pm Eaton Hachi Go
Wednesday, May 14
8:00 am Eaton Sue Mono Giri
9:00 am Open Mic Night
10:30 am Flight
11:00 am Franklin County Matters: Farren Care Center
12:00 pm Independent Voices 37
12:30 pm Lake Pleasant Slide Show
6:00 pm Montague Update: Martha & Clarkson Edwards
7:00 pm Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony
8:00 pm Amandla
9:30 pm Bernanke
10:30 pm Carlos W. Anderson: Prodigal Children
11:30 pm Common Man: Cowbell Prescription
Thursday, May 15
8:00 am Dark Water Pie
9:30 am Discovery Center: Fossil Tracks
10:30 am Franklin County Matters: Sheriff’s Office
11:30 am Mind Control
12:00 pm Montague Update: John Hanold
6:00 pm Child & Family Today: Children’s Mental Health
6:30 pm On the Ridge: Scents & Sensibility
7:00 pm Select Board (5/12/08)
9:00 pm Changing Face of Turners Falls
11:00 pm People’s Harvest
- Tue, May 6, 2008, 4:28 P
Town Meeting Gets Radical!!
"Or maybe the Town could pay into the maintenance and development of this lovely site, which IS the true ’Un-Authorized and Un-Official Town of Montague WebSite’. "
That feels like a dig.
- Tue, May 6, 2008, 1:58 P
Town Meeting Gets Radical!!
Montague Webworks ROCKS!!
http://www.montaguewebworks.com/
Thank you.
- Tue, May 6, 2008, 11:59 A
Town Meeting Gets Radical!!
3200 a year for website maintenance!
We happen to have a very busy, growing web design and technologies firm here in Good Old Montague that would love to re-design or take over the maintenance of the Town’s web-related services and could do it less expensively, reliably, and locally.
Or maybe the Town could pay into the maintenance and development of this lovely site, which IS the true "Un-Authorized and Un-Official Town of Montague WebSite". That would be drastically less expensive.
But the Town can’t be moderating chatter about it’s self, normally in critical tax-payer kind of ways. I understand that.
Have we reminded you lately that we have about 1200 registered users on this site, and hundreds of non-registered readers and seekers?
3200.00 is radical in it’s self!
It’s not a coincidence we call it MONTAGUE WEBWORKS. Just saying.
...over 100 local clients (and growing) can’t be wrong!
Patrick
- Tue, May 6, 2008, 11:45 A
Town Meeting Gets Radical!!
Yep, and that is a particular thorn in my side. The town is clearly not getting their money’s worth, either from the initial development, nor from the on-going maintenance. The whole thing was quite frustrating when it went down.
- Tue, May 6, 2008, 11:14 A
Town Meeting Gets Radical!!
I missed the amount and details on website maintenance. If I heard right, was it $3200?
- Tue, May 6, 2008, 10:25 A
Open Hourses
I believeI saw open houses at Gill and Sheffield advertised in the Montague Reporter recently. Does anyone know the time? I tihnk they were to be Wed and Thurs of this week. Nothing on the GMRSD website about it.
Also, what’s the timing for intra-district school choice decisions by GMRSD? They have the dates by which apps are due on their website but no mention of when they’ll notify parents.
Hardymum
- Tue, May 6, 2008, 12:10 A
Town Meeting Gets Radical!!
I was pretty impressed with the way TM members worked together on saturday, and also with the way the moderator allowed discussion to go on pretty open-ended and sometimes outside the scope of the item under discussion. this flexibility allowed the group to grapple with the details and get comfortable with what it was trying to accomplish. sometimes at past TM’s i felt that the Roberts Rules were actually hampering the arrival at a consensus. this time it really felt like we were all working together.
hurray!!
i support the idea of a level-funded budget that restores the senior center, the parks and rec, curbside recycling, the town nurse, and enough of the library budget to keep us in the regional system. obviously, even with level-funding salaries, this will mean an over-ride, but a smaller one than the $250M originally proposed. to be perfectly frank, i have much less of a problem with an town-side override when it is combined with sacrifices from the town employees as well. i hope that, during contract negotiations, the unions and the select board can read the handwriting on the wall as written by this year’s TM. the voters are feeling the economic pinch and everyone has got to tighten their belt.
the GMRSD budget discussion ain’t going to be pretty.
- Mon, May 5, 2008, 6:38 P
False Flag Threat * 9/11 Bikers * AIDS+Ebola
Editor - Jonathan Mark - www.FlybyNews.com
May 5, 2008 - False Flag Threat * 9/11 Bikers * AIDS+Ebola
"More than six years after 9/11, we still have not
had a thorough investigation of the causes of that tragedy.
I am so impressed by the research of Dr. Steven Jones, Frank Legge,
Tony Szamboti, David Ray Griffin, and many others. My concern deepens
every time I read a new article. As the evidence of controlled demolition
mounts, my desire for a new investigation increases. I want to
add my voice to the voices of AE for 911 Truth."
-- Karen Johnson
State Senator, Arizona (R)
1) Fourteen Points Follow-up – Bomb bomb Iran 2008?
- - 9/11 theorist not curtailing his research
- - "Fourteen Points" paper translated -- and in a major SLC newspaper
- - We deserve the full truth about 9/11 (Arizona State Senator)
- - Government Apologists Keep Moving the Goal Posts
- - High-Level Officials Warn of Fake Terror
- - Bomb Bomb Iran by Summer’s End?
- - Extraordinary Times, Intentional Collapse, and Takedown of the U.S.A.
- - Rethinking 9/11: Why Truth and Reconciliation are Better Strategies Than Global War
- - Motorcycle Freedom Run supporting 9/11 Responders May 10
2) Common Dreams or Common Nightmares (in lies we trust)
- - Bill Moyers - "Beware The Simplifiers " Rev. Wright vs. Media
- - The Wright/Obama Controversy commentary by Len Horowitz
- - Military, DHS document lists who should live and die in pandemic
- - Common Dreams recent articles of importance
- - Israel didn’t mean to kill Palestinian Children
- - U.S. Importing 6,700 Tons of Radioactive Sand From Kuwait
- - United States is drawing up plans to strike Iranian insurgency camp
- - Iraq says no hard evidence of Iranian support for militia
Editor’s Notes
:It is tough just to read the news, never mind the intensity that it takes to do something about it. Item 1 begins with the inspirational story of Dr. Steve Jones, former BYU professor of physics. The recent peer-reviewed paper in Civil Engineering Journal, “Fourteen Points..” is now being translated into many languages. Next comes a powerful letter from Arizona State Senator Karen Johnson calling for a 9/11 investigation. A following article by George Washington shows how there are disadvantages in trying to expose evidence for a new investigation, while the corporate 9/11 perpetrators keep changing the rules, (and by controlling the media, control the public). But the tide is shifting. Please accelerate the process. Check for ideas at files for Valley 9/11 Truth. If around the NYC area this weekend, go to a Biker Rally and Festival honoring those who worked at Ground Zero, now suffering many health ailments. For information - FealGoodFoundation.
Item two has more on Reverend Wright’s comments on the development of the AIDS virus with US government complicity. Dr. Len Horowitz was scheduled to speak about this on CNN last Saturday, but it was suddenly canceled; this show may happen this Saturday. Dr. Horowitz narrated, wrote the film, “In Lies We Trust: The CIA, Hollywood & Bioterrorism” and author of Emerging Viruses: AIDS & Ebola--Nature, Accident or Intentional? This book was reference by Reverend Wright. Bill Moyers made many good points on the media manipulation and distortion of this issue, but his essay, “Beware the Simplifiers” also oversimplifies the real threat to all of us. I think Bill Moyers knows this as well, and why he may not be the breaker of truth regarding this and the criminal cover-up of the 9/11/01 crimes. It will take we, the people, to overcome the criminal agents of the shadow US-world government.
NYC 9/11 Ballot Initiative
www.nyc911initiative.org
For Independent Investigations
Valley 9/11 Truth
PRESENTS
In Lies We Trust:
The CIA, Hollywood & Bioterrorism
Media Education Foundation
60 Masonic St., Northampton,
Tuesday, May 13, 2008; 7:00pm
New England 9/11 Symposium
Family Members and Researchers Speak Out
May 17, 2008 - Keene High School
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For issue with articles and links, see: FlybyNews.com
May 5, 2008 - False Flag Threat * 9/11 Bikers * AIDS+
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- Mon, May 5, 2008, 1:42 P
BEAN AUCTION and ICE CRAM SUNDAES
FREE FAMILY FUN
Friday, May 9 7 - 8:30
Montague Congregational Church
Come join in the festivities. Each person will receive an equal amount of beans
which are used for bidding on the "treasures". No money is allowed.
Bring tag sale items for the auction.
Ice Cream Sundaes will conclude the fun.
- Mon, May 5, 2008, 1:28 P
Town Meeting Gets Radical!!
You mention the Finance Committee and the school district budget. Well the Fin Com actually voted to cut last year’s assessment somewhat, I believe because we took so much from reserves last year. Not to evade responsibility but I was not at that meeting. My position this year is we probably need to allocate 50% of growth revenues to the district and leave it at that.
I will also propose that town meeting send the school district budget back to the state, noting that the absurdly low level of Chapter 70 state aid is a major component of this problem. It should also noted there are two recent state reports on the district because the district has been declared underperforming, partly for financial reasons. Neither report explains how the district can live within the budgets the level of state aid presumes.
Various state officials - including our own representatives - have been coming around telling us "there is no more money" at the state level. Well, "there’s no more money" here either.
We should also ask that the district do what we have done re wages and benefits - but the town of Montague needs to practice what it preaches and join the state health group (GIC).
Town meeting is on a radical track!!!. Let’s keep it going folks!!!!
- Mon, May 5, 2008, 1:19 P
Annual Town Meeting
Thanks Mike and as you know I and a number of others strongly supported where you were going. As you know we are going to try to get some good numbers re where we are at right now and a few options as to where we can go to finish this thing Wednesday without staying up all night.
You, Robin Sherman, Deb Radway and Carolyn Olsen (town accountant) did a good job keeping a running tab. And town meeting was pretty amazing under the circumstances. However, there are some obvious problems trying to micromanage a town budget on town meeting floor (like the numbers may not all add up). So I feel it would be good to have a few coherent options to propose.
I also think we do need to level with the public and be fair to town employees and try to deal with the revenue side of this too!! It is what it is.
- Mon, May 5, 2008, 9:05 A
Deck power-washing and sealing work needed
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413-768-8898 ~ Thank you, Tom
- Mon, May 5, 2008, 8:30 A
Power Washing
Spring is here and so are weddings, grad parties, etc. Getting ready to paint/stain, or just want to clean your dirty decks, driveways, or your home! Very reasonable rates. No job to small or if you need handyman help around your home. Experienced and personal attention given to every job!
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