Dumbfounded #2

One of the last things I cared to do was sit through the candidates' interviews for Fire Chief, listen to the uninformed comments about casino impacts, yet again, by a Bored [sic] that's unlike any other, especially on a Fall Sunday. But the lack of videotaping, attendance by the press (can't say I blame them), poor attendance by 'regular' voters (can't blame them either) and the lack of transcription, seemed to merit attention as indicated in Dumbfounded #1.
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Selectwoman Duphily seemed to have finally figured out by the fourth candidate that activities of the Fire Department, Police Department and the ambulance service would increase should the casino ever be constructed based solely on the increased traffic. (Referring to the CRAC report, traffic was estimated at 50,000 cars per day.) Mrs. Duphily is a lovely and multi-talented lady, whose calendar seems so filled, she's unable to devote any time to research or enlightenment. Her efforts at improving the Town Hall lawn are a noticeable improvement and at the suggestion of an anonymous poster elsewhere, clearly worthy of Town Groundskeeper, an office for which she could successfully run. From her comments, however, one can deduce that she has failed to avail herself of the forums and courses offered to inform officials of their responsibilities, the pertinent laws and procedures, the basic functions of town government. Hopefully, at some point during her term, she will elect to do so, but barring that, those who supported her might step up to the plate and provide some background information to reduce the embarrassment those of us who watch suffer.
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Although it is doubtful that the casino will ever prevail for a large number of reasons (Check out CarverChick for a simplified explanation of some of the legal issues. She has an impressive ability to explain complex issues in an easily understandable fashion.) and organized opposition that continues to fight armed with the facts, it is clear that the inevitability has evaporated.
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My good friends and fellow bloggers, Bellicose Bumpkin and Gladys Kravitz and Carl's Casino Quotes have recently blogged about the local impacts of casinos on surrounding towns.
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But, I digress.
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More than a year has transpired after the TMFH that the Bored [sic] forced onto the Town, before an agreement existed, and before the Town had adequate time to review, digest and question the contents of the flawed agreement, the Bored [sic] still hasn't figured out its contents.

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Fellow bloggers have explained how the Agreement netted half of what it should have, failed to adequately address impacts, ignored the impacts on schools and much else.
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Enter Selectwoman Duphily.
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Round about the fourth candidate for Fire Chief, in questioning an out of state candidate for Fire Chief, Selectwoman Duphily stated that HOPEFULLY the casino would pay for the additional costs to the Town.

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The candidate responded with "the casino ought to pay."

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So, where and in what legal dictionary is HOPEFULLY and OUGHT TO defined in terms of a legally binding contract that casino supporters blindly accepted and the BOS signed with a Sovereign Nation?

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The Agreement that the TMFH approved with the Mashpee Wampanoag is posted nemasket. Those who would defend the document need to print it and re-read it. And please, while you're at it, print a copy for Mrs. Duphily and provide a crash course in contract law. Like it or not, those are the terms that were agreed to.

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At a recent BOS Meeting, Selectman Spataro (the Selectman with the non-published phone number to avoid those pesky townspeople, usually unprepared, who has sat at a BOS Meetings text messaging, eating his supper, arrives late and told you this was the 'Big Leagues.') indicated that even though he was the Bored's [sic] representative to SRPEDD, he hadn't attended the meetings and it was necessary to appoint another representative. In other words, the very agency that he has criticized in the past, he couldn't be bothered to represent the Town's interests to attend meetings. And was it noticed that Selectwoman Duphily failed to step up to the plate and volunteer? Has she volunteered for any meetings or committees that are the responsibility of Selectpersons to fulfill? Groundskeeper is good, but how about the necessary responsibilities that come with the elected office that you sought?

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Wasn't it conspicuous enough that after living in Middleboro for many years, Mrs. Duphily was unfamiliar with the hazardous waste site that is Rockland Industries, a site that has been reported for 40 years?

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Mr. Cristello has accomplished a yeoman's job in his short tenure bringing Middleboro into the 20th Century, never mind the 21st, but this is government by Mickey Mouse or Homer Simpson and needs to improve to meet the challenges we confront. Mr. Cristello can only do so much.