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Middleboro, blessed with a Board of Selectmen incapable of entertaining two thoughts at one time, moving the town forward or planning for the future, failed to notice or participate in discussions or public hearings about a proposed power plant at its borders that will adversely impact already poor air quality. Brockton Power Plant
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This is a Board that spent an inordinate amount of time discussing its exclusion from the Regional Task Force formed by surrounding communities to consider the impacts of a proposed casino in Middleboro. The Middleboro Board continued to pretend that they had valuable information to make available to the RTF, even though the information was unavailable to Middleboro residents. Where is it? The information could have been made available without Middleboro's inclusion, but successfully distracted the RTF from assessing the dollar values of those impacts.
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Of Middleboro school impacts, the Superintendent merely specified the cost of repairs to school buildings. Even conservative school population projections indicate the need for new school construction, but neither the Board nor the School Committee have even allowed this oversight to affect their unquestioning support for the project.
Presented with an opportunity to re-negotiate the IGA amidst impending felony indictments, the Board has yet to assess the real costs to the Town.
But I digress.
The Brockton Enterprise reported:
On Thursday, the state Energy Facilities Siting Board tentatively approved a permit for the project but also ruled that the plant must face zoning review from Brockton city boards.
Will the Middleboro Board of Selectmen ever do its job of representing the residents of the Town or will Middleboro continue to be home of Mushroom Farming?
7 comments:
The distraction caused by the casino project will generate impacts and costs in the future when things that have been ignored(trains, power plants, growth) become reality.
Bumpkin,
Quite right!
When the project further unravels and it is finally apparent to even the most ardent supporter that there will be no casino, they might realize the town is in shambles, the 'To Do' list lengthened, the air dirtier, and a BOS unlike any other.
Those who have allowed the casino to dictate all discussion have forgotten there is a town to manage.
Home foreclosures are escalating, layoffs continuing, GDP shrinking, and the town is unprepared.
When the BOS can't even address a basic issue like the PTWS, it defines their abilities.
Middleboro's success at mushroom farming has kept the price down, but impacted RTF towns by increasing the cost of manure.
Disappointing but not surprising are the small minded who attack the messenger and ignore the message.
Our children have asthma since moving to Middleboro and the effect of this plant on air quality concerns us personally.
They can't play outdoors most of the summer. The bos ignored it until the Health Agent commented at one meeting. No selectmen expressed concern or interest.
If this board as well as other members of the BOS in past years couldn't entertain ONE thought at a time, How in gods good name could they handle TWO?
Twilight Zone seems appropriate! We watch faithfully thanks to you. I understand why it's important now. It's my town not theirs.
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