The "...More Happy Than Upset..." Election #2

BIG LEAGUES was the last theme that Steven Spataro invented for his opening comments.

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Tonight's theme was "Are you more happy than upset with me because I did this for you..."
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And he enumerated accomplishments that had little to do with him.
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He claimed he 'saved you a quarter of a million dollars with the Public Safety Director.'

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Has anyone figured out why we're hiring a new police chief?

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What will it cost to buy out the contracts of the Police Chief AND the Fire Chief when and if the Charter change is approved? And how many years will that Charter change take to accomplish? Charter change requires legislative approval, AFTER town meeting has approved it. Steve, that must mean that we're looking at minimum 2 years before we see that $250K, right?

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Maybe your supporters don't pay attention to the details, but some of us do.
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Steve, you just gotta stop quoting figures when you make public comments.
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You said the Town's budget was $50 MILLION. Ooopsie! It's + $60 MILLION, but that must have been the night you were text messaging.

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After Steve's BIG LEAGUES speech, he continued to arrive late to meetings, text message during meetings, eat his supper and arrive unprepared.

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Steve Spataro accepted the position of BOS representative to SRPEDD but after many months, indicated he hadn't attended any meetings and needed to be replaced.

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To the detriment of the Town, Steven Spataro made a commitment to act as rep and ignored his commitment.

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Until recently, he hasn't appeared at any meeting other than the Selectmen's Meetings on Monday nights.

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Mr. Spataro never has the time needed to devote to the other duties of Selectmen, still refuses to have his phone number public -- his response this evening was 'call Jackie (the BOS secretary) and she'll give you my cell phone number.' He refused to make an email address public because of those horrible things sent to others.

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Get a life, Steve!

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All of us get spam emails daily for penis or breast enlargements, Viagra, phony lottery winnings. That's what they make the delete feature for.

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Sometimes people just need to make a quick one line comment or ask a question that doesn't involve writing a letter.

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When you can defend Sick And Tired Of This Crap there's a serious problem in Town Government.

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The BOS was wrong and the meeting minutes are wrong.

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When you received gifts and a free meal from the Town's business partner and believe it's acceptable, you can't continue to defend it.

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When ComCast broadcasts Candidates' Night, it's worth the watch! Even if only to hear Steven Spataro claim credit for things over which he had no control and invested no time.

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PS. Steve, you might want to read Carcieri v Slazar. It's not coming.

Much Ado About A Casino That Isn't Coming

As each town appointee and elected official is sworn in, they receive a copy of the Open Meeting Law for which they are required to sign with the Town Clerk who maintains a signature log.

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When a Middleboro Resident rose to call it to the attention of the Board of Selectmen that they failed to include any indication in the Meeting Minutes that they had approved for the previous meeting that they had discussed the gifts they had received, all hell seemed to break loose!

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The Open Meeting Law isn't creative writing to allow Marsha Brunelle to interpret as she chooses.

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Marsha, you need to go back and read the law and not depend on your sometimes foggy memory. You were incorrect in your comments. And Marsha, you may recall that you were wrong when you discussed the Fire Chief/Police Chief thing in Executive Session. You wrongly believed you only had to hold the vote in public. You violated the Open Meeting Law then and you misquoted it now.

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And Marsha, let's not get all huffy about having to hear about issues endlessly when you have more important things to do. I was the one who said during the last election that too much time was being spent on your casino obsession (that isn't coming!) and not enough attention was focused on the budget disaster that I foresaw 2 years ago that is now upon us.

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Steven Spataro, who is up for re-election in April, was irate at the accusation questioning his integrity, even though he had failed to inform himself of the Ethics statutes.

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The fact is that Mr. Spataro received gifts, participated in social events of a business partner of the Town. He hadn't even bothered to investigate the dollar limit of the statute. Mr. Spataro didn't return those gifts until he was told to do so.

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As a footnote, the Tribe was believed to be a 'business partner' of the Town, but Carcieri v Kempthorne has just dashed their hopes! There will be NO CASINO in Middleboro! The Dreams That You Dare To Dream...

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Marsha Brunelle, Middleboro's own Gavel Queen, indicated that she had reviewed the statute and the limit was $50, but was cumulative, seeming to indicate that it would include all the little incidentals, like maybe a few free meals that the Tribe has provided, and maybe some limo service, and maybe who knows what else since they are convinced they've done nothing wrong.

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Mrs. Duphily was assured by Town Counsel that there was no "Conflict of Interest."

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Mimi, Hon, did you think to ask Town Counsel if by accepting gifts and free meals you might be violating certain Ethics rules? Instead of wasting taxpayer money by asking Town Counsel each time you do questionable things, you can call the Ethics Commission yourself. They have attorneys on duty to answer your questions. Or better yet, you might consider reading the information that's posted on their web site first. This isn't to pick on you, dear, but we all know you are a single issue candidate who really has no interest in anything other than the casino that we know isn't coming now! Did you think to ask Town Counsel about the conversation you had with Stephen Graham who appears about to be indicted?

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Give SCOTUS some hugs and kisses from Middleboro and the surrounding Towns for that decision!!!!!

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When residents of the Town ask questions and raise issues, even though as Steve Spataro would say they sit in the CHEAP SEATS, they deserve to be treated with respect and not irrational outbursts of Mr. Spataro's often seen temper.

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Mr. Spataro habitually arrived to BOS meetings late, until I sent a letter of protest to the BOS and to Mr. Spataro's home address (you may recall that he has a non-published phone number so he can't be bothered by voters, the press). Chairwoman Marsha Brunelle would waste everyone else's time recapping the meeting that Mr. Spataro had missed. It was rude, inconsiderate and not consistent with the BIG LEAGUES Mr. Spataro for bizarre reasons feels he is part of. Mr. Spataro has eaten his supper at meetings. Mr. Spataro has spent meetings text messaging.

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Give me a break! It's time to use your vote wisely in April and replace Mr. Spataro. If he had to be told to return gifts he received, he shouldn't be on the Board. And if he verbally attacked a voter for calling an error to his attention, the man's got an anger problem.

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When Pat Rogers feels the need to attack a voter with his 'your caliber' comment, Pat, you need an attitude re-adjustment!

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3 Members of Middleboro's Board of Selectmen conducted themselves in an unethical manner. They accepted gifts. They attended social functions. 2 of those members had private conversation with Stephen Graham regarding the conduct of Town business.

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This needs to stop and the Board needs to recognize their illegal conduct! Or let's replace them beginning in April.

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Middleboro deserves better!
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There will be NO CASINO IN MIDDLEBORO!!!!!

HOORAY!!!!!!!!!

Now, let's change the Board of Selectmen one at a time and elect qualified and competent candidates.

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Middleboro BOS: Misplaced Indignation #1
Middleboro BOS: Misplaced Indignation #2
Middleboro BOS: Misplaced Indignation #3
Middleboro BOS: Misplaced Indignation #4
Middleboro BOS: Misplaced Indignation #5
Middleboro BOS: Misplaced Indignation #6
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As a footnote, anyone who didn't see this mess of pending indictments coming was pretty dumb. Check out Abramoff.

I Can't Stand Whining!

Even when whining isn't accomplished in whining tones and doesn't have comparable laments, it's still whining.

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The Commonwealth and each and every municipality in the Commonwealth, with several exceptions, will confront major fiscal problems in the coming 2 years.

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To hear Mr. Spataro 'whine' about the budget shortfalls at this late date as an argument to oppose CPA (Community Preservation Act) does not negate that he has been slumbering during most of his term.

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His most recent 'compression' theory about calling a Special Town Meeting for the sole purpose of a Charter change to mandate a 'Public Safety Director' seems to have been discarded as a whim.

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Some might have noticed that Selectman Spataro was the sole occupant at the Selectmen's table when the October 20, 2008, Special Town Meeting failed to achieve a quorum.

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When the STM (Special Town Meeting) was reconvened the following week and achieved a quorum, Mr. Spataro was NOT in attendance.

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When STM reconvened, had the Board of Selectmen included the warrant article that has been customary about establishing committees and hearing committee reports (someone neglected to inform the new Town Manager about this maybe), Selectman Spataro could have introduced his warrant article regarding a single issue Charter Commission to consider a 'Public Safety Director.'

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Taking serious consideration of a 'Public Safety Director' one step further, it would be suggested that voters actually watch the BOS meeting.

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Former Selectman Lincoln Andrews condemned CPA because of supporters' failure to have an appointed study committee, public discussion and lengthy debate regarding CPA.

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So how does the Mr. Spataro's slap dash approach to amending the Town Charter somehow seem consistent with Mr. Andrews' position on CPA? Where was the Study Committee for the 'Public Safety Director'?

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NOTE TO NEWCOMERS: When all else fails, watch the BOS appoint a Study Committee. Much like Congress, you'll never hear the results, see the report or know about the meetings. There was a Study Committee appointed to ..... another day!

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Don't forget that Mr. Spataro has been sleeping through most of his tenure on the BOS, so instead of addressing the issue of a 'Public Safety Director' let's say two (2) years ago when it might have made sense, he suddenly rallied around that flag, knowing he was up for re-election in April 2009.

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As far as Mr. Spataro's current lament about the cash shortfalls within the Town, where have you been, Steve? You had opportunities to save taxpayer dollars that you slept through. Maybe you were text messaging when the opportunities presented themselves.

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Let's just say a Green Committee had been created by the Town of Middleboro when other municipalities were doing just that. Could you have saved 10%? 20%?

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And Steve, how about the Pathetic Town's Web Site (PTWS - a term coined by an anonymous admirer of the Town's IT Department)? Might that have reduced foot traffic and phone calls to the Town's offices were it user friendly? and in doing so, maybe allowed information to flow more smoothly? A cost savings, maybe?

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The Middleboro School Superintendent stood before the BOS last year and when reviewing his line item budget, said of energy costs that they couldn't be reduced. It's strange how that pronouncement changed.

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There were and are opportunities to save tax dollars. But let's follow Mr. Spataro, wait until the last minute when your options are exhausted, whine and do nothing.

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Bad government at its best!

Cheap Seat Revisited After The Election

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Steven Spataro said:
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Take out the nomination papers. Run and see if you get elected.

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How'd that work out for you, Steve?

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There is no word if Mr. Spataro is available for the starring role in Cheap seats - the musical

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In the aftermath of the disrespectful comments by 3 members of the Board of Selectmen: Steven Spataro, Marsha Brunelle, Patrick Rogers, I hand-delivered a letter to the Board requesting that they publicly apologize for their offensive comments.

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(Incidentally, Mrs. "Gavel Queen" Brunelle is incorrect about what the law says about meeting minutes.)

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Instead of an apology, Mr. Spataro, at Candidates' Night launched into another attack, labelling those who raised issues and asked questions as "Rabid Followers," whatever that means.

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How'd that work out for you, Steve?

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Voters appreciate all of the work Mr. Spataro did to elect Steve McKinnon to the Board. Thanks Mr. Spataro for all the work you did helping to change the tone of the Town and the tone of the Board!

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In the aftermath of the close elections, voters have expressed unsolicited comments to me about the conduct of the remaining incumbent members of the Board of Selectmen, in particular, our very own Gavel Queen, Marsha Brunelle seen in the video commenting about being Sick and Tired of This Crap, and Patrick Rogers referring to people of a certain caliber.

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Note to Patrick Rogers: Those PEOPLE OF A CERTAIN CALIBER? Might you be referring to voters?

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The arrogance of the 3 Selectmen in the Cheap Seats video defines how the few have run the Town and treated voters they were elected to represent. Apparently, they decided that they only represented those with whom they agreed.

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Voters seem to have decided that it's not the way it works.

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On a separate related note, it needs to be noted that Wayne Perkins, historically assured of re-election based on generous contracts he negotiated that put the Town in this hole (36% pay raises, anyone? A secretary making $86K a year?*), was elected as Town Moderator by a narrow margin, in spite of vigorous campaigning, against a relative newcomer. Mr. Perkins, unaccustomed to campaigning for re-election, was planning to run for Board of Selectmen next year. Think again, Wayne!

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Can anyone even imagine such a close contest for Town Moderator?

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It needs to be reiterated that Wayne Perkins, as Chairman of the Board of Selectmen thought nothing of ignoring those who stood at the microphone wanting to address the BOS.

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Wayne, we hope you will conduct yourself in a different fashion as Town Moderator. It is a position that can be subject to Recall. You wouldn't want that now, would you, Wayne?

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*Newcomer to the BOS, Mr. Rullo noted during his first BOS Meeting that the Fire Department has "Quinn Bill" benefits. That is, the state program that is partially reimbursed by the state for educational incentives for the Police Department ONLY that is known as the Quinn Bill, was negotiated by Wayne Perkins and extended to the Fire Department. Not to worry! It only costs you, the taxpayer $100K plus per year. Want to know why fire stations are closed?

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Kudos to Mr. Rullo for publicly asking the right questions! Please keep it up and explain to the viewing public what these little goodies mean and what they cost. That's how we got in this mess!

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Annual Town Reports are available in the Town Clerk's Office. They're worth owning and saving to review. They're worth reading and provide some interesting information if you take the time and want to know where your tax dollars go.

January 5, 2009 Middleboro Board of Selectmen's Meeting

According to the PTWS (Pathetic Town Web Site), the
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Special Town Meeting RESCHEDULED to
Monday, October 27th, 7 p.m. at Middleborough High School

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A reasonable person might expect to find the cancellation of the Monday, January 5, 2009, Board of Selectmen's Meeting posted on the PTWS. Or maybe even a reasonable explanation.

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Alas! This is Middleboro, where Mushroom Farming persists in spite of valiant efforts by its citizenry to request, protest, demand, expect, beseech, and whine about

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transparency

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Rumors are flying in Middleboro about a water leak in the basement of the Town Hall that successfully knocked out internet connections. Although some have questioned how that would be determined since the email addresses seem ultra Top Secret to the residents of the Town who might desire the ability to actually communicate with their Town Government by means other than sending their emails to the IT Director for forwarding in hopes it reaches the appropriate person.

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And the BOS secretary is likewise blamed for her failure to post the meeting and agenda. Hmm...seems to me I raised the issue in ancient history about posting the agenda at an earlier date, but memory fades with age.

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In a letter to the editor of the Middleboro Gazette (still only 50 cents and worth every penny) last week, Marsha Brunelle was taken to task for questioning why voters were actually communicating with the ONLY member of the Board of Selectmen who is available by a publicly known email address.

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Mrs. Brunelle, it should be noted, was the Selectman who actually requested that there be a time limit on citizens' comments at the last meeting. Marsha didn't earn the title of Gavel Queen for nothing! If given the opportunity to arm wrestle the Chairman for that gavel, bets are that Marsha would win! (Aaahh! The video that Gladys could create!)

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The irony of Marsha protesting citizen input going to ONLY one member of the Board is breathtaking! It simply begs the question "Marsha, You actually want to listen or is it control or jealousy?"

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And, Marsha, you and I had a conversation about your lack of internet savvy last year when you were Chairman. You called me. Do you remember? This is after all, the 21st Century and rapid communication is expedited with quick emails that ask questions, get immediate answers, instead of snail mail that requires hand-delivery or postage and time.

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The failure of this Board to address the longstanding issues surrounding the IT Department and hosting the web site within Town Hall (with the potential for hacking by a teenager) and much else has been addressed for years.

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It should be noted that one Selectman, Steven Spataro actually has a non-published telephone number to avoid communications. You just can't allow voters to sway your opinion! Right, Steve? Incidentally, Steve Spataro is up for re-election in April. Is there any candidate willing to consider the Big Leagues, as Steve would say?

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No one is quite sure if Mrs. Duphily has yet discovered the internet, although she commented about an email she received from her friend who was a member of the Mashpee Wampanoags, that seemed to sway her appropriate representation of the Town of Middleboro.

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And we're not quite sure of Mr. Rogers' silence. It would seem to be spineless silence and not commitment either way.

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Beyond all other issues, You Guys Have A Problem.

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Your inability to address and resolve issues as they are brought forth has created a backlog, beginning with Rockland Industries. You continue to build on unresolved issues until each issue becomes one from the past. The Town Web Site (PTWS) and the failure of the Board of Selectmen to address the IT issues of the Town will continue to haunt.

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Those computer geeks have quietly explained about hosting the web site in the Town Hall. You were offered a site, designed free of charge, hosted elsewhere.

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But there will remain those of us who are convinced that the Mushroom Farming takes place in the basement of the Town Hall which explains the lights remaining on when the Town Hall was otherwise unoccupied.

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It's not ghosts. It's Mushroom Farming!

Did you see....?

If you didn't watch tonight's BOS meeting, you really need to.

ComCast will rebroadcast the meeting on Tuesday, February 24. You need to watch.

A Middleboro resident, taxpayer and active citizen who has been paying attention to the antics of this ........ Board of Selectmen raised the issue of an omission in the Selectmen's Meeting Minutes for February 9, 2009 that failed to indicate the gifts that were received.

It was only because the issue was raised that Mr. Spataro returned gifts that he received from the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. Regardless of their value, he never thought to check state law. He allowed his ego to be stroked by appreciative Tribe members and was just tickled at the attention.

The Gavel Queen, Marsha Brunelle was clearly frustrated that the gavel was not in her hand!

But .... you need to watch the irrational outrage of Steven Spataro, up for re-election!

Yet another irrational outburst by Mr. Spataro! We've seen this before.

This is NOT appropriate conduct when addressing the respectful comment of a Middleboro Taxpayer .......

This man needs to be voted out of office.

Watch the exchange.

The Middleboro Resident was respectful in spite of the rudeness of the Board of Selectmen.

This needs to stop.

Mr. Spataro yelled at the Middleboro voter that he should take out papers and run for office.

Mr. Spataro, if you don't like the questions and the challenges, maybe you shouldn't run for office. You've slept through most of your tenure. Or you've been text messaging. Or eating your supper. Or you've arrived late or been absent. You haven't done your homework.

Remember, this is the Big Leagues, Steve. If you can't handle the questions, get out of the hot seat!

If Middleboro voters continue to tolerate this level of unprofessional conduct by Board Members, you have a serious problem!

Cost of Cable Worth It!

The cost of cable was worth it this week just to watch the BOS meeting of Monday, June 22, 2009!

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Brian Giovanoni stands up and extols the great success of the Town Hall Lawn Concert last year, the high attendance, the money raised for the Park Department and the Animal Shelter, blah, blah, blah....posters will be up around town.

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We attended all except I believe one lawn concert last year.

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At no time did I see Brian Giovanoni, Mimi Duphily, Willy Duphily, Helen Belmont, Diane Bassett, or any other member of Middleboro Friends. Steve Spataro lives on School St., was Selectman at the time (before he lost re-election) was our "Big Leagues" Selectman who coined the "Cheap Seats" phrase, just around the corner and couldn't be bothered to attend. Marsha Brunelle lives on Bourne St., within walking distance and couldn't be bothered to attend.

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Jean Spaulding, the Health Agent, to her credit, along with a small number of dedicated volunteers organized and cleaned up after the concerts and did the heavy lifting. They arranged for raffle prizes from local businesses, brought the food, tables, supplies.

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Brian, where were you? When I missed that single concert, was that when you swooped in to help out?

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There were a number of people who did attend, including Adam Bond, his wife, Victoria and their lively daughter, Bill Marzelli and his wonderful wife, Patty.

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And if you're going to stand up and pitch for solitary events because you know someone who's involved, how about putting together a list of events that benefit the Town? I don't recall seeing you at the Christmas Wishes' yard sale that was held on Saturday. Did I miss you?

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Christmas Wishes is an organization of hard working residents who ensure that families in need in Middleboro and Lakeville have Christmas presents and Christmas dinner. The money is raised locally and stays local.

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There are numerous other organizations that quietly go about their fundraising that are being ignored by you, Brian.

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Worth a few laughs or stomach churns was the Part Time Town Accountant who made a mistake that just happened to be almost $600,000.

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This is the comment a faithful reader sent:

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What is more important is how much of a raise did our blundering accountant get? Was it 10%?

Does he work only 4 days a weel? And he gets mileage to drive to work?

Yet, he made a $592K mistake. Oops? I'm not happt with this performance and would cut his pay.

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Maybe next time, the Board of Selectmen who don't seem capable of balancing their own checkbooks (with the exception of the 2 new members) will allow others with greater expertise to interview candidates. What happened with the last accountant? It cost how much to settle? And this one only works 4 days a week? Remember who appointed him!

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Middleboro Town Accountant's Contract

Town Accountant

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The SEMASS contract.....insert Big Sigh!

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The original contract has years to run, but SEMASS is pushing to re-negotiate. The meeting is worth watching.

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The newbie, Steve McKinnon questioned the contents of the original contract that's currently in force and not provided to the Selectmen.

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Good point!

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Where is it? Who negotiated it? Jack Healey you say? Ya wanna look at what Jack did in Southbridge?

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Voters just might like to review the contract. Is it on the PTWS (Pathetic Town Web Site)?

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Newbie Al Rullo indicated that he had picked up a copy from the Town Clerk to review.

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Wouldn't it be worthwhile if voters who paid these bills had as much information as you have available?
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Please keep in mind that if voters request that information, they have to pay for it.
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Isn't this what is needed for transparency?

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That must mean that the 2 other Board Members present, Muriel Duphily and Marsha Brunelle, our very own Gavel Queen, were fully familiar with the current contract.

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Right?

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We all know that Marsha remembers everything. Maybe she doesn't remember it accurately, but she at least remembers it.

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Mrs. Duphily?

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Some may remember that Mrs. Duphily is a single issue candidate for the casino that isn't coming who is ethically challenged and couldn't figure out that because her husband is a call fireman, she shouldn't participate in 'all things fire dept.,' is really a wonderful person who has been very active in town and she's extraordinarily talented. But worry her head about details of her office? Phewt! She clearly has more important things to do rather than bother with the responsibilities of being Selectman, like.....Town Groundskeeper, a position suggested by "Smoking Owl."

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Note to Charter Commission: Please add position of "Town Groundskeeper" to Charter changes.

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There was really more to the meeting that made it worth the cost of cable, but time is limited. Take the time to watch and you might formulate a few questions of your own.

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Are you beginning to understand why it makes sense to elect competent people to serve on the BOS?

Public Records Disclosure #6 The Ongoing Denial of Information

During the November 26, 2007, Middleboro Board of Selectmen's Meeting, a memo from the Middleboro Town Clerk regarding Public Records Disclosure, as well as my complaint were discussed.

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Don't look for the Meeting Minutes because for some reason, they're not posted.

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It seems that the Selectmen have adopted a policy of posting Meeting Minutes ONLY sporadically.

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After the motion had been made, seconded and voted unanimously NOT to waive the fees, Selectman Spataro felt the need to ensure that the secretary add '...consistent with the original policy.'

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One must wonder what policy, Mr. Spataro?

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Now, Steve, this is the Big Leagues and you're just peeved because I comment on your non-published phone number which helps you avoid those obnoxious calls from voters and your tardiness.

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Well, OK! So I also comment on the fact that you're usually unprepared.