Showing posts with label BOD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BOD. Show all posts
Monday, March 8, 2010
Saturday, September 12, 2009
"Knocking Down Doors"
We are now in the home stretch of the local election races. On the Manchester, CT Message Board, Steven "Moose" Edwards, a member of the Manchester Board of Education, posted his rules of thumb for knocking on the doors of potential voters. Mr. Edwards' remarks were very informative. With his permission, I wanted to re-print them for the readers of the Silk City Independent.
Actually, there are rules (of thumb) about who's door to knock on... I'll give you the lowdown of how I did it, and it is largely the conventional wisdom of "knocking down doors" as the [politicians] call it in the inside circles...
The "walking lists" are generated from voter registration information. There is a lot of information there, including your name, address, birth date, phone number, and most importantly, your voting history. [Editor's note: the voting history only tracks when you voted. The registrar has no way of knowing who you voted for.]
The voting history is largely what drives the decision. Information is available for EVERY election and primary since the late 90's. If you voted, the registrar knows it and it comes with the data you get from them.
So, suppose you are walking down a street, and you've got a well sorted list (I've made dozens of these at this point - I was the geek who did it for the [Manchester Republicans] for the last 10 years or so)
[The list] will tell you for any given address, how many registered voters live there. In addition, you can see the party affiliation of every voter, along with their voting history. I would typically condense this information into the number of times [the person] voted in local, state, and federal elections. Again, primary [voting] information is there, but it isn't really necessary to figure out whether or not you want to knock on the door.
You'll see patterns emerge quickly as you walk down the street. For instance, there is the Presidential voter - this person will have voted in the last few Presidential elections, but never in a state or local election. If all the voters at the house fit this profile, it probably isn't worth your time knocking on that door. Why? Well, if they haven't voted in anything except a Presidential election, you probably aren't going to convince them otherwise. Especially in a local election year, where there are few/none national/state offices up for grabs... It's a bit egotistical to think that your charisma will change their minds.
To a lesser degree, you'll see the State/Presidential voter... they vote in even numbered years. They never vote in odd years, when local elections are held. It MIGHT be worth knocking their door down, and I will say that I've done that. It's still a crap shoot... they probably won't be going out to vote at all... so probably not worth your time.
Then there is the "Never Votes" voter. This is a little more complicated. If they are young, then this is understandable. I'll knock on that door. Also, you may find that the person isn't young, but still hasn't voted. For that you may want to look at the registration date on their registration... if it's recent, then they may have just moved in from out of state. (If they moved in-state, their records move with them) Again, worth knocking. However, if they are older, registered years ago, and haven't voted... well, they don't vote. This puts them into the category of the Presidential voter - probably not worth your time.
(Aside: I've talked to people who say that they vote in every election, swear by it in fact. I can see that they are lying in some cases. Very funny)
The pot o' gold is the voter that votes in EVERY election. You knock on that door regardless of party. It's ALWAYS worth your time to talk to a likely voter... If they are not in your party, say you're a Republican and they are a Democrat... if you can get them to vote for you, you've swung 2 votes - the one for you and the one the Democrats didn't get. Same holds true of the other way around.
So if your house has one or more people who ALWAYS vote, you knock on that door, no matter what. And it is interesting. When running as an Republican, I've met Democrat's who wouldn't think of voting for the Democrats. I've met Democrats who ran me off their property and told me I should be ashamed of myself for being an Republican. It runs the gambit. Same with Republicans... I've had them tell me I have their vote... and I've had them tell me they would NEVER vote for a Republican again... For those that haven't done it, knocking on doors is almost always fun in that something new will happen every year. I've met crazy people, people who want to know my views on abortion when I'm running for the [Board of Education], people who want me to privatize the whole thing... and the stories are incredible some times. Anyway, unless you've done it, you can't really appreciate how odd the whole experience can be. But mostly you meet nice people. And the largest subgroup I've met are folks who say something like, "Well, you knocked on my door, so I'll vote for you." One on one works.
You should also know that it matters WHERE you live. Do you live in a relatively flat neighborhood with lots of other voters where the houses are relatively close together? Your door will get knocked on if you vote. Do you live in billy goat country where the big houses grow? Don't count on me knocking on your door. I might call you instead. Do you live in a district that is predominantly my party? I'm more likely to knock. Do you live in a neighborhood that is flat and the houses are close, but nobody votes? You probably won't see me.
Knocking doors is both art and science... hopefully this gives you some idea of why someone knocks or they don't...
The Silk City Independent would like to thank Mr. Edwards for giving the citizens of Manchester a peek in to one of the processes of running for a municipal office.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Actually, there are rules (of thumb) about who's door to knock on... I'll give you the lowdown of how I did it, and it is largely the conventional wisdom of "knocking down doors" as the [politicians] call it in the inside circles...
The "walking lists" are generated from voter registration information. There is a lot of information there, including your name, address, birth date, phone number, and most importantly, your voting history. [Editor's note: the voting history only tracks when you voted. The registrar has no way of knowing who you voted for.]
The voting history is largely what drives the decision. Information is available for EVERY election and primary since the late 90's. If you voted, the registrar knows it and it comes with the data you get from them.
So, suppose you are walking down a street, and you've got a well sorted list (I've made dozens of these at this point - I was the geek who did it for the [Manchester Republicans] for the last 10 years or so)
[The list] will tell you for any given address, how many registered voters live there. In addition, you can see the party affiliation of every voter, along with their voting history. I would typically condense this information into the number of times [the person] voted in local, state, and federal elections. Again, primary [voting] information is there, but it isn't really necessary to figure out whether or not you want to knock on the door.
You'll see patterns emerge quickly as you walk down the street. For instance, there is the Presidential voter - this person will have voted in the last few Presidential elections, but never in a state or local election. If all the voters at the house fit this profile, it probably isn't worth your time knocking on that door. Why? Well, if they haven't voted in anything except a Presidential election, you probably aren't going to convince them otherwise. Especially in a local election year, where there are few/none national/state offices up for grabs... It's a bit egotistical to think that your charisma will change their minds.
To a lesser degree, you'll see the State/Presidential voter... they vote in even numbered years. They never vote in odd years, when local elections are held. It MIGHT be worth knocking their door down, and I will say that I've done that. It's still a crap shoot... they probably won't be going out to vote at all... so probably not worth your time.
Then there is the "Never Votes" voter. This is a little more complicated. If they are young, then this is understandable. I'll knock on that door. Also, you may find that the person isn't young, but still hasn't voted. For that you may want to look at the registration date on their registration... if it's recent, then they may have just moved in from out of state. (If they moved in-state, their records move with them) Again, worth knocking. However, if they are older, registered years ago, and haven't voted... well, they don't vote. This puts them into the category of the Presidential voter - probably not worth your time.
(Aside: I've talked to people who say that they vote in every election, swear by it in fact. I can see that they are lying in some cases. Very funny)
The pot o' gold is the voter that votes in EVERY election. You knock on that door regardless of party. It's ALWAYS worth your time to talk to a likely voter... If they are not in your party, say you're a Republican and they are a Democrat... if you can get them to vote for you, you've swung 2 votes - the one for you and the one the Democrats didn't get. Same holds true of the other way around.
So if your house has one or more people who ALWAYS vote, you knock on that door, no matter what. And it is interesting. When running as an Republican, I've met Democrat's who wouldn't think of voting for the Democrats. I've met Democrats who ran me off their property and told me I should be ashamed of myself for being an Republican. It runs the gambit. Same with Republicans... I've had them tell me I have their vote... and I've had them tell me they would NEVER vote for a Republican again... For those that haven't done it, knocking on doors is almost always fun in that something new will happen every year. I've met crazy people, people who want to know my views on abortion when I'm running for the [Board of Education], people who want me to privatize the whole thing... and the stories are incredible some times. Anyway, unless you've done it, you can't really appreciate how odd the whole experience can be. But mostly you meet nice people. And the largest subgroup I've met are folks who say something like, "Well, you knocked on my door, so I'll vote for you." One on one works.
You should also know that it matters WHERE you live. Do you live in a relatively flat neighborhood with lots of other voters where the houses are relatively close together? Your door will get knocked on if you vote. Do you live in billy goat country where the big houses grow? Don't count on me knocking on your door. I might call you instead. Do you live in a district that is predominantly my party? I'm more likely to knock. Do you live in a neighborhood that is flat and the houses are close, but nobody votes? You probably won't see me.
Knocking doors is both art and science... hopefully this gives you some idea of why someone knocks or they don't...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Silk City Independent would like to thank Mr. Edwards for giving the citizens of Manchester a peek in to one of the processes of running for a municipal office.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
A New Game
My household has a new game: "Can we fill it to the lid in two weeks?"
In the words of Bob The Builder (and now Barack Obama)"YES WE CAN!"
I love... LOVE our new recycling receptacle. My family is going around the house looking for things to put in it every day. It has gone way beyond the standard milk jugs, food cans, paper and cardboard. We are super recyclers now! Toilet paper and paper towel tubes, aluminum foil (no major food sticking to it of course), shaving cream cans, junk mail, all loose paper, and checking every bit of plastic for a #1 or #2. I even noticed that the plastic on the Q-Tip container was #2. Ripped the plastic away from the cardboard... dumped 'em both in. Score!Taking the garbage down to the street tonight... how easy is it to wheel two carts down the driveway in one trip? A lot easier than making the two trips for the recycle containers (we had one for papers and cardboard, and one for bottles & cans), and then wheeling the garbage container to the street. Oh... and I noticed that our garbage can was the lightest it has ever been.
So once again... a big THANK YOU to Mark Carlino and the Manchester Sanitation Department for bringing this idea to fruition. We love our new blue bin! I think the garbage bins are green with envy.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Thank You For Meeting Me Half-Way
Four unions have stepped up to the plate so far, and I want to say thank you to them.
JI: Manchester town workers offer to skip raises, saving $350,000
HC: Manchester Town Workers Agree to Forego Wage Hikes
I hope to see the other unions follow the example set by these four. (Ahem... BOE unions, Police, Fire). We are all in this together.
Based on the majority of the opinions I was listening to all night at the budget hearing, most taxpayers are willing to accept a modest tax increase to keep town services at current levels. It appears that the town employees and unions are coming on board to share in our sacrifice. Now it is up to the BOD and BOE to do their part. Do not use these concessions to further reduce my tax increase for this year. Keep services at current levels.
To be absolutely clear on my opinion, I am not endorsing carte blanche any inefficiencies in the system. I always expect to get the best bang for my buck. These are times that bring much needed citizen focus on the "business" of town government.
JI: Manchester town workers offer to skip raises, saving $350,000
HC: Manchester Town Workers Agree to Forego Wage Hikes
I hope to see the other unions follow the example set by these four. (Ahem... BOE unions, Police, Fire). We are all in this together.
Based on the majority of the opinions I was listening to all night at the budget hearing, most taxpayers are willing to accept a modest tax increase to keep town services at current levels. It appears that the town employees and unions are coming on board to share in our sacrifice. Now it is up to the BOD and BOE to do their part. Do not use these concessions to further reduce my tax increase for this year. Keep services at current levels.
To be absolutely clear on my opinion, I am not endorsing carte blanche any inefficiencies in the system. I always expect to get the best bang for my buck. These are times that bring much needed citizen focus on the "business" of town government.
"The purse of the people is the real seat of sensibility. Let it be drawn upon largely, and they will then listen to truths which could not excite them through any other organ."
~Thomas Jefferson
"I like to pay taxes. With them I buy civilization."
~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
"Taxes, after all, are dues that we pay for the privileges of membership in an organized society."
~Franklin D. Roosevelt
Sunday, March 15, 2009
On the Budget: An Open Letter To Fellow Manchester Citizens:
It is time to keep our emotions in check. The political parties and some organizations in Manchester are counting on us to get emotionally "fired up." I believe it is so that we can be more easily manipulated to champion their ideas on this year's difficult budget process. I'm not saying that we should be heartless. On the contrary, now is the time to be empathetic and give consideration outside of the line items in the budget that would be either to one's benefit or detriment.
To keep my emotions in check, I try to walk a mile in General Manager Scott Shanley's shoes, and look at the entire recommended budget.
If you aren't computer savvy, then get out a pencil (you'll need the eraser, trust me), a pad of paper, and a calculator. If you can do your federal and state tax returns, you are smart enough and have all the skills needed to do this.
I promise you, if you do all that, you have just taken away the ability to be manipulated by someone who will be counting on you to be ignorant of this process. Now you will not be rattled by people throwing around large budgetary dollar amounts, percentages, or phrases like "actual tax levy increase." By doing the basic math, you have put the power where it belongs: in your hands.
I have included a Google Docs Spreadsheet here for you to view. It can be exported to Excel so you can input your own values. Just go to File > Export > .xls
Here is the budget process schedule. The town has made a budget comment web page available and it can be found here. There is also e-mail available. Look up the Boards of Directors here and the Board of Education here. There are plenty of opportunities to have our voices heard. Decisions are made by those who show up. We need to go to them with solutions, not problems and generalities.
Lastly, please remember that we as citizens have a new mechanism available to us this year in the town budget process. If enough people disagree with the outcome of the BOD vote in April, a petition for a budget referendum can be made. How to do that can be found here.
It is an austere year, but we are all in this together.
To keep my emotions in check, I try to walk a mile in General Manager Scott Shanley's shoes, and look at the entire recommended budget.
- GM's Introduction to the FY09/10 Budget (Presentation)
- FY09/10 GM Recommended Budget
- FY 09/10 School Superintendent Budget Presentation
- FY09/10 BOE Recommended Budget
If you aren't computer savvy, then get out a pencil (you'll need the eraser, trust me), a pad of paper, and a calculator. If you can do your federal and state tax returns, you are smart enough and have all the skills needed to do this.
I promise you, if you do all that, you have just taken away the ability to be manipulated by someone who will be counting on you to be ignorant of this process. Now you will not be rattled by people throwing around large budgetary dollar amounts, percentages, or phrases like "actual tax levy increase." By doing the basic math, you have put the power where it belongs: in your hands.
I have included a Google Docs Spreadsheet here for you to view. It can be exported to Excel so you can input your own values. Just go to File > Export > .xls
Here is the budget process schedule. The town has made a budget comment web page available and it can be found here. There is also e-mail available. Look up the Boards of Directors here and the Board of Education here. There are plenty of opportunities to have our voices heard. Decisions are made by those who show up. We need to go to them with solutions, not problems and generalities.
"Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes."
Maggie Kuhn
Lastly, please remember that we as citizens have a new mechanism available to us this year in the town budget process. If enough people disagree with the outcome of the BOD vote in April, a petition for a budget referendum can be made. How to do that can be found here.
It is an austere year, but we are all in this together.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Open Letter to the BOD, BOE and Manchester Party Leadership:
Now is the time for cooler heads to prevail. It is certainly not the time for partisan vendettas. Here is what this voter and taxpayer is looking for in this budget cycle that I will carry through to my vote in November:
There is no doubt in my mind that this year's budget process will be difficult for all of us. This current economic environment has already been difficult enough. Disagreements are to be expected, and I'm not looking for everyone to sit around boardroom tables singing kumbaya. I do expect everyone to to act professional, respectful, and give the benefit of the doubt that we are all in this together.
- Pragmatism
- Transparency
- Vigorous yet respectful political debate to flush out all ideas and possibilities
- Sincerity in deliberation and discussion
- Willingness to break rank, or cross political divides to do what is best for all of us, not for a party's position come November
- Open-mindedness and willingness to consider options that may not be the first or ideal choice
There is no doubt in my mind that this year's budget process will be difficult for all of us. This current economic environment has already been difficult enough. Disagreements are to be expected, and I'm not looking for everyone to sit around boardroom tables singing kumbaya. I do expect everyone to to act professional, respectful, and give the benefit of the doubt that we are all in this together.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Great Job Sanitation Division and Thank You BOD!
Single Source Recycling has to be one of the single best decisions that I have seen the current Board of Directors make together to date. I'm sure that everyone, or at least those that are keeping score, has their own top 10 list out there for what our local government is doing since November 2007, but this one goes right to the top for me. It is nice to see what this board can accomplish when it works together. Not only is this going to save the town money after the initial ROI, but it is better for all of us environmentally. Kudos to Mark Carlino and his department for putting this together.I know that my family recycles everything that we can. EVERYTHING that is on the town's recycling list goes into our containers every week. We even make sure that we recycle the cardboard tubes that toilet-paper comes on. This is going to make our life so much easier, and we are doing right by the environment and our limited resources, AND we are helping the town save money. Looks like a win-win-win to me. (That's probably why this was so easy for everyone to agree on.)
It is things like this that make me think of two of my favorite quotes when it comes to teamwork:
"It is far more important to be able to hit the target than it is to haggle over who makes a weapon or who pulls a trigger." -Dwight D. Eisenhower
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” -Harry S. TrumanI can only hope that the BOD could cooperate this well as we go into the budget silly season. I also hope that I don't see either town political committee fall all over themselves to take credit for this. It's good for our entire town regardless of political affiliation. End of story.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Broad Street, Make It "Shovel Ready"
A recent letter to Senator Handley, Representatives Thompson and Barry, Mayor Spaduccini, the Board of Directors and General Manager Shanley:
I would like to take this opportunity to advocate for the Broad Street Streetscape and Revitalization project to be number one on Manchester's "Shovel Ready" list. This area of Manchester has been studied, discussed and hotly debated since I became a resident of Manchester in 2002, if not longer. Action on this area of Manchester looked promising with the 2003 report from the Parkade/Broad Street Revitalization Steering Committee, and then again in 2005 with the Conceptual Design Report from BL Companies. Even a citizen lead effort on one portion of Broad Street, the now infamous Manchester Parkade, made an attempt to move on this vital area in our town. All have fallen short of what is possible.
When I first read of Obama's Economic Stimulus Plan for infrastructure projects, my first thought was of Broad Street and the Parkade. I believe that this area of Manchester, and Connecticut for that matter, has the potential to fulfill many needs and ideas in today's commercial and political climate. Whatever buzzwords that you choose, be it Smart Growth, New Urbanism, or Green Building, Manchester has an opportunity like no other inner-ring suburb of Hartford. With medium to high density, multi-use zoning, along with public and private redevelopment, Manchester would have the ability to attract and retain Connecticut's college graduates with businesses, housing and activities to suit their needs. With redevelopement on Broad Street, our town would also be able to attract young families, and active seniors. In your positions I am sure that you are privy to, or have been briefed on, a great deal of information on these subjects. I do not wish to repeat them in the interest of brevity.
Please forgive my bluntness, but the section of Broad Street from Center Street to West Middle Turnpike, measuring a mere two-thirds of a mile, is a commercial cancer that is slowly eating away at the heart of Manchester. I am sure that there are many other projects that may be closer to "shovel ready," or easier politically. I beseech you to not pick the low-hanging fruit, but to shoot for the moon and put your full combined weight behind this area of our town. Please, do not let another five years or even a decade go buy on this. Bring together Manchester, CRCOG and state agencies to get these projects off the drawing board and make it a reality. Take Manchester's working class roots and make it an example of what is possible.
I would like to take this opportunity to advocate for the Broad Street Streetscape and Revitalization project to be number one on Manchester's "Shovel Ready" list. This area of Manchester has been studied, discussed and hotly debated since I became a resident of Manchester in 2002, if not longer. Action on this area of Manchester looked promising with the 2003 report from the Parkade/Broad Street Revitalization Steering Committee, and then again in 2005 with the Conceptual Design Report from BL Companies. Even a citizen lead effort on one portion of Broad Street, the now infamous Manchester Parkade, made an attempt to move on this vital area in our town. All have fallen short of what is possible.
When I first read of Obama's Economic Stimulus Plan for infrastructure projects, my first thought was of Broad Street and the Parkade. I believe that this area of Manchester, and Connecticut for that matter, has the potential to fulfill many needs and ideas in today's commercial and political climate. Whatever buzzwords that you choose, be it Smart Growth, New Urbanism, or Green Building, Manchester has an opportunity like no other inner-ring suburb of Hartford. With medium to high density, multi-use zoning, along with public and private redevelopment, Manchester would have the ability to attract and retain Connecticut's college graduates with businesses, housing and activities to suit their needs. With redevelopement on Broad Street, our town would also be able to attract young families, and active seniors. In your positions I am sure that you are privy to, or have been briefed on, a great deal of information on these subjects. I do not wish to repeat them in the interest of brevity.
Please forgive my bluntness, but the section of Broad Street from Center Street to West Middle Turnpike, measuring a mere two-thirds of a mile, is a commercial cancer that is slowly eating away at the heart of Manchester. I am sure that there are many other projects that may be closer to "shovel ready," or easier politically. I beseech you to not pick the low-hanging fruit, but to shoot for the moon and put your full combined weight behind this area of our town. Please, do not let another five years or even a decade go buy on this. Bring together Manchester, CRCOG and state agencies to get these projects off the drawing board and make it a reality. Take Manchester's working class roots and make it an example of what is possible.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Compromise, not Bipartisanship
I have been paying attention to politics long enough now that I feel that I am beginning to see how it truly works. Even if you aren't involved with government, there are politics everywhere. If you have maneuvered for a promotion at work, you have used politics. If you have been in a relationship long enough, to the point where you don't agree on everything like you used to, you have gotten a taste of politics. It even starts as early as elementary school. Did you ever convince the other kids on the playground to play tag like you wanted instead of red rover like little Susie wanted to? If you did, that was your first taste of politics. If you pay attention, you can even catch some grade school behavior in the stilted halls of government: "I don't like your idea. I'm taking my ball and going home!"
People who have more expensive educations than I do might say that politics is the science or art of government. I cannot disagree with that. There is a great deal of liberal arts and sciences that can help anyone do well in government. Those subjects include law, psychology, sociology, economics, history, and of course, political science. I, on the other hand, like to simplify things. For me politics is nothing more than a game with no written rules. You have to figure out those rules and develop your own play book. I'm certain that there are unimaginable volumes of ink devoted to politics over the history of the written word; however, like wisdom, politics is something that is best learned through life rather than just in books. Another quality that politics shares with wisdom is that the more you learn, the more you realize that there is so much more to learn.
The spark that lit the fire for this latest commentary is due to the June 10th meeting of the Manchester BOD. I am beginning to understand what being called partisan or being asked to be bipartisan means in our current two party system. If you want someone to agree with you from the other side of the isle, you ask them to be bipartisan. If that person disagrees with you, then they are being partisan. To go one more step, if someone strongly disagrees with you, then they are being divisive. This is one of the failures of a two party system. What ever happened to finding compromise?
I'm not entirely sure when during our history that it started, quite possibly with the start of the Cold War, but compromise is being painted in a negative light at all levels of our government. Compromise is associated with surrender, capitulation, or even being unprincipled. There was a time in government when compromise was an honorable way to find agreement, tolerance and balance. Looking back in history, some of those compromises, whether they were a failure or a success, where given names. In the lead up to the Civil War there was the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850. During the Philadelphia constitutional convention there was the Massachusetts Compromise, the Three-Fifths Compromise, and the Connecticut Compromise which was later to be known as The Great Compromise.
Am I expecting the next "great compromise" to come out of the Lincoln Center hearing room, no; however, I was encouraged to see what appeared to be an impromptu compromise during the debate on the water & sewer rate increase. In a philosophical difference between the Democrats, who wanted a five percent increase to the rates, and the Republicans, who wanted a three and a half percent increase, Director Tweedie offered an amendment to split the difference at a four and one quarter percent rate increase. I commend him on breaking rank and offering up his compromise even after the impertinent comment made by Michael Pohl, Manchester Democratic Town Chairperson, calling him a "baby duck following Director Pelletier."
Finding compromise is not being unprincipled or a personal weakness. If anything, it takes a great deal of skill, tact, and courage to find the middle ground. Since the November election, a common theme during the BOD meeting public comments has been a want by the citizens of Manchester for the two parties to work together to do what's best for the town. I am encouraged by one of Mayor Spadaccini's comments during his closing statement during the particularly rancorous portion of the June 10th meeting that voted in Director Farina. If Mayor Spadaccini feels that his greatest failure so far is getting the two caucuses of the BOD to work together, then I hope that he does more to find the compromises rather than presiding over one party line vote after another. By being the Mayor of Manchester and Chairperson of the BOD, he represents more than just the majority party on the BOD, but the whole town's diverse political make-up. By finding true compromises, rather than seeking "bipartisanship," the Board of Directors can truly serve the Town of Manchester and its citizens.
People who have more expensive educations than I do might say that politics is the science or art of government. I cannot disagree with that. There is a great deal of liberal arts and sciences that can help anyone do well in government. Those subjects include law, psychology, sociology, economics, history, and of course, political science. I, on the other hand, like to simplify things. For me politics is nothing more than a game with no written rules. You have to figure out those rules and develop your own play book. I'm certain that there are unimaginable volumes of ink devoted to politics over the history of the written word; however, like wisdom, politics is something that is best learned through life rather than just in books. Another quality that politics shares with wisdom is that the more you learn, the more you realize that there is so much more to learn.
The spark that lit the fire for this latest commentary is due to the June 10th meeting of the Manchester BOD. I am beginning to understand what being called partisan or being asked to be bipartisan means in our current two party system. If you want someone to agree with you from the other side of the isle, you ask them to be bipartisan. If that person disagrees with you, then they are being partisan. To go one more step, if someone strongly disagrees with you, then they are being divisive. This is one of the failures of a two party system. What ever happened to finding compromise?
I'm not entirely sure when during our history that it started, quite possibly with the start of the Cold War, but compromise is being painted in a negative light at all levels of our government. Compromise is associated with surrender, capitulation, or even being unprincipled. There was a time in government when compromise was an honorable way to find agreement, tolerance and balance. Looking back in history, some of those compromises, whether they were a failure or a success, where given names. In the lead up to the Civil War there was the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850. During the Philadelphia constitutional convention there was the Massachusetts Compromise, the Three-Fifths Compromise, and the Connecticut Compromise which was later to be known as The Great Compromise.
Am I expecting the next "great compromise" to come out of the Lincoln Center hearing room, no; however, I was encouraged to see what appeared to be an impromptu compromise during the debate on the water & sewer rate increase. In a philosophical difference between the Democrats, who wanted a five percent increase to the rates, and the Republicans, who wanted a three and a half percent increase, Director Tweedie offered an amendment to split the difference at a four and one quarter percent rate increase. I commend him on breaking rank and offering up his compromise even after the impertinent comment made by Michael Pohl, Manchester Democratic Town Chairperson, calling him a "baby duck following Director Pelletier."
Finding compromise is not being unprincipled or a personal weakness. If anything, it takes a great deal of skill, tact, and courage to find the middle ground. Since the November election, a common theme during the BOD meeting public comments has been a want by the citizens of Manchester for the two parties to work together to do what's best for the town. I am encouraged by one of Mayor Spadaccini's comments during his closing statement during the particularly rancorous portion of the June 10th meeting that voted in Director Farina. If Mayor Spadaccini feels that his greatest failure so far is getting the two caucuses of the BOD to work together, then I hope that he does more to find the compromises rather than presiding over one party line vote after another. By being the Mayor of Manchester and Chairperson of the BOD, he represents more than just the majority party on the BOD, but the whole town's diverse political make-up. By finding true compromises, rather than seeking "bipartisanship," the Board of Directors can truly serve the Town of Manchester and its citizens.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
The Sun Also Rises In Manchester
The sun rose in the east for yet another day. A fresh, spring day like we get to enjoy every year in Manchester. People getting ready and going to work, kids eating breakfast and finishing last minute homework before school, dogs barking to be let back in the house, newspapers being delivered and read, and town offices and departments opening their doors to serve our town and take care of our community needs yet again. As I drove through town on my way to work this morning, I did not see a single piece of the sky on the ground.
Much to the chagrin of the Democratic Caucus, the Republicans passed their budget last night. I am sure that things are going to be busy for the next few days in General Manager Shanley's Office, as well as in Dr. Ouellette's office; however, this is why they earn what we pay them. Like most of the taxpayers in this town, they are also going to have to make do with a little less than they were expecting.
I have to admit that prior to last night's meeting, I was almost caught up in the emotions caused by the proposed budget cuts. If you are a parent, it's hard not to get riled up when there is a perceived threat to your kid's education. I then took a step back, and decided that I was going to wait and see what was going to happen. Like it or not, the decisions that were made last night were set into motion on election day last year by only seventeen votes. Last night there was little, if anything, a packed Lincoln Center hearing room could have done to change that fact.
I, much like the town, run my household budget from June to the following May. By the beginning of May, I know what my raise is, I have the new tax rates by then, and some good data from the previous year to make an educated guess at the upcoming year. (If you don't use Quicken or MS Money, I highly recommend it.) It was hard this year. I have seen almost every single line item in my budget climb faster in the last year, than in previous years. Those rising costs have eaten into financial plans that are made as a family in my house. Repairs to the house, paying off debt, and saving more. In order to maintain those plans, cuts were made. Sure, we could take the easy path and justify anything really, but we had to be realistic and make the hard choices. It was this process at home that gave me pause, and provided me with a willingness to try to be objective last night.
No doubt about it, there was political grandstanding on both sides leading up to, and during last night's budget adoption meeting. It didn't help that there was some sensationalized press coverage to fan the flames, and the usual party faithful with their cans of gasoline to add fuel when needed. When it came to the end of the meeting, and listening to the majority budget message, I had to agree. In this current economy, how can our town ask for more money that outpaces average taxpayer cost of living increases yet again?
There was a point made last night by the Democrats that I could not agree with more: there needs to be more cooperation and openness during the budget process. Each year in October and November I hear all about bipartisanship from both parties and how the BOD and BOE need to work together. Six months later it is always business as usual. The BOD and BOE battling each other over money, and budget adoption voted along party lines. Both parties need to be more open with their plans earlier in the process, and then allow the voters to speak their minds on those plans. If the BOD wants more citizen involvement, it's time to have their actions match their words.
Voltaire wrote that we should, "Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers." If that is the case, then here are the questions that I am asking:
So, like every year after the budget adoption meeting, the sun rose once again, and the sky is right where it belongs. To me there is one positive outcome of all that has happened over the past six months, according to the Journal Inquirer, the Lincoln Center hearing room was filled to capacity for the first time in six years for a budget adoption meeting. Agree or disagree with the current majority, they are getting more people involved.
Much to the chagrin of the Democratic Caucus, the Republicans passed their budget last night. I am sure that things are going to be busy for the next few days in General Manager Shanley's Office, as well as in Dr. Ouellette's office; however, this is why they earn what we pay them. Like most of the taxpayers in this town, they are also going to have to make do with a little less than they were expecting.
I have to admit that prior to last night's meeting, I was almost caught up in the emotions caused by the proposed budget cuts. If you are a parent, it's hard not to get riled up when there is a perceived threat to your kid's education. I then took a step back, and decided that I was going to wait and see what was going to happen. Like it or not, the decisions that were made last night were set into motion on election day last year by only seventeen votes. Last night there was little, if anything, a packed Lincoln Center hearing room could have done to change that fact.
I, much like the town, run my household budget from June to the following May. By the beginning of May, I know what my raise is, I have the new tax rates by then, and some good data from the previous year to make an educated guess at the upcoming year. (If you don't use Quicken or MS Money, I highly recommend it.) It was hard this year. I have seen almost every single line item in my budget climb faster in the last year, than in previous years. Those rising costs have eaten into financial plans that are made as a family in my house. Repairs to the house, paying off debt, and saving more. In order to maintain those plans, cuts were made. Sure, we could take the easy path and justify anything really, but we had to be realistic and make the hard choices. It was this process at home that gave me pause, and provided me with a willingness to try to be objective last night.
No doubt about it, there was political grandstanding on both sides leading up to, and during last night's budget adoption meeting. It didn't help that there was some sensationalized press coverage to fan the flames, and the usual party faithful with their cans of gasoline to add fuel when needed. When it came to the end of the meeting, and listening to the majority budget message, I had to agree. In this current economy, how can our town ask for more money that outpaces average taxpayer cost of living increases yet again?
There was a point made last night by the Democrats that I could not agree with more: there needs to be more cooperation and openness during the budget process. Each year in October and November I hear all about bipartisanship from both parties and how the BOD and BOE need to work together. Six months later it is always business as usual. The BOD and BOE battling each other over money, and budget adoption voted along party lines. Both parties need to be more open with their plans earlier in the process, and then allow the voters to speak their minds on those plans. If the BOD wants more citizen involvement, it's time to have their actions match their words.
Voltaire wrote that we should, "Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers." If that is the case, then here are the questions that I am asking:
- If there is such an outcry by the Democrats about being heard on the budget, why didn't they speak at the Waddell Auditorium on April 2nd encouraging the BOD to fully fund the BOE and General Manager's recommended budgets?
- The Republicans have said that they are going to be bipartisan and would have a more open and accountable government. Then why would they cancel the joint budget deliberations and not reschedule the meeting? Also, why wait until 36 hours before the budget adoption meeting to release their changes?
So, like every year after the budget adoption meeting, the sun rose once again, and the sky is right where it belongs. To me there is one positive outcome of all that has happened over the past six months, according to the Journal Inquirer, the Lincoln Center hearing room was filled to capacity for the first time in six years for a budget adoption meeting. Agree or disagree with the current majority, they are getting more people involved.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
The Way Business Is Done
If you create more jobs in Manchester, you can extort the taxpayers and by-pass the living wage ordinance. I have to give credit to the owners of Vision Technical Molding and Advance Mold, they have taken advantage of a perfect storm to come out ahead. That storm is made up of a U.S. recession, Republicans in the majority, and Mohawk Cable (Belden, Inc.) closing its doors in Manchester and sending jobs to Mexico. I also have to give credit to the Manchester GOP. This is the first chance they’ve had to poke a hole in the Living Wage Ordinance that they voted against when it was enacted by the Democrats.
“Less than two weeks after local officials learned that the Mohawk Cable plant on Progress Drive was closing, town directors approved a tax abatement for two companies that suggested they, too, might close and move their operations out of the country.” (1)
According to the Hartford Courant article, this “suggestion” was made two days after the announcement of the closing of the Mohawk plant in a letter to the General Manager from one of the partners of the company. Is it just me, or does this sound something like this: give my company a tax abatement and let my company bypass the living wage ordinance or I will move my plant and lay-off 160 people. I’m asking myself, how is this not extortion?
Extort: to wrest or wring (money, information, etc.) from a person by violence, intimidation, or abuse of authority; obtain by force, torture, threat, or the like. (2)
In the business world, it isn’t called extortion, it’s called “leveraging your position.” I have no issue with businesses making money. It’s what they do. What I have a problem with is how this deal went down. It was introduced in an executive session of the April 1st BOD meeting. It was then added to the agenda for the second meeting of the month with no public announcement that the BOD agenda was revised. Now, when I was a teenager, and I tried slipping something under my parent’s nose, it was called, “pulling a fast one.” How is this open and accountable government?
In the end, the upside is that Vision Technical Molding and Advance Mold are creating fifteen new jobs now and fifteen more over the next year. Hopefully those jobs can go to people being laid-off at the Mohawk Cable plant. Those being laid-off should take advantage of the retraining being offered to get the skills they would need to work in an injection molding plant. Also, in seven years, Manchester will be able to add this company’s addition into the grand list.
The downside is that Manchester's taxpayers are footing the bill for $85,000 over the next seven years, and nineteen people at those plants will not be making the Manchester living wage of $11.40 per hour. Incidentally, a recently published study by the National Low Income Housing Coalition stated that a person would need to earn $18.64 per hour to have a modest two bedroom apartment in the Hartford area. (3) So those nineteen people will need to get a second job, or if they have a partner or spouse, they will have to work full time as well.
I’ve been laid off before. It’s very scary. I ask you this: Should businesses and town governments use that fear to their advantage? In this taxpayer’s opinion, it’s extortion, but that’s the way business has always been done.
------------------------------
References:
(1) Uhlinger, Nick “Manchester Approves Tax Break For Two Companies” Hartford Courant 10 April 2008
(2) http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/extort
(3) National Low Income Housing Coalition “Out of Reach” study. 2008
“Less than two weeks after local officials learned that the Mohawk Cable plant on Progress Drive was closing, town directors approved a tax abatement for two companies that suggested they, too, might close and move their operations out of the country.” (1)
According to the Hartford Courant article, this “suggestion” was made two days after the announcement of the closing of the Mohawk plant in a letter to the General Manager from one of the partners of the company. Is it just me, or does this sound something like this: give my company a tax abatement and let my company bypass the living wage ordinance or I will move my plant and lay-off 160 people. I’m asking myself, how is this not extortion?
Extort: to wrest or wring (money, information, etc.) from a person by violence, intimidation, or abuse of authority; obtain by force, torture, threat, or the like. (2)
In the business world, it isn’t called extortion, it’s called “leveraging your position.” I have no issue with businesses making money. It’s what they do. What I have a problem with is how this deal went down. It was introduced in an executive session of the April 1st BOD meeting. It was then added to the agenda for the second meeting of the month with no public announcement that the BOD agenda was revised. Now, when I was a teenager, and I tried slipping something under my parent’s nose, it was called, “pulling a fast one.” How is this open and accountable government?
In the end, the upside is that Vision Technical Molding and Advance Mold are creating fifteen new jobs now and fifteen more over the next year. Hopefully those jobs can go to people being laid-off at the Mohawk Cable plant. Those being laid-off should take advantage of the retraining being offered to get the skills they would need to work in an injection molding plant. Also, in seven years, Manchester will be able to add this company’s addition into the grand list.
The downside is that Manchester's taxpayers are footing the bill for $85,000 over the next seven years, and nineteen people at those plants will not be making the Manchester living wage of $11.40 per hour. Incidentally, a recently published study by the National Low Income Housing Coalition stated that a person would need to earn $18.64 per hour to have a modest two bedroom apartment in the Hartford area. (3) So those nineteen people will need to get a second job, or if they have a partner or spouse, they will have to work full time as well.
I’ve been laid off before. It’s very scary. I ask you this: Should businesses and town governments use that fear to their advantage? In this taxpayer’s opinion, it’s extortion, but that’s the way business has always been done.
------------------------------
References:
(1) Uhlinger, Nick “Manchester Approves Tax Break For Two Companies” Hartford Courant 10 April 2008
(2) http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/extort
(3) National Low Income Housing Coalition “Out of Reach” study. 2008
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