skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Police Station/Landfill/Rotary/Obama
A new police station for half the price. Seems reasonable. The renovation figures for the current hulking wreck come in at 13M and I am sure that does not include wooden windows. Now they have also discovered a potential environmental hazard on the current property that could drive up that 13M considerably higher but that does not seem to have much of an impact on our chief who appears now to want no other site considered. So much for budget constraints.
Our local Historical Commission also would love to see the building restored since they see two things: (1) It is old and (2) on the Historic Register. What they do not see is the cost even without a police station. No doubt this will eventually siphon away as much CPA dollars as possible. Is there anyone that can tell these people no? Maybe at Town Meeting? Naw….they’ll load the hall with supporters for this disaster in the making. This will be the Fung Wah of Middleboro when the final bill is in.
The committee that is in charge (supposedly) of the new police station project should do everything possible to look at significant cost saving alternatives and that may actually mean paying more than lip service to the potential at Starr Mill. A debt exclusion of 6M is certainly more palatable than a debt exclusion of 13M.
I’m from the state so trust me. That is it in a nut shell of the arm twisting to get Middleboro to sign off on support of increase taxes and in return that magnificent rotary will once again be put on the high priority list. Quid pro quo.
The town decides to change election schedule with a primary factor being cost savings but it seems cost savings only applies to certain areas yet when cost savings is in the potential millions it is bypassed?
On a recent visit to the dump (AKA - Landfill) I was informed that tree parts exceeding six inches in diameter were not allowed. Amazing! But there is an exception - the Town of Middleboro. Yep….they can do as they please but the rest of us? Once again I must mentioned Ray Flynn the former Mayor of Boston who realized you could lose millions and the voters will yawn but if the garbage is not picked up or the streets not plowed the tar and feathers come out.
Certain surrounding towns have decided to set aside days that will have the wood chipper pay a visit. Pile up your storm remains and they will chop it up. Naturally Middleboro is not one of them.
Deval Patrick wants money for a 2B+ rail line to the South Coast. The rail to Middleboro is now $10 each way to Boston and is starting to price folks out of the public transportation market.
"The Big Inch" is a pipeline that was created out of military necessity of having a minor scuffle designated as WW II. Keystone should be considered also in security terms just like "The Big Inch" or the national highway system. Much has already been completed and if and when it is finished it will represent only a tiny fraction of pipelines in this country that carry oil and that pipeline total is 200,000 miles.
Canada has product. They are willing to sell it to us. Energy independence is an important diplomatic tool so that we will have some degree of security from overseas nonsense. The United States is also developing extraction methods that will eventually make us the largest oil and natural gas producer in the world and that is not even discussing the off shore potential of the eastern seaboard.
We need green energy. That is a given. Tidal, solar, wind and other options that may surface. Right now they are expensive and the technology needs to catch up to make it fiscally responsible and it most certainly will. But until that happens this country needs to improve our deliver systems and to construct new processing facilities. Not to do so is myopic nonsense.
What a dismal example of leadership was displayed as Obama took to the bully pulpit just before noon on sequester doomsday. This sounded like campaign talking points and was an embarrassing void in leadership that seems to exemplify what happens in crises situations both domestic and foreign with Obama. When I compare Obama even to his predecessor or to Clinton or Reagan he comes up far short. I'll say it again - my biggest problem with Obama is his lack of leadership - it is a void.
Obama has managed to or attempted to put the budget issue framed in such a way he can say “I told you so” no matter what. Unemployment goes down just think about what it would have been with that 85B tossed into the fiscal kitty. Ditto the stock market. If the reverse happens it will be “I told you so.” What a disingenuous hack.
Marissa Mayer is the new CEO of fast fading web portal Yahoo. Ms. Mayer has a contract that pays over 100M and is proof that some can bust through the famed glass ceiling. Ms. Mayer has also clearly demonstrated she is like many male counter parts and that is being clueless regarding employees by banning telecommuting. My assumption is that Mayer assumes this will result in some massive turn around for Yahoo.
6 comments:
On the police station: Your poimts are valid except locations out of the center have been turned down in the past. Most notably the site on wood street near route 28. Star mill is a ruse IMO. At one time the site was offered gratis, I believe. Regardless, the location is next useless. Vehicle storage is very limited (at best) , there is a right of way through the parking lot to service the house at Indian Rock. The cost to make the glass building and factory area located in the rear would be considerable. Other issues are that it is in flood plain, and there are safety concerns with cruisers making speedy exits with the very poor sight lines, not to mention cruisers trying to make it up East Main Street hill in blizzard conditions.
Building reuse is essential and there should be other options explored especially the cost factors. With the constant whine by a certain other blogger on the town contracts and bang for the buck to this just more credence and his others point of view.
The committee as far as I know failed into examining other options. The Star Mill should have been examine and cost factors weighed. That, Suo, could give a realistic view of what the upgrades will cost. Traffic can easily be controlled by the magic device called "a light."
Have to disagree with you, Suo, oin this one. A flood plain is a non issue. Move the vesicles if there is a concern. Install a traffic light. Who knows what the cost will be? The ballpark figure tossed out is 5M and if it is double that you still save 3M.
IMO this dinosaur is being directed by Chief Gates, He chairs the committee and is now on record as opposed to the Starr Mill location and I am sure the Historical Commission will be doing a dance of appreciation.
The one item I really like is a gym. I have seen many of the officers and cannot think of any better in house option aside from a dietician.
The landfill! O was "warned" about the size of the tree limbs I was bringing in. What are you suppose to do? Hire someone for hundreds of dollars? When you go to the landfill you see all the large trunks of trees that the town disposes of. If they wish just charge a few dollars.
Do they take snow at the landfill?
It's a crappy location, IMO. can't move the building when the flood hits. But that is besides the point. The developer is just trying a last minute end around to get something out of the building. No one wants it for a reason. It has sat there empty for 12(?) years for a reason.
The best off site location is still wood street.
the town had a bite at the glass building apple for free. Now it is a poison.
Also moving snow and dumping it to another location can, in some circumstances, lead to major trouble with the DEP
Post a Comment