I posted this elsewhere---but the progressives wont read it--- share it here just for the record. There are several people that are well aware what the previous regime was up to r/t not spending money/repairing the schools: Someone please correct me if this is an inaccurate allegation of fact: The towns schools have suffered deterioration over a period of years that went unchecked ( please dont tell me it went unnoticed) Why? There are several reasons why---and Ill throw out one that no one has mentioned. Several years ago the Board of Selectmen along with the Town Administrator decided it would be in the best interest of the town to increase the towns bond rating. To accomplish this, money that was either intended or could have been spent for repairs to town hall, library, and the schools was hoarded. The upside, as I understand it, the town received a better bond rating by Standard and Poor (in prep for the new school?) The down side was that the schools were crumbling (my assumption) but what did it matter because the buildings would soon be replaced. I can recall Mr. Manny Depina who was on the Finance Committee at the time exclaiming when he was looking at the towns liquidity: Where is all this money coming from? More importantly---where is it now? This town has some serious issues facing us--that I have mentioned previously, but no one listened, or chose not to listen: We have a town hall that requires major repairs because the company that did the work previously, (ten years ago or more?) did a lousy job. The HVAC system requires a complete overhaul ( in 1998 the Mass DPH did an intensive report that stated essentially that the air quality with the building is substandard. When I brought this matter to the previous town administrator, he lied to my face and stated that it would be taken care of immediately. It has yet to be done 18 months later. In the summer of 2012 the AC system failed one summer weekend and deluged Conservation and Board of Health, destroying records and causing mold issues. What was done? NOTHING! Again--- the public was unaware of it---why-----it was COVERED UP! The towns Transfer Station/ Town of Hanson is under a state/DEP order that has been going on for years to recap the towns old dump. It has taken well over a quarter million dollars in NO BID work by an engineering company to keep this on track-- and they cant seem to get it done--- but if there is an unchecked pipeline of taxpayers dollars from the town to this engineering company---whats the rush? The town is looking at likely a half million to another million dollars more for this ongoing debacle. Why were the townspeople unaware of this---- look no further than your Board of Selectmen! Lets keep this quiet--- we need the new school. The taxpayers in this town are going to take a shellacing---sooner rather than later. Then there is our beautiful library and senior center. Go up there and take a look at the roof. How long before a major water event and our volumes of books are destroyed---some irreplaceable. Who in position of responsibility has been making noise about this impending catastrophe? NO ONE! And then there are the schools. My house is 303 years old. I continuously tend to it as you would a garden. I am caretaker to a piece of American history and I take my responsibility very seriously. I have gone without to update everything I am able to preserve this piece of antiquity as long as I am custodian. I own my house, it is mine, but I do it for those that come after me. Does anyone not believe that our public officials have the same responsibility for our public buildings? Childrens safety? This town has one man responsible for the safety of its citizens: The Fire Chief. A high ranking officer, employed by the Fire department, is presently and has been a school committeeman. Does anyone believe that these two men are deliberately putting childrens lives in peril? The Fire Dept conducts safety inspections on a regular basis of all schools and all public buildings. They are commanded by law to act in the interest of public safety---so the inference that these school buildings are unsafe is invalid and moot. The school building issue must be addressed immediately. The original charge to the school building committee was originally to ascertain the most cost effective and efficient means to upgrade the present school structures. Over the course of several years that mandate evolved into demolition and replacement on not one, but two schools, and it is a matter of public record, that several so called experts allegedly were less than candid with assessment and cost. As I have said in the past--no one pays attention and we are getting our just desserts.
Posted on: Sun, 18 May 2014 23:52:55 +0000