Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Is Democracy Dead in Winchester?
We will all find out tonight when the election results are announced. Voter turn out was as usual low and that's really discouraging when there were so many important spending warrants for both the school and town on the ballot. Will the town be infused with new people, new ideas and new views; or will we continue the old status quo for another year? It is a real shame with 2905 registered voters in town, less than half make the decisions that will affect each and every one of us for years to come. Those of you reading this that didn't vote, shame on you, for passing your responsibility onto those who did and for relying on us to make your choices for you. It's because of this apathy to your civic duty that your neighbors suffer the consequences as well as you when things that get passed cost more than we all can afford. We hope that isn't the case tonight when the votes are counted. In less than an hour we will all find out if it's a brand new day in town or just more of the same.
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29 comments:
I would like to thank all the effort and hard work my supporters. We did a gallant job.
You just elected two big spenders for selectmen.
I just feel badly for the people that told me they are struggling just to get by.
What is wrong with this town? Bob you were our choice and we voted for you and are absolutely shocked at the results we just got over the phone. My God, these people are stupid, don't they realize what they have done by voting in all that spending? I hope you people aren't giving up, it's a crying shame that there are so many ignorant people that just don't care to vote.
I hope the web site will continue, we need a voice and you have done one hell of a good job. Even the stupid get smart when there is no food on the table. The big spenders will and the non producers should know that there is still someone watching, it does make a difference. THANKS
No worries, we aren't going anywhere. We are more determined than ever to continue our efforts to inform and bring to bare those who's conduct is questionable and those who wish to live off of the taxpayer instead of serving them. We ask all supporters of Robert Davis, Brian Moser, Kim Gordon, Kristine Carle, Denis Murphy, Elisha Jackson and all of the other candidates for change, to join us in forming a coalition to continue our efforts to bring change for the good of Winchester.
Contact either Bob Davis or us for details.
I am extremely upset with some of our voters "YOU JUST DONT GET IT DO YOU?!" You just keep on voting in the same ole spenders with bad habits. Why? I guess you dont want the people who are willing to work hard to make a difference for our community and the education of our children! For me and I am sure many others it will certainly be difficult to watch our community continue to crumble.... and to see our children suffer with education issues, because some of you just plainly dont care to make changes to build a better community and to make a difference! Shame on you.
I want to thank everyone for their support on voting down Article 35 & 40. It should send a BIG message to Triple T Trucking that we DO NOT want a "Resource Recycling Park" in our town. And especially NOT next to the most photographed bridge in our state.
As a town, we need to stay vigilant and use what resources we do have (this website in particular) to keep our neighbors aware of what is going on in town hall & in our "neck of the woods". This election confirms my belief that Communication is Key. Otherwise we can get caught up in believing rumors that have no basis.
Thank you again for coming out and voting!
- Kim Gordon
Keep your eyes open and report what you see and hear, they need to know we are still hear. I wonder if there is cake and ice cream at the town hall today.
I strongly believe the wrong message has been sent out to our community on the composting facility. I would welcome any of you to read the article in Bio-Cycle magazine (June 2008) that gives you important information and provides you with great details of what exactly "Triple T Trucking" does to help our earth and moving forward with the 21st century with advanced composting, organics recycling and renewable energy. Read the article before you speak further and degrade a company who is providing great efforts to many other communities and going green!
If in fact article 6 got the no vote, its time to replace that truck with a private contractor. Other towns are going that route and saving a ton of money. Did i say save money, in Winchester?
If Triple T Trucking is such a great company ( your words ) and doing such a super job of helping the earth with it's "Green " operation, then why hasn't it built this plant before now and why not in Vermont where they are from? Could it be that Winchester has the most lax, bend over backwards ZBA and Planning Boards and ABSOLUTELY NO CODE ENFORCEMENT that attracted them here? You betcha !!
I bet "Triple T Trucking" IS a great company doing great things, but in return for abandoning the protections afforded us by our strict zoning ordinances they failed to offer us much more than a vague warm-and-fuzzy feeling about saving the planet.
Likewise I'm sure the process outlined in Biocycle Magazine is sinply awesome - in the same way that as much as I love beer, I do not want to live next to a brewery...
It is very disappointing and gut wrenching to see the results of the voting. I don't know what people are thinking. We can not afford to run another day the way we have been doing, let alone another year. Something has to change but unfortunitly the towns people either don't understand or found bags of cash to be able to pay their next tax bill. This is a big letdown for those of us that are struggling now.
Well Mr mechanic, unforchunately 4 of the 5 selectmen don't give a s--t how you feel or what you think.As the people continue to lose jobs and it dawns on them the bill of goods they were sold I would not want to be on the board. Most people get dam angry when they are broke.
I for one am getting damn angry. I have been this town my entire life and don't want to leave. I finaly got to buy a house last year and am proud of what I have. It's not much but it is mine and I do what I can to keep it running. Unfortunitly it looks like my struggle is not going to get any easier any time soon. I think the only way now for anything to accualy change is for more people to go to the meetings and speak what is on their minds. We are getting the shaft again but we can not let them control how hard we get it.
The years go by in no time,just for starters, articles 22 and 23 will return and much more. If the people in charge haven't bankrupted the town by then. How do you tell anyone who has lost there job and can't pay higher taxes that you are working hard to lower the budget.
The thing that breaks my heart the most - are my older neighbors, who are now paying twice (or triple) as much in property taxes than their original mortgage was. There just is no accountability!
So many go to the ballot thinking that $6,000 here or $10,000 there won't add up. But when they add that with the 3.4 million they voted in for a sewer plant "upgrade" (that there alone is .90 cents per thousand to our tax base).
However, at least they voted...too many people didn't even bother.
I say we vote Rick Meleski employee of the year! Fire the water department and let him run both. We all know he is capable!
That would be a good start.
It has become very evident that the people most needy of property tax relief in the community, will probably not benefit much with the election of new leaders at the helm. All over the state's newspapers today, are stories of how communities are trying very hard to keep taxes from ruining their economic well being. The towns that accomplish that will survive well in the future and will be in a position to prosper when this global dilema retreats. Winchester will probably not be one of them, with a track record of high spending and no business investment thereof. The people out there that support the election opposition, need to keep vocal and vigilant, to produce a viable grass roots organization that will succeed. There was no large mandate in this election, and some planning would insure victory. Organize now and win.
These past few days I felt badly about how the vote turned out and wanted to give in. After reading the post, my emails, and the phone calls the past few days knowing now I made a lot of friends and supporters. I have decided we are going to fight even harder next year.
After so many misinformed voters help pass all the money warrant articles Tuesday, with the economy going south, people loosing their jobs, and people not able to pay the high taxes bills... as I see it, being a selectmen in Winchester this year...it going to suck to be them. Thank you for your support
Bob, it's going to suck big time for everyone. With unemployment expected to reach nearly 10%, thousands of folks losing their jobs each month, the housing market continuing to slide downwards and food and energy prices still climbing; just where in hell are the townspeople of Winchester supposed to come up with more tax money to keep their homes? Spending in this town is out of control and the few who voted for it should be ashamed of the burden they have place on all of us. Our elected officials are out of touch with reality and so is their support group. What they have done is put many citizens of Winchester and their families out on the street.
Our elderly and disabled and single parent families have no where to turn for help thanks to these ingrates who just have to have their own way each year. The town employees continue to get their raises and bonuses and shiny new toys, while the rest of us have to tighten our belts and go without and watch our savings dwindle. Rome is burning while our elected officials keep feeding the flames. Shame on those who voted to increase the burden on our town, double shame on those who did not care about their families or the rest of us and who did not vote. Woe is Winchester, a dead town going broke.
I wrote a post on the first post that I think sums up all of my feelings. Please read it and leave any comments that come to mind. We (as a town of real people) need to make a lot of noise and let the town hall know that we will not die quietly. We are not ready to let go of what has always been a great town full of pride. I think it is time to take over the town again and return it to what it has always been.
Talk about the arrogance of the town employees, on Election Day at 11:40, right on schedule we had the honor of watching our highway dept crew parade back to the town garage for lunch led by the town grader like they do almost everyday about the same time. You wouldn’t think the town crew would have the audacity to waste our tax dollars on Election Day in full view of the tax payers, our town employees have total disrespect for the voters or have enough common sense at least drive up Parker Street. I brought it to the attention of Selectmen Sherman Tedford maybe he like to be there Grand Marshal everyday.
Heard rumours about a safe and bolt cutters on pinny woods road, losing a wheel or wheels on a dirt road where we should not be until after mud season[scofield mt rd], snowball fight on rte 10, say it ain't so. I guess the daily parade is not much of a surprise. Lets all line up and watch, tailgate party Mon. Thu Fri.
I don't get it, in the real world your lunch and breaks start when you leave your work area and end when you return. In Winchester it starts when you get home or the hwy dept or any place the employee wants it to be? Maybe our new selectmen[Ken] can educate the rest of the board.
There are two reasons why town employees take long breaks and don't show up for work on time. One is lack of supervision,or none at all and the other is a feeling of entitlement; that they are more important or better than the rest of us and don't have to be accountable to us for anything. I don't know how we can change that attitude without electing people who will enforce the rules or perhaps vote to put time clocks in force at the town hall and town highway dept. garage. Honesty and integrity are two other words missing when it comes to describing our town employees. And for those of them that will be offended by my remarks, "if the shoe fits, wear it " you know who you are and so don't we.
All the local news sources have articles about how Claremont , NH, is now dealing with budget problems. Instead of spending more, they have made real, and not so easy decisions. Layoffs. The employees as a whole, were offered furlows through the year to save everyones' jobs, but the police and firefighters union wouldn't cooperate. Down the road went a number of positions. Kudos to Claremont for taking meaningful action to protect the taxpayers.
Ain't going to happen in this town, we work for the town employees, they don't work for us.
The rumor on the street is some of the town employees are looking into to joining a union. I say, go for it guys, boy will your world change.
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