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Saturday, November 19, 2011
Selectmen Attempting To Divide the Town
Below are the minutes of the Selectman's Meeting held November 9th. Included verbatim in these minutes are three letters, two to the board itself and one titled to "whom it may concern". Seems our select board has suddenly adopted the policy to include letters to the board by town employees voicing complaints they have against anyone they don't agree with but not one complaint by the general public has ever been published for all to see. Really shows the bias and prejudice of our selectboard and town administrator in their attempts to discredit people they do not necessarily agree with or like. They previously attempted to crucify Kim Gordon by doing this although according to them and the law she did nothing wrong and now it's members of the Budget Committee and another member of the Historical District Commission they are out to smear. They obviously have an agenda to slander and libel anyone who is willing to stand up to their bullying and attempt to discredit anyone that doesn't go along with what they want. It has never been more obvious as to what has become an "us against them" attitude from our public officials. It is time for them to all step down for the good of the community.
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28 comments:
They sure are an arrogant bunch aren't they? I hope the real voters in Winchester turn out and get rid of these despicable people. I know I won't be voting for any of them in the future.
Representing the taxpayers of Winchester is the last thing on the select boards mind. You would think the employees were union and they were the business agents.
Well Gussy Ruth takes 30 more acres of land off your taxable property rolls. How much can we afford when 1/3 of Winchester avaiable taxable land is in conservation land which includes pisgah park.
The fact is all this smearing of harmful rumors, defaming the reputation of, all while making the citizens think the town budget committee are a bunch of incompetent babbling idiots. Not one thing that is done by the selectmen is for nothing, its the selectmen’s plan to change our town form of government to suit themselves. They have a plan to circumvent the budget committee and citizens right to fair tax rates. We are being feed a bunch of bull shit to sway public feelings to the fact the town needs to replace the town budget committee with a advisor budget committee of three people appointed by the selectmen.
Three hand selected people, let me guess who these people will be Dean Beaman, Margaret Sharra, and Ken Cole.
If you think your taxes are high now,,, wait till they get their way.
I figure if Sherm and Ken don't run for selectmen next year, they will make it a permanent appointment with benefits and it will be Sherm, Ken and John Gomarlo.Keeping with the smoking theme the alternates will be Sharra and Borges. When Danielle worms her way into full time, maybe she can handle the recycle also.
Flabbergasted. Don’t let this board off the hook. Don’t let them use smoke and mirrors to put spin on the facts.
Ken Smith doesn’t think he has to be accountable to the budget committee? The board responsible for trying to look out for the taxpayers?
Ken Smith says he should be off the hook because he had the BOS support and the minutes were sealed when he made that out of state ambulance call to North Carolina for none other than Sherman Tedford’s sister?
This BOS has a history of sealing many things that are public information, when it’s not favorable to them.
That doesn’t make it right. Just add this incident to the list.
A den of thieves don’t usually go around telling the world they are stealing, they swear themselves to secrecy, believing their secret is safe.
What’s a real disgrace and what is really disrespectful is Theresa Sepe and the rest complaining the budget committee is an embarrassment.
Rather the disgrace and disrespect lies with them and their continued desire to protect the corruption going on in this town.
The silver lining is that the more people who expose the problems the less places the snakes have to hide.
Ken Smith complaining he shouldn’t have to be accountable because the selectmen sealed the minutes and his department “raised the money” to make the purchase of an ambulance?
Oh, really?
Ken Smith, how do we know you raised any money when you won’t answer questions about how the department is paid?
Hiding behind HIPPA to not answer questions? The ambulance logs are public information. So asking how much was “raised” on a single ambulance trip a couple thousand miles long is a legitimate question. Asking if it was paid is a prudently responsible question.
Ambulances are routinely dispatched over a radio with lots of identifying information.
Asking how an ambulance bill is being paid is not the same as asking for HIPPA protected information.
Run, run to the BOS and try to use smoke and mirrors to hide the real facts by blaming others for questioning what’s really going on.
Smoke and Mirrors.
If you weren’t going to be happy with the backlash from questions being asked, which you had to have known would come, you shouldn’t have gone. You should have just said no.
Another point, Ken Smith your argument is ridiculous that your department alone raised the money for an ambulance to run around the country with. You and your department are accountable to the taxpayers – like it or not. It all has to coexist. Without equipment you don’t need employees, without employees you don’t need equipment.
If somehow your department raised $2,000,000, are you saying that money doesn’t somehow come back to the Town’s taxpayers? That we don’t have a say so or right to tell you how it will be spent or SAVED?
That’s ignorance speaking and it’s louder than words.
Maybe now that the shoe is on the other foot, you just don’t like how it feels?
This Town is a long way from seeing an end to the many messes it’s high ranking officials and buffoon of a Town Hall have created.
The Selectman have created their own BLOG.
I wonder if they asked Barton Mayer if it's legal for them to slander people in their minutes. All for the sake of covering their own butts.
Isn't it high time Margaret Sharra had to pay for her own attorney?
Why do we the tax payers have to pay her buddy bart every time she gets her knickers in a twist?
Why were these minutes sealed and what is in them that requires them to be hidden from the public? Another backroom deal involving Sherm and unlawful conduct? Why else seal public minutes and then attempt to hide behind a HIPPA regulation. This meeting had nothing to do with patient confidentiality it had to do with the taking of town property for personal use which is unlawful despite what these liars will tell you. NO ONE has the right or authority to take town property for personal use and all involved should be removed and ordered to reimburse the taxpayers for this latest fiasco. Just what would have happened if the vehicle had been involved in an accident and damaged or caused damage or worse a death out of state? Who would have been stuck with the bills and the consequences? I'm sure the towns vehicle insurance coverage does not include out of state personal trips. What's next, short term loans for town employees out of the general fund that they don't have to pay back? How many of us can "borrow" town property for personal use, after all we paid for it? This is not a board of our fellow citizens looking out for the best interests of us taxpayers, it's a board rum amok by people who feel they are so much better than the rest of us, entitled to privileges none of us have and will will smear or campaign against anyone who raises questions about their conduct and unlawful acts. Is this the kind of people you want running this town and governing our way of life? I think not, we as a town can do much better.
Margaret Sharra is another example of what is wrong with this town. She wears too many hats and is a damn control freak. She has cost this town thousands of dollars in legal fees with call to Barton Mayer to cover her arse every time she breaks the law and a suit is filed. Then it costs us even more when these matters go to court. Several foolish supporters of hers have come on this blog and blamed people like Mr. Town and Bob Davis among others for driving up legal fees when in fact the root of the issues has been Margaret and her total disregard for rules and regulations and an attitude of this is my town and I rule the roost. Anyone who has attended board meetings has seen her in action and now her latest chapter in the destruction of our town is to threaten lawsuits against other citizens who have stood up to her latest round of bullying and her attempts to destroy the heritage of Winchester for a big profit. She's a bully, a tyrant and a detriment to our society. She also needs to be sent packing if this town is ever going to rise above the foul reputation it has for corruption and dishonesty of it's public officials.
To scratching – my sentiments exactly.
Like Smith, Margaret Sharra, another one. Disgust. Absolutely reprehensible how these people have been allowed to use their position of authority over and over for their own personal gain and fortune at the expense of us taxpayers, with the blessings of the select board.
Whining and carrying on like little sore loser brats in a schoolyard fight over who gets to use a swing. The same brats and bully’s who never thought the sandbox was big enough. The same brats and bully’s who started out grabbing what didn’t belong to them when they were 2 and have never stopped grabbing what isn’t theirs since then. Grubby, grabby, obnoxious people, taking what isn’t theirs because they’ve always gotten their way. Why? Because no one dared to stop them. Because their temper tantrums were easier to give in to than it was to have to correct them and listen to them whine and moan and groan. Now we have the big toddlers.
Whining, spending money foolishly, not able to accept that they can’t always have their own way. But by God, their attitude is that they will make it so difficult for anyone who stands in their way they will eventually win.
These people will never grow up, but they are going to have to work harder at covering up their sins.
What Smith did is a thief of services, no different from Dale Gray plowing and sanding his own driveway for years.
Terri and the rest of the story, doesn't get it. Its nice to help someone out, especially someone who has been helping other people, but this has set a precedent for anyone who wants to just pay for fuel and food. I would doubt that Mr. Montgomery needed this help for financial reasons and if he did, a donation jug at the pickle fest would have worked. So Terri I respect your opinion, but in my opinion you are dead wrong.
Wasn't $35,000 or more raised by the town with a warrant article for this ambulance they used? That makes it town property; not something donated and besides what difference would that make, it's the TOWN'S PROPERTY, not a private vehicle to be used for whatever in hell the selectmen decide to use it for. Nice try Terri; but why didn't your letter include ALL OF THE FACTS ?
You all should take Newt Gingrich's advice to the occupy Wall Street protesters... get a job and take a bath first. Boo hoo. A lot of sour grapes. Get up the same old gang to run against the current politicians... and lets see what happens.
John P.
Like Gingrich you're a dolt, just where are all these jobs for the taking? Overseas? And speaking of baths,why don't you practice what you preach. Boohoo yourself. How many times are they gonna waste the ink putting your name on the ballot?
Donations?Who pays the cost of running the dept. and all the costs associated?Fuel,lights on and on.We have to pay someone just to keep track of all the "donations" don't we? Or do the "donations" from insurance company's and from those without just miracously get paid? Maybe that's the proble with the Town hall. They jsut don't bother to keep track of all the "donations" and then raise our taxes to make up the difference.
These people have been getting away with so much for so long they have lost track of all sense of responsibility and what's right and what's wrong. They just figure they can do anything and their attitude since they have hired this new administrator is that they can say and do anything and to hell with the rest of us. Things used to be somewhat out in the open when Bob was here and working with the public; now it's censorship and don't bother me and we'll hide as much as we can in private meetings. No one at town hall feels they have to answer to the public, they go about their business in their own little world and do whatever they want, they answer to no one and come and go as they please. Name one other town that allows this to happen on a daily basis. We are responsible for this mess and sit back and continue to do nothing. If it weren't for this blog none of these problems would ever see the light of day. It is time for all of us who don't like what's going on to stand up for ourselves and to make the changes that need to be made, to get rid of the stranglehold these few have put on all of us. It is time to clean house and start anew.
In response to John P.....
I do have a job. I work hard for the money that I have which is why it is so upsetting that town officials consistantly screw up this place on our dime. Go Occupy your store and land that nobody wants.
Kevin
Well Sharra left nothing to the imagination. She and her siblings are only in this venture for the money. Damn the rules and regulations, it's me first and I want my own way is her battle cry for the day and anyone who gets in my way I will crush. Now that's one beaut of a public official we have there and her selectman buddies are no better than she. Hey Theresa, why don't you make motions to publish others letters or comments verbatim and just do it for your friends?
So you own investment property for something other than making money? What are you stupid?
Ed from Winchester
Hey Ed from Winchester, this was suppose to be a Bed & Breakfast remember? They were going to renovate and turn it into something nice. Instead they collected a few months rent while Margaret searched for the highest bidder all while not advertising locally or even paying their property taxes. Once she found a business willing to pay big bucks she kicked out her tenants and changed her tune. This has been a sham from the start and has become progressively worse with the ZBA's involvement and now will end up costing us the taxpayers for her dishonesty. Because of her actions the town will find itself back in court once again.
Don't kid yourself folks - someone is still living in the house. Probably "rent" free!
While most would probably agree that Ms. Sharra is a giant B***h and her shennigans involving this property and the HDC are shady at best, that does not justify members of the HDC (or anyone else) filing any applications or nominations on behalf of her property.
Yeh right investors buy property in Winchester for the limited purpose of making Historians feel good and meanwhile risk losing money. Get a grip. They can do what the heck they want to do with "THEIR PROPERTY". It is not mine nor yours... so butt out. Since when have we become the Peoples Republic of Winchester???
To the knucklehead above.
When you buy property in town, you have to abide by the rules of that district governing what you can and can not do. In this case the property is located in the Historical District and the owner/s must adhere to the regulations of that district.
Go read the ZBA regulations and maybe you'll get a grip; but you obviously, like the current owner of this building feel rules are for other people and not you.
No one from the HDC filed any applications nor did they nominate her property. Get your facts straight. Sharra has once again misconstrued the facts as is her forte. Stop believing every thing that comes out of her mouth, she is after all one of the biggest storytellers the town has ever had the misfortune of being forced to listen to.
In Winchester, a fine line budget. It would appear that Mr. Ruth would like to scare the residents of Winchester into thinking that a 10 or 20% cut in some depts will mean less services. Working smarter and with more efficiency would be an option.Getting to work on time and not extending lunch and breaks would be a good start. Not using town equipment for commuter vehicles would save a ton of money. Maybe buying town products from the least expensive vendors would help. Don't let the selectmen scare you, there are lots of places to save, and if the dept heads don't want to cooperate that lets vote for people that will be willing to replace them next March.
Well said, Sentinel 11/25.. Well said. Time for time clocks too..
We are cutting our home budgets 10 to 20 % and more in many cases and whatever savings we have had are dwindling fast. Budget committee please stay the course. We need you to survive.
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