This is a response to Jay Byer, School Committee member who posted under the heading: “The Privacy Thing” Thanks for the input Jay. Remember, if you’re not part of the solution, you are most assuredly part of the problem.
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Welcome Jay. We have always known you to be an up front guy with nothing to hide so it is no surprise that you would be the one to take a stand.
However you are under a few misconceptions and some of your other points are dead wrong. So here is our response to your comments.
First:
No one has to register or use his or her real name to post here or anywhere on Blogger. Simply choose the anonymous option and post your comment. The reason we know that the selectmen and other town officials read this blog is because they talk about it to people and people talk to us. No rocket science there. We use Sitemeter.com to track the number of visits we get. We have no idea who visits the site. Go to Sitemeter.com and see for yourself what information they provide.
As for your admonition to us to run for office: How do you know we don’t already hold office in Mendon?
Second:
We do screen posts before they appear on the blog. The reason for this is to avoid the smut purveyors that use robot programs to post comments to blogs pitching all sorts of perversion. All relevant posts appear here. We only censor the perverts.
The Judy Leonelli Thing:
We stand by the statements made about Judy Leonelli’s political position. Nothing written here rises to the threshold of either slander or libel. Look it up. If you feel the analogy to Jeffrey Dahmer was in bad taste that is your opinion and you are welcome to it. Those of us who met her when she arrived here knew she would be a problem if she ever got into a position of power. She did and she is. Just what Mendon needed was another rubber stamp for the 20 million dollar annual party that is the Mendon Upton Regional School District. More on that later.
The destruction of the historic home that is Leonelli’s business is another matter. If she truly wanted to make Mendon the next Sherborn she would honor the history of her adopted town. At this point it appears her only allegiance is to her personal bottom line.
The Corruption Thing:
We will restate it again in different words. There are many elected and appointed people in Mendon who understand what public service is all about and put in great effort, at least at first. There is also a core group of movers and shakers that do not have the best interest of this town, it’s history or it’s future at the forefront of their agenda. In other words it’s all about them.
Your example of Dennis Shaheen is a poor one. He’s a puppet. Then Selectman Jean Bavosi and her handler Tom Hackenson drafted him to defeat Selectman Conrad Beliveau. Seems Conrad had some issues with the ethics of building inspector Hackenson and his crowd. For Conrad that inquiry was and still is the kiss of death in Mendon politics. Shaheen was just a loyal soldier. He carried his group’s water for 6 years and was replaced by another shill, Sharon Cutler. Her first payback was to get her son appointed (by Hackenson) to the position of Assistant Plumbing Inspector. A clear conflict of interest for Hackenson the building inspector since her son is also a sub-contractor for Hackenson Corp. Shaheen’s pay back is in the bank. He will cash that check shortly.
The town is leaderless at this point. We desperately need new blood. Our goal here is to pull away the mask and shed light on what really happens and the reasons for it. Anonymity is not a bad thing unless they are controlling your government.
Editors note: For those of you thinking of attempting to shut down this blog or practice scatter shot harassment of citizens you feel are responsible, guess again. All of what is written here and much, much more has been archived in sworn affidavits. A third party holds these affidavits with instructions on when and who to release them to. Welcome to our world.
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20 comments:
Ok Jay here is a comment on the "20 Million Dollar Party:
Your committee and the administration whine every year that you desperately need more teachers. "Education in the District will suffer great trauma if we don't have these additional people"
Then tell me Jay, why when you had a pile of additional money because the teachers settled for a 2 1/2% raise did you use that money to hire a $93,000 Assistant Superintendent who's only contribution so far has been to replace a coffee pot?? Don't tell me it's not a party! Louis XIV would blush.
Paranoid? I doubt it. Reread your own post and tell me who is paranoid.
Try to use your remaining time on the School Committee to refocus on the task. Educating our children without sending everyone to the poor house in the process.
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http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/statistics/pp04_daypp.xls
Go to the link above and see where the Mendon / Upton school system falls in regards to per pupil expenditures. What I see is a good school system that keeps per pupil costs down in relation to other communities.
Just because you get good results for less money than other school systems does not excuse the waste and misplaced effort.
Is a spendthrift any less a spendthrift because he only wastes 20% of his money instead of 30%?
I submit to you that a spendthrift with public money has committed a crime against his neighbors.
The fact that you do a good job for less money gives you no right to indulge yourself at taxpayer expense. Think of how much more you could do without the fluff.
Question for you: What are you doing with all those party platters? The District should invest in it’s own deli. My advice is: A few less finger sandwiches and a little more education.
There was no implication that ALL the school district pays attention to is fluff. The statement was and is that the district has fluff and questioned why the fluff is there at all.
The district and the school committee claim at every budget cycle that they desperately need more teachers. How then do you justify the fluff?
The examples we gave are small potatoes. There are hundreds of similar items lost in that cryptic document known as the district school budget. Now you will ask us for some of those hundreds of examples… ok, here is the deal. Post the budget document in total (no summaries) on the regional school district web site for all to see and we can all discuss it.
Here is an example for you. There was a joint citizen/administration/school committee group formed in the early 1990’s to review the district budget during some difficult financial times. At the end of that process $70,000 in cuts were found that did not lay off one teacher. The total budget at that time was less than 10 million dollars. Extrapolate that to FY2006 and you have some real money. Our math says about $200,000. Put that money directly to the educational bottom line and voila… you have 5 or 6 new teachers.
Just a suggestion from the folks at Hanging Gardens who think education is more important than finger sandwiches!
That’s why we like you Jay; you’re sensitive but good-natured.
If your IT guys can't convert that budget file to something web friendly, get some new IT guys.
We’re not singling out the school district. We intend to make the same posting request for Mendon's town budget. Ouch!
Thanks for your courage Jay… Now take a break and have a finger sandwich. {;-)
Hey Hanging Gardens, are you suggesting that the school spend more money on IT guys in order to get the budget on the website for all the lazy sods who can't go pick one up from the Superintendent's office? Sounds like your advocating more unnecessary spending in order to make your point.
"Lazy Sods"
Spoken like a true elitist. Your lack of regard for the people who pay the bills is notable.
Printing 4000 copies of that monster document versus posting it one time on the Internet... you do the math… dimwit.
I think you should remane this blog a Jaundiced Eye on Mendon. It would be a more accurate representation of its content. You would need to watch Fox news for two days straight to be fed so much BS. Better yet, grow some balls and publish with your real name so everyone can see the true motivation behind this charade.
Did I hit a nerve Hanging Gardens?
It's ironic that you call me an elitist when in one of your earlier comments, regarding Judy Leonelli, you mentioned how you knew she was going to be a problem the minute she came to town. If that's not an elitist statement......
For your information, I AM one of "the people who pay the bills" that you reference in your reply and not an elitist as you purport. We are a blue collar family of four, who are citizens and taxpayers in this town and who struggle to meet the high taxes required of us twice a year for which we get precious little. The school happens to be one of the only areas in which I think that we are at least getting something for our money, and while there may be areas in which they could do better, I believe there are many other areas within our town government where there is blatent waste. How about the piece of junk land that we recently bought on Rte. 16? Don't you think that if that was worth anything someone would have snapped it up as the Medway Bank is trying to do with the Century 21 property? The Rte. 16 property sat for years without a buyer.
With regard to the web posting of the school budget though, I highly doubt that people are lining up en masse for a copy and certainly not enough to justify the 4,000 copies that you mentioned in your reply which is a bit of an exaggeration. IT people do not come cheaply and the money required to convert the budget document to post on the web is not justifiable for the few who would take the time to read "that monster document" as you put it. I agree it would be convenient, but if the whole point of the discussion is unnecessary spending on the part of the school administration, then your suggestion goes against your argument. Also, copies would still need to be made for those people who may not have a computer to view it on (there still are some out there). Jay Byer has mentioned that he readily distributes copies to those who request it which seems the most fiscally responsible way to do it.
And contrary to your reply, Hanging Gardens, I am not a "dimwit". I just have a different opinion to yours.
Another satisfied customer!
Apparently a far left wing nut, as evidenced by the dig on Fox News.
If anything you have read here is factually inaccurate or as you put it, BS, please point it out, we’ll wait.
If you don't like our opinion... get over it! After all we tolerate you.
As for our identity, you and your ilk (left wing nuts) are going crazy because you are thwarted from doing what you do to all those you disagree with you. Initiate a vile smear campaign against them to obscure the issues. Eat your heart out lefty.
Da cru@ Hanging Gardens -
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH I'm Shattered. Sorry son,you are going to have to do a whole heck of a lot better than that if you think you can intimidate or rattle me. As for smear tactics, there was no smear in my post. You are the one resorting to childish name calling to obsure the issues. That is right out of the Karl Rove playbook. You remain anonymous to avoid being accountable for your actions.
As usual for your ilk (right wing extremist)you have jumped to an erronious conclusion and presented it as fact. I am not a liberal. I hold zealots at both ends of the political spectrum in equal disdain. They are all the same to me. And imagine, A right wing zealot taking umbridge to a crack at Fox News. If only the trout in this town were as cooperative as you. As for your version of the facts, where do I start.
As was pointed out in a previous post, you are taking your interpretations of events and presenting them as facts without presenting a shred of evidence to back up those conclusions. Even the basic premise of this blog is a fraud. You claim to be concerned about the state of democracy in this town. You are about two years late jumping on that bandwagon. The voters already came out a solved that little problem. Voter turnout in our town election in 2004 increased by 54% over 2003. That is a fact. This increase was the result of the revulsion of townspeople over the actions of some selectmen in regard to the library and police station issues. The voters said enough and took back the town. The incumbent was crushed, the police station defeated and new blood was brought in. You are the one that needs to get over it.
You said that Mendon is "a corrupt little village". A bit bitter about something there bunky? I have lived here all my life and although we at times have had a livly political atmosphere, there is no corruption in this town. A couple of ethical mistakes worthy of only a slap on the wrist is the best you can come up with. There have been no indictments or even charges of corruption against any town official in this town. This too is a fact. Your statements are beyond exaggeration which seems to be something you make a habit of. If you think you have a case than take it to the D.A. where it belongs. To make such absurd and inflamatory accusations behind the cover of anonymity is truely the act of a coward.
Finally your statement that you fear recriminations if you use your name. That is truely BS. I have been involved in the politics and issues of this town for over 30 years and never have been subject or even heard of any harrasment or institutional recriminations against a private citizen for voicing his or her opinion. That is an excuse, not a reason. My guess is that your politics and opinions have been totally repudiated by the voters of this town and under your real name you have no credibility left. If you revealed your true identity your motives would be laid bare for all to see and your warped grand plan would be kaput. You obviously are pursuing a personal agenda and this blog is your vehicle for exacting some sort of political revenge. So publish this smart guy or I am sure that Kevin will. I will even give you a moniker to respond to me directly if you have the courage to do so. But be warned that you will have to do much better than the garbage that is on this blog so far or I will have you for lunch.
Mendon Tao
Well hello Mendon Tao
Guess what, we agree. Political Zealots at both ends of the spectrum are disdainful. But that is where it ends. You brought up Fox News, disparaging their content as BS, that would put you somewhere left of mainstream America. The ratings don’t lie… Dan Rather did.
Now back to Mendon and your rant:
Mendon Tao: ”A couple of ethical mistakes worthy of only a slap on the wrist is the best you can come up with. There have been no indictments or even charges of corruption against any town official in this town”.
1. Mendon Selectman arrested for passing out “black boxes” to steal cable Tv programming.
2. Mendon Board of Health official pays highest ethics fine in Massachusetts’s history. $14,000
3. Mendon Fire fighter indicted for grand theft in purchasing fraud. $40,000
4. Mendon Selectmen loses suit, ordered to pay restitution. $30,000
5. Mendon Building Inspector ordered to pay fine for ethics violation. $500
How about those for “Shreds of Evidence” sweetie? All within the last 12 years, all ethical or criminal violations. If as you say you have been here for 30 years and active in politics and issues, you must have been asleep.
Mendon Tao: This increase (in voter turnout) was the result of the revulsion of townspeople over the actions of some selectmen in regard to the library and police station issues. The voters said enough and took back the town. The incumbent was crushed, the police station defeated and new blood was brought in.
Ok so what has been done about the Library or Police Station in the nearly 2 years since that historic vote…? Nothing! The Taft Library is still an afterthought, under funded and all but ignored. The Police Department toils at the task of keeping Mendon safe in a facility that is so poorly constructed, it wouldn’t pass the building codes in a third world country. Sewage is still running onto private property behind town hall. Hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars are being spent to house prisoners in other towns. And on and on.
Ousting the incumbent was a good idea but “new blood”? We hardly think so. What we got was a meddling fool who has driven every department to distraction with her clueless micro managing. Sharon Cutler has thrown most of those who put her there under the bus. The library supporters and fire department come to mind. The voters took back the town all right; they took it back 30 years.
Join us for lunch again Mendon Tao!
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The dimwit thing
We apologize for the “dimwit “ statement. You are correct; we have a difference of opinion but that was uncalled for and we hope you will accept our apologies.
You might consider rethinking your lazy sods statement.
We were not trying to say the school district does a bad job; on the contrary they do a very good job. The point was that there are areas that could be cut and those funds applied to the bottom line, educating our children.
On another matter…
Anonymous said... ” I believe there are many other areas within our town government where there is blatant waste. How about the piece of junk land that we recently bought on Rte. 16? Don't you think that if that was worth anything someone would have snapped it up as the Medway Bank is trying to do with the Century 21 property? The Rte. 16 property sat for years without a buyer.
You are correct about the Fino land purchase. We have come by some very interesting information that will be the subject of a post on this blog. Stay tuned.
And hello to you H.G.
I see that you have moderated your verbiage and dispensed with the childish insults. Good for you son. If you keep it up perhaps you can get the meaningful dialogue you claim to be seeking. Most people are not apt to bother to converse with others who hurl invectives at them. That apology is also well noted. You were just dead wrong on that one.
You seem to be a bit sensitive about Fox news. Ratings do not lie but neither do polls. You just need to be very careful about how you interperate them. I watch Fox News so I am in those ratings. I even read the Herald. I do both for the same reason, they are entertaining. That is what they are supposed to be and I doubt I am the only person who does so for that reason. However, I would no more get my news from Fox than I would have from Dan R.. They are just different ends of the same spin game.
Now to more serious matters. You claim in this Blog that Mendon government is corrupt and (I paraphrase) corruption is systemic in the system. I said that that there has never been a town official indicted or charged with corruption. Were your examples intended to prove or disprove my claim? You give me two state ethics findings ( we are talking about a state board that once found against a school in Uxbridge for only posting the date of an election on a flyer) which involved no criminal acts or criminal complaints whatsoever. You bring up deputy dog (how ironic was that) and his black boxes which had nothing to do with his function in town government or official corruption. You bring up a civil suit which also had nothing to do with town government or official corruption. And finally a case of common theft by someone who was not even a town official. So where are the charges of corruption Bunky? There are not any of course because it has never happened. I guess you have been sleeping too because this corruption stuff must have come to you in a dream. You have come up empty handed.
I also challenged you to come up with facts pertaining to your statement that "Mendon is a corrupt little village". You did not even bother to invent anything for that one. Ditto on your producing facts that show that any private citizen has ever been harrassed or subject to any institutional recriminations for publicly voicing his or her opinion. Since that is the reason you claim you need to be anonymous I would say it is rather telling that you were unable to come up with a single example to support your excuse for being anonymous.
Although your dispensing with the invectives may have changed my attitude toward you, my opinion of what and why you are bothering with this blog has not changed one bit. It sure is not the reasons you give. Why the obessesion with the Taft Orchard purchase? It would seem to me that the Kelly land buy is far more fertile ground for exposing the malfeasance of former town officials. You have a dog in this fight son and I would be careful what hornets nest you stir up if I were you or that dog just might bite you. As for the police station, that is in the works and rest assured this time it will not be presented to voters on short notice, incomplete and with bogus numbers. The sewer issue is simple. That pipe from the school down to the highway barn runs right in front of the town hall for a reason. I think that addresses everything you brought up so I will bid you goodnight.
Can we have an aperitif with that lunch?
Mendon Tao
Well Mendon Tao, another late night post! Don’t get carried away with the apology, it was not meant for you.
It is very interesting that theft from the taxpayers does not fall under your definition of corruption. Your disdain for the State Ethics Commission is also definitive.
There is no obsession with the Fino land purchase. It was and is a bad deal for this town. It was presented and sold to the voters in record time with less than full disclosure. Public dissuasion consisted of Selectmen Shaheen shouting down anyone who questioned it. Kind of like his library performance.
Mendon Tao said: "It would seem to me that the Kelly land buy is far more fertile ground for exposing the malfeasance of former town officials."
At least that purchase made more sense from a land preservation/limiting development standpoint. We would love to hear you explain your malfeasance statement.
Mendon Tao said: "As for the police station, that is in the works and rest assured this time it will not be presented to voters on short notice, incomplete and with bogus numbers."
Two years, 28 open meetings, several public hearings and a couple of cable Tv shows is not exactly short notice. Point out where the numbers were incomplete or bogus. It got voted down but it was the best-presented capital project in recent history. Your inference there is that the Building Committee and Chief Horn were lying or at least attempting to deceive the voters. Please explain.
Oh and knock off the veiled threats. They are counter productive and may work against you in the future. Just a friendly little piece of advice.
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Well Mendon Tao I'd have to say that if you have been involved in politics for 30 years and do not think there is corruption or harassment in Mendon, you must be walking around with your head in the clouds. Then again you could be part of that "group". I guess if it's not directed at you, one could deny it exists. It seems to me that the ones that are most guilty are the ones that say it isn't so the loudest.
Down with the republic!
Gary Smith for Selectman!
That is a real intelligent statement. I could have screened it out but even dim bulbs need an outlet.
Gary Smith would have an uphill climb to get elected in Mendon.
Clearly I must be one of the selectmen looking for a replacement ;)
PARENTS TAKE NOTICE:
IF YOUR CHILDREN ARE INJURED IN SCHOOL, DURING SCHOOL HOURS YOU COULD GO BROKE!! WE LEARNED THE HARD WAY. NO LIABILTY INSURANCE FOR STUDENTS, NOT TOO HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHY ($$). DON'T YOU THINK PARENTS SHOULD KNOW THIS LITTLE DETAIL? WE WERE TOLD, ACCORDING TO OUR INCAPABLE SUPERINTENDENT. SOME SUPPLEMENTAL INSURANCE BROCHURE GIVEN TO A KINDERGARTEN KID WHO CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER TO BRING THIER LUNCH BOX HOME! OUR ADMINISTRATION AND SCHOOL COMMITTEE FOR THAT MATTER DON'T CARE EITHER THAT THE PARENTS AREN'T INFORMED! NOT EVEN MENTIONED IN ANY OF THE SCHOOL HANDBOOKS. SO HOPE THAT YOUR LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE YOUR KID BRING ONE HOME, AND THAT THEY DIDN'T USE IT TO MAKE A PAPER AIRPLANE ON THE BUS. OH, AND SAFETY GUIDELINES FOR PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT, 100 KIDS AT A TIME USE THE NEW CLOUGH FRONT PLAYGROUND, ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN AND WE HAVE NO SAFETY GUIDELINES, JUST ASK MR. ROZEN. NO SAFETY GUIDELINES EXIST, ASK MR. ROZEN FOR A COPY! BY THE WAY A SERIOUS ACCIDENT ALREADY HAPPENED. DO YOU SEE PLAYGROUND RULES POSTED AT CLOUGH, NOPE. HOW MUCH DID THAT SCHOOL COST AND WE CAN'T EVEN AFFORD A SIGN?? BUT GO AHEAD AND PAY AN INEXPERIENCED NEW SUPERINTENDENT $160,000.00 A YEAR. I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW HOW THE CHILD IS THAT WAS LIFEFLIGHTED FROM MISCOE A FEW WEEKS AGO. GOD WILLING, HE WILL BE OKAY. I HOPE HIS PARENTS HAVE ALOT OF MONEY BECAUSE WHEN THEY FIND OUT THAT OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM DOESN'T ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR A CHILD WHO IS INJURED AT SCHOOL, TAKES A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THE BILLS PILE IN, THEY TO WILL LOOK TO THE ADMINSTRATION AND THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE FOR ANSWERS AND GUESS WHAT, THERE WON'T BE ANY, THEY COULD CARE LESS, NOT EVEN CONCERNED. THEY DON'T HAVE THE SAFETY OF OUR KIDS AT HEART!! PROTOCOL NOT FOLLOWED, WHAT'S THAT!. WE ARE NO WELLESLEY, IF WE WERE WE WOULD HAVE PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE IN SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION AND RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE ON THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.(BY THE WAY, HAVE YOU SEEN WELLESLEY'S NEW LIBRARY, BEAUTIFUL, NICE USE OF OUR LIBRARY FUNDS!)
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