Myth: An Override is the Last Resort.
By Jim Conley • February 25th, 2008 • Email This Post to a Friend •
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How’s this for irony? In May, residents of Brookline will begin receiving Federal tax rebate checks as part of an economic stimulus package and, at the same time, Brookline town government will be asking for a portion of the proceeds (a Prop 2.5 override ballot) to cover its recent spending binge.
How did we get to the need for an $8 million bailout of Brookline town government? Well, to hear the Brookline Selectmen and the pro-override crowd tell it, we’re at the station of last resort. Except that we’re not.
Brookline’s budget problems are not structural (that happens when a community loses a huge manufacturer, for instance, and tax revenue disappears but service requirements do not drop off as quickly). No, the problem facing Brookline is a lack of control over spending in personnel, benefits and services (while increasing the town’s debt burden).
What does it say about a town government that sees the struggles of residents and shopkeepers but still sticks out its hand? What does it say that in the face of these economic pressures, a $19 million town hall renovation went forward and $400 thousand was spent to landscape the library grounds? And why are we spending hundreds of thousands on golf cart paths at the municipal course?
It says that town government’s focus is on the amenities of its own resort–employee lounges, free golf and manicured grounds. In the government resort, employees who live in more affordable communities than Brookline can send their kids to our schools for next to nothing.
How good is life in Brookline town government? Heck, they don’t even have to return a resident’s phone call in exchange for all these amenities.
Other, better-run, municipalities are facing the same budget crunch, but are taking a different approach–they are cutting services and payroll in order to help their neighbors pull out of these tough times. To them, an override is a last resort.
But not Brookline. Here the instinct is to raise fees, fines and taxes to cover the costs of the empire built by a cabal of non-resident administrators who have their pensions and charmed work life to lose. And the only thing that stands in their way is the parsimonious taxpayer.
That’s why they’ll resort to scare tactics to keep the gravy train rolling.
Jim Conley is publisher of On Brookline.
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The “usual suspects” (that include elites as well as wanna-be elites) in the political scheme of things here in Brookline serve the purposes of the elites by passing on to ALL Brookline taxpayers the costs of certain amenities that seem to favor the property value interests of these elites but which are not essential for the Town as a whole. The squeaky-well oiled elites get their benefits on the backs of many in Town, including by thwarting satisfying affordable housing needs especially in their neighborhoods. And this is accomplished under the archaic and inefficient Representative Town Meeting form of governance favored by the elites.
YES . . . it does seem as if THEY were ‘running up the case for an proposition 2.5 OVERRIDE’ by spending down any surplus and abandoning reasonable REVENUE GENERATORS known as efficeint government. Logic and Reason do not fit the goals of or BROOKLINE selectmen who tap danced for well over 2 years about increasing TICKET FEES (Revenue!) Then played musical chairs on THE merchants “RIGHT” to purchase NON RESIDENT PARKING stickers! And the MERCHANTS had the STONES to HAGGLE over the price of the STICKER! More LOST REVENUE! While the COPS are a NO SHOW on ENFORCEMENT! In my 40 years working in Boston - nobody ever provided me a RIGHT to buy a GET OUT of GETTING a TICKET DECAL - No meters after the Beacon St. REMODELING for a few months! More LOST REVENUE! Only recently has any sense been show by removing the “RIGHT” to cross the DOUBLE YELLOW LINES and turn into THE SS Pierce Alleyway! Nobody but the SELECTMAN CAN BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE! Since THEY serve as the “Boss of all Bosses!” To think THAT Mr. Hoy wants to do this to us again is NAUSEATING!
This Town Meeting form of Government has been taken over by the dogs TAIL! We need a Mayor! Exactly who was the 10 hour parking meters created for? Certainly not the TAXPAYERS of BROOKLINE. Exactly who do our Selectman represent? Banks, Coffee shops, RIT’s, Real-estate investors, lawyers to help the above navigate our very, very tricky zone group/board of appointees of the selectmen? By the way a signature in FELT TIP MARKER is not “A LEGAL SIGNATURE!”
Talking about lost revenue, who was the main person responsible for the failure of development of the Cad-Olds building into a hotel. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in RE Tax revenue were lost to the town because one guy did not want traffic near his house. Traffic that could have been avoided by a simple change in street direction. Now the place is owned by BU and generates $0 to the town.
ROGER THE LODGER, BY GOD!
I take credit for this badge of honor by following due legal process with the aid of many of my neighbors. Roger fails to disclose that the Cad-Olds building was owned by BU at the time of the hotel proposal and it would have had an option to buy out the ground lease from the hotel developer, many of them former members of the Dukakis administration. And BU has had mucho experience over the years in converting hotels into dormitories as evidenced in Kenmore Square. BU officials have “off the record” indicated to me tthat a hotel in that location was not a good idea; actually it was a quick fix for money needed by BU. As for Roger the Lodger’s reference to traffic, perhaps he has not taken the time to take a look at the extensive commentary on the Urban Ring available at this Blog to get some idea of traffic issues in the area. Perhaps Roger the Lodger has experience in traffic and transportation that can resolve the serious traffic issues presently existing in the area of the Cad-Olds building by “a simple change in street direction.”
By the way, the court decision in the ZBA appeal process in effect sent the case back to the ZBA. For some reason, neither the hotel developers nor BU went back to the ZBA to pursue the project. I wonder why?
I don’t know if this is a “paid gig” for Roger the Lodger, but he may need more than a little PR experience to make a relevant point on the issue of the override addressed on this post. Or does Roger the Lodger truly believe that the hotel project at the Cad-Olds site so many years ago would have solved all of Brookline’s fiscal problems?
Well, if you have nothing relevant to say, call people names, make up motives (paid gig) and cloud the issue with irrelevant “facts” and figures.
Even if BU had turned the hotel into a dorm after some years, the town would have realized hundreds of thousands of $$$$ in revenue during the hotel years. And the neighborhood would be no worse off. But, stick to your story. You are still just covering up for a NIMBY attitude which erases any legitimacy you might have claimed.
I have paid real estate taxes in this town since 1978. You may not like my point of view but I have as much right to say it as you do yours. If you want to publish your opinion you should at least take criticism without being a bully in return.
ROGER THE DODGER!
Anonymity becomes you, even when it takes you a week to recover from being bullied. allegedly.
gezzzz, paid taxes since 1978 wonderful. Maybe ONLY Real
Estate tax payers should vote? Whooops that was phased out!
I too am curious about Mr. Bloods ‘civic’ involvement.
Amazing that anyone who is alive now is not aware that the
town is run by the department heads. No institutional history. An
idea by one group usurps all wisdom. Vainer Brick sidewalks! To
have a cash cow like the ability to write tickets and cop a plea that
the police are short handed so THEY cannot do THE JOB is NUTS!
The Chief is to get an award for this kind of a knee-jerk lashup?
A mailing urging permit purchase is inept. We did not need to
spend postage on this. Enforcement would have done the job
in a manor that had merchants in line to buy DECALS!
NOTHING like a few $25 dollar tickets to get ones attention!
But all THEY need to do is make a sign “NAIL SALON” and
forget it! Chief hire a detail officer, with a car. If he can’t make
some money to eliminate the need for an override hire a Boston
Traffic Enforcement person to run the traffic operation! Buy a jeep
with a camera and software that will ID stolen, uninspected or
unregistered cars. With TERRORISTS anti Semitic bent why
would Brookline with it’s large Hebrew population not have all
the police that THREAT would entitle us to?
Lets think of my tax money as REAL MONEY, NOT JUST TAX-
PAYER MONEY! For some reason at 10:00am many cars show up
on the Boston end of Naples Road and the nurses dash over the
tracks to the abortion place on Commonwealth Ave. THEY KNOW
BETTER THEN to park over 2 hours at a meter in BOSTON!
Even with money in the meter BOSTON will decorate your car!
Brookline will not use it’s best revenue engine! And this laxness
creates the illusion that the police are less then capable. Inviting
trouble of every sort! No substitute for first impressions! It is high
time that BROOKLINE government treated her citizens with the
same care it treats the merchants!