UPDATE AFTER THE JUMP
I found a bit of a disconnect between the headline above this letter, LETTER: Seek long-term cost savings for Dartmouth and the text that followed. I don't see where Ms. Stone advocates for long term savings in this opinion. Ms. Stone says,
"Our leadership can be better and our solutions more constructive in order to maintain the community we love. Simply balancing the budget is not enough if it diminishes our town in the process. We need a broader perspective on fiscal responsibility, one that protects our core community values while providing careful, long-term solutions to our systemic financial concerns."I am left with more questions than answers after reading this opinion. What constructive solutions will maintain our community? As some of you may know, Ms. Stone has championed override campaigns in the past.
Are overrides the broader perspective ...
... that protect our core community values? I can't determine that from her opinion.
Ms. Stone writes about fixes that result
"in the loss of talented employees, unfunded public works projects, reduced public safety, a higher crime rate, closed businesses, decreasing property values and poor test scores."The Select Board has acted to ensure that the Police Department funding is somewhat protected in order to maintain public safety and prevent crime. Talented employees can only be protected if we can afford to pay their salaries. The Select Board has little control over business closings, property values, or test scores.
By law, the town must balance the budget, simply or otherwise. Dartmouth cannot thrive until the rates of growth of town revenue and expenses are reconciled. As Mr Lynam points out today, our options are limited and reducing costs for the services we want is the course that we must take. Unfortunately, the town has been slow to implement the needed change. The Select Board is going to be instrumental in pushing for that change if it is to occur. I would like to hear more from Ms. Stone on what we can do to gain long term savings.
As always, give us your opinion in comments below.
UPDATE: I hadn't been to Ms. Stone's website in a few days and have found some more information on her positions on town issues there. Links are here, here and here I have to say that I agree with most of what I see at these links. The devil as they say is in the details. As I see it, Dartmouth has to bring spending in line with revenue first and build from there.
Posts
46 comments:
The past is the past. Now is Now. I dont care if she supported overrides in the past. I havent heard her even mention an override so your highlighting is unnecessary. What is her ideas, thats whats important not some item from 2 years ago that thousands supported by the way.
And thousands did not, by the way.
I wouldn't trivialize it as "some item." Far from it, in most people's opinion.
Don't let her rhetoric lull you into forgetting her once, if not still now, agenda.
AND, what ARE her ideas? Have we heard yet?
As i remember the original override failed by less than 300 votes.And so much for MS Gilberts transparancy in GVT. I will not be supporting any incumbent this April!
She has tipped her hand a little in her op-ed piece. She appears to support the funding of paid crossing guards and the youth advocate. How will she pay for them? Something else in the budget has to go in order to fund them. What does she suggest? Or does she intend to fund them through an override request? If so, what will she do if the override request fails? I commend her for finally telling us at least something, but she still has a lot of explaining to do.
10:46, would you explain your statement about Diane Gilbert's transparency?
She HAS NEVER SAID override since she announced her run.I agree with anon 10:12 the past is the past. times are different now. get over an override from 2 years ago already. I want to hear her ideas as well as the others but NO MORE override business there isnt one now and wont be for awhile.
10:52 Lets see. Bus contracts are Ok if they dont affect a supporter. She was upset with a housing development over the bridge ,thought we should spend 2 Mil to buy it. And the only thing I see in print from her is letters slaming peers on the SB. again no incumbents!
Typical Stone campaigning. Say as little as possible and turn the discussion to negative attacks against her opponent. I will not vote for a negative campaigner. You can expect the negativity to continue because some college political professor believes it works.
Not a negative supporter. I have not said who I will support other than not incumbents. So as a registered voter, tax payer and hopefully soon to be a Town meeting member of dartmouth, I would like to take the current SB in a "New Direction" plain and simple. Actually all the way to representation of a Mayor voted in by the people with precient counslors. Thats it! Good luck to all running put your best foot forward and let us know where you stand. Biut as of right now no incumbents fro the SB.Thanks!
Since Ms. Stone failed to outline her ideas, what are the public to think? Perhaps she could write another letter and tell the public what her long term cost saving ideas are? What are her core community values? I would have to say that maybe Ms. Stone is no longer interested in overrides, because in her letter she states that "short term fixes will begin to compound long-term expenses". Interesting hope Ms. Stone starts her letter by applauding Mayor Lang, who endorses regionalization, consolidation and privatization as part of his plan to help NB. I applaud him as well! These are some of the very things that our current board is also looking at including attending a community summit tonight.
So, long story short, I still don't know what Ms. Stone is offering Dartmouth? What are her long-term solutions that she writes about? I love this community and would like to know how Ms. Stone would fix our fiscal woes.
Where did Stone say anything about someone else? did I miss something ? and if everyone's against negative campaigning why does Bill underline and highlight an article from 2 1/2 years ago regarding overrides but say anything about Diane and your guilty of negative attacks. Cant have it both ways. Yes Lara supported overrides 2 1/2 years ago for her childrens education . big crime there.Diane's got a few skeltons also as mentioned earlier.So what. It should be who's got the best ideas for moving us forward.
I am willing to also read anything Diane has in writing with specifics as to where she stands on the issues. I wont be able to go tio the CFRG debate and thats where i asuume she will tell us her plan!
To anyone posting that Lara has failed to outline her ideas or positions please visit Lara's website again www.electlarastone.com.
Mr. Trimble posts in his update above but since it's pretty far below his original post here it is again:
UPDATE: I hadn't been to Ms. Stone's website in a few days and have found some more information on her positions on town issues there. Links are here, here and here I have to say that I agree with most of what I see at these links. The devil as they say is in the details.
Select Women Diane Gilbert's platform is well known throughout Dartmouth. All you have to do is look at her 1st term voting record and stand on community issues. You can agree or disagree with her, but for anyone to say they do not know where she stands on issues is saying they have not paid attention. Lara Stone is a champion for the Dartmouth School system and is well respected. However when running for political office a challenger will have to work twice as hard as the incumbent to define his or her over all platform. So whether it is fair or unfair Lara will be asked to state and restate her over all platform repeatedly. This particular contest makes me the saddest because in my opinion these are the two best candidates out of all the town races. Why do they have to run against each other?
Thanks for the tip about Stone's website. Although it does contain more than it did originally, I fail to see anything on there that the Select Board hasn't already discussed. Where are the innovative ideas and what specific solutions is she offering? Sounds good but realistically it's just a lot of rhetoric without any concrete information.
To John F, you would'nt be the same John F that is the unbiased moderator of the CFRG forum would you?
Ahhh.. things are getting active in Dartmouth. This election most certainly will be about Diane Gilbert. She will not fare well at the ballot box.
On Stone's website, it seems as though she is hiding behind overrides. She doesn't really say much except how we should all 'work together'. Of course we should all work together. All don't always agree, it will be the majority of all. Since Lara Stone wants to continue 'talking' it sounds to me as if she wants to rely on overrides to get us through what she thinks may be a short financial crisis. In my opinion, Dartmouth should have been 'working together' two years ago, moving in a direction to fix this mess. LARA STONE=OVERRIDES, and nothing more.
Type in Diane Gilbert and all you get is real estate and Historical stuff. What about that Akin house? Also she seems to always vote alone not wanting to seek a compimise or middle ground. Its her way or NO WAY!
You obviously have not been paying attention. Diane has a verifiable record to stand on. Her positions are well known. We know nothing about Ms. Stone except she supported a huge override that would have been devastating to our budget. Yes it was two years ago but it is very relevant. For someone who claims to be so well qualified and fiscally responsible, she certainly has a strange way of showing it. That override couldn't have been more irresponsible and the propaganda for it more misleading. Either she is not being honest with the voters about her positions or she does not understand our financial situation or the effects bad decisions have on our budget. Which is it?
Dont forget many did support the override at the time and later some of the articles passed. so again lets put our best foot forward canidates and see which way the towns direction goes in April. My overall point is there has to be somne give and take for compriomise to be able to move forward!
Lara's ideas sound interesting. She doesn't want to keep cutting but she wants to maintain services. Where is she going to get the money??? She talks of consolidating, outsourcing etc. which is what is already being discussed by the SB. So what thoughts of her own does she have and how is she going to pay for it?
We really don't need a Youth Advocate. We have outreach services in the public schools! This is redundant.
I wonder what Lara Stone thinks about Mayor Lang laying off all those talented people in New Bedford!
They voted for it. They were given the choice. A lesson to the slash and burn people who demand pay cuts. Unions dont go for it. They would rather layoff than cut pay.Now everyone will suffer.longer response times for fires, fewer police, correction:everyone will suffer except the criminals.
Who is John F and is he the unbiased moderator for the upcoming CFRG forum? I'm thinkning he is not since he has already indicated he is supporting the incumbent and as such should not be moderating a non-biased public forum. Please clarify John F.
The CFRG is unbiased?
I see, so the moderator of a candidates' debate cannot have political opinions? One can moderate a debate without showing bias. Are you telling me the moderators for presidential debates have no political opinions? Give me a break.
Of course anyone can have and is entitled to an opinion, even the moderator of a forum/debate. What would be helpful to all concerned since we're all looking for transparency is to acknowledge one's bias so the playing field is at least identified. Is that so difficult a concept to understand?
Oh and we all knew where the television moderators stood during the presidential election - as did the people participating in those debates. That's all the question raised is looking for, transparency, but if the John F that posts here wishes to remain anonymous that's his perogative too.
First you claim John F. is biased because he has stated his opinions then you claim he should reveal his bias. Huh???
No - he should state whether or not he is the same John F that endorsed Diane Gilbert in another thread and the CFRG moderator. Simple yes or no question.
As far as I know he is not running for public office and has no obligation to answer anything for you. If you do not like the moderator, do not attend the event. It's very simple.
Got it. None of my business. Transparent as ink.
Are you willing to reveal yourself on this blog? Obviously not since you post anonymously but you expect someone who is a private citizen to do something you are not willing to do yourself. Anyone who is not serving in a public position is under no obligation to offer any information to you.
No, but I'm not moderating a public forum that claims it is unbiased either and that cries for tranparency every chance they get except of course if it means their own transparency. Then its a different story.
Mark my words, Lara Stone will ask and or support an override in the near future.
Buying more time with overrides just postpones the hard work that must be done. I applaud Joe M. for bringing communities together. This was long overdue. This should have been done two years ago, but resistance from the previous board and the EA prevented it.
Please explain what could be more unbiased than having a moderator who was a major player for the pro-override Coalition group moderating an event for a citizens group who was against irresponsible overrides.
so anon 9:19 is that finally an answer to the question I posed so long ago? You assume this is the same John F that supported the override? I make no such assumption, simply asked the question if this is the same John F that has publicly come out supporting Diane Gilbert that is moderating the CFRG forum. Why is this such a difficult question to answer. Its yes or no or I don't want to tell you. Why so difficult to be opne, honest and transparent? What's the big deal?
Sorry just assumed you knew exactly who he was and were being the typical "you're trying to hide something" poster.
No, I don't see conspiracy in everything. Just don't like hypocrisy when I see it. John F wants his anonymity so be it. Tells me enough as it is.
Anonymous comments on JohnF's anonymity. Had sense of irony surgical removed I guess
This anonymous Bill is not moderating an election event as I suspect the John F is. The irony of that is not lost on me.
John F is John Fitzpatrick, because as you recall he supports Diane but is a great friend of Laras. He'll support Lara next go around because Diane needs to complete her work in one more term.
Phew! That was like pullng teeth. Thank you for the information.
Post a Comment