Congrats to Larry & Liz. It is not easy to pilot the planes through the flak coming from two directions. More comments to come.

Jane and Brenda seem to give Liz a lecture on the power of the COA Board that they were only an advisory board bla bla bla. If I remember correctly when Alan Slavin was being confirmed he went into a big speech about how he had been asked to be on the COA board for a long time but didn’t want to join unless they could make some real changes. He was even asking the selectmen to promise him that they would agree to any recommendations the COA board came up with etc. Maybe Pspan could pull up the video of that meeting. My point is Slavin was TELLING the selectman that the only way he would go on this board is if the selectman would approve any changes they wanted to make at the COA. I don’t remember Jane and Brenda giving him a lecture about the limitations of the COA Board.

THE HATEBLOGGERS RESPONSE TO CITIZENS THAT WANT TO VOLUNTEER:


By: CoachTP on 6/30/10
Political payback is nothing new. What is sad is when a selectman talks out of both sides of his mouth. Cruz has proven hie is a follower and not a leader. Money talks and bull_hi$$ walks. Walter you are embarresing yourself now. Holmes's spots keep showing through. You almost had people beleiving you were level headed and straight talking. Political payback proves you are not.

By: jojan2 on 6/30/10
I almost reached into the tv and grabbed a few throats!! Horrifying! The leopard did not change his spots. Does the COA have any recourse?

By: onsetgirl on 6/30/10
I was in the company of an elderly person yesterday, it was frustrating for her to take care of her paperwork because of her sight. I was able to straighten out the problem in a few minutes because I could see what she could not, a simple minus sign and a decimal point. What struct me full in the face was how many other elderly people where in the same boat. This women wanted to go to a senior housing and was trying to put her affairs in order. And at that moment all I could think of was what happened with Westfield at town meeting.

Then I watched the selectmens meeting last night. The episode with Liz MacDonald. It took a few minutes, then I started yelling at the TV. Woman if you are so concerned about helping the elderly in this town why did you and the group you sat with GLEEFULLY and CHEERING vote down the Westfield construction. The very people she wants to help as far as I am concerned she SCREWED.

This is not heresay, second party, third party conversations with others, I VIEWED THIS WITH MY OWN EYES not even 3 feet away. At the time I could not believe what I was seeing. Just to get even, we won, whatever. Then the entire row and a half got up and left. So much for last nights I FEEL YOUR PAIN.

By: LenSkynyrd on 6/30/10
The devils prevailed last night.

By: mayflower on 6/30/10
This is so disgusting there are no words!! Much as I hate the idea, it seems we are getting closer to calling for a RECALL election for Holmes, Winslow and Cruz!! It is becoming more and more apparent they have no decency nor care about the best interests of the Town or people they are supposed to serve!! My opinion!

By: Zorro on 6/30/10
I was still thinking about previous events by the time it came up last night. So maybe I mssheard some things.

During the TA's report, was there mention of 42 recommendations of 'things to be addressed' from the State Dept of Revenue that need to or are being corrected? Any perspective from anyone if this is a large number or not?

And I think I heard that the draft of that DoR audit will be ready within a week, or was that on the computer audit as well?? Will both be considered public documents?




By: robertslager on 6/30/10
Zorro, I will address this in a story. I have a message in to Andrews. I'll have something on-line when he gets back to me.

By: cacallo5 on 6/30/10
I agree with mayflower's posting above the newly elected selectman seems to care nothing about wareham/onset only in themselves and their friends. Walter Cruz needs to grow a backbone and stop flip-flopping on each and every subject. I am calling his office right now to tell him how disappointed I am in his behavior.

By: onevote on 6/30/10
Isn't Walter free to make up his own mind? If we don't agree with his decision does that make him automaticaly the bad guy? Does he have to vote by our opinion?.No matter how he votes, someone will be angry with him.

By: robertslager on 6/30/10
Mr. Cruz is certainly free to make up his own mind. The problem is he keeps contradicting his previous positions and votes without offering any explanation as to why. It's difficult for me to trust a person like that.

By: robertslager on 6/30/10
If I can offer a few examples: Mr. Cruz supported Westfield than he voted against it. He helped choose the members of the Charter Review Committee then claimed those members were hand-picked. He was against a Swifts Beach study commmittee than he voted in favor of one. He strongly criticized fellow board members for not appointing Bob Brady when Brady was recommended by the Board of Health then he voted for Liz McDonald's appointment to the COA Board of Directors even though that board did not support her appointment.
I think this lack of consistancy has opened Mr. Cruz up to ligitimate criticism.

By: onevote on 6/30/10
Was the vote by the COA unanimous? Was a reason given as to why Liz shouldn't be a member of the COA? So she shouldn' have been appointed because she stopped delivery of the Observer to seniors?

By: onevote on 6/30/10
I'm losing my sympathy for the affordable housing for seniors. Where do the seniors who are on the waiting list for affordable live currently?There seems to be too many excuses as to seniors not supporting Westfield.Why don't the seniors express those reasons in any forum. If seniors want affordable housing , then they have to fight for it. If they have suggestions to get to the goal, let's hear them.Do seniors want Westfield?

By: robertslager on 6/30/10
I am seeking exact answers to your first two questions. Your last question appears to be subjective. Are you asking for my personal opinion?

By: mayflower on 6/30/10
It needs asking. onevote, did you read this article? Apparently you are friendly with Liz [a.k.a. 'madmom'], as you refer to her, who has been barred from this site for reason. Reason? No, reasons. Her activities with the Take Back Wareham crowd posting on the Whitehouse blog should be reason enough to bar her from ANY board or committee involved with the Town of Wareham. Actually, that goes for Larry and Bob B. None have the good of the Town in mind! My opinion, anyway.

By: robertslager on 6/30/10
I believe seniors on the waiting list live in many areas of Wareham, including Agawam Village. Those seniors have expressed their concern through the Council on Aging. Many of these folks are invalid. I know many have expressed their concerns to me personally. I am not certain I understand your point. Many seniors seek advocates because for a myriad of reasons they are not able to advocate for themselves. For conversations I have had with dozens of seniors over the past few years they very much

iliveinazoo wrote:

I think we need to question the practice of putting the towns legal advertising in the rag. It can't possibly reach even 20 people anymore. Even I stopped reading it. How can anyone really be apprised of a public hearing if the only place it is advertised is the tabloid?

I agree.  The town's business community has already rejected the rag outright, realizing that they can't in good conscience support a lie filled hate rag that's done nothing but cause anarchy and division in the community.  It's time for the town of Wareham to catch up.

Look at the rag and you'll see the only big advertiser the loser has is the town of Wareham.  I have been astounded to pick up a rag and sometimes see as much as 6 pages of legal ads in one edition.  I'd love to know how much of our tax dollars have been thrown down the drain on the rag?

Go to any store and you'll see rag piles just sitting there collecting dust.  Many townspeople have even taken a moral pledge to not even read the thing.  So messages that the town needs to get out to the public aren't getting much exposure.

He has no legal right to the town's advertising.  Pull it today.

I am Hamatron5000!