April Fools Again?

Ken O’Brien

For going on four years now I’ve been preaching that the wailing and gnashing of teeth that comes every December when the tax rate is set is pointless.

Once the town budget is approved by the town council the tax rate is effectively set.

It has been shown repeatedly that Southbridge has the highest tax rate of all local communities.

What we hear in response is that the tax rate has to be viewed in relation to the assessed valuation of the properties in the community. We can’t judge simply on the basis of the tax rate because it doesn’t tell the whole story.

In reality that’s what the less politically correct of us call bullshit.

Please, Stop Playing The “Pity Me” Card

Ken O’Brien

The old saying goes “Problems are like a-holes, everybody’s got ‘em and they all stink”.

In recent months the invocation of personal issues and tragedies by those in Southbridge politics has grown to the point of annoying.

It reached a crescendo at last week’s town council meeting.

One councilor elaborated upon the tragic passing of a sibling as an explanation for being absent from a subcommittee meeting. This prompted another to reference her having suffered a heart attack.

Carpetbagged Again: The Southbridge Soap Opera Continues

Ken O’Brien

As we return to today’s episode, the semi-conscious residents of the whimsical town of Southbridge are victimized by ether waves that penetrate their tin foil helmets.

In contrast to their normal long-term loss of short-term memory the sinister forces of the O’Zone Vandals are beaming recollections of moments past into their vulnerable noggins. 

Southbridge Town Council Rescinds Board Of Health Ruling

Kenneth M. O'Brien

At it's meeting tonight (August 8) the town council voted 7 2 to adopt the following motion:

"Vote to rescind the precedent created as a result of the ruling of Ex-chairman Lazo on a Point of Order at the Town Council Meeting of Monday, July 19, 2010 whereby Ex-chairman Lazo ruled that “the 2004 by-law creating a five-member Board of Health was null and void”. (Roberts Rules, p.294, line 28) “

Voting no were councilors McDonald and Vandal.

This sets the stage for the town manager and the council majority to attempt to appoint a fourth and fifth member to the Board of Health thus restoring a pro-Casella majority.