Southbridge’s Rogue Regime

Ken O’Brien

John Adams famously observed that a republic is “a government of laws, and not of men.”

This view was subsequently enshrined in the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780. Article XXX of the Bill of Rights states:

“Art. XXX. In the government of this commonwealth, the legislative department shall never exercise the executive and judicial powers, or either of them; the executive shall never exercise the legislative and judicial powers, or either of them; the judicial shall never exercise the legislative and executive powers, or either of them; to the end it may be a government of laws, and not of men. “

At January 23^rd’s meeting of the Southbridge Town Council, the ruling majority threw this concept out the window

Hand In Glovernment

Ken O’Brien

Item 11 on tonight’s town council agenda is, “Vote to approve the utilization of $3,000 from the “Grow Southbridge Fund” for the Southbridge-Downtown Partnership Event on May 31, 2012.”

I initially commented on this proposal on January 16 when it was first announced in the local paper.

Now we have a copy of the proposal for this funding from the Director of  Economic Development and Planning to the Town Manager, as well as a copy of the letter to the town council chair from the President of the Southbridge Downtown Partnership.