Southbridge’s Axis Of Dumb

Ken O’Brien

Clichés are clichés precisely because they are true.

Hence, it comes as no surprise that back in August Salon Magazine ran an article titled “The definition of insanity” is the most overused cliché of all time.

For both of you unfamiliar with this aphorism, it goes, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result”.

Southbridge has got to be the poster child for this particular bromide.

It seems that the town will never learn that giving in to political expediency always comes back to bite us in our collective asses.

A Quick Recap Of Last Night's Southbridge Town Council's Action On Bylaws

Southbridge Town Council Meeting Agenda, March 10. 2014 (Better Late Than Never)

            

TOWN COUNCIL MEETING

COUNCIL CHAMBERS

TOWN HALL

March 10, 2014 –7:00 PM

*******************

AGENDA 

1.     1.      Pledge of Allegiance

2.      Roll Call

3.      Consider and accept Town Council Meeting Minutes of Monday, February 24, 2014.

Opa City

Ken O’Brien

Our beloved city of Southbridge (yes city) has long been in need of a fitting nickname.

The old moniker – “the eye of the commonwealth” – is as relevant to current reality as calling anything on NBC’s prime time lineup “must see TV”.

There are those who have attempted to employ the term “honest town”, but that has failed to gain any real following. I would think that this had a chance, at least among those of us who would use it in an ironic sense. But even irony has to have some grounding in fact. 

Obamacare Already Benefitting The Economy

Ken O’Brien

Republicans have been proven completely wrong as the Affordable Care Act helped both personal income and spending increase in January.

On March 3^rd The Wall Street Journal reported in an article titled” Obamacare Effects Account for Most of Income, Spending Increases”:

The Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama’s signature health law, is already boosting household income and spending.

The Commerce Department reported Monday that consumer spending rose a better-than-expected 0.4% and personal incomes climbed 0.3% in January. The new health-care law accounted for a big chunk of the increase on both                                                                      fronts.

Why James T. Kirk Wouldn't Make It In Southbridge Politics

A Half Century Of Disenfranchisement: From The “Military Industrial Complex” To The “Deep State”

Ken O’Brien

Americans have a long history of fascination with conspiracy theories.

Reality, however, is far less simple than any such ascription of feelings of powerlessness or victimization to imagined cabals.

That is not to say that most of our history (as well as that of other societies now and throughout time) has not seen government bent to the will of dominant elites. However, such “manipulation” rarely, if ever, results from the artful execution of some monolithic and secret plan bowing to a hidden agenda.

Mass. GOP Swings Further Right

Ken O’Brien

On Tuesday night the Massachusetts Republican State Committee, by a vote of 52 to 16, adopted a new state party platform.

The new section on Values has sparked controversy among members who object to what they perceive as a shift to the right that is incompatible with the realities of Massachusetts voter preferences. 

Southbridge Town Council: Budge It On Town’s Budget

Ken O’Brien

The gravy train is coming to an end folks!

For those of you who have been asleep for the past four months, we found out that the landfill wasn’t the $100 million bonanza we were originally promised.

For three years I’ve been trying to wake you up to the fact that bemoaning the tax rate when it is set in December is a fruitless exercise. That tax rate is effectively set in May when the Town Council adopts the budget.

How Would You Answer O'Reilly?

Corporations: The Real Welfare Queens

Ken O’Brien

Profitable corporations are supposed to pay a 35 percent federal income tax rate on their U.S. profits. But many corporations pay far less, or nothing at all, because of the many tax loopholes and special breaks they enjoy. A new report by Citizens for Tax Justice documents just how successful many Fortune 500 corporations have been at using these loopholes and special breaks over the past five years.

Conservatives and Tea Partiers constantly bemoan “Obama’s Socialist Welfare State” and cut unemployment benefits, food stamps, fuel assistance, education and other programs that benefit our neediest citizens in an effort to reduce the Federal deficit and the national debt. Simultaneously they turn a blind eye to the true beneficiaries of government largess – the biggest and most profitable corporations. 

Economically Developmentally Disabled

Ken O’Brien

Cassandra Acly

At Monday night’s sparsely-attended Town Council Meeting (only five councilors were present) Director of Economic Planning and Development Cassandra Acly made a presentation about plans to collaborate with the “South County Leadership Team”.

The essence of the presentation was about plans to cooperate with Quinsigamond Community College to develop training programs designed to prepare Southbridge residents to participate in the technologically advanced manufacturing environment of today. She mentioned areas such as education in operating Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) equipment.

She emphasized that she did not want to raise hopes unnecessarily, insofar as such plans were only in the discussion stage at present. 

Southbridge School Committee Agenda - February 25, 2014

SOUTHBRIDGE SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING   

LOCATION: Robert G. MacKinnon Council Chambers, 41 Elm Street  

DATE: Tuesday, February 25, 2014  

TIME: 7:00 PM

AGENDA

     I. Pledge of Allegiance  

    II. Public Input  

    III. Meeting Called to Order  

    IV. Roll Call 

Welcome SlowTowny

Ken O’Brien

Recently I lamented the demise of what was once an active Southbridge blog culture.

It is therefore with no small amount of pleasure that I want to bring to your attention a new local blog. 

I encourage you to visit SlowTowny and to also check out their FaceBook page.

Southbridge Town Council Meeting Agenda - February 24, 2014

TOWN COUNCIL MEETING

COUNCIL CHAMBERS, TOWN HALL

February 24, 2014 –7:00 PM

*******************

AGENDA


1. Pledge of Allegiance

2. Roll Call

3. Consider and accept Town Council Meeting Minutes of Monday, February 10, 2014.