South Coast - We do deserve more

[W]e urge the two candidates [for U.S. Senate] to make time for SouthCoast in debates, in visits to the region and in accommodations for the media responsible for informing our population.SouthCoast deserves no less, and if you want our votes, you'll have to talk to us. Our View: Senate race mustn't ignore SouthCoast

The above from to day's S-T hits a significant nail on the head regarding our area.  It points out what many of us all ready know, when it comes to the SouthCoast,  we are on the outer edge of most statewide candidates radar, be it for state or national office.  

We cannot be completely ignored, but we are far enough on the outer edge where we do not seemingly pose a significant threat.  The reason we don't, well remember the saying "united we stand, divided we fall".

You look at the 2010 Census data, and Bristol County comprises slightly more than 8% of the total population of Massachusetts.  Not the largest, but not the smallest.  Granted not all the communities are considered "SouthCoast" communities either.  

Yet one has to wonder why an area with the population we do have is consistently ignored.

I am glad our "lame duck" governor (as noted in the above S-T piece) may in fact have his priorities mixed up (again as noted in the piece).  Unfortunately I think that has more to do with the realities of the requirements for spending a great deal of that money and the fact he has little or no choice to do otherwise, rather than some great concern about the SouthCoast.

Want to show me real concern for the SouthCoast,  get the rail down here now, not continue with "it is coming line".  Would the Route 18 work have been a reality so quickly but for the influx of federal stimulus money?  Would a lot of the state work done, in progress, and soon to be have been a reality in this area otherwise?  

I think we were quite fortunate that we had a whole bunch of projects on the drawing board, i.e. "shovel ready". 

But I am wandering a bit, and besides the intent isn't to question the premise of the S-T piece because it is spot on.

It causes me great concern that neither candidate has been able to "squeeze in any time" to speak with a newspaper serving an area like the S-T does the SouthCoast.  The paper is right, we deserve better.  Editorial pieces like that one are a start.  But everyone needs to turn up the heat, and more often and on a consistent basis.  

Every time something happens or doesn't happen to this area as a result of indifference or intent, which ignores the needs of the SouthCoast, we need to question that, often and loudly.  We need to ask our elected reps. just what is going on.  We need to ask those running for office, just why we should support them when at best we are all too often subjected to benign neglect.

One unfortunate problem this area has is the simple fact that unless you are specifically coming down here, when your home base is Boston, you have to go out of you way to get here if you are going to other areas of the state.  Somehow that annoying deter seems to be insurmountable and some sought of justification.

Don't suppose anybody ever thought about getting up 45 minutes earlier on a particular day?

On another note ...

Fairhaven is still doing well with the community block grant program.  $890,000.00 plus has just been awarded to our little town.  Note a bad grab when you consider it is a competitive grant and you walk away with 3% of the total.  Hats off to Bill Roth who has done the grant work.  Whether the federal money will continue to flow to fund this particular program in the long term remains to be seen.  In the mean time it is nice to see the money is flowing here.

A hat off ...

To our police officers for grabbing the the alleged thieves who yesterday morning, at 7:30 a.m. where observed apparently by an alert citizen pounding on a door yelling maintenance, and then were seen hauling an assortment of stuff into a pick-up.  

another hat off ...

to the people willing to report the same to the police.   

for the hat trick ...

well that was all ready three wasn't it.