A cracked crystal ball

There is a crack in my crystal ball.  I have to decide whether it is worth trying to replace it or simply give up on the prognostication attempts via accessory aids.

Although why attempt to predict the future when  it is getting more difficult to simply figure out what the heck is happening in the present, or has happened in the recent past.

But even with a big crack down the middle of it, let's take a shot a a few things ....

1.  We will have a balanced budget (might as well start with the easy stuff).  what I can't predict is how balanced will it be.  I will guess town meeting isn't going to buy into any slash and burn policy to operating budgets for the rationale being expounded on some fronts.

I do believe we need to take a serious look at spending, and appropriate reserve policies.  I agree policies need to be adopted and followed.  As soon as I see one I am willing to give it serious consideration too.

Until then, I submit the soundest piece of advice we can all follow is that as reported in The Fairhaven Neighborhood New coming from our newest Selectmen Robert Espindola:

Mr Espindola said that he felt it was a little too early in the process to decide on hard and fast numbers, and that the policy manual should remain a draft until after this year’s budget process is completed. 

“It’s one thing to say that we need to put down numbers, and it’s another thing to be realistic about it,” he said. (see page 4 of the 2/21/2013 edition).

2.  Town Meeting will tell you what is realistic.  I will again state, Town Meeting decides what goes on in this Town.  Set all the policies and procedures you want, but when you are spending other people's money, ultimately they will only open up the purse strings when they feel it is warranted.

The primary, in fact most sacred, duty of every town official, elected or appointed, paid or volunteer, is to give them all the information they need.  

Do they want recommendations? Of course they do.  They also want to know you are being up front with them.  You are letting them know exactly what there options are.  

Nothing ticks me off more than to have decisions made on incomplete information.  At times, that may be unavoidable, but those occasions should be very few and far between.  Those times should occur when it is impossible for any one to know, and the recommendations should make that clear.  

But known information should never be withheld.

3.  Special Town Meeting is going to be full of surprises.  Another softball prediction, I know.  I should qualify that, because only some people are going to be very surprised.

You hear that clock ticking?  Every movement of that second hand that occurs without revealing the proposals being discuss for town government changes is one second closer to the defeat of most, if not all of them.  

Believe it or not I say this despite the fact that in principal I will probably agree with most if not all of the proposals.  

The days of springing articles of importance at the last minute have passed.  There have been some significant matters in the not that distant past that have given many people legitimate reason to want to make sure the "i"s and "t"s have been properly dotted.

Well at least that's my impression.  Who knows?  I hear I am a spendthrift who doesn't understand what is trying to be done.  There is some truth in that actually.  I don't understand what is trying to be done, because I only can guess at what may be in the pipeline.

Anyone have any good clear epoxy to fill the crack in the crystal ball?