A SouthCoast Tidbit and ... you guessed it!

If you have read today's S-T you will see the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is planning to announce today a site in Taunton.  Assuming the tribe has it's financing lined up it would appear that the Bristol/Plymouth casino the legislature was so kind to grant us will be about 30 minutes away from a New Bedford location.

For the record, I am not a big casino proponent.  Not against them, just not all that excited about them.  One has to wonder how an area the size of greater New Bedford seems to lose out more than score.

Seems that bringing home the bacon is not a term that you can really apply to the SouthCoast too much anymore.  In fact, if it wasn't for the economic downturn and the federal stimulus money, a whole of of the infrastructure work to roads, etc. you are seeing in this area going on right now would still be on the waiting list.

Not to worry, the governor will have to be re-elected in 2014, or better yet we get a brand new one and all kinds of promises will be showered down upon the SouthCoast.  You know the old saying, if I had a dime for every promise made, well by this time those dimes would be pretty substantial for this area.

Just seems a kick in the face when you think about the fact that when there was a huge push (and all the pushes since) in the area 15 years again for gambling in greater New Bedford it got no where.  Then when it finally dawns on the state that gambling = state revenue, about 7 or 8 years after the big money train has left the station, it is all systems go.

Charter News

As I told you, expect to read a great deal about a charter for Fairhaven.  First and foremost today, if you are looking for contact information, there has been an e-mail established, it is:

 fairhavenchartercommission@gmail.com 

Sharon Andersen is the contact person.  Let her hear from you.

There will be people out there with petitions, please sign them.  signing the petitions will result in only two things at this point:

1.  A question will be put on the April 2013 ballot asking the voters if they want to establish a Charter Commission for the purpose of creating a charter for the Town of Fairhaven; and,

2.  The election of individuals to that commission if so voted.

More details will be provide as to what happens if in fact the vote for a commission is in the positive.  At this juncture, it is a matter of getting that question on the ballot.

I have received some e-mails from people bring up some concerns.  Best part though is while they do have concerns they are very interested. 

In the interest of full disclosure, everyone needs to know what is involved.  this is why I intend to continue to bring out the benefits, and drawbacks, of a charter commission. 

One very valid point that has been raised, which should be addressed up front, is the fact that all this work can be done, and we could still end up without a charter.  The reason?

The voters will still have the final say.  While the vote on a charter can be framed so that potentialy "deal breaking proposals" can be voted separately, it still takes a positive vote on the underlying charter.

This is why is becomes extremely important for people to get involved.  To follow the what goes on, to provide input to a commission if formed, and to help out.  This can only work if the final recommendations are realistic, practical and attuned to our Town's wants and needs.

But people have to have an open mind.  No suggestion can simply be dismissed out of hand.  Most importantly, people will need to understand and accept the fact that not every item on their personal wish list is going to make it.  

If anyone is getting into this with the thought it is going to be my way or no way, you are individually going to be extremely disappointed, and collectively you will be doing your fellow citizens a monumental disservice.  

I do not pretend to compare such an undertaking to the process that finally lead to the Constitution for this great Country we live in.  All I do ask is that you realize our Constitution was framed based on the give and take of the delegates from the original states.  Indeed the Bill of Rights, the original amendments to our Constitution were created as a matter of compromise to insure that the needs of the nation as a whole and the rights of its citizens and states were protected.

There will be a fine line that will need to be walked by all involved.  There is an old saying, the author being unknown:

A tree that bends too much in a strong wind will break, but a tree that does not bend at all will eventually break also.