Globe has endorsed a Republican over a sitting Democrat for the election. The endorsement is worth reading.
Does it matter to to us in the new 9th congressional district? Maybe, maybe not.
I had an interesting conversation yesterday about polling. In the end, remember polls are just part "scientific" and part art. The wording of the questions does in fact have a great deal of influence. So do the "leaner" questions. These are questions asked of people when their initial response is undecided or not sure. They are an attempt to get a response out of a person one way or the other.
In the end, they are simply a snapshot of "opinion" at a given moment. That opinion as of 6:00 A.M. according to the RCP national average was Romney by 0.6%. In Ohio, the state that at this point seems to matter most, it is Obama by 2.1%.
The polls by Friday/Saturday will begin to indicate the course. By that time, with just over a week to go, most people will be pretty much set in their decisions. The last week will be the "Energizer Bunny" campaign. Both sides will be working their tails off to get people to the polls.
This becomes key. You need to get your base, get your core groups out to vote. Enthusiasm is going to go along way in this race, even when neither candidate makes you, or at least me, want to jump up and down for joy.
Personally, I hope this election isn't close. I hope someone wins big. I don't expect it, but I hope. A big win would in my mind mean a mandate. A close win means the same infighting.
If someone pulls away, can come up with a clear victory, it might, just might cause the opposition to take notice of the fact that there is need to bend. Don't hold your breath.
I will have great sympathy for the winner. I don't see either candidate managing to do anything significant within the next two years, because Congress is going to end up with the GOP still controlling the House and the Dems controlling the Senate. Without any clear mandate for President, both parties are going to be at each other's throats. If you think speaker Boehner is an obstructionist, I think you will find Senator Reid rewriting the book on minority party tactics if Romney wins. If Obama wins, well the two members of Congress to head the branches of Congress are currently well schooled in there rolls.
As the saying goes, time reveals all, or something like that.
What is coming up locally?
First, at Monday's Selectmen's meeting there will be a presentation on the Voc-tech building renovation/addition proposal. Watch it, tape it, and become aware and knowledgeable about it. The gripe I have is two fold at this point.
The first component of that is the absolute lack of any outreach to the communities for input. The who, what, where and how behind all of this is a primary reasoning of why regionalization is never going to voluntarily catch on.
The second is the attitude that heck, why not do it. It won't cost the taxpayers any more than what they are all ready paying. It is faulty logic. It is an argument I don't buy into, ever. The reason to do something is because it is needed. Debt for any function should not be assumed it is okay because it doesn't cost you anymore. It does cost you. The money for the debt is lost for use on something else.
Whether the project is necessary and needed remains to be seen. I have heard nothing more than the need argument. I am unaware any real specifics, and you will forgive me I do tend to agree with the arguments about open and transparent government, and the need for those responsible to do more.
Approval flew through New Bedford and Dartmouth. It may very well do so in Fairhaven. In the end it may be the right thing to do. You will forgive me though when I say that I don't believe how this has come about was done correctly.
The Town is still waiting on the financial operations report from the state. Keep hearing it will be soon. Hopefully it will be very soon. I agree with the decision to wait on filling the soon to be vacant Director of Finance position in town until we see what is recommended, the need to fill such a position is very important to town operations.
The first steps in the FY 2014 budget are being taken. Figures gathered, looked at, preliminary stuff. As of right now, it isn't a rosy picture, but in honesty, we aren't all going to be hurdling off a cliff. The mantra hopefully will be try to stay the course. Still way too early to know exactly what needs to be done. Consider things at this point to be in the conceptual phase.
It is getting a bit hard to keep from jumping back to the election, so I think I will end it here. The end is near folks, and from a burn-out point, that is a good thing. Come less than two weeks, we will all have something new to talk about.
Be safe.
The first steps in the FY 2014 budget are being taken. Figures gathered, looked at, preliminary stuff. As of right now, it isn't a rosy picture, but in honesty, we aren't all going to be hurdling off a cliff. The mantra hopefully will be try to stay the course. Still way too early to know exactly what needs to be done. Consider things at this point to be in the conceptual phase.
It is getting a bit hard to keep from jumping back to the election, so I think I will end it here. The end is near folks, and from a burn-out point, that is a good thing. Come less than two weeks, we will all have something new to talk about.
Be safe.
I don't have any problem at all with researching the reasons for whether the project at Vocational ought to be supported or not. What I do have a problem with is someone thinking that we should lean into not approving it, for the reason that the money could go, instead, to the Fairhaven School Department, "our students," as he put it.
ReplyDeleteSome voters, like myself, who do not have children that will attend the new Wood School, supported the debt because we saw the need for the project.
Likewise the project at Vocational should be considered. We owe support to all of our students. Consider this, if a family has children attending both schools, F.H.S. and Voke, should the needs of one be ignored?