[RP TownTalk] RP TownTalk Form

[Lou King]

I think you may have miss read, or read into Ebbeler's words something 
that is not there.

I read his words to mean 'voice your opinion in a forum _in addition to_ 
this email list.'

Although I don't always make it to Council Meeting.  When I do, the 
reporter from Patch frequently the only other person there observing the 
process that guides our town today and into the future. I do notice that 
the crowds are larger when people think things are not going well.

I also think that your 5 point challenge/manifesto is nothing but an 
opportunity to construct a false duality that is not constructive.

* As already pointed out, one person's unnecessary pork is another 
person vital program for a better society.

* Over the years I have been amused by those advocating for reduced tax 
rates. The united front of the cutters seems to always splinter when it 
gets down to who's ox gets gored if taxes are held at the current level 
or reduced. There never seems to be agreement on whether to reducing the 
police force, NOT maintaining infrastructure, deciding which town 
services to reduce/eliminate like garbage collection, leaf collection, 
street cleaning, parks, etc. OR reduce the staff necessary to monitor 
the effective expenditure of the collected taxes. OR reduce the salaries 
paid to attract a staff that is qualified to oversee and manage the 
operation of the town.

* If 'no new taxes or fees' were taken to the logical conclusion, we 
would still be taxing buggy whips and not collecting franchise fees for 
cable TV/internet in town. The discussions I have observed/participated 
in have been focused on alining the amount charged (tax/fee) with the 
cost of the service received.

* By refinancing the current debt to a lower interest rate, the town 
Council has in effect payed down the debt by several percent. It might 
be noted that that "Pay down" did not require a tax increase. ~~ I know 
that was a cheap shot but I couldn't resist.

More to the point Town indebtedness is a recognition of the reality of 
current/anticipated needs.  Just as with personal finances two of the 
choices are 1) saving until you can pay cash for a capital improvement 
or 2) borrow the money, repaying the loan while using the asset. To be 
clear we are talking about indebtedness for capital improvements, new 
car, washing machine, house or in the case of the Town infrastructure, 
streets, buildings. We are not talking about borrowing for operational 
needs. For the Town that is as ill advised as it is on a personal bases.

"Pay down the current debt" by implication also means not incurring 
additional debt. In the case of the town hall (which you brought up), 
that would mean in 1990 (?) the Town would have needed the foresight to 
start saving for a town hall/youth center to be built in 2015 and used 
after that. Those saved fund would need to be defended though 12 Town 
administration, hard financial time and good, (Cheap shot alert) and 
cries for reduced taxes. ~ The same cries are heard to spend 'Rainy day 
fund.' As someone said, productions are hard particularly about the 
future. Expecting low paid, part-time, elected officials to always have 
an accurate 20-25 year vision is expecting of others skills we don't 
have ourselves. Now I have a fair idea where I will be in 25 years when 
I'm 95. Conversely, about 25 year ago, in Texas getting out of the Air 
Force, I was not thinking about the need of a facility for town children 
or the requirements to accommodate the Cafritz project.

* By law the Town is required to "Govern within there means."
"Smaller Government is Better" is a point of view not a fact. It is (in 
my opinion) a nice sounding slogan, but when a service you want or need 
is lost, slow in responding or ineffective, "small" does not always mean 
better.  There is also the feeling of Community, the needs of the group, 
other residents, that may differ from our individual needs. As a 
Community we must plan/work together for what is the generally agree on 
golds that serve ALL in the community.

Lou
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James D. Holmes wrote, On 1/8/2013 10:28 AM:
 >
 > The comment you made that I should only address these issues at a Town
 > meeting and not on the RP TownTalk blog appears that you do not want
 > input from other residents that have the same opinion that I have.

Jonathan W. Ebbeler wrote, On 1/7/2013 6:11 PM:

 > If you believe the town is on the wrong path, come to meetings, voice 
 > your opinion in a forum other than this, ask to be appointed onto
 > committees, volunteer to mentor the youth, or even run for office.