Recent News

Every tax is a pay cut. Every tax cut is a pay raise.
Citizens for Limited Taxation

When when you things can't get worse in Framingham, along comes our biggest idiot, Pam Richardson. 04/08/2009

Framingham's idiot savante wants to give away the entire US legacy to illegals. Drivers liceses, in-state tuition and the right to vote in local elections.

I've gone thru several complaints against the police department and placed them all on one page 12/08/2008

Except for those who keep their eyes wide shut, a pattern of harassment is beginning to show. More to come in the future.

Finally got back my USB recorder that had the audio recording of my arrest back on June 15, 2007. 09/04/2008

Framingham's police chief and the assistant DA prosecuting me painted Officer Gregory Reardon as an angel trying to help me. Just listen to the recording and decide for yourself.

Another attempt to harass and intimidate me at Dunkin Donuts by the Mass Pike. 09/02/2008

Gotta love these jack-booted adrenaline junkies .

Our intrepid Framingham PD officers descend on Dunkin Donuts by the Mass Pike like a swarm of locusts to park in handicap . 08/25/2008

They seem to have to have difficulties identifying a proper parking space and they set a bad example for the community.

After a robbery at Dunkin Donuts by the Mass Pike on 5/25/2008, a Framingham police cruiser comes after me to harrass and intimidate me. 08/24/2008

Notice in the complaint that the police chief refuses to release the name of the officer . This police officer could be prosecuted and sent to the big house.

The Framingham police have a sanctuary policy for illegal aliens. 07/07/2008

Read it! . Make up your own mind as to whether it is a sanctuary policy .

Finally finished documenting my arrest last year. 07/03/2008

It's not safe to just walk in Framingham in the early morning hours. The Framingham police department has too many Yahoos trying to make a name for themselves and arresting me. Reardon should be so proud of this big bust.

Thanks to Carla Howell, Massachusetts residents will have the opportunity to vote to eliminate the Massachusetts state income tax . 06/05/2008

I personally cannot thank Carla Howell enough for her tremendous effort in trying to salvage the state from its own fiscal irresponsibilty. The state income tax represents only 39% of revenues.

I've been working furiously to document Massachusetts revenues/expenses. It's an ironic coincidence that I posted this on April 15th. 04/15/2008

The Commonwealth (Your Wealth is Their Wealth) of Massachusetts spends money like there's no tomorrow. In another month or two, I will have a ten year history. Note my comments.

After listening to Richardson and Sannicandro's ignorance on state finances, I decided to dig up some info on state finances. 12/22/2007

The Commonwealth (Your Wealth is Their Wealth) of Massachusetts, much like Framingham, is rolling in your money. If you listen to our state reps, it's nothing but deficits.

The Commonwealth (your wealth is their wealth) of Massachusetts has become involved in the care and feeding of gluttons . 09/25/2007

Using the social service agency called The Advocates as their contractor, the the state has entered the weight loss business at your expense by caring and feeding of those that are least likely to lose weight.

Another mugging has occured within spitting distance of the Framingham police headquarters. 09/24/2007

This time, a store clerk is hog tied by two men while the place is robbed. Across the street from our town hall and 800 feet from Framingham police headquarters.

Our Welcoming Proclamation has a growing list of accomplishments. 09/23/2007

This time, it's dozens of overcrowded housing complaints and a an illegal pharmacy operating perilously close to a legal one.

A Framingham police officer shoots and kills a man downtown. 09/22/2007

Since the incident only involved two individuals at night and only one survived, the victor and only survivor gets to write history. Only time will tell if Officer Casey becomes a serial killer. It is doubtful that the full review of the incident will ever be released to the public. A full release would help in alleviating doubts that some of us have.

A police critic (myself) gets arrested. It was more like a police mugging. More on this later. 06/16/2007

This arrest has been in the works for years after I started criticizing the police department. These people don't take criticism too well. I've been stopped so many times in my early morning walks.

Our Welcoming Proclamation has a growing list of accomplishments. The number of illegals driving without a license is increasing. 08/19/2007

An increasing number of illegals driving without a license and driving away from court after having been fined. We can pretty much assume that most illegals will do this multiple times.

Special Education (SPED) is becoming a big financial issue for our schools. 05/24/2007

As Special Education (SPED) expands in what may be more appropriately called an epidemic of stupidity, Regular Education students will suffer in funding. We pay 40% more for SPED students.

Town and school health insurance information on one nice neat page 03/19/2007

One nice neat page to display all the information you could want on our town's health insurance costs and number of eligible employees .

See how the town will overspend your tax dollars and force an override. 02/17/2007

Here are details on how the town of Framingham will deliberately overspend your hard earned tax dollars over a five year period in their Five year Financial projection

Taxpayers will soon have $100 million more in debt to pay to our public sector unions. 01/21/2007

The taxpayers simply pay too much to our town and school employees in terms of salaries and benefits. We will be up to our necks in debt to public sector unions.

I've started to accumulate all the lousy benefits of our Welcoming Proclamation. 01/18/2007

This recent fire in a house containing a horde of illegals is yet another fine example of what our Welcoming Proclamation brings to Framingham.

Fire leaves 20 homeless 01/16/2007

The town census shows only one person living there but the firefighters found beds everywhere, in the basement, the attic and in closets. Another notch for our Welcoming Proclamation.

Warning, Framingham taxpayers, Warning 01/11/2007

Override threat number 97 on the horizon. Why can't these idiots stop overspending.

Our vocational school Keefe Tech, is now 42% SPED. 01/05/2007

Who would have thought that Keefe Tech would be almost half SPED? The teachers union is doing its job in bilking the taxpayers.

Why do I think Giombetti is worthless as a Selectman? 12/19/2006

Because his policies on illegal immigration will drive up our property taxes. Simple as that.

I'm saving Charlie Sisitsky's big lie for next April's election. 12/07/2006

Sisitsky's big lie was like Clinton saying I did not have sex with that woman.

Framingham school SPED rate is now twenty (20%) percent 11/22/2006

Here is some historical information on how we got here.
SPED was alleged reserved for those students who were seriously handicapped but it is now seriously being abused by the teachers unions. Who could have predicted that twenty (20%) percent of Framingham students would have special needs.

Framingham Finances for Dummies 09/08/2006

I've generated graphs for various major components of Framingham finances that provides the reader a quick and simplistic understanding of the issues.

I've been perusing the police and fire union contracts. 09/04/2006

It was a discouraging experience to read these contracts but the good news is that you can read the Cliff Notes of the police union contract and fire union contract.

One year analysis of arrests in Framingham 07/15/2006

After accumulating one year's worth of data on arrests, I have done some analysis.

Our third and newest deputy police chief goes wild . 07/15/2006

His police bravado doesn't sit well with law abiding taxpayers.

Finally got a response to my police complaint 07/15/2006

Took the chief two weeks to do some creative writing

Deborah Blumer heavily supports SMOC 07/13/2006

In case there was any doubt in your mind as to how Deborah Blumer feels about SMOC, her money talks very loudly.

60 times and he's still in 06/30/2006

Here in Framingham, we don't have the three strikes and you're out. In the case of Mr. John English, it's 60 times and he's still in. A sad commentary on law enforcement in Framingham. Mr. English doesn't have a chance of beating out Mr. Jose Vasquez for the current record.

I've plugged in the most recent 2005, 2006 and 2007 numbers. 06/28/2006

As these figures become available, I maintain these pages. Soon, we will get a five (5) year projection. Despite an $8 million dollar increase from this year (2006), the schools still claimed to be $2 million short in 2007.

I filed this complaint against the Framingham police department. 06/28/2006

Eight days later, it is still being investigated. Are they getting their ducks in line and getting on the same page about this incident?

Framingham's population continues to shrink 04/20/2006

If this Globe article is correct, the current Framingham population is down to a pre-1990 level. Our year 2000 population was 66,910, and it's now around 64,300.

School Report for 2005 04/15/2006

More details than you can shake a stick at on Framingham schools including all salaries and annoying FTA contract details.

133 times and he's still in 03/11/2006

Here in Framingham, we don't have the three strikes and you're out. In the case of Mr. Vasquez, it's 133 times and he's still in. A sad commentary on law enforcement in Framingham.

A Cynic's View of Jury Duty 11/18/2005

A short description of my personal experiences on jury duty yesterday.

Bylaw violations are being ignored by Katherine Murphy 11/12/2005

It's becoming clear that Katherine Murphy, as Chairman of the Board of Selectman is wantonly ignoring town bylaw violations by not responding to my request to the Board of Selectman. Each time I inquire about my request, she comes up with a new excuse for not responding.

CCFIILE now has its own web site. 11/10/2005

I've set up a web site for CCFIILE because they really needed one. We've been documenting the day laborers in Framingham

Crime in downtown Framingham (part 2) 09/23/2005

Finally accumulated some statistics on crime in Framingham. The cumulative crimelog is based on entries from the MWDN.

Crime in downtown Framingham 09/17/2005

I've been accumulating the police logs from the the Metrowest Daily News for the past three months and have some conclusions.

Boston is ranked the most expensive city in the US. 09/08/2005

Whoa! What a surprise! Could this be the primary reason why this is so?

Public sector unions pack a punch. 08/25/2005

Unions in the private sector are getting weaker but, public sector unions are getting stronger. In Massachusetts, 90% of government employees are unionized.

The real costs of schools is well obfuscated by our school budget numbers. 07/23/2005

The real costs of schools are well obfucsated by the annual school budget put out by the school committee. In a request to the school superintendent, we got a breakdown of school expenses on the town side of expenses.

I'll try to maintain a crime log. 07/07/2005

Crimes are fleeting events that are hard to remember, so maintaining a long term crime log makes sense.

Framingham has a $71 million pension deficit. 07/07/2005

The $71 million shortfall comes from the incredible rise in health care costs. When any town/school employee retires, they can opt in for town health care, 90% funded by the taxpayers. Nothing like this in private industry.

I've plugged in the fiscal 2006 numbers in the financial page for this decade. 05/25/2005

It's always interesting to see Framingham expenses across a number of years.

Property taxes in Framingham are very regressive. 05/24/2005

According to my findings, the less land you own, the more you pay per square foot .

I've accumulated some interesting information on Framingham Fire Department. 04/25/2005

It must be nice to work for our fire department. Tough to beat those salaries.

Boston Magazine releases school comparison information for 2005 04/23/2005

Once, maybe twice a year, Boston Magazine releases some fascinating tables on school comparisons.

Apparently, illegal aliens from Brazil have beem pilfering from Framingham, thru remittances, since the 1980s. 03/27/2005

A New York Times article, dated 11/30/1990, states that the Brazilian city of Governador Valadares has been built from remittances of its citizens working as illegal aliens in Framingham, MA.

Taxpayer protection pledges are the latest trend in trying to hold politicians accountable for their actions. 03/18/2005

I've developed three taxpayer protection pledges for Framingham. Ask your favorite candidate if he/she will sign one.

Ever wonder why your taxes go up pretty quickly? What's the fundamental driving force in Massachusetts? Wonder no more! 02/25/2005

The private sector is 10% unionized. The public sector is 35% unionized. However, in Massachusetts and Framingham, the public sector is 90% unionized. Now read No Teacher Left Behind. Say NO to all capital and operational overrides.

Ever wonder how our schools measure up in terms of classrooms, students, and capacity? 02/18/2005

This student headcount, capacity and classroom information dates from late 2004 but is quite valid.

Our capital override proposal is beginning to look like a snowball in hell. 01/17/2005

Thanks to the last local reassessment, many people saw large tax increases which certainly makes our capital override proposal look like a snowball in hell.

Reasons to vote against the proposed new McAuliffe library. 01/16/2005

This is a synopsis of reasons to vote against the new library proposal.

As long as teacher unions exist, there is little hope in education reform. SAT scores will continue to slide. 01/13/2005

If we really want to improve schools, something has to be done about the teachers unions.
You work hard to earn your money and the town taxes you and then gives your money away to some relatively worthless cause. 12/30/2004

The town owns a substantial number of properties that are not actively used by the town, so they rent them out for a mere one dollar a year. No one knows how the beneficiaries get these special deals.

Have you ever wondered what kind of businesses live in downtown Framingham. It is a temporal reflection of this page. I'm saving it for posterity. 12/29/2004

Mostly small businesses that are self-supportive for the Brazilian community. I would call most of them veneer, or fly-by-night businesses but it is still an interesting assortment.
Selectman Christopher Ross says he will resign in April after one term. 12/18/2004

Citing the need for more family time and negative influences in the community, Selectman Chris Ross says he intends to resign.

Unchecked illegal immigration into Framingham doesn't paint a pretty picture 11/03/2004

The crime scene in Framingham doesn't compare well with neighboring towns and I can only assume that it's due to unchecked immigration and lax law enforcement by our police.

All override news, notes or letters will be posted at http://www.no-more-overrides.org. 10/22/2004

Since the issue of the $90 million capital override is a BIG issue, it how has it's own web site.

Our town manager foolishly opened his mouth again. Somebody help him pull his foot out. 10/06/2004

King stated "The last override was hard to visualize. This one, you can see it, feel it, experience it, you'll enjoy it." Visualize this, George! Not all us are as mentally impaired as you.

The Immense Override of 2005 is being proposed by our town manager. 09/23/2004

I'm trying to control my laughter, folks. The choice of wording in the proposal is interesting.

The 2004 MCAS results are in. 09/23/2004

Generally put, most schools in the state improved. Since the MCAS is still being developed, it might have have been dumbed down to make sure most students passed.

Here's an example of how the Massachusetts government metastasized recently. 08/12/2004

Create a problem within a department, and grow the same department to solve the problem.

Ever wonder how government grows or metastasizes? 08/02/2004

This story from the Wall Street Journal gives you a clue about how the Department of Energy came to be and how our new Intelligence Directorate will come to me. It's a sad statement of how government metastasizes.

Citizens Against Government Waste publishes the annual Pig Book. 07/28/2004

The Pig Book documents the most egregious pork barrel spending at the Federal level. Iowa got a $50 million rain forest. No building permits allowed in the rain forest. Alaska leads the nation in pork per capita.

Longevity pay: Yet another perk to our town employees. 07/20/2004

I stumbled onto this little gem while perusing the town by-laws. Nothing comparable in the private sector.

Think we're winning the war on drugs? 07/20/2004

Think again. When the price of heroin drops down to the price of beer, or some expensive cookies, we're in trouble. And this is after placing 2 million people in jail.

Think we're better educated now than in the past? 07/20/2004

SAT scores have declined over the last 35 years. It's depressing to realize that despite our effort to better fund our schools, they can't seem to improve scores,

Have you donated to our Tax Relief fund for seniors? I inquired on how much was donated this year. I really need to get the rest of the information. 07/10/2004

I also wanted to know if any of financially callous selectmen donated.

On learning about our increase in water/sewer rates, I submitted some questions to the Board of Selectman 07/09/2004

My first attempt to question them face to face failed since most had no idea why they voted for an increase. It seemed like the right thing to do, just like the last Proposition 2 1/2 override. If you have any remarks on these questions and answers, please forward them to hjw2001@gmail.com.

This is an interesting link to the town's web site giving you a lot of info on your home and your neighbor's homes. 06/26/2004

Perhaps too revealing

Here's a web site with a lot of historical scores for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) that may be of interest. 06/11/2004

See more details on Framingham specific scores. The 2003 Massachusetts report shows the striking correlation between family income and SAT scores indicating that it's tough to rise above your culture. It's not money, it's attitude about education. It's about turning off TVs.
No educational system, no matter how it is designed, can make up for that which is not given to children in their homes.

Ever wondered how many Special Education students we have? 05/14/2004

The answer is "more than you can shake a stick at". Almost 17% of our students are SPED. Average annual cost per student is $12,500.

A few editorials on the ongoing teacher contract negotiations from outsider Rob Haneisen, outsider Tom Moroney, and of course, me 05/09/2004

You can sense the true hypocrisy when the teachers say we do all our important critical work only for the children.

Here's a school enrollment view that may be of interest. 04/20/2004

We can only speculate on its meaning. School enrollment seems to be on the decline for the moment.

Here's a treasure trove of information on school finances. 04/01/2004

This state Department of Education site (http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/) is an immense treasure trove of financial information on how Framingham schools stack up against all other schools in the commonwealth.

Change your perception of government, read The Law 04/01/2004

Written by Frederic Bastiat around the 1840's, The Law provides you with a realistic view of law and government.

Incumbents keep selectmen seats 03/31/2004

Regrettably, I have not yet broken into the ranks of Selectman but the election results say that my vote count more than quadrupled from last year.

Ever wanted to know Framingham's inflation rate over the years? 03/16/2004

Using information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Price & Living Conditions, CPI-All Urban Consumers, Create Custon Table) for Boston-Brocton-Nashua, MA-NH-MN-CT, we now have one. Enjoy!

How many immigrant/SPED children, legal and illegal do we have in our school system? 02/03/2004

Apparently about 23% of all our students are either SPED or challenged by the English language. I'm guessing that about 800 are children of illegal aliens.

The Framingham Taxpayers Association has released an excellent paper on the execessive town salaries. 02/03/2004

It seems that since Proposition 2 1/2 was implemented, the town of Framingham has been paying excessive salaries to its employees. A move is under way to freeze all COLAs if the votes are there.
The MWDN prints an article on it and a couple union presidents have their say and one Linda Dunbrackon who seems to have a vested interest in school teachers. Of course, I have to say something about this issue.

Opened up a new section dealing with illegal aliens in Framingham. 01/04/2004

The national topic of illegal aliens has spilled into Framingham with the formation of a new group CCFILE.

How does one dress up the chickens? 11/17/2003

The Wall Street Journal has a sobering article on the mass migration from Mexico. This falls in the category of We have met the enemy, and the enemy is us category.

Making a fool of one's self 10/20/2003

Our cub reporter and editor of our free news rag Rob Haneisen, decides to critique my questions on immigration that I submitted to the Board of Selectman. My response is included.

The Trash Fee is Coming 10/06/2003

The town is proposing a trash fee as a way of circumventing Proposition 2 1/2. If it is allowed to pass, the town will start charging a fee for all services.
Coming soon: a police department response fee?, a fire department response fee? Why are we paying taxes?

How Framingham Schools rank in
Boston Metro Area 10/03/2003

Thanks to information from the October 2003 issue of Boston Magazine (now available), we can visualize where Framingham schools rank in comparison to other towns, by different categories. This is a goldmine of information and covers 147 metro area towns.

Questions on illegal immigrants 10/02/2003

I submitted a series of questions on illegal residents to the Board of Selectman. Waiting for responses.

The George P. King, Jr. Saga 09/20/2003

I've placed all the articles on the George P. King, Jr saga in chronological order on one page for simplicity's sake.

Is the Framingham police department in violation of federal immigration laws ? 09/15/2003

Our police department would seem to be violating federal immigration laws by talking to illegals and not turning them into the US immigration department when they are pulled over without a driver's license. Read the applicable federal law and decide for yourself.
Here are editorial opinions from our liberal editors Rick Holmes and Rob Haneisen.

Framingham complainant calls his arrest a political ploy 08/23/2003

The man who filed a state ethics complaint against the Framingham Town Manager, George P. King, Jr. was released and calls his arrest a political ploy.

Ethics Complaint filer is arrested 08/22/2003

The man who filed a state ethics complaint against the Framingham Town Manager, George P. King, Jr. was arrested as he tried to enter the Selectman's meeting room. Police Chief Steven Carl led Seth Levenson away in handcuffs. Levenson was arrested for violating a restraining order filed by his wife, Allison Potter, who was taking notes at the Selectmen's meeting last night.

Ethics Complaint Filed Against Town Manager 08/11/2003

An ethics complaint has been filed against the Town of Framingham's town manager George P. King, Jr.. It seems to involve strip poker, pushups, salary increases/decreases and one sister reporting to another. You would think a man in his position would not even be close to this type of activity. Some more information can be found here. According to this article, Seth Levenson who filed the ethics complaint will appear at the next Board Of Selectman meeting on August 21.

Framingham Taxpayers Association announced 08/05/2003

The Framingham Taxpayers Association's (FTPA) existence was leaked to the press (probably by Deep Throat). The FTPA's mission is to prevent unnecessary overrides caused by fiscal mismanagement.

Well, Lookee Here, We Found $700,000 07/10/2003

The School Committee "found" $700,000 in its pile of money that it did not know it had. That's 1% of the school budget.

Growth of the Enterprise Fund 06/28/2003

It's not just the General Fund that is growing way too fast. The Enterprise Fund(s) covers sewer, water and the Loring Arena. It's growth (and cost to you) has no relationship to the slow population growth in this town. This page has all the big numbers and graphs.

When Teachers Out 06/18/2003

This is an interesting tale of how frequently teachers take sick leave and the subsequent economic and educational consequences. Kudos to the Eagle Tribune staff. Wish we had investigative reporters like that.

The Pacheco Bill 06/18/2003

The Pacheco Bill was passed in 1993 with the support of the state government unions, and is probably the strictest anti-privatization bill in the nation. We can be thankful that it does not apply to municipalities.

Ever wondered why schools were so expensive? 06/16/2003

I've compiled a breakdown of a myriad of different school positions by school. There is a rather long version and a shorter version. One adult for every 7.15 students in our school system and one teacher for every 11.7 students. This is an outbreak of socialism.

A Quick Look at Town Employee Head Count 06/15/2003

Here's a quick tabulation of how town departments look like in terms of head counts (from a complete listing of all full/part-time employees acquired from the town.

The Worm In The Apple 06/15/2003

Read up on school unions and why they are destroying the American education system. An excellent book by Peter Brimelow.

Are Framingham Teachers Paid Too Much? You Decide 06/12/2003

I've been examining the school budgets and other school related material and submitted this editorial to the Framingham Tab.

Giving Land Away for $1. Higher Taxes Come Later. 06/02/2003

Here's an example of how the town claims to be hurting for money but turns down a $1 millionoffer for some land and then gives it away to Natick for $1.

Taxes Driving Some Elderly From Their Homes 04/12/2003

A very sad story of the effects of increasing tax burdens on the elderly. It's not like the Selectman or Town Manager in this town care. Watch how fast the next override comes. My prediction is for the September/October time frame.

Previous MCAS results posted 04/06/2003

I've posted results MCAS results for Framingham and surrounding towns for comparison purposes. One could not even say that we are on the crest of the rising tide of mediocrity.

Town of North Framingham Wins 04/03/2003

The results of the town lection on April 1, indicates that the the town of North Framingham wins by a landslide.

Is It Time For An Override? 03/23/2003

In case you wonder whether a Proposition 2 1/2 override is warranted, consider this long laundry list of items.

Church Plowing Is No More 03/21/2003

The Board of Selectman voted to eliminate the plowing of 23 churches. Details can be seen here.

Police say cuts limit drug fight 03/20/2003

This story brings up the issue of how much money the taxpayer should spend to eliminate one ounce of cocaine or marijuana, or one unregistered gun in Framingham. Given that tale and all the detail work the police department does, the police don't seem to be overworked.

Recap of what we do wrong 03/10/2003

This is a short list of strange things the town government does that irks the taxpayers.

Tips for prescription drugs savings 03/08/2003

Enzo Rotatori makes suggestions on how seniors can make significant savings on prescription drugs from Canada.

List of churches plowed now available 03/01/2003

The DPW provided me with a list of churches that are plowed.

Friends of Framingham Fund (Showing You Care) 02/11/2003

For those of you who want to show us your compassion, please contribute to the Friends of Framingham Fund

Town Manager says the OVERRIDE word. 02/06/2003

Unable to handle cuts, our ineffective town manager suggested (infered) that the Board of Selectman vote to place an override request on the ballot. Folks, it's only a matter of time. My thoughts.

Stupidity Should be Cured 02/03/2003

One of the founders of the DNA helix believes that stupidity is a genetic quality that can and should be cured. There is always hope that we might yet be saved from ourselves.

Five semi-finalists chosen for School Superintendent. 02/02/2003

This is a very sad collection of candidates.

Framingham plows church lots at taxpayers expense. 02/02/2003

This has been an ongoing practice. Here's what I think of it.

Class size report now available 01/22/2003

Ralph Wilbur's excellent report refuting the opinion that class size is important in getting better academic results is now available.

Cambridge is much better managed than Framingham 01/21/2003

It would seem that in the time frame that Cambridge, MA's budget rose by less than 3%, Framingham's budget rose by 65%.

Open Letter to the Board of Selectman 01/10/2003

I've submitted an open letter to the Board of Selectman and the town manager to the Metrowest Daily News.

I'm now a candidate for Selectman 01/8/2003

I took out the nomination papers to become a town Selectman on December 30, 2002. Only 45 minutes later, I got a call from the Metrowest Daily News. I submitted my nomination papers to the town clerk on January 2, 2003.

State revenues still in freefall 12/18/2002

The Boston Globe reports that state revenues are still in freefall and that municipalities should expect less than what was to be reduced funding. I expect Framingham will request an override.

School Committee member resigns 12/15/2002

Susan Aymes, a six year member of the School Committee is resigning to devote more time to her son and career. Pam Richardson is going to attempt to take her slot.

Gerard Desilets resigns as Town Moderator 12/15/2002

Gerard E. Desilets is resigning from his position as Town moderator to give himself more time for SMOC. This is great news.

Commercial Taxes to go up sharply 12/13/2002

In a Board of Selectman meeting last night, it was decided to keep a split tax rate and have the commercial properties pay even a higher burden ( $12.69/residential and $29.21/commercial) A lower tax burden on either side was of course never even considered. The town government must grow at all costs.
The Fiscal Year 2003 assesments are now available on line. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Christopher Ross stated There is pain everywhere here, but we have to stand by those folks who have been residents here for many years.
You can bet he'll be dishing out more pain as long as he's in office.

Downtown Commons not yet completed 12/12/2002

Now more than two months behind schedule, our downtown commons park has yet to be completed. A testament to our town manager, George P. King, Jr.'s ineffectiveness. Kathy Bartolini is in charge of this never ending project.

Framingham Mailing Lists 12/12/2002

I've rediscovered the Majordomo mail server being run by one of our TMMs, Steven Orr.  Look here for details.

Town Owned Properties 11/15/2002

I've acquired a list of town owned, tax exempt properties from the the town. This allows us to see what we own as a collective.

Fire Fighters Chop Shop 11/10/2002

You have to very careful where you park your car in this town. Never park it too close to a firestation or this could happen to you.

The Packrat Syndrone (at your Expense) 11/07/2002

The Board of Selectman are trying to block the sale of Wallace Nutting paraphernalia that have been in the Framingham Public Library's basement vault for 30 years. See details.

The SWAT Team 11/05/2002

The Solid Waste Advisory Team (SWAT) is about to charge you for too much garbage. See details here including an interesting statement from John M. Kahn. This is just another tax disguised as a fee.

Saved from "The Claw" 10/31/2002

Police Lt. Wayne A. McCarthy gets our Waster of the Week Award for his tireless effort in trying to save us from the vices of gambling. Headlines here.

Town Bumper Cars 10/16/2002

An article in the Boston Globe tells the story of the high number of accidents involving town owned vehicles.

My first Framingham School Committee meeting 10/16/2002

There are two things every person should do before their death. The first is visit Las Vegas, NV. and develop an understanding on the importance of zoning laws. The second is to attend a Framingham School Committee meeting with Phil Dinsky as the committee head. I did the second last night. See my comments.

Volunteered for Callahan seniors 10/15/2002

I talked to Mary Parcher who heads the Callahan Senior Center and volunteered some of my spare time to seniors in their never ending struggle to understand computers. The senior center has to conduct a background check on me first to see if I'm moral enough to help. I wonder how much this will cost the town to be a volunteer.

Waster of the Week Award 10/15/2002

I've decided to give out an award, entitled the Waster of the Week award, whenever appropriate, to the town employee who finds the most creative ways to waste the Framingham taxpayer's money.

The Search for a new School Superintendent 10/14/2002

Our superintendent of schools, Dr. Mark Smith retired. During his seven year tenure, school costs have risen by 50% and SAT scores have declined. Not wanting to save the Framingham taxpayer any money, the town chose to start searching for a new superintendent of schools, over the idea of promoting the assistant superintendent of schools, Walter McClennan. Apparently, Walter is not ready for the big times.

The Infamous Rt. 126/Rt. 135 Downtown Railroad Crossing 10/03/2002

On the issue of the railroad crossing at Rt. 126 and Rt 135, you know you're probably not making too much progress when a 72 year old man states, "My grandfather was on a town committee to try to resolve that problem".

Framingham gets sued by it's own firefighter 09/12/2002

The town of Framingham is being sued by one of it's own firefighters for racial profiling in an incident two years ago. More details can be seen here.

Dog Agility Training 08/19/2002

I read an article that the Framingham police will have a police dog agility training course. Let me see if I understand this. We have some officers who have long lost sight of their toes, and we waste money by training our police dogs to be agile. Perhaps, we can better utilize our money by training our officers to stay in shape. Let's sponsor a training course where the officer has to run half a mile and do 20 pushups. How many other ways can we waste money?

Town Taxi Woes 08/14/2002

In the latest follies by the Framingham selectmen exercising their morality over us, Jack Mabardy, owner of Town Taxi is being denied a license to operate in the town because he taxes town resources. The selectmen claim that the police have had too many complaints about his service. This constitutes a waste of town resources. Police should be able to do more important things like be flagmen Take note that there is no mention of any crimes being committed. No one was arrested. The selectmen are exercising their morality. I agree with Jack Mabardy that the town is overstepping their authority. I hope that Mabardy sues and wins. While Town Taxi may cost us some, the police waste far more money being flagmen.

Oh! Look! An Extra Million! Cool! 08/09/2002

In a Boston Globe article, the Framingham School Committe "found" an extra million dollars to cover a deficit in their budget caused by state cuts. It makes you wonder how many other dark corners of our school budget are hiding more millions.
A million here, a million there, and after a while, we're talking serious money.
In lean times, it's probably not a good strategy to sue the hand that feeds you (the state) for shortchanging you on charter schools. I guess the town has plenty of money in the Legal department.

Another Override? Not! 08/02/2002

Our favorite reporter, Rob Haneisen is once again peddling tax and spend liberalism and encouraging the town to go for another override vote. If it worked once, maybe it'll work again. Not if I can do anything.

Town Liquor Licenses 06/28/2002

Esther Hopkins, chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen states that the issuance of liquor licenses is based on public need. I could not agree more. Give every applicant for a liquor license that which they seek and if they go out of business, there was no public need. Don't, however try to dictate what the public needs are based on your own distorted sense of morality.
Two thumbs down for Esther Hopkins, our new fearless temperance leader. Any relationship to Carrie Nation?
"You can be sure that people without vices have some pretty annoying virtues."
           Elizabeth Taylor

Town car usage 06/26/2002

The issue of waste in town government will not go away until certain issues are clarified precisely by the town manager, George P. King, Jr.    One prominent issue is how many town employees are using town vehicles for day to day commuting.   I understand that a policy was written, but did that reduce the number of town employees (41) using town vehicles or did it increase it. How many town employees commute with town vehicles?

Blame the unions? Not! 06/22/2002

Our favorite reporter, Rob Haneisen has it wrong when he tells us to blame the unions for the high costs of schools. We have absolutely no control over what a union wants to do, but we do exercise control over who gets elected to deal with their costs. One can expect that the next override request will cost quite a few jobs within the town.

Ongoing override battles 06/22/2002

On Bob Moore's opinion in the Framingham Tab on June 21, I see Mal Schulze as someone who is angry that the nice perma-grin tax and spend liberals are trying to suck everything out of his pocket until nothing but lint remains. The definition of a "majority is, that quality that distinguishes a crime from a law. It is a very slim majority. Like him, I am extremely territorial about the contents of my wallet.

Spectrum Health Systems 06/16/2002

The town of Framingham has finally dropped its opposition to a Spectrum Health Systems methadone clinic and only because of the high cost of litigation. Basically, the town officials do not want to deal with the drug problem as a health problem. They would prefer to deal with it as a crime problem. The town officials like the US government would prefer to arrest drug users than have to deal with addiction as a health issue. Unfortunately, it is a health issue.

No Celebrations says police chief! 06/16/2002

On police chief Steven Carl's comments about banning World Cup celebrations in downton and announcing that revelers would be arrested and issued citations, I certainly do hope he tells us white people that we cannot celebrate the 4th of July or any Super Bowl or World Series victory so that he is not seen as a racist.

Town Income Tax ? No way! 06/16/2002

After the override vote, George P. King, Jr. said "It's a structural issue of municipal government finance. Towns rely too heavily on property taxes. I'd rather see higher income taxes and less property taxes. But Proposition 2 1/2 is the only option we have." Here we have a man doing some empire building. He is suggesting that the town should have an income tax to build the empire with. George, we've taken note how the U.S. Constitution's 16th amendment has grown from it's inception in 1913.

Stapleton Storm Troopers 06/16/2002

I find it difficult to believe that the principal of Stapleton Elementary School, Charles McInnis would utilize our children for political gain. The idea of dressing the kids up in a "I Am Stapleton" shirt seems revolting.
I'd certainly like to know who purchased the shirts. Were they purchased with public funds to promote the override vote? Are our children are being used as little storm troopers on behalf of the town government?
School employees should never use any public funds or publicly funded time for political purposes that would only benefit the school employees. This is a self-serving interest and is ethically and morally wrong.

When when you things can't get worse in Framingham, along comes our biggest idiot, Pam Richardson.	04/08/2009
Framingham's idiot savante wants to give away the entire US legacy to illegals. Drivers liceses, in-state tuition and the right to vote in local elections.
I've gone thru several complaints against the police department and placed them all on one page	12/08/2008
Except for those who keep their eyes wide shut, a pattern of harassment is beginning to show. More to come in the future.
Finally got back my USB recorder that had the audio recording of my arrest back on June 15, 2007.	09/04/2008
Framingham's police chief and the assistant DA prosecuting me painted Officer Gregory Reardon as an angel trying to help me. Just listen to the recording and decide for yourself.
Another attempt to harass and intimidate me at Dunkin Donuts by the Mass Pike.	09/02/2008
Gotta love these jack-booted adrenaline junkies .
Our intrepid Framingham PD officers descend on Dunkin Donuts by the Mass Pike like a swarm of locusts to park in handicap .	08/25/2008
They seem to have to have difficulties identifying a proper parking space and they set a bad example for the community.
After a robbery at Dunkin Donuts by the Mass Pike on 5/25/2008, a Framingham police cruiser comes after me to harrass and intimidate me.	08/24/2008
Notice in the complaint that the police chief refuses to release the name of the officer . This police officer could be prosecuted and sent to the big house.
The Framingham police have a sanctuary policy for illegal aliens.	07/07/2008
Read it! . Make up your own mind as to whether it is a sanctuary policy .
Finally finished documenting my arrest last year.	07/03/2008
It's not safe to just walk in Framingham in the early morning hours. The Framingham police department has too many Yahoos trying to make a name for themselves and arresting me. Reardon should be so proud of this big bust.
Thanks to Carla Howell, Massachusetts residents will have the opportunity to vote to eliminate the Massachusetts state income tax .	06/05/2008
I personally cannot thank Carla Howell enough for her tremendous effort in trying to salvage the state from its own fiscal irresponsibilty. The state income tax represents only 39% of revenues.
I've been working furiously to document Massachusetts revenues/expenses. It's an ironic coincidence that I posted this on April 15th.	04/15/2008
The Commonwealth (Your Wealth is Their Wealth) of Massachusetts spends money like there's no tomorrow. In another month or two, I will have a ten year history. Note my comments.
After listening to Richardson and Sannicandro's ignorance on state finances, I decided to dig up some info on state finances.	12/22/2007
The Commonwealth (Your Wealth is Their Wealth) of Massachusetts, much like Framingham, is rolling in your money. If you listen to our state reps, it's nothing but deficits.
The Commonwealth (your wealth is their wealth) of Massachusetts has become involved in the care and feeding of gluttons .	09/25/2007
Using the social service agency called The Advocates as their contractor, the the state has entered the weight loss business at your expense by caring and feeding of those that are least likely to lose weight.
Another mugging has occured within spitting distance of the Framingham police headquarters.	09/24/2007
This time, a store clerk is hog tied by two men while the place is robbed. Across the street from our town hall and 800 feet from Framingham police headquarters.
Our Welcoming Proclamation has a growing list of accomplishments.	09/23/2007
This time, it's dozens of overcrowded housing complaints and a an illegal pharmacy operating perilously close to a legal one.
A Framingham police officer shoots and kills a man downtown.	09/22/2007
Since the incident only involved two individuals at night and only one survived, the victor and only survivor gets to write history. Only time will tell if Officer Casey becomes a serial killer. It is doubtful that the full review of the incident will ever be released to the public. A full release would help in alleviating doubts that some of us have.
A police critic (myself) gets arrested. It was more like a police mugging. More on this later.	06/16/2007
This arrest has been in the works for years after I started criticizing the police department. These people don't take criticism too well. I've been stopped so many times in my early morning walks.
Our Welcoming Proclamation has a growing list of accomplishments. The number of illegals driving without a license is increasing.	08/19/2007
An increasing number of illegals driving without a license and driving away from court after having been fined. We can pretty much assume that most illegals will do this multiple times.
Special Education (SPED) is becoming a big financial issue for our schools.	05/24/2007
As Special Education (SPED) expands in what may be more appropriately called an epidemic of stupidity, Regular Education students will suffer in funding. We pay 40% more for SPED students.
Town and school health insurance information on one nice neat page	03/19/2007
One nice neat page to display all the information you could want on our town's health insurance costs and number of eligible employees .
See how the town will overspend your tax dollars and force an override.	02/17/2007
Here are details on how the town of Framingham will deliberately overspend your hard earned tax dollars over a five year period in their Five year Financial projection
Taxpayers will soon have $100 million more in debt to pay to our public sector unions.	01/21/2007
The taxpayers simply pay too much to our town and school employees in terms of salaries and benefits. We will be up to our necks in debt to public sector unions.
I've started to accumulate all the lousy benefits of our Welcoming Proclamation.	01/18/2007
This recent fire in a house containing a horde of illegals is yet another fine example of what our Welcoming Proclamation brings to Framingham.
Fire leaves 20 homeless	01/16/2007
The town census shows only one person living there but the firefighters found beds everywhere, in the basement, the attic and in closets. Another notch for our Welcoming Proclamation.
Warning, Framingham taxpayers, Warning	01/11/2007
Override threat number 97 on the horizon. Why can't these idiots stop overspending.
Our vocational school Keefe Tech, is now 42% SPED.	01/05/2007
Who would have thought that Keefe Tech would be almost half SPED? The teachers union is doing its job in bilking the taxpayers.
Why do I think Giombetti is worthless as a Selectman?	12/19/2006
Because his policies on illegal immigration will drive up our property taxes. Simple as that.
I'm saving Charlie Sisitsky's big lie for next April's election.	12/07/2006
Sisitsky's big lie was like Clinton saying I did not have sex with that woman.
Framingham school SPED rate is now twenty (20%) percent	11/22/2006
Here is some historical information on how we got here. SPED was alleged reserved for those students who were seriously handicapped but it is now seriously being abused by the teachers unions. Who could have predicted that twenty (20%) percent of Framingham students would have special needs.
Framingham Finances for Dummies	09/08/2006
I've generated graphs for various major components of Framingham finances that provides the reader a quick and simplistic understanding of the issues.
I've been perusing the police and fire union contracts.	09/04/2006
It was a discouraging experience to read these contracts but the good news is that you can read the Cliff Notes of the police union contract and fire union contract.
One year analysis of arrests in Framingham	07/15/2006
After accumulating one year's worth of data on arrests, I have done some analysis.
Our third and newest deputy police chief goes wild .	07/15/2006
His police bravado doesn't sit well with law abiding taxpayers.
Finally got a response to my police complaint	07/15/2006
Took the chief two weeks to do some creative writing
Deborah Blumer heavily supports SMOC	07/13/2006
In case there was any doubt in your mind as to how Deborah Blumer feels about SMOC, her money talks very loudly.
60 times and he's still in	06/30/2006
Here in Framingham, we don't have the three strikes and you're out. In the case of Mr. John English, it's 60 times and he's still in. A sad commentary on law enforcement in Framingham. Mr. English doesn't have a chance of beating out Mr. Jose Vasquez for the current record.
I've plugged in the most recent 2005, 2006 and 2007 numbers.	06/28/2006
As these figures become available, I maintain these pages. Soon, we will get a five (5) year projection. Despite an $8 million dollar increase from this year (2006), the schools still claimed to be $2 million short in 2007.
I filed this complaint against the Framingham police department.	06/28/2006
Eight days later, it is still being investigated. Are they getting their ducks in line and getting on the same page about this incident?
Framingham's population continues to shrink	04/20/2006
If this Globe article is correct, the current Framingham population is down to a pre-1990 level. Our year 2000 population was 66,910, and it's now around 64,300.
School Report for 2005	04/15/2006
More details than you can shake a stick at on Framingham schools including all salaries and annoying FTA contract details.
133 times and he's still in	03/11/2006
Here in Framingham, we don't have the three strikes and you're out. In the case of Mr. Vasquez, it's 133 times and he's still in. A sad commentary on law enforcement in Framingham.
A Cynic's View of Jury Duty	11/18/2005
A short description of my personal experiences on jury duty yesterday.
Bylaw violations are being ignored by Katherine Murphy	11/12/2005
It's becoming clear that Katherine Murphy, as Chairman of the Board of Selectman is wantonly ignoring town bylaw violations by not responding to my request to the Board of Selectman. Each time I inquire about my request, she comes up with a new excuse for not responding.
CCFIILE now has its own web site.	11/10/2005
I've set up a web site for CCFIILE because they really needed one. We've been documenting the day laborers in Framingham
Crime in downtown Framingham (part 2)	09/23/2005
Finally accumulated some statistics on crime in Framingham. The cumulative crimelog is based on entries from the MWDN.
Crime in downtown Framingham	09/17/2005
I've been accumulating the police logs from the the Metrowest Daily News for the past three months and have some conclusions.
Boston is ranked the most expensive city in the US.	09/08/2005
Whoa! What a surprise! Could this be the primary reason why this is so?
Public sector unions pack a punch.	08/25/2005
Unions in the private sector are getting weaker but, public sector unions are getting stronger. In Massachusetts, 90% of government employees are unionized.
The real costs of schools is well obfuscated by our school budget numbers.	07/23/2005
The real costs of schools are well obfucsated by the annual school budget put out by the school committee. In a request to the school superintendent, we got a breakdown of school expenses on the town side of expenses.
I'll try to maintain a crime log.	07/07/2005
Crimes are fleeting events that are hard to remember, so maintaining a long term crime log makes sense.
Framingham has a $71 million pension deficit.	07/07/2005
The $71 million shortfall comes from the incredible rise in health care costs. When any town/school employee retires, they can opt in for town health care, 90% funded by the taxpayers. Nothing like this in private industry.
I've plugged in the fiscal 2006 numbers in the financial page for this decade.	05/25/2005
It's always interesting to see Framingham expenses across a number of years.
Property taxes in Framingham are very regressive.	05/24/2005
According to my findings, the less land you own, the more you pay per square foot .
I've accumulated some interesting information on Framingham Fire Department.	04/25/2005
It must be nice to work for our fire department. Tough to beat those salaries.
Boston Magazine releases school comparison information for 2005	04/23/2005
Once, maybe twice a year, Boston Magazine releases some fascinating tables on school comparisons.
Apparently, illegal aliens from Brazil have beem pilfering from Framingham, thru remittances, since the 1980s.	03/27/2005
A New York Times article, dated 11/30/1990, states that the Brazilian city of Governador Valadares has been built from remittances of its citizens working as illegal aliens in Framingham, MA.
Taxpayer protection pledges are the latest trend in trying to hold politicians accountable for their actions.	03/18/2005
I've developed three taxpayer protection pledges for Framingham. Ask your favorite candidate if he/she will sign one.
Ever wonder why your taxes go up pretty quickly? What's the fundamental driving force in Massachusetts? Wonder no more!	02/25/2005
The private sector is 10% unionized. The public sector is 35% unionized. However, in Massachusetts and Framingham, the public sector is 90% unionized. Now read No Teacher Left Behind. Say NO to all capital and operational overrides.
Ever wonder how our schools measure up in terms of classrooms, students, and capacity?	02/18/2005
This student headcount, capacity and classroom information dates from late 2004 but is quite valid.
Our capital override proposal is beginning to look like a snowball in hell.	01/17/2005
Thanks to the last local reassessment, many people saw large tax increases which certainly makes our capital override proposal look like a snowball in hell.
Reasons to vote against the proposed new McAuliffe library.	01/16/2005
This is a synopsis of reasons to vote against the new library proposal.
As long as teacher unions exist, there is little hope in education reform. SAT scores will continue to slide.	01/13/2005
If we really want to improve schools, something has to be done about the teachers unions.
You work hard to earn your money and the town taxes you and then gives your money away to some relatively worthless cause.	12/30/2004
The town owns a substantial number of properties that are not actively used by the town, so they rent them out for a mere one dollar a year. No one knows how the beneficiaries get these special deals.
Have you ever wondered what kind of businesses live in downtown Framingham. It is a temporal reflection of this page. I'm saving it for posterity.	12/29/2004
Mostly small businesses that are self-supportive for the Brazilian community. I would call most of them veneer, or fly-by-night businesses but it is still an interesting assortment.
Selectman Christopher Ross says he will resign in April after one term.	12/18/2004
Citing the need for more family time and negative influences in the community, Selectman Chris Ross says he intends to resign.
Unchecked illegal immigration into Framingham doesn't paint a pretty picture	11/03/2004
The crime scene in Framingham doesn't compare well with neighboring towns and I can only assume that it's due to unchecked immigration and lax law enforcement by our police.
All override news, notes or letters will be posted at http://www.no-more-overrides.org.	10/22/2004
Since the issue of the $90 million capital override is a BIG issue, it how has it's own web site.
Our town manager foolishly opened his mouth again. Somebody help him pull his foot out.	10/06/2004
King stated "The last override was hard to visualize. This one, you can see it, feel it, experience it, you'll enjoy it." Visualize this, George! Not all us are as mentally impaired as you.
The Immense Override of 2005 is being proposed by our town manager.	09/23/2004
I'm trying to control my laughter, folks. The choice of wording in the proposal is interesting.
The 2004 MCAS results are in.	09/23/2004
Generally put, most schools in the state improved. Since the MCAS is still being developed, it might have have been dumbed down to make sure most students passed.
Here's an example of how the Massachusetts government metastasized recently.	08/12/2004
Create a problem within a department, and grow the same department to solve the problem.
Ever wonder how government grows or metastasizes?	08/02/2004
This story from the Wall Street Journal gives you a clue about how the Department of Energy came to be and how our new Intelligence Directorate will come to me. It's a sad statement of how government metastasizes.
Citizens Against Government Waste publishes the annual Pig Book.	07/28/2004
The Pig Book documents the most egregious pork barrel spending at the Federal level. Iowa got a $50 million rain forest. No building permits allowed in the rain forest. Alaska leads the nation in pork per capita.
Longevity pay: Yet another perk to our town employees.	07/20/2004
I stumbled onto this little gem while perusing the town by-laws. Nothing comparable in the private sector.
Think we're winning the war on drugs?	07/20/2004
Think again. When the price of heroin drops down to the price of beer, or some expensive cookies, we're in trouble. And this is after placing 2 million people in jail.
Think we're better educated now than in the past?	07/20/2004
SAT scores have declined over the last 35 years. It's depressing to realize that despite our effort to better fund our schools, they can't seem to improve scores,
Have you donated to our Tax Relief fund for seniors? I inquired on how much was donated this year. I really need to get the rest of the information.	07/10/2004
I also wanted to know if any of financially callous selectmen donated.
On learning about our increase in water/sewer rates, I submitted some questions to the Board of Selectman	07/09/2004
My first attempt to question them face to face failed since most had no idea why they voted for an increase. It seemed like the right thing to do, just like the last Proposition 2 1/2 override. If you have any remarks on these questions and answers, please forward them to hjw2001@gmail.com.
This is an interesting link to the town's web site giving you a lot of info on your home and your neighbor's homes.	06/26/2004
Perhaps too revealing
Here's a web site with a lot of historical scores for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) that may be of interest.	06/11/2004
See more details on Framingham specific scores. The 2003 Massachusetts report shows the striking correlation between family income and SAT scores indicating that it's tough to rise above your culture. It's not money, it's attitude about education. It's about turning off TVs. No educational system, no matter how it is designed, can make up for that which is not given to children in their homes.
Ever wondered how many Special Education students we have?	05/14/2004
The answer is "more than you can shake a stick at". Almost 17% of our students are SPED. Average annual cost per student is $12,500.
A few editorials on the ongoing teacher contract negotiations from outsider Rob Haneisen, outsider Tom Moroney, and of course, me	05/09/2004
You can sense the true hypocrisy when the teachers say we do all our important critical work only for the children.
Here's a school enrollment view that may be of interest.	04/20/2004
We can only speculate on its meaning. School enrollment seems to be on the decline for the moment.
Here's a treasure trove of information on school finances.	04/01/2004
This state Department of Education site (http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/) is an immense treasure trove of financial information on how Framingham schools stack up against all other schools in the commonwealth.
Change your perception of government, read The Law	04/01/2004
Written by Frederic Bastiat around the 1840's, The Law provides you with a realistic view of law and government.
Incumbents keep selectmen seats	03/31/2004
Regrettably, I have not yet broken into the ranks of Selectman but the election results say that my vote count more than quadrupled from last year.
Ever wanted to know Framingham's inflation rate over the years?	03/16/2004
Using information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Price & Living Conditions, CPI-All Urban Consumers, Create Custon Table) for Boston-Brocton-Nashua, MA-NH-MN-CT, we now have one. Enjoy!
How many immigrant/SPED children, legal and illegal do we have in our school system?	02/03/2004
Apparently about 23% of all our students are either SPED or challenged by the English language. I'm guessing that about 800 are children of illegal aliens.
The Framingham Taxpayers Association has released an excellent paper on the execessive town salaries.	02/03/2004
It seems that since Proposition 2 1/2 was implemented, the town of Framingham has been paying excessive salaries to its employees. A move is under way to freeze all COLAs if the votes are there. The MWDN prints an article on it and a couple union presidents have their say and one Linda Dunbrackon who seems to have a vested interest in school teachers. Of course, I have to say something about this issue.
Opened up a new section dealing with illegal aliens in Framingham.	01/04/2004
The national topic of illegal aliens has spilled into Framingham with the formation of a new group CCFILE.
How does one dress up the chickens?	11/17/2003
The Wall Street Journal has a sobering article on the mass migration from Mexico. This falls in the category of We have met the enemy, and the enemy is us category.
Making a fool of one's self	10/20/2003
Our cub reporter and editor of our free news rag Rob Haneisen, decides to critique my questions on immigration that I submitted to the Board of Selectman. My response is included.
The Trash Fee is Coming	10/06/2003
The town is proposing a trash fee as a way of circumventing Proposition 2 1/2. If it is allowed to pass, the town will start charging a fee for all services. Coming soon: a police department response fee?, a fire department response fee? Why are we paying taxes?
How Framingham Schools rank in Boston Metro Area	10/03/2003
Thanks to information from the October 2003 issue of Boston Magazine (now available), we can visualize where Framingham schools rank in comparison to other towns, by different categories. This is a goldmine of information and covers 147 metro area towns.
Questions on illegal immigrants	10/02/2003
I submitted a series of questions on illegal residents to the Board of Selectman. Waiting for responses.
The George P. King, Jr. Saga	09/20/2003
I've placed all the articles on the George P. King, Jr saga in chronological order on one page for simplicity's sake.
Is the Framingham police department in violation of federal immigration laws ?	09/15/2003
Our police department would seem to be violating federal immigration laws by talking to illegals and not turning them into the US immigration department when they are pulled over without a driver's license. Read the applicable federal law and decide for yourself. Here are editorial opinions from our liberal editors Rick Holmes and Rob Haneisen.
Framingham complainant calls his arrest a political ploy	08/23/2003
The man who filed a state ethics complaint against the Framingham Town Manager, George P. King, Jr. was released and calls his arrest a political ploy.
Ethics Complaint filer is arrested	08/22/2003
The man who filed a state ethics complaint against the Framingham Town Manager, George P. King, Jr. was arrested as he tried to enter the Selectman's meeting room. Police Chief Steven Carl led Seth Levenson away in handcuffs. Levenson was arrested for violating a restraining order filed by his wife, Allison Potter, who was taking notes at the Selectmen's meeting last night.
Ethics Complaint Filed Against Town Manager	08/11/2003
An ethics complaint has been filed against the Town of Framingham's town manager George P. King, Jr.. It seems to involve strip poker, pushups, salary increases/decreases and one sister reporting to another. You would think a man in his position would not even be close to this type of activity. Some more information can be found here. According to this article, Seth Levenson who filed the ethics complaint will appear at the next Board Of Selectman meeting on August 21.
Framingham Taxpayers Association announced	08/05/2003
The Framingham Taxpayers Association's (FTPA) existence was leaked to the press (probably by Deep Throat). The FTPA's mission is to prevent unnecessary overrides caused by fiscal mismanagement.
Well, Lookee Here, We Found $700,000	07/10/2003
The School Committee "found" $700,000 in its pile of money that it did not know it had. That's 1% of the school budget.
Growth of the Enterprise Fund	06/28/2003
It's not just the General Fund that is growing way too fast. The Enterprise Fund(s) covers sewer, water and the Loring Arena. It's growth (and cost to you) has no relationship to the slow population growth in this town. This page has all the big numbers and graphs.
When Teachers Out	06/18/2003
This is an interesting tale of how frequently teachers take sick leave and the subsequent economic and educational consequences. Kudos to the Eagle Tribune staff. Wish we had investigative reporters like that.
The Pacheco Bill	06/18/2003
The Pacheco Bill was passed in 1993 with the support of the state government unions, and is probably the strictest anti-privatization bill in the nation. We can be thankful that it does not apply to municipalities.
Ever wondered why schools were so expensive?	06/16/2003
I've compiled a breakdown of a myriad of different school positions by school. There is a rather long version and a shorter version. One adult for every 7.15 students in our school system and one teacher for every 11.7 students. This is an outbreak of socialism.
A Quick Look at Town Employee Head Count	06/15/2003
Here's a quick tabulation of how town departments look like in terms of head counts (from a complete listing of all full/part-time employees acquired from the town.
The Worm In The Apple	06/15/2003
Read up on school unions and why they are destroying the American education system. An excellent book by Peter Brimelow.
Are Framingham Teachers Paid Too Much? You Decide	06/12/2003
I've been examining the school budgets and other school related material and submitted this editorial to the Framingham Tab.
Giving Land Away for $1. Higher Taxes Come Later.	06/02/2003
Here's an example of how the town claims to be hurting for money but turns down a $1 millionoffer for some land and then gives it away to Natick for $1.
Taxes Driving Some Elderly From Their Homes	04/12/2003
A very sad story of the effects of increasing tax burdens on the elderly. It's not like the Selectman or Town Manager in this town care. Watch how fast the next override comes. My prediction is for the September/October time frame.
Previous MCAS results posted	04/06/2003
I've posted results MCAS results for Framingham and surrounding towns for comparison purposes. One could not even say that we are on the crest of the rising tide of mediocrity.
Town of North Framingham Wins	04/03/2003
The results of the town lection on April 1, indicates that the the town of North Framingham wins by a landslide.
Is It Time For An Override?	03/23/2003
In case you wonder whether a Proposition 2 1/2 override is warranted, consider this long laundry list of items.
Church Plowing Is No More	03/21/2003
The Board of Selectman voted to eliminate the plowing of 23 churches. Details can be seen here.
Police say cuts limit drug fight	03/20/2003
This story brings up the issue of how much money the taxpayer should spend to eliminate one ounce of cocaine or marijuana, or one unregistered gun in Framingham. Given that tale and all the detail work the police department does, the police don't seem to be overworked.
Recap of what we do wrong	03/10/2003
This is a short list of strange things the town government does that irks the taxpayers.
Tips for prescription drugs savings	03/08/2003
Enzo Rotatori makes suggestions on how seniors can make significant savings on prescription drugs from Canada.
List of churches plowed now available	03/01/2003
The DPW provided me with a list of churches that are plowed.
Friends of Framingham Fund (Showing You Care)	02/11/2003
For those of you who want to show us your compassion, please contribute to the Friends of Framingham Fund
Town Manager says the OVERRIDE word.	02/06/2003
Unable to handle cuts, our ineffective town manager suggested (infered) that the Board of Selectman vote to place an override request on the ballot. Folks, it's only a matter of time. My thoughts.
Stupidity Should be Cured	02/03/2003
One of the founders of the DNA helix believes that stupidity is a genetic quality that can and should be cured. There is always hope that we might yet be saved from ourselves.
Five semi-finalists chosen for School Superintendent.	02/02/2003
This is a very sad collection of candidates.
Framingham plows church lots at taxpayers expense.	02/02/2003
This has been an ongoing practice. Here's what I think of it.
Class size report now available	01/22/2003
Ralph Wilbur's excellent report refuting the opinion that class size is important in getting better academic results is now available.
Cambridge is much better managed than Framingham	01/21/2003
It would seem that in the time frame that Cambridge, MA's budget rose by less than 3%, Framingham's budget rose by 65%.
Open Letter to the Board of Selectman	01/10/2003
I've submitted an open letter to the Board of Selectman and the town manager to the Metrowest Daily News.
I'm now a candidate for Selectman	01/8/2003
I took out the nomination papers to become a town Selectman on December 30, 2002. Only 45 minutes later, I got a call from the Metrowest Daily News. I submitted my nomination papers to the town clerk on January 2, 2003.
State revenues still in freefall	12/18/2002
The Boston Globe reports that state revenues are still in freefall and that municipalities should expect less than what was to be reduced funding. I expect Framingham will request an override.
School Committee member resigns	12/15/2002
Susan Aymes, a six year member of the School Committee is resigning to devote more time to her son and career. Pam Richardson is going to attempt to take her slot.
Gerard Desilets resigns as Town Moderator	12/15/2002
Gerard E. Desilets is resigning from his position as Town moderator to give himself more time for SMOC. This is great news.
Commercial Taxes to go up sharply	12/13/2002
In a Board of Selectman meeting last night, it was decided to keep a split tax rate and have the commercial properties pay even a higher burden ( $12.69/residential and $29.21/commercial) A lower tax burden on either side was of course never even considered. The town government must grow at all costs. The Fiscal Year 2003 assesments are now available on line. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. Christopher Ross stated There is pain everywhere here, but we have to stand by those folks who have been residents here for many years. You can bet he'll be dishing out more pain as long as he's in office.
Downtown Commons not yet completed	12/12/2002
Now more than two months behind schedule, our downtown commons park has yet to be completed. A testament to our town manager, George P. King, Jr.'s ineffectiveness. Kathy Bartolini is in charge of this never ending project.
Framingham Mailing Lists	12/12/2002
I've rediscovered the Majordomo mail server being run by one of our TMMs, Steven Orr. Look here for details.
Town Owned Properties	11/15/2002
I've acquired a list of town owned, tax exempt properties from the the town. This allows us to see what we own as a collective.
Fire Fighters Chop Shop	11/10/2002
You have to very careful where you park your car in this town. Never park it too close to a firestation or this could happen to you.
The Packrat Syndrone (at your Expense)	11/07/2002
The Board of Selectman are trying to block the sale of Wallace Nutting paraphernalia that have been in the Framingham Public Library's basement vault for 30 years. See details.
The SWAT Team	11/05/2002
The Solid Waste Advisory Team (SWAT) is about to charge you for too much garbage. See details here including an interesting statement from John M. Kahn. This is just another tax disguised as a fee.
Saved from "The Claw"	10/31/2002
Police Lt. Wayne A. McCarthy gets our Waster of the Week Award for his tireless effort in trying to save us from the vices of gambling. Headlines here.
Town Bumper Cars	10/16/2002
An article in the Boston Globe tells the story of the high number of accidents involving town owned vehicles.
My first Framingham School Committee meeting	10/16/2002
There are two things every person should do before their death. The first is visit Las Vegas, NV. and develop an understanding on the importance of zoning laws. The second is to attend a Framingham School Committee meeting with Phil Dinsky as the committee head. I did the second last night. See my comments.
Volunteered for Callahan seniors	10/15/2002
I talked to Mary Parcher who heads the Callahan Senior Center and volunteered some of my spare time to seniors in their never ending struggle to understand computers. The senior center has to conduct a background check on me first to see if I'm moral enough to help. I wonder how much this will cost the town to be a volunteer.
Waster of the Week Award	10/15/2002
I've decided to give out an award, entitled the Waster of the Week award, whenever appropriate, to the town employee who finds the most creative ways to waste the Framingham taxpayer's money.
The Search for a new School Superintendent	10/14/2002
Our superintendent of schools, Dr. Mark Smith retired. During his seven year tenure, school costs have risen by 50% and SAT scores have declined. Not wanting to save the Framingham taxpayer any money, the town chose to start searching for a new superintendent of schools, over the idea of promoting the assistant superintendent of schools, Walter McClennan. Apparently, Walter is not ready for the big times.
The Infamous Rt. 126/Rt. 135 Downtown Railroad Crossing	10/03/2002
On the issue of the railroad crossing at Rt. 126 and Rt 135, you know you're probably not making too much progress when a 72 year old man states, "My grandfather was on a town committee to try to resolve that problem".
Framingham gets sued by it's own firefighter	09/12/2002
The town of Framingham is being sued by one of it's own firefighters for racial profiling in an incident two years ago. More details can be seen here.
Dog Agility Training	08/19/2002
I read an article that the Framingham police will have a police dog agility training course. Let me see if I understand this. We have some officers who have long lost sight of their toes, and we waste money by training our police dogs to be agile. Perhaps, we can better utilize our money by training our officers to stay in shape. Let's sponsor a training course where the officer has to run half a mile and do 20 pushups. How many other ways can we waste money?
Town Taxi Woes	08/14/2002
In the latest follies by the Framingham selectmen exercising their morality over us, Jack Mabardy, owner of Town Taxi is being denied a license to operate in the town because he taxes town resources. The selectmen claim that the police have had too many complaints about his service. This constitutes a waste of town resources. Police should be able to do more important things like be flagmen Take note that there is no mention of any crimes being committed. No one was arrested. The selectmen are exercising their morality. I agree with Jack Mabardy that the town is overstepping their authority. I hope that Mabardy sues and wins. While Town Taxi may cost us some, the police waste far more money being flagmen.
Oh! Look! An Extra Million! Cool!	08/09/2002
In a Boston Globe article, the Framingham School Committe "found" an extra million dollars to cover a deficit in their budget caused by state cuts. It makes you wonder how many other dark corners of our school budget are hiding more millions. A million here, a million there, and after a while, we're talking serious money. In lean times, it's probably not a good strategy to sue the hand that feeds you (the state) for shortchanging you on charter schools. I guess the town has plenty of money in the Legal department.
Another Override? Not!	08/02/2002
Our favorite reporter, Rob Haneisen is once again peddling tax and spend liberalism and encouraging the town to go for another override vote. If it worked once, maybe it'll work again. Not if I can do anything.
Town Liquor Licenses	06/28/2002
Esther Hopkins, chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen states that the issuance of liquor licenses is based on public need. I could not agree more. Give every applicant for a liquor license that which they seek and if they go out of business, there was no public need. Don't, however try to dictate what the public needs are based on your own distorted sense of morality. Two thumbs down for Esther Hopkins, our new fearless temperance leader. Any relationship to Carrie Nation? "You can be sure that people without vices have some pretty annoying virtues." Elizabeth Taylor
Town car usage	06/26/2002
The issue of waste in town government will not go away until certain issues are clarified precisely by the town manager, George P. King, Jr. One prominent issue is how many town employees are using town vehicles for day to day commuting. I understand that a policy was written, but did that reduce the number of town employees (41) using town vehicles or did it increase it. How many town employees commute with town vehicles?
Blame the unions? Not!	06/22/2002
Our favorite reporter, Rob Haneisen has it wrong when he tells us to blame the unions for the high costs of schools. We have absolutely no control over what a union wants to do, but we do exercise control over who gets elected to deal with their costs. One can expect that the next override request will cost quite a few jobs within the town.
Ongoing override battles	06/22/2002
On Bob Moore's opinion in the Framingham Tab on June 21, I see Mal Schulze as someone who is angry that the nice perma-grin tax and spend liberals are trying to suck everything out of his pocket until nothing but lint remains. The definition of a "majority is, that quality that distinguishes a crime from a law. It is a very slim majority. Like him, I am extremely territorial about the contents of my wallet.
Spectrum Health Systems	06/16/2002
The town of Framingham has finally dropped its opposition to a Spectrum Health Systems methadone clinic and only because of the high cost of litigation. Basically, the town officials do not want to deal with the drug problem as a health problem. They would prefer to deal with it as a crime problem. The town officials like the US government would prefer to arrest drug users than have to deal with addiction as a health issue. Unfortunately, it is a health issue.
No Celebrations says police chief!	06/16/2002
On police chief Steven Carl's comments about banning World Cup celebrations in downton and announcing that revelers would be arrested and issued citations, I certainly do hope he tells us white people that we cannot celebrate the 4th of July or any Super Bowl or World Series victory so that he is not seen as a racist.
Town Income Tax ? No way!	06/16/2002
After the override vote, George P. King, Jr. said "It's a structural issue of municipal government finance. Towns rely too heavily on property taxes. I'd rather see higher income taxes and less property taxes. But Proposition 2 1/2 is the only option we have." Here we have a man doing some empire building. He is suggesting that the town should have an income tax to build the empire with. George, we've taken note how the U.S. Constitution's 16th amendment has grown from it's inception in 1913.
Stapleton Storm Troopers	06/16/2002
I find it difficult to believe that the principal of Stapleton Elementary School, Charles McInnis would utilize our children for political gain. The idea of dressing the kids up in a "I Am Stapleton" shirt seems revolting. I'd certainly like to know who purchased the shirts. Were they purchased with public funds to promote the override vote? Are our children are being used as little storm troopers on behalf of the town government? School employees should never use any public funds or publicly funded time for political purposes that would only benefit the school employees. This is a self-serving interest and is ethically and morally wrong.

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