Barnstable Free Press

Hank Farnham Warns of Political Swine Flu in Barnstable

Did you read Hank Farnham's somewhat wacky and a little over the top rant?

The following are excerpts from a recent article by West Barnstable Town Councilor Hank Farnham:

Budget: ...I expect the state will continue to cut back their budget due to declining anticipated tax and fee revenue collection. That will result in more reductions of local aid support to Barnstable, which will result in administration having to make additional cuts in the town budget. This current cash flow problem on Beacon Hill will follow us right up to the time we vote on our budget and probably thereafter.

...the fiscal craziness in Washington and on Beacon Hill is making me wonder about the town’s relationship with the state. Is it time for us to say the heck with Beacon Hill and its self-serving growing net extraction of funds from Barnstable’s taxpayers? Would Barnstable be better off as a separate entity? But then I think, who would be the leaders to pull that off if it were possible?

Have you reached the end of your shrinking rope? Is it time to analyze having Barnstable become totally self-sufficient? Is it time to cast off the mismanagement of a political system on Beacon Hill that is running amok, and is devoid of fiscal common sense, accountability and responsibility? I believe that time is long overdue, but I’m not sure that the will is there to turn against the political fat cats on Beacon Hill and start over here on Cape Cod.

When I moved to Barnstable in 1961, Cape Cod was the last conservative bastion remaining in Massachusetts, where fiscal accountability to those who pay the bills really meant something. Now, that accountability is gone, swallowed up by a one-party dictatorship that has spread across the state like swine flu. Don’t misunderstand me. I’d feel the same way if the Republicans held 80-percent-plus control of the state house and were not accountable to the voters.

A viable community needs a balanced system of political leadership, but Massachusetts has drifted far away from that balance. The result is, we get what we deserve: mediocre government reacting to the challenges and throwing money after them rather than thoughtful, conservative planning driven by fiscal reality. And talk about throwing money after a problem, how about what the “leaders” in Washington have done to you, your kids and your grandkids with their never-ending “stimulus” plan and bail outs?

Closer to home, we have the five separate fire districts. Could there be duplication there and tax savings? When I was on the Committee of 150 several years ago, consolidation of the town’s fire districts was the number one item identified to help reduce our taxes. In spite of a subsequent council committee to review the possibility of studying consolidation of the fire districts, no progress has been made toward a serious study of consolidation of the districts.

Town Charter: I just read the proposed new charter. While I don’t always agree with my council colleague, Greg Milne, or his motives, I did agree with his minority opinion piece that was a part of the charter document. Obviously many of you do, too, since I have heard your disappointment that mirrors Greg’s comments. If you have a chance, read the entire document including Greg’s opinion letter.

See: Greg Milne's Minority Report

For more from Hank Farnham, see: Barnstable Star Tabloid

With all due respect to Mr. Farnham, I not believe his brand of special interest, spend-a-holic town government remotely resembles something I would call "conservatism."

What is conservative about tax breaks for his buddies in the industrial park?

What is conservative about taking a million dollars from the Hyannis Water ratepayers to lay a water pipe to the doorstep of a political compatriot?

What is conservative about the millions more in bonding required to build an airport to no-where?

Giving Greg Milne's Minority report a little plug is a good first step toward a more meaningful political alliance, but Farnham needs to do more than write a short little puff piece in a dying newspaper.

Unless or until Hank Farnham puts his votes where his principles are he'll be remembered as nothing more than another free-spending bully in Barnstable's Hall of Shame.

The Republicans are coming

The Barnstable Star Tabloid is reporting that John Norman will seek Leah Curtis' seat on the Barnstable Town Council this November.

Norman is married with five children and works for Bortolotti Construction in Marstons Mills. He is another up and comer from the Republican Town Committee who paid his dues on the Zoning Board of Appeals.

The Star reported:

Former Barnstable Zoning Board of Appeals John Norman of Marstons Mills was at the center of the board’s mass resignation in July 2008. He still thinks he has something to offer and announced his intention to seek the Precinct 12 town council seat in the fall.

At the time of the resignations, Norman had served three years as an associate member and was by-passed once for a full-member’s slot in May. As the appointment process became more heated and politicized, Norman and the longer-serving members on the board tendered their resignations. In a joint statement, they wrote, “Recent events have made it readily apparent that there is, and has been, a concentrated effort to manipulate this board to serve a purely political agenda on more than one level.”

We know that Munafo is a big supporter of Norman (but we won't hold that against him). Munafo, Farnham and Crocker can be expected to endorse him. Hopeful Norman will stake out some political distance from this ship of fools. We have enough pro-growth at any cost "builders" on the Town Council.

The Republicans must be in a hurry to take on what's left of the Atsalis political machine. Both Alden and Norman have announced VERY early.

Maybe, too early.

Barnstable Town Council lacks strategic direction on basic issues

Too painful for words

Watching Town council can be a painful experience and most Barnstable resident forgo the pleasure. This is perfectly understandable.

But, every now and again, it pays to pay attention.

After months and months of bad economic news and thousands of headlines about our collapsing economy, you'd think that this crew would be focused enough to articulate a common vision for the Town of Barnstable.

Sadly, this is not the case.

Our Town Cuncil is still wondering why the municipal government splits revenue 60/40 with the School Committee. It took James Munafo, Jr. 6 years to formulate this question. See for yourself.

Click on video player control bottom right to start movie

Find more videos like this on Cape Cod Living

I pulled out a short clip from last Thursdays Town Council meeting. There's no fancy editing here. It's just 8 minutes from a 3 1/2 hour video of a Town government run amok.

Do you think we can afford 20 more years of this?

Stay away from my savings

Town of Barnstable burns through $38 million in "free cash"

Barnstable residents are up in arms over last nights presentation by Finance Director Mark Milne. Milne glossed over the sudden and unexplained drop in the Town Savings Account blaming the current economy for two years of frivolous spending.

Sure revenue is down...

• FY09 property tax collections are down 1% from FY08 levels ~ $800,000
• FY09 motor vehicle excise taxes are down 5% ~ $250,000 from FY08 levels
• Building permit revenue is down 30% ~ $120,000
• Investment income is down 25% ~ $200,000
• FY09 state aid was reduced $255,000
  

But, these declines don't explain how the Town's Savings Account dropped from $17,321,483 to $7,932,730 in TWO years.

We're BELOW where we started in July, 2000 (FY01). No wonder Klimm was out with a stomach flu last night. Seeing these number made ME sick to the stomach.

See chart from last night:

I asked Gary Lopez of CapeCog what he thought of last nights presentation and got this reply via email:

the whole thing is bull shit

Confirming this analysis, James Polk, a long-time dog house reader, wrote:

By having Mark Milne talk on the economic downturn at length, Town Hall was able to continue the fiction that the school deficit was caused by bad luck and not incompetence. Hard questions about payroll and ham-handed school closings were ducked. Once again accountability goes out the window.

Milne closed his presentation with the news that the Town maintained its AAA rating with S&P and AA1 with Moody’s for this year. Despite having squandered substantially all our savings, Milne concluded:

The Town's AAA rating does not mean we have more money to spend or that we can provide services for all things, but it is a reflection as to how well we have managed what we do have.

Right. What do they say about a fool and OUR money?

Wake-up call Barnstable's shell fishermen

Barnstable's shell fishermen should have known better.

They had an opportunity to run a candidate against Jim Crocker last year and failed to field a candidate.

Moreover, our shell fishermen  stood idly by as councilors from Cotuit, Centerville and West Barnstable supported campaigns in Hyannis. They even looked the other way while State Rep. Demetrius Atsalis and his demented cousin by marriage, Janet Joakim, stuffed one candidate into a box of roses and delivered him to the Hyannis electorate.

This is what the shell fisherman bought with their inattention:

Last night’s Muppet Show (Barnstable Town Council) hearing was a classic example of the panel's back-room deals.

Despite the fact only one admittedly biased speaker commented against the zoning ordinance, versus a half-dozen experts, and 15 or more locals, who offered empirical evidence to support a proposed zoning ordinance prohibiting the construction of docks and piers in Barnstable Village, Cotuit, and Osterville, the measure did not pass.

The measure did get a new life, but only after a slight of hand maneuver by Councilor Rugo, a proponent, who voted against the measure merely to establish himself on the "prevailing side," giving him the opportunity to ask for a reconsideration.

The measure will be reheard in the second February Council Hearing.

The ordinance debate was a bag job from the get-go, and the exponents didn't even feighn an honest debate.

Councilors Tobey and Tinsely, sat mute throughout the two-hour debate, and Councilor response period, the voted against the measure.

The Council advertises these events as "public hearings," but nothing ever seems to be "heard."

Crocker's statement in last week's Barnstable Patriot that, "I have the votes to kill the measure," became painfully obvious that he had cut a deal with Tobey, Tinsley, Munafo, and Chirigotis, who together with himself, formed a large enough bloc to stop the zoning ordinance that needed two-thirds of a majority for passage.

Councilor Chirigotis, managed a cogent, but ineffective argument against the zoning, then abstained in the vote.

Jim Munafo orated a dogmatic delusional diatribe arguing ocean-front owner property rights were being taken away, and never said a word about when the state was a private corporation in 1640, Massachusetts Bay Colony, ownership of waters was given to all residents.

I had the feeling last night that if Jesus Christ himself commented for the zoning ordinance, he wouldn't have changed Tobey, Crocker, Tinsley, Munafo, and Chirigotis's minds.

John Julius described the scene at Town Council:

Did anyone watch that circus the other night? I watched about 7 minutes of it and I saw Rick Barry and Jim KNOWITALL Crocker going at it. I thought fists might fly. Then Janet WONDERWOMAN jumped in and started yelling... Then Jim Crocker came back again, smirking and whining... Then SPACESHOT JIM MUNAFO barked at the WONDERWOMAN...

It was one big circus. SCARY!

More on capecog.com at:

http://www.capecog.com/capecog/2008/01/another-openi-1.html

Barnstable's shell fishermen are a very politically important group in Barnstable. This is why Joakim and Farnham stayed clear of last weeks vote and let Crocker lead his sandmen to slaughter.

Crocker doesn't give a damn what the shell fishermen think and Tobey is too stupid to form his own opinion on any matter. So, why do you think someone didn't persuade Tinsely or Munfo to change their vote?

Atsalis handpicked Tinsely. If you want Tinsely's vote just call Demetrius Atsalis. Or, if you can't find him (which is more than likely the case), call his cousin and ask her to bend Tinsley's brain ( if he has one).

Or, Barry, Rugo, and Farnham could have called in a favor from Munafo. Munafo owes them all big time.

Ideology aside Munafo really does not care what happens on our shoreline. Both the 3rd Precinct and the Industrial Park are landlocked.

Farnham is laying back and letting Munafo take the fall for him on the shell fishermen's request. Farnham isn't stupid, but Munafo is.

Maybe, now, our shell fishermen will realize that they do need to form opinions on their representatives town-wide. And, run their own candidates for local office.

Maybe next time they'll pay attention.