A study suggests switching to single stream recycling (all your recyclables in one container) increases household participation and can save towns money, according to Attorney General Martha Coakley.
Tag: Massachusetts
Opinion: One person’s ideas on Waverley Square
What change should be promoted to encourage a more pedestrian friendly environment in Waverley Square?
Town: officials didn’t violate Open Meeting (but will meet publicly anyway)
The Belmont Citizen Herald is reporting that Belmont’s legal counsel has issued a response to the Middlesex District Attorney that claims town officials who met behind closed doors to formulate plans to discuss the consolidation of School and Town services were not doing so in violation of the State’s Open Meeting Laws.
District Attorney looking into Belmont Officers Group
The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office is inquiring into the doings of an informal, private gathering of some of the Town’s top elected officials with questions about whether the group ran afoul of the State’s Open Meeting Law, according to the Belmont Citizen Herald.
Closed government? Questions hang over new Town-School consolidation plan
Belmont’s latest consolidation plan is the product of an informal and closed door group of the Town’s senior elected officials that some have dubbed the “Officers’ Group.” Is Belmont closing the doors on Open Government?
NYT: Literary legend Ray Bradbury fights for local libraries
With all the debate in town about preserving our elementary school libraries, I couldn’t help but note this story on the front page of today’s New York Times about sci-fi writer Ray Bradbury’s crusade to preserve public libraries in his home, Ventura County, California.
Proposed cuts from House, Senate would hit education hard
Proposed cuts to local aid and a variety of programs supporting public education programs could hit Belmont, and other towns, hard.
State’s fiscal freefall could jeopardize local aid
A precipitous drop in State revenues could jeopardize local aid payments and eviscerate funding for social services and education. Suddenly “Read my lips: No new taxes!” doesn’t sound so cool.
(Updated) No on Question 1? You betcha!
Question 1 is a gimmick — it’s a ham fisted and poorly thought out effort to “make a point” to those hated bureaucrats on Beacon Hill, consequences be damned. As MTF notes, the state could fire all 68,000 people in its employ and still save only $5b, leaving $7b left to cut. While Belmont might pay more out in taxes than we get back, we’re not an island. Major corporations don’t look for cute little towns to invest in — they’re looking for states that are encouraging innovation, producing educated workers and building an infrastructure to support and encourage commerce. Question 1 would make those kinds of investments impossible.
A better Citizen Herald?
Is the Belmont Citizen Herald doing a good job covering the town? Discuss!