The Sunday Eagle Tribune had a great story on the debut of this blog, with some insightful comments by Richard Howe Jr. of http://www.richardhowe.com. Link to the article here. The blogging community really does have some impact, and that impact has been shown in the Fifth Congressional District race. It can be a real supplement to the local news coverage provided by daily newspapers and their web sites.
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Bill Manzi.com 
After reading the Eagle Tribune article regarding Mayor Manzi’s blogging, I logged in hoping to find out what’s happening about town.
What I find is a site dedicated to a democratic point of view. If not in comment, then in choice of links. After all the “Trib” does say you are “steering clear of controversy, offering more information than opinion”.
As a conservative Methuenite, I would had hoped to find the site somewhat more fair and balanced. After all I am a citizen too.
Living in Massachusetts, where the state Republican Part could caucus in a telephone booth with enough room for a cash bar, one does get used to being in the minority.
However I am undeterred and will be a constant visitor to comment on the happenings, political and….(what else is there in Massachusetts). I do look forward to a spirited debate. After all I am the loyal opposition
Question, your honor; Since the Democratic party has declared itself to be honest and above reproach (Nancy Pelosi), when will my real estate tax go down.(Promise by our new Governor).
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Thanks for coming by Jules. Do you detect a democratic bias here? I intend to be as even-handed as a life long Democrat can be. With regards to Governor Patrick he has proposed the Municipal Patnership Act, which would give new revenue options to cities, as well as allowing the health care systems of the Cities to be absorbed into the State system. He has also proposed to absorb “underperforming” pension systems into the state system. He has also, in broad terms, talked about the need to take education off of the property tax. That is the only real way to achieve property tax reduction. I will post more on property tax reduction in the future. As of today the system of funding cities and towns is broken, and needs to be fixed. I look forward to a “Republican” point of view.
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Your Honor,
There are x number of schools in Massachusetts. There are Y number of taxpayers. When the total amount of taxes are collected and the costs to run the state towns and municipalities are attributed to the various cost centers, including the schools, there is generally not much left over, thanks to our free spending political system.
The consequence of this; you can only move costs around. If you remove schools from the property tax stream then you have to redirect a revenue stream from somewhere else,i.e. the state. No net change in total revenue distribution except money will be redistribute, and (here’s the bad news) every municipal entity will go to Boston to maximize it’s share. There will be winners and losers, just like the cherry sheet.
Result; more taxes in the long run especially as the cost of operations (wages and healthcare) keep going up, and the legislature and municipal councils expand the Government.
Of course I haven’t taken into account our debt burden as well.
God forbid the economy slows down.
So you see, Democrats can’t run anything either.
That’s my view.
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Jules,
I do agree that there are only so many tax dollars to be divided amongst all of the (competing) interests. It was not my intent to say that a removal of education expense from the property tax would not have to be made up elsewhere. It is my intent to say that the property tax is regressive, and not based on ability to pay. The use of property tax dollars creates a schism between fixed income taxpayers and those desiring additional services. Bottom line is that the property tax is a terrible way to fund education, as well as an inequitable one. Before W the Republicans had the reputation of being good managers. What happened? (Sorry about that gratutious insult to Republicans).
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Your Honor,
No insult taken. Actually as a conservative I am beside myself with disappointment over the failure of the Republicans to govern, especially at the federal level. Instead, they have become corrupted by the scramble for money and power.
If there was one thing I expected from the Republican party was adherance to the basic concept of principle over corruption. It was not to be.
Your honor, this country faces a dangerous period ahead. Our American heritage of freedom faces can be lost. I believe I know why, and it is independent of political labels.
Since Einstein’s discoveries,science has been searching for the Singularity, the common element from which all matter in the universe is derived.
The political Singularity is money. From it comes the black hole of corruption.
At one time the Federal Government(nor anyone else) had substantial revenue. It did have vast tracks of land which it used to entice those things it wish to accomplish, i.e. building the transcontinental Railroad.
Today the budget is 3 trillion dollars. With 600 legislators in the congress it means that each legislator represents 1.6 billion dollars. Any American has the right to go to Washington (or Boston) and get a piece of it. To control that amount of wealth breeds corruption and greed. The scramble for power is like a civil war with no good guys.
It exists at the state and municipal level as these are the breeding grounds for future politicians
I see no solution. Do you? Do you think justice is distorted by wealth?
The worst of all is ourselves. John Adams, after hearing the reading of the declaration of independence, wrote to his wife that he hoped the people,who would have sway over revenues by virtue of the vote, would not be corrupted by the temptation that comes with
that power.
I guess his concen has come true.
Sorry to be so long winded, but I think we should be concerned.
Jules
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Jules,
I share your concern. Washington in particular has been a huge disappointment, regardless of which party has been in power. I realize that many have poo-pooed the dangers inherent in the massive deficit spending that the feds do, but it is nothing short of an outrage, and a great danger to our future. Earmarks are another source of problems, and both parties are responsible. I really did have some empathy for McCain-Feingold based on my belief that money is ruining our political process. I am not so sure that McCain Feingold has had any positive effect. The legislative appropriation system is broken (corrupted) and in need of major overhaul. I do think we have major problems, but I remain an optimist. Just don’t ask me to explain said optimism.
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Your Honor,
Glad to see we have the same concern.
A political truth: you can’t repair a loophole perk. They will always compensate. Like trying to eliminate hacking. The bad guys are smarter than the good guys.
Talk to you tomorrow. I am following your budget process with great interest. I’m on a fixed income (retired)
Have a pleasant evening. Talk to you later.
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Your Honor,
What happened to the Republican Collapse Blog?
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Jules,
It apparently gets moved to the second page of the June postings. You can search by date or by Category, which is national news. I will answer some of your posts first thing tommorow.
Bill
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Ok. I thought for a second that maybe the collapsed, dead republicans, including president Bush, have maybe come alive enough to give the team of Nancy and Reid some fits requiring the blog to be……wacked.
Looking forward to your inputs.
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Your Honor,
Check out the Herald editorial on reform (Municipal Relief Act).
Check out Helen Evens “expose” on Britain’s “free” health care system” so admired by Michael Moore, Hillary, as well as a growing population in this country.
When do i find out how much my property tax is being reduced? (Biting municipal political
humor)
Have a good day.
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Your honor,
Teacherperson and I have asked you to post links to Patriot newspaper and Joe Orokowski. I don’t see them yet. Maybe I missed something
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Jules,
You haven’t missed anything. I will keep my promise (under duress) and make the postings today.
Bill
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Thank you, Your Honor
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Your Honor,
Read the latest issue of the Patriot. Your picture is in there at least 4 times.
You get more coverage than the Trib. I think when you’re in the Trib you are in trouble.
Patriot did not have a bad thing to say about you.
Aren’t we Right Wingers nice people?
Jules
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Your Honor,
All that nice stuff and when I look at the links, the Patriot link is GONE, VANISHED, WACKED. A dark day in Methuen.
Left wing justice?
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I was told by the outstanding staff at the Valley Patriot to be patient about the link to my blog, so I am hoping they can be patient as well.
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Your Honor,
A great subject to add to the blog site is Governor Patric’s 12 day “volunteering” give away to state workers. That’s a heck of a lot of lost man hours lost. ( Does that mean we could release these people and save money. They obviously don’t have much to do.)
According to the Oxford Dictionary, to “undertake voluntary work” involves being unpaid.
Now you know me. If I were a right wing fascist (Robert Kennedy’s words at the “save Earth but curse the Conservatives” bash), I would have made the 12 day extended vacation a tie in to the Governor’s fund raising bash at $150 per in which he has invited the state volunteers…er workers.
But, I won’t make that charge. This could be fun.
Jules
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Your Honor,
Is it true that Massachusetts enforces a law that forces merchants who sell milk and gas to sell these items above a specific or relative price?
If true, this smacks of socialism at its worst as it forces the citizens of this state to not receive the benefit of competition.
There can be no good reason for the state to do this. It supports the my concept of Democrats not being democratic.
God save the people of Massachusetts from themselves.
Jules
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I believe that those laws are on the books. (Fair pricing laws) Honestly don’t know much about them, and what the vagaries are by industry, but I didn’t think they spent much time on enforcement. I saw something on milk recently, but can’t recall the specifics. I realize that such pricing distorts the market and may produce undesirable consequences, but the intent was to protect the smaller producers who could be crushed price wise by larger companies, who would then (theoretically) control the market and impose monopoly pricing. Local producers could conceivably be protected as well. This is not only a Democratic Party issue Jules. All you need to do is look at the last farm bill produced by the Republican controlled Congress and signed by President Bush. It contains a host of subsidies and other market distorting mechanisms designed to protect a political constituency.
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Your Honor,
The body of farm welfare needs to go away. The republicans are trying to pander to it’s constituency. Pandering is a political process in this country has to go away on a bipartisan basis. That is a true conservative belief.
In Massachusetts, we keep fixing problems that don’t exist, as if government programs can fix problems.
It looks like the heavy hand of the law is forcing gas stations to raise prices that the bureaucracy feels are too low.
The same organization is forcing the milk prices up.
Question: How does this help “working families”.
I have an idea how Duval Patrick can return tax savings to the towns of Massachusetts;
1. Disband this anti-free trade bureaucracy.
2. Pull back the $10 million dollars he is giving to this developer to build high end condos.
Take the savings and return it to the towns.
Fat chance.
Jules
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Your Honor,
Can you explain why senators Kennedy and Kerry voted against the bill that would have protected citizens from lawsuits when reporting unusual behavior to homeland security?
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Your Honor,
I noticed Andover has to tack 1 million dollars onto their youth center building proposal. This covers the imposed wage rate enacted by the state with union encouragement.
Why does the union get more votes than I in this state?
Do you happen to know the percent of worker in Massachusetts that belong to unions.
Jules
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Your Honor,
I now notice that Governor Duval Patric is going to take money out of my pocket to payoff his voting base if they made a bad deal with “sub prime mortgage deals”. I don’t understand the justification under our free market society.
80% of those who made the same deal are keeping their agreements and are paying on time.
If he helps the 20% who made deals they should not have made, then he should help every citizen in the state who has mortgage problems. This is the equal protection philosophy. I read some of the other things he is expecting these companies are expected to do; mitigate finding a new place to live and moving costs to the tune of $5,000.00.
If anyone brings up “illegeal” then the governor should have stopped the illegal deals.
Why;
1. He is a lawyer.
2. He has close associations with the industry. (America Quest). There is a strong smell of a dead rat here. He should have been able to recognize an illegal deal if asnyone could. After all, they have been predominate in adds.
In short, I do not want to pay someeleses mortgage period.
Are you going to have an issues blog on this scandal?
Jules
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