Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Town Council & Town Government

I have to say that I'm very pleased that I've gotten at least a few people engaged in a debate about Blue Back Square. My enjoyment comes because on no other forum has a free flowing debate occurred. Not in the paper, not in our town government and not on any visual media. At no point in this process did the town council or town government give credence to the views and suggestions of opponents of this project. That's the number one reason citizens are angry. That's the number one reason residents close to the project asked Westfarms for their help in trying to stop this monstrous, no-bid project. (and there was no lie in what I just said...it is monstrous and it is a no-bid project). If the town needs to build a school, do we put it out to bid? YES. If the town needs to build an addition on to the Senior Center, do we put it out to bid? YES. Then for what reason can we look to are we building two parking garages, an addition to the main library and a bunch of traffic light and road widening without any sort of bidding process? The reason I suggest is that money is being funneled back into the coffers of one or more of the people who are guiding this project. Sure, this is a harsh suggestion and one that will probably get me railroaded right out of town by Mr. Feldman and his town elite, but what other explanation can be made to give some kind of reason to what has gone on in the last couple of years. I can tell you right here and now why the No vote did not win...our side didn't spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to get people out to vote. Once again the cash machine that is BBS, LLC pulled out all the stops. They set up a booth at Celebrate West Hartford, one of the very events that will be completely blown away by this project. No, they say, Celebrate will go on, but I'd like to see how that will work when the Town Green is paved over and a NO-BID parking garage is built on top. The thing that saddens me the most as I talk with "Vote Yes" people is that they have no idea what the project really is. They say, "they aren't paving over the town green," that's been in this town for a couple of hundred years. I say yes they are, send them a link to the map of the project, and they say...."I can't believe it." THEN WHY DID YOU VOTE YES? Anyway, we lost...and I see no reason in losing when a fair fight is fought, but this town is being over run by people who care nothing for the future of the town. Have a great day. Mark