Is a Referendum a Poll?

In today's North Haven Citizen* article Mike Freda's words speak for themselves . . . or rather they don't.

“I support this budget if people want to retain their services,” Freda said. “But if the budget is voted down, then I have no problem going back to the drawing board.”

“I want the people to tell me what they want,” Freda added.

Is that leadership?

I said it before, and here you have specific evidence. Mr. Freda is not standing behind his budget. He has made it clear that he will expend zero political capital on its behalf.

As a matter of fact, he talks about it as though it were a dip-stick, a test of the waters. Should we treat the vote on the budget as a weather vane, just to see which way the wind is blowing?

Does anyone think this approach improves the odds that his budget will pass?

I am stuck with my original position (which I've explained here and at North Haven Way): I will vote "yes." But it is disturbing in the least to see Mr. Freda and his team put forth a budget they don't feel passionately about.

I am highly disappointed and more than a little irked.

* The original post incorrectly cited the source as the New Haven Register.

North Haven News is Great

I would just like to say that http://www.northhavennews.com/ is awesome.

Passing the Budget

Passing this budget next week (05/18/2010) will maintain our current level of services, not least of which being all day kindergarten, high school electives, middle school teams, leaf collection, bulk pick-up, the pool, the library, et al.

I see no other option. A reduction in the tax increase means a reduction in town services means a reduction in town value so far as I can figure it. Saying "no" probably feels justified and satisfying, but it does not resolve any of this town's issues, or the state's, or the country's.

I urge all parents of school age children and all residents who enjoy the quality of our community to turn out and vote "yes" on this upcoming referendum. Voting "no" will only lead to chaos in terms of writing a budget somewhere between bad and worse.

Ann Rocco (I apologize for having misspelled her name during my blogging last night) made an excellent point from the other side of this argument last night. She said that if the mill rate goes up, it is not likely to come back down. I don't disagree with her and I don't enjoy having to concede that point. However, I would interject likewise that lost services that this town has historically enjoyed will also never return if cut. It's one thing to add paramedics. It's quite another to return to leaf pick up if we lose that town service and somehow contract out for it. I am of the unpopular opinion that we will then have less, not more, control over the cost of providing such a service. I don't want to be guilty of adopting a "wait and see" attitude, like our First Selectman.

A Tragic Turn of Events

http://nhregister.com/articles/2010/05/11/news/doc4be8e2d54f120318899233.txt

Certainly all heartfelt condolences and sympathies go to the Vanacore family, their friends and neighbors in this circumstance. I do not know the family, but this is a loss that all of us can feel.