I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU PUT WHAT YOU DO ON YOUR BLOG. YOU ARE ALWAYS NEGATIVE, WHINY, AND ACT LIKE 10 YEAR OLDS. DON'T YOU HAVE ANYTHING BETTER TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE THEN TO PUT LIES ON THE WEBSITE? YOU SHOULD NOT BE A RESIDENT OF ASHLAND, YOU NEED TO MOVE OUT OF TOWN. THE TOWNSPEOPLE HAVE HAD ENOUGH WITH YOUR NEGATIVITY AND COMPLAINTS.
START BEING POSITIVE FOR A CHANGE. HOW ARE THE SELECTMEN SUPPOSE TO DO THEIR JOB WHEN ALL YOU DO IS DOWN THEM, SMARTEN UP AND ACT LIKE ADULTS FOR A CHANGE. ASHLAND IS A NICE TOWN SO LEAVE IT THAT WAY, STOP CAUSING TROUBLE FOR NO REASON AT ALL,EXCEPT TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Your Website is Disgusting
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Thank you for your comments. It is always good to know what people think. I wish you had made specific references, especially to articles that you think are lies, so that I could respond.
ReplyDeleteIf you are referring to the most recent article on the Select Board voting during a working session, then what I said was true. Jeanette Steward said at a Monday Night board meeting that the board would only vote on emergency issues during a work session. The warrant articles are not emergency issues. You ask how the board is supposed to conduct its business. My response is that the board's business is the people's business. The board should hold its meetings, including the work sessions at a time when people can attend, and in a place where there is enough room for the public. Furthermore, the people have a right and a duty to comment on the work of their representatives. I commented on a promise that the selectmen made and then did not keep. Our representatives should stand by their word. If you have been reading the blog, then you know I have discussed the pros and cons of the Monday morning work session. The board faces a problem that businesses do not. They always have to meet in public, which means that they cannot get together and discuss ideas or determine how to approach an issue in private. Moving the work sessions to Monday morning gives them more of an opportunity to do that in a more private setting, but in my opinion, this does not meet the spirit of the right to know laws. I will be supporting candidates who will hold the work session at a time in and in place that gives the public full access.
I agree that Ashland is a nice town. Criticism of the board or utilities does not change that. My criticism is aimed at keeping Ashland this way. If we ignore the problems we face as you imply, Ashland will no longer be the town we all love.
Let me give you one example, and then you can apply the same reasoning to other long term expenses we are facing. This year the board has approved a warrant article to come before the voters for $125,000 to be placed in a capital reserve fund for roads. This is a good idea, but it is an idea that should have been enacted years ago. The fact is that Thompson Street, Smith Hill Road, and West Street will cost approximately $2,000,000 to repair. By the time we have saved enough money to repair those roads (perhaps 15 years at $125,000 a year plus interest) the rest of the 20 miles roads in town will need to be repaired according to the charts in our planning documents. The That will cost 20 million dollars, or 1 million per mile at today's prices. Roads are only one capital expense. We have equipment to replace and buildings to repair as well. Just to keep the town the same will require a great deal of planning and hard work. We can ignore the problems, as we have been doing, or develop a plan to take care of them.
I would like to remind the author of this amusing little piece that the "you" the author is refering to represents a variety of writers with a variety of opinions - key word here is "opinion." If the writer feels that information posted is a lie, then perhaps he/she should be prepared to present an intelligent and factual response to said article rather than a suggestion that someone should simply leave Ashland.
ReplyDeleteI would also like to suggest that if the author believes that somehow expressing one's opinion hampers the Board of Selectmen from doing their job, than perhaps he/she in implying we have the wrong selectmen in place since I don't understand how expressing opinions could or should hamper productivity. We need those who can rise above the fray and do the right thing. I certainly hope our board is able to do that.
In a free and democratic society, we not only have the right to express our opinions, we have a duty to ask questions of those we elect to serve to ensure transparency in government. We should never become simply sheep.
As a final note, the blog was established to create a meaningful dialogue about issues affecting the town. I applaud Mr. Toth's willingness to post all pieces that get sent to him, regardless of which side of an issue is expressed - including those who simply call the blog disgusting. That too is opinion, not fact.
I love this town. And for the most part, we have something we can be proud of. Nothing is ever perfect, but those of us who care will continue to work to make it better. I hope we can somehow find a way to work together.
Oh boy, someone got offended, to bad, if people only new what goes on!!! Your doing a great job with the site, keep up the good work!!!!
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ReplyDeleteWe received this comment from Sandra Coleman:
ReplyDeleteDave Toth, intelligently and respectfully, responds to the emotional article "Your Website is Disgusting" showing his fidelity to the mission statement, 'Ashland Speaks', sponsored by the Coalition for Action. All people viewing "The Blog" should take the opportunity to express their ideas and concerns as did the author 'Your Website is Disgusting".