There was an entire thread here about local businesses falling prey to sketchy, dishonest tactics by override opponents. It has completely disappeared. So much for a community dialogue.
When trolls/spammers attack the message board, they are removed.
Thank you. Keep it up. There's another one starting up in the Schools category.
Who are you trying to kid? You understand perfectly.
I genuinely don’t understand. Do we think Stephens is lying? Even if they are, how is a discussion of that considered trolling. And isn’t this just as much he said/she said as the people who have said on here that to override people have yelled at them in their own yards? Those weren’t taken down.
Read Stephen’s Auto Body and Towing’s Facebook Post:
“We were approached by someone who stated that the city of Melrose was trying to raise only commercial taxes for local businesses, but that person never specified it would be used towards the Melrose Schools, or that it would help our community.” Of course, once we realized what the ballot was for and read up about it, we immediately took down signs that were located at our building.”
So, either Stephen was lied to or Stephen is very publicly lying. If you think he is lying it is incumbent on you to tell him so in his Facebook. That should clear this whole thing up.
This also happened to another business; the Gulf gas station on Upham. Same story as Stephen’s. How many times makes a pattern?
The thing I don’t understand is that the MTA is really playing with the owner’s livelihood by lying and scheming to have them publicly adopt a position they don’t (or wouldn’t) believe in had they had all of the facts. Or, at least, hadn’t been lied to.
Not good for the City at all.
“We were approached by someone who stated that the city of Melrose was trying to raise only commercial taxes for local businesses, but that person never specified it would be used towards the Melrose Schools, or that it would help our community.”
That may very well be true. The City is now in the process of setting the tax rates for FY 2020. If they in fact plan on increasing the rate shift more towards commercial then it could very well be that only commercial taxes will rise. More likely is that commercial will rise more than residential. I'm not sure if the city is at maximum shift already or not but in 2016 it was 1.525.
Unless the city's motivation for that is to lessen the residential burden to compensate for the override - highly unlikely - then the override has nothing whatever to do with it. You'll notice Stephen's never mentioned who approached them, nor did they mention any override. Stephen's also clearly stated no mention was ever made of the schools, which is what the override is for.
The "Yes" people then embellished the story, in their own inimitable fashion, claiming that it was a member of the MTA who told Stepen's and other businesses the story. See the above post for an example.
The fact is that no one with a brain would not understand that the cost of an override could ever in any way be applied only to businesses. That's not how an override works. The entire debacle is just one more example of "Yes" supporters trying to scare the $hit out of people with a pack of lies to get them to support their specious override.
It doesn't matter if the "Yes" folks believe you are a supporter or not. If you don't want to deal with their garbage, tell them you are. They'll leave you alone then. The only thing that matters is which box you check on that April 2d ballot.
If we are expecting people to ask for the names, remember the names and name the names of the people who have approached them one way or another about the override, who is yelling at no voters on their own lawns and saying that they don’t care about kids? Names please.
You say Stephens never mentions the override but they say “once we realized what the ballot was for and read up on it, we immediately took down the signs”. What other ballot might he be talking about if not the override?
You clearly pride yourself on knowing more than the average bear about local taxes. Given this, is it really so unbelievable to you that someone who doesn’t know a lot about it might believe that a tax increase could be happening to one specific tax base?
All you need do is ask yourself who the yes proponents are. They are the same people who put forth a pack of lies trying to justify the last failed override. The only difference now is that the lies have gotten more egregious as they get more desperate. It's 2015 writ larger. They've set up this whole process this time the way they have to make it is difficult as possible for people to show up and vote against them. Show up and vote on April 2d. They are counting on you staying home while they squeeze another 5 mil from you.
"You clearly pride yourself on knowing more than the average bear about local taxes. Given this, is it really so unbelievable to you that someone who doesn’t know a lot about it might believe that a tax increase could be happening to one specific tax base?"
Actually it is. If I'm spending $7000 a year on property taxes, I want to know everything I can about how that amount was arrived at. And who votes on a 5 mil override without knowing the nuts and bolts? Are you trying to tell me that apathy excuses ignorance?
But that's exactly what the yes proponents are counting on, isn't? That people will just swallow the propaganda without questioning it? Here's just one example: Infurna said not long ago that state aid to Melrose had fallen by 50%, which is bald faced lie. The truth is that the expected increase in local aid had fallen from 14% to 7%. Even after it was pointed out, she never bothered to revise her claim. I'll bet you most people still don't understand it was a lie. Did you?
If people aren't willing to do their due diligence, they deserve what they get. How much more has to happen before people finally realize they can't trust a single thing that comes out of these people's mouths, locally, state wide, or nationally?
Was GI’s question and answer session televised last night ?
One Melrose/Yes Override events have never been televised. Transparency, “Oneness” and “Open to All” are mere words and meaningless.