A Foresnsic Audit is required for the MPS before any OVERRIDE is even discussed.
Forensic data would shut City officials up and scare them into abandoning any current plans for proposing an override. The Pomeroy Report and Police Audit shut Rob and Patrick up.
The city made the Police get the 30,000 dollar Pomeroy audit and it actually showed they were operating understaffed and underfunded causing dangerous conditions in the City. I’m sure an audit will expose the funding shellgame being played. Know it is time for the school to go audit
When you don't have a clear and convincing argument to support your side, your only option is to demonize the other side. The longer I live here, the more obnoxious the citizens become.
They don't have a clear and convincing argument because they cherry pick so-called "facts" with no regard for actual facts. For example, one speaker started spitting out salary increases for last year across departments, apparently unaware of, or choosing to ignore the absolutely massive increases teachers got about three years ago - increases that dwarfed increases given to other departments. The same speaker, I believe also stated that the schools get about 1/3 of the city budget, which is also patently false. The schools end up with about 1/2 of city expenditures.
This is the same claptrap we heard being thrown around in support of the last failed override attempt. Is it ignorance? Is it outright lying? In my view, it's both.
Yes, the Lincoln School is a mess. If anyone thinks putting the fashionista in charge is going to make a positive difference there, they're inhabiting a planet other than this one. It's not a financial issue as much as it's a leadership and management issue, it's systemic, and the Lincoln issues are merely a barometer for that systemic failing. Throwing more money at the issue has never solved these kinds of issues, and won't this time either. With as much money as the schools have completely wasted on bells and whistles over the past few years, there's no reason at all to suspect that they'd be any more efficient and responsible now than they have been in the past.
Bravo/Brava, "Yup"! Absolutely spot on!
And at the very end we had to put up with Ms. DeSelm lamenting that the school budget is now cut to the bone, and opining it's time other city departments were cut to the bone as well.
FYI, Ms. DeSelm, if I read the police roster correctly, they have 42 officers currently. The city ordinances call for 61. That's not just to the bone, that's halfway through the marrow, 31% below authorized strength. Also, while you're patting yourself on the back about your spiffy new learning common, why don't you take a tour of the police building so you can see for yourself what an abysmal disgrace it is? It's a telephone building, never designed to be a functional police building, and it's a massive lawsuit waiting to happen. Here's one example - there is no way to get to the booking room or the cell block without going down at least one flight of stone stairs. Handcuffed people fall down stairs, especially if they're "resistant" to going to the booking room and cell block. More - the building is still not handicap accessible. There is asbestos all over the place in the boiler room, and if it's in there, it's everywhere. The telephone system and switchboard is so old there is no one alive anymore who knows how to repair it. You want more? Take a tour and see for yourself.
Melrose praises itself ad infinitum about being "forward-thinking" and "progressive", but in my view in a lot of ways it's one of the most backward municipalities I've ever lived in. There is one thing it's really good at though - telling itself lies to make itself feel better.
The city made the Police get the 30,000 dollar Pomeroy audit and it actually showed they were operating understaffed and underfunded causing dangerous conditions in the City. I’m sure an audit will expose the funding shellgame being played. Know it is time for the school to go audit
No money for police/fire but, plenty of money for a new roof on the library. Re-opening the Bebe school would have likely fixed the over crowding situation in the Elem schools, but Dolan claimed the school needed a new roof and that the roof would be too expensive and that the building is not suitable for students. News flash, students are using it currently. Lies, lies, lies all the time just to get what they want. An override. I wish these gullible well meaning parents would see what's really going on instead of just listening to the lies and believing them.
Opening the Beebe yes that would have worked.
The former mayor said it would cost a million
To reopen! But instead they decided to spend 3
Million plus for portable classrooms.
On top of that, the Beebe school is leased to the SEEM Collaborative for a pittance; not anywhere close to its actual market value. It's true value would have been being employed as an elementary school to handle the current "bubble" in enrollment. Now we are stuck with temporary classrooms purchased at great cost that will be rotting away in several years. Add to that the millions spent on the high school "learning commons", nothing but a glorified hangout for students to socialize and use social media. Ask your children who actually does homework or academic group discussion in this space: Nada.
Voting No on the Override, if Illegitimate Gail proposes one.
There will be a very large override proposed for the November 2018 ballot. I'm hearing $6 million +/-. Let the battle begin.
Gas prices soaring and stock market declining. People cannot afford more taxes and will vote NO.
Are we “great again” yet?
I actually saw the new Mayor with a red baseball cap that said "Make Melrose Great Again" Her plan is to increase taxes and water fees and watch all the cheap people who are no longer wealthy enough to keep up with where Melrose is going be forced to sell their houses and move out. Its a continuation of the previous administrations plan.
So let me make sure I understand this. It's because people are talking that we're going backwards?
As I'm sure you know, things are going backwards because most residents spent most of their time with their heads up their a$$es, and are willing to swallow the bull$hit doled out by city hall.