MOOREcol.03-05-2005. . . . . . . .33
Hed :
The Other Three
Wouldn't take no

By BOB MOORE

Up until now I haven't dealt with The Other Three. But now, a month
from the April 5 election, Rizoli, Paulsen and Wolfe deserve
attention.

These single-issue selectmen candidates show how this election is
about the diddle-dawdle inaction and out-of-touchness of the present
board.

None of these men would be more than spectators in this campaign were
it not for the aloofness of the board when they appear with
complaints.

Take Jim Rizoli who demands action on Brazilian immigrants "before
it's too late." To Chairman Chris Ross and his colleagues, Rizoli is
a pain in the butt and of no consequence. Bug off; joker, your time's
up.

Admittedly, Rizoli's persistence is a little hard to take but Ross et
al don't seem to know of the feelings that exist "about these
newcomers." Or don't want to know, and have to do something. Calling
illegal immigration a federal problem does not lessen local
uneasiness. I think we all know how often the "anti" feeling crops up
in conversation with persons of good nature.

So don't be surprised if Rizoli doesn't run up a sizable vote -
something to ponder when six are competing.

INTIMIDATING - Dennis Paulsen, a longtime Precinct 6 resident living
at 829 Concord St., made his only appearance before selectmen to say
he had gotten brushed off when he complained about town officials'
unannounced change in parking before his house. I saw this one. It
amounted to a second brush off that night. Paulsen was steamed; he'd
run for office. And he has.

Precinct 5 Town Meeting member Harold Wolfe is a perennial. His
complaint is a strong suggestion that the board lets spending run
free. Each year he gets a few more votes in April but no satisfaction
from the board. Of course, this year Wolfe mounted a vigorous "No
More Overrides" sign campaign that pretty much sidelined the
prospects of the $86 million capital drive, via a massive
override. Hard to ignore, but there are ways.

What irritates Rizoli, Paulsen and Wolfe is the same stand-offish
defense thrown up in the face of complaints however large or
small. It's intimidating.  Thinking about listening and reaching a
solution seems far from the board's thoughts. The Other Three
wouldn't take no.

SLIPS OF PAPER - Think it over. The current splatter over a contract
extension and its follow-up has a lot to do with slips of paper :
Written by Manager George King and passed on to the board to sign. It
did. The second slip of paper also drawn up by King was a handout of
some "goodies" submitted to the MWN as a column the other day by one
selectman not noted for her mastery of details.

When it comes to voting on April 5, King is not the target. Some
diehards would like him to be in the gunsight. They jump to that
conclusion whatever happens. And there are those who would like to
have the public see it as a "get King" plotted by King-haters.

That way those who fear some "change in government" lurking will vote
to "save George" and manager government. And that way, the vote to
use the polling booth and change personnel without changing
government is . . . . well, it would be sidelined.

What's been lost is the board's duty to sift programs and make
proposals.  Needed : a board of selectmen to once again actively
propose policies and to question responses from the manager.

George King has managed to change Framingham government from a
patchwork into a system organized on some principles that make
sense. Along the way he has had help in lining up a number of four
[4] willing workers - a board that takes orders, rather than giving
them.

Those slips of paper : One was a single sheet drawn up by King and
slipped under the door for the board to sign. It did. That's the
contract extension.

The other slip of paper, also drawn up by King : It listed infinite
changes under King. It was handed to Selectman Katie Murphy who
"wrote" it as a column printed in the Middlesex Daily News. That's
board government by a bored board.


ONE QUESTION - I wish someone would tell me, in simple English, why
the Board of Selectmen panicked when King threatened to work
elsewhere, "leaving us" without a town manager. And why no one
suggested that Assistant Town Manager Mark Purple was there to fill
the vacancy? At $100K, wasn't he qualified? Or was he regarded as a
"go-for?" I'm listening.

______________________________________________________
You can reach Bob Moore at edmoore4@aol.com, or at
1-508-620-1449.