CITIZENS
for
Limited Taxation & Government
Post Office Box 408    Peabody, Massachusetts   01960     (617) 248-0022
E-Mail:  cltg@cltg.org       Web-page:  http://cltg.org

CLT&G Update
Friday, August 14, 1998

Re: Chip's update of August 13th about the pork on Bacon Hill.
From: Barbara Anderson

I'm still laughing at Shelley Cohen's fish and their little ladders. For me, the preferred weapon is ridicule and laughter, not seething rage -- but to each his own, and Chip seethes better than anyone I know.

I've been doing some local talk radio about the Governor's veto of some of the pork. Pat Desmarais (WBSM-AM 1420 New Bedford) said the Rte. 18 project had something to do with planting trees to slow down traffic. (!?) Couldn't determine if they were going to plant them in the middle of the road.

On WLLH (1230 AM), which I do every Thursday morning at 8:05, I thanked the taxpayers of Greater Lowell for offering to chip in to repair the Marblehead seawall, which flanks the causeway to one of the wealthiest areas in the state. The town requested $250,000 for a study, our state senator, Edward "Chip" Clancy, changed the request and got us $650,000 instead. Before the selectmen could figure out what to do with the extra $400,000, the Gov. vetoed the whole thing.

Some townies think that we should wait for a good storm and apply to the feds, like everyone else. I personally think tolls for the wealthy residents who vote for property tax overrides would be fair.

He also vetoed the $300,000 to remove asbestos from one of our schools. When the voters -- over my objections of course -- passed the override to clean up the mildew and mold in the school, I don't recall any mention of asbestos, but the state has a program for cleaning up asbestos so I suppose we could find some if we had to. But as a state taxpayer, would I be paying again for what the override will pay for, i.e., the cleaning and maintenance that was not done over the years?

Thank you, Gov.  Chip Faulkner is pleased with the veto of the money to clear the weeds out of a local man-made pond in his area. He has a plan of his own, something to do with a bulldozer.

If you have any inside stories about the pork in your districts, please share them with us all by writing us at cltg@cltg.org .

Note to Cellucci partisans: along with the radio, I have been quoted in the print media supporting the Governor's vetoes. Don't say I never do anything for you. As for the new Malone ad, well, I did say the tax cuts were merely crumbs in my Ledger column, so the statement is in the public domain. Is it primary day yet?

Barbara

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