LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
Reader upset by personal attacks and
innuendoes in anonymous letters
printed in last week’s POL directed at
Mr. Tom Burch whose signed letter in
POL 4-18 criticized negotiated pay
raises for County and School System
employees included in the County’s draft
budget for FY 09; reader also
disappointed that POL published the
letters in the first place…
I found it hard to believe your (secret) letters
concerning Tom Burch. I called Mr. Burch
and asked a few questions. Here is a short
litany of what he told me.
Graduated from Belmont Abbey with a
Bachelors degree in Economics & Bus Admin.
Served in combat, in Vietnam with REAL bullets
being shot at him, daily, with the full intent of
doing bodily harm.
Offered job with FBI as a Special Agent, but,
decided to turn it down and become a
government contractor, for 35 years, and
counting – McDonnell Douglas, Boeing and
now Computer Sciences Corp and supporting,
among others, the TRIDENT Submarine System, Tomahawk Cruise Missile and Hubble Space Telescope programs
Married to his first and only wife for 36 years.
Raised two kids, both graduated from college with Bachelor’s degrees
Son is currently employed by the Secret Service, protecting President and VP, now undergoing explosives detection training.
Former member of Poolesville Board of Elections.
Initial parent and mentor in favor of skateboard park for children, over 15 years ago
More, but this is too long already.
Now, would your secret writers being willing to put their resume against
Mr. Burch’s records of success in the public and private sector?
Obviously, I doubt it. These letters are the type I would expect to read
in the Monocle or Bulletin.
The big issue left unanswered is his original question, how many of your
two writers can ask their friends and neighbors if they got the same raise
the public servants received in this time of recession?
-Name withheld by request
Reader applauds Parks Board for its decision on Wednesday
evening to recommend concept of skate park to Town Commissioners…
Having attended the Wednesday meeting of the Parks Board, it was a
relief to witness the Board vote to recommend building a skate park in
town. While this project is far from complete at least there is finally have
some progress.
Now it is up to the Commissioners to act on these recommendations.
I would hope that they would not tie up the process in "committee" for a
long time and act swiftly to explore funding and design options.
Building the skate park will affect the lives of many young people in the
town and bring relief to business owners who currently tolerate skaters
on their property.
The kids should have a voice in this process and I would volunteer to help
them do what ever is necessary to get their voice heard. Other parents
could be involved, making this a real community effort, something we
could work on together, parents and kids.
What a great opportunity we have to make a real difference to the lives of
a lot of people and build something that kids, young and old, can enjoy!
-Paul Hooper
COMMENTARY
Tracking recent reporting in the Bulletin---
Misinformation, distortions and demonization
-by Ray Hoewing, Editor
(Editor’s note. As we always repeat when we publish what might be called our periodic “Bulletin Watch,” we assume that most of our readers want us to spend our time reporting on the news, not sparring with the editor of the Western Montgomery Bulletin. But we believe that the public interest is served by setting the record straight on Mr. Janet’s reporting on Town affairs since so much of it is out of sync with the facts.)
Is Streetscape a boondoggle perpetrated on the taxpayers of Poolesville for the benefit of “special interests”?
Allegation: Repeatedly, almost on a weekly basis over the past two months the Commissioners have been castigated for their support, and including allocations in future budgets, for Streetscape. Here are typical comments: “The costly Streetscape Plan, which the Town can’t afford, threatens the Town with future bankruptcy or huge tax, water and sewer fees and surcharges.” (WMB 3-8-08) “…Poolesville taxpayers will eventually have to foot the bill that only benefits the historic/tourism promotion groups and organizations in the Town.” (WMB 3-22-08) “Most important, the new Town Hall will enable the Commissioners to more effectively push their own hidden agendas such as the $6 million-plus…Streetscape…(for historical/tourism groups). (WMB 4-19-08)
Retort: In carefully reading Mr. Janet’s continued broadsides, one gets the sense that he would have readers believe there is something sinister about “Streetscape.” Streetscape is a fancy word for planning everything from sidewalks to streetlights to traffic control with the objective of creating an efficient, appealing and unified layout and appearance to a street or streets important to a municipality. One can argue whether the Commissioners are making wise plans in their “Streetscape,” but it would seem totally irresponsible not to plan such facilities—or to “kill Streetscape--” as the Bulletin editor has called for. Streetscape is in fact a fixture of physical and financial planning in such other Maryland towns as Brunswick and New Market.
Of course one looks in vain for the Bulletin to identify even one of the “special interests” and the “historic/tourism promotion groups” at whose behest the Commissioners are supposedly foisting Streetscape upon the hapless taxpayers of Poolesville.
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Have we lost our freedoms in Poolesville?
Allegation: “…Klobukowski and Hoewing actually stripped freedom of speech, press, opinion, expression and dissent of the Town’s ordinance, Charter…In other words, a mini-dictatorship was established for the Town…” (WMB 4-19-08)
Retort: We won’t waste much of our space—or the readers’ time--on this. The Bulletin editor devoted his whole article to this subject based on the Commissioners’ decision last year not to carry legally-required advertising in the Bulletin, the manner in which he alleges Commissioners rigidly control and intimidate citizens who dare to speak up at their meetings and their supposed “ramming through” of legislation. (“Ramming through” is a favorite expression of the Bulletin editor. A careful reader will conclude that “ramming through” is a favorable vote for something the editor does not approve.)
Maybe we’ve missed something but we haven’t seen a resident hauled away after daring to speak out at a Town meeting, we certainly are unaware that the Bulletin is lacking “freedom of speech” and we don’t see any tanks or Town police in the streets that would indicate the Town is experiencing a dictatorship.
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Are power outages likely to increase dramatically for residents if Town goes through with its projected purchase of Town streetlights now owned by Allegheny Power?
Allegation: “Under the Commissioners’ plan, those power outages can be expected to increase significantly, and daylong outages can be anticipated…” (WMB 5-3-08)
Retort: Most readers don’t need to be told what the Bulletin editor ought to know himself. Outages come from system failures, weather incidents, etc. affecting the Allegheny Power system. The Town is purchasing only the streetlights and complete responsibility for Allegheny’s reliability, including furnishing power for streetlights, homes and businesses, remains with Allegheny. Outages may increase or decrease if the Town purchases the street lighting system but the Town will not be responsible for them.
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Should the Commissioners be criticized (and may even be violating Maryland law) by budgeting for projects for future years, even though funds are not now available, as a supplement to the annual budget they prepare each year?
Allegation: “Such costly projects, mainly for historic/tourism promotion, violate all principles of sound budget management and should not be permitted to appear in the budget as it violates the Maryland charter.” (WMB 5-3-08)
Retort: This charge doesn’t pass the laugh test. Projecting future budgets is a principle of sound planning, both in governmental and business entities. The Town would be irresponsible in fact not to do so. There is another part of the Bulletin editor’s bluster against projected budgets: That in so doing the Town is committed to completing every project or program included (such as those about “historic/tourism promotion”). That is of course not the case at all. Each year the Commission in power at that time will be free to amend, approve or disapprove any item or any expenditure as it sees fit.
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Did Poolesville residents pay a hefty increase in their taxes and water fees last year?
Allegation: According to the Bulletin (mentioned in three different issues during the past 2-1/2 months) “…the Commissioners increased taxes and water fees by a combined 21% last year help them pay for their new Town Hall and other costly empire building” (as worded in an article in WMB 3-8-08).
Retort: This falsehood has been a constant refrain in Bulletin articles since the middle of 2007. There was a 10% increase in water fees last year. There was no increase whatsoever in property taxes. The impact on any taxpayer could not have come close to a “combined 21%.”
