To the Editor,
Do you really want to give up your Property Zoning Rights to the MBTA/State? After all, you can see how well the MBTA provides us with clean, quiet, efficient, economical and convenient transportation. After all, you can see how well the State manages our very own money in avoiding wasteful spending in all aspects of our lives.
I am sure you could readily think of all the well run, fair, sensible programs the State runs now for the actual citizens of our Commonwealth. When it is all said and done, you just know that you can count on the MBTA and the State … .
Before you think that I completely lost my mind, I am sure that most of you realize that I am being a little sarcastic.
However, in many of our towns and cities, our Planning Boards, Selectmen, Mayors, Ward Councilors, et cetera are simply giving up our legal zoning rights (Home Rule) to these two very inept government entities.
Fortunately, I believe the actual citizens know better when provided the complete picture. The citizens should be made aware of the past history of these threatened State Grants. How much money was actually received for the past 5 to 10 years. Furthermore, based on the State’s current shaky economic soundness, will those future grants be even available? In addition, what will the increases in population do to our budgets for our School, Police & Fire Departments, Sewerage Plant(s), local electric grids, water & sewer piping, and town services. You just know that they will go way up and ultimately, the local citizens will be paying for it.
In all likelihood, even if a municipality was approved for and received the threatened grants, the additional tax money required to meet the increased resulting budgets would probably dwarf the dollars from these elusive Grants. In addition, how will the proposed increase in population affect traffic and the parking situation?
I believe our local town officials have an ethical and moral duty to provide their citizens answers to these questions. In many cases, they have not. In many cases, the town officials act as representatives of the State and not representatives of the citizens who put them in office. I strongly believe that the citizens are entitled to know the complete picture and ramifications of the MBTA Multifamily Zoning Mandate.
Until that time, I believe responsible citizens and local town officials have to reject this Mandate. And in all likelihood, if the needed answers are eventually and accurately provided, the now well-informed public will probably fully reject this Mandate.
Thank you.
John T. Kolackovsky
Rockport
