Dartmouth Massachusetts. Despite the town governmental leaders pleading for an over-ride of Proposition 2 1/2, I am pleading with the taxpayers to instead, hold fast to the best harness we have on government spending. It is time to tell our government that it needs to find savings, make cuts and spare the voting taxpayers increases and creations of taxes and fees to generate revenues. Several things have happened to Dartmouth to cause the financial problems. 1) Government Growth. Why not? Things were great and town of Dartmouth jobs became a result of the town's growth and success, whether they are all necessary is at least debatable. 2) The Dartmouth High School. Massachusetts offered 90% reimbursement and, like too many other cities and towns, Dartmouth took the bait and built a school which was needed but a school which could have been more responsibly thought out. In other words, not every brick, button and whistle was needed as much as wanted. *Don't get me wrong the school is very nice but so is the Ferrari a very nice car. The 10% school costs Dartmouth was left to pay was a heavy price as we now see. 3) Denying development in certain areas where elitists prefer the view despite the consequences. There are handfuls of stories of how high-tech factories expressed interest South of Rte 6 near the rich farm areas but the town snubbed the developers according to too many people whom I spoke with. Padanaram is another area that developers wanted to expand to the West banks but the Pristine Police saw no wisdom in abandoning the view a few dozen homes enjoy there.
 
       Commercial property revenues along Rte 6, Faunce Corner Road and in the Industrial Park are among the best in the region. The tax rate has provided homeowners and business owners alike, a better scenario than most for years. There is now a real push for a split tax rate. This is probably going to take place soon. This is also not a big enough adjustment to make up for the $9.1M the town says it needs.  The longer term prognosis suggests that Dartmouth will be near $20M in the negative annually by 2013. 

       Any city or town has to consider the awesome burdens of their respective workforce's costs today. Salaries, pensions, healthcare and perks all provided for by the taxpayers, many who are seeing fewer of their own employers provide these things for them. Working for the government probably means that one will never be rich but it also seems to provide a shelter from the real world economy. Recession? Depression? No problemo. Most town and city workforce contracts provide for mandatory salary increases even as many of the town's taxpayers are watching their jobs go overseas or discontinue healthcare coverage, 401K and other retirement plans. Wages have become deflated, utilities go up, cost to operate one's home go up yet the towns insist on squeezing more out of its residents each and every year. It doesn't matter how the economy is doing. 

       The fact is that city, town and state workers have much better healthcare and retirement plans than 90% of those who pay the costs of them; the taxpayer. It is time to privatize. Local government needs to get back to basics. What is required and what is not? I don't think I would offer an intelligent argument to suggest emergency services are touchable. Police, Fire and Paramedics within the Fire Department should remain intact in government budgeting and should offer competitive contracts. Education, which costs the most, needs a departmental scrutinizing to see where downsizing can be made but in the end, teachers should be offered similar considerations as the emergency services, at least until all private or charter schools can offer enough space for all students.

       Consider what New Bedford has done to its sanititation department. It has eliminated it, thus cutting healthcare and pension costs from the responsibility of the taxpayer. Now, ABC Disposal provides the benefits and perks at a savings New Bedford felt immediately and will feel for years to come when they are not paying the retirees their monthly checks and medical expenses. My challenge to the town of Dartmouth and any other municipality looking to spare the budgets millions of dollars annually: Find ways to privatize. Examine the contrast between needs and wants. Study and compare the costs between the free market and the responsibility of providing salaries, medical insurance and retirement for each local government employee. Shrink your bloated payroll and protect the taxpayers..while you still have them.