BET and BOE members would do well to remind themselves occasionally that they were not elected. They were the beneficiaries of an archaic system by which both major parties put up the same number of candidates. The ensuing “election” was a mere formality since these positions were not contested.
On the other hand the first selectmen in Greenwich has truly met the test of the electorate. He is, in my opinion, the ultimate authority in town, especially Peter Tesei, the current chief executive who won by a landslide.
So I was particularly heartened to have read in this morning’s Greenwich Time that Tesei is questioning whether the BET has overstepped its bounds. Click here for article.
The BET lately has been acting more like a faceless, junior accountant than a finance board charged with setting policy in a government with a $340 million budget. Ever since School Supt. Sid Freund told them they were doing a poor job of managing our school facilities, the BET has been on a tear – questioning everything from the value of magnet schools to physical ed programs to funding the town’s emergency coordinator (how about a little payback to go with your criticism, Sid?).
Finally, Tesei said “enough!”
Stand down, BET, and listen to Tesei. Let the chief executive run the town. Let the professional educators run the schools. The first selectman has a judgment day every two years. The school chief has a three-year contract. Besides, Greenwich has more than its share of fiscal challenges, such as pension obligations, shrinking revenue sources and a declining physical infrastructure. The BET ought to help us manage those challenges rather than micromanaging the town with a No. 2 leaded pencil.
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Am I the only one having second thoughts about renewing membership at the Griff, the town’s golf course which is up to $145 a year in fees (not counting greens fees)? last year I took to playing at Westport’s Longshore Golf Course which is about the same distance from my house in Riverside. Nine holes there cost me $33. The Griff is $20.
But the membership fees at the Griff for a husband and wife is up to $290. That’s at least enough to give me pause. In the end I will probably pony up the dough, but I’ll bet I’m not the only one who is not rushing to write the check.
(Last year was a terrible year at the Griff. Lots of fungus. The greens were uneven. No. 13 and 14 were wet the entire summer. The green at No. 16 never filled out. Be nice if the course got back to where it was three years ago.)
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I almost left my car registration in the copying machine when I went to make copies for the annual “proof of residency” rite in Greenwich. For the want of a beach pass, it’s amazing the hoops we Greenwich residents have to jump through to fill out the necessary paperwork.
It’s my annual lament. Why can’t the Friars of Field Point Road simplify the process given the technology capabilities of today? They already have all the data concerning my assessment, my personal property taxes, my marine permit fees, my golf membership, etc … Why can’t they hire a programmer to consolidate all this easily and have all the departments be given access?
(Let’s just hope I remember to put my registration back in the glove compartment.)
Lincoln, you’re on the money with the beach card renewal process. Even more disheartening is the unnecessarily involved process that one’s spouse has to go through to achieve parity and the card. , Especially when data provided is the same for 15+ years, husbands and wives should be able to simply renew based upon previous year’s data. But no, the ID requirements need to meet what amount to independent residential status. A separate utility bill, a separate driver’s license, a separate insurance card, auto registration, etc. My wife and I are on almost every important form of ID you can have, but when I provided as much with auto insurance cards – all mandated by DMV, I was advised that I was OK but my wife needed to actually provide the registrations, which of course, are the basis for the insurance cards.
Explaining to me that these measures were needed to discourage fraud, I asked if anyone in Town Hall would be surprised to find abundant circumvention of those efforts. The answer, of course, was “No”. Obviously, no system is 100%, but one has only to look at boats in the harbors to know that several belong to non-residents who have the use of a local address. Married couples of long residence aren’t much of threat to the serenity of beach.
Comment by Jay Louden — March 5th, 2010 @ 1:35 pm
The beach card renewal process is absurd. The town spends thousands on harassing residents for no measurable benefit. A quick easy solution–two boxes included with property tax bills “Would you like a beach pass?” “How many?” Please write a separate check to cover the cost of the requested passes.
Comment by Harry James — March 23rd, 2010 @ 3:31 pm