Westport in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Sunday, August 29,
2010
Quick Article Index . . .
Home values down, taxes are up. What gives?
Sean
Bielat just may be this year’s dark horse candidate.
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EverythingWestport.com Thursday, August
26, 2010 Photos/EverythingWestport.com
In a rural farming community that
depends mostly on wells for their water, this urban practice is an
unfamiliar, fun-time, summertime ritual that does have a serious safety side.
Left: Fireman Andrew
Raymond (right) and Highway Department worker Scott Urban get a chuckle as a
14-wheeler gets a free tire wash. “Motorists sometimes back into a hydrant,” said Westport firefighter
Andrew Raymond. “Even the slightest bump can bend a shut-off valve, rendering
the hydrant useless, or crack the hydrant’s casing allowing water to escape
underground and reduce water pressure.” “Neighborhood kids sometimes vandalize hydrant caps or try to block
the outlets,” added Scott Urban. “We encourage neighbors and people who bump
hydrants to call us and report it immediately,” Raymond said. “Properties are
at risk if we can’t operate a hydrant.” The Westport Highway Department and
Fire Department inspected and flushed the hydrants starting Monday, August 23
between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and finished things up on Friday,
August 27. Residents on town water were asked to limit their water use as pressure
was low and their water could contain rusty discoloration. Residents were asked to run their
cold water for several minutes after 5 p.m. to flush their pipes if rusty
conditions were present. Although advice had been given to the contrary,
in-house water filters should never be bypassed for any water that will be
used for cooking, drinking or personal hygiene use. Homes on wells were not
affected by these maintenance procedures.
Hydrant inspections during the summer
have always been a great way for urban youngsters to beat the heat and
boredom of the dog days of July and August. “We don’t see many kids up in this
area taking advantage of the temporary wading pools,” said Urban. The flushing of hydrants is to check
for proper pressure and operation, and to expel any rust and sediment that
has built up in the normally unused hydrants and associated water lines that
as a rule don’t experience raped water flow. “These lines are fairly new,” said
Urban, “and we don’t experience a lot of rusty water. But that will change
over the years.”
After inspection, the hydrants are
subject to a full force flush for five minutes. The water lines with hydrants were
installed a handful of years ago when Whites of Westport received approval to
bring Fall River city water to their State Road restaurant. The lines were
later extended east down State Road, and onto the related side streets to the
north. Home values down, taxes are up.
What gives? EverythingWestport.com Sunday, August
29, 2010 Home values down, taxes are up. What gives? The Massachusetts Department of Revenue Division of Local Services
reports average single-family home real estate taxes are up, with values
dropping anywhere from 1 to 9 percent. Unfortunately, local property
assessment values lag falling prices, which doesn’t help the trend.
Assessments are figured on values as calculated a year or two ago. The disaster that we now know as the
subprime mortgage scandal over the last six years has almost destroyed our
economy, and its effect on taxpayers will be felt for years. As political
parties try to distance their involvement, we are left holding the bag. Westport’s average tax increase was
reported as 2 to 3 percent. However, the change in average assessed values
decreased by 5 to 9 percent. How does Westport stacks up against
its neighbors? ·
Fall
River average assessed values decreased by 5 to 9 percent, and their average
property tax bills increased by 4 to 5 percent. ·
Dartmouth
values decreased by 5 to 9 percent, but their taxes only increased by 1
percent or less. ·
New
Bedford values decreased by 1 to 4 percent, while their taxes increased by 1
percent or less. ·
Freetown
values decreased by 5 to 9 percent, and like Westport their average tax
increase was 2 to 3 percent. State-wide home values, which peaked
in early 2007, have dropped to a now-reported average of $373,702. Today, the average state-wide tax
bill for a single-family home is $4,390, nearly twice that of Westport.
Westport can thank its average real estate tax bill increase of 2 to 3
percent to the defeat of a recent proposition 2 ˝ override. Sean Bielat just may be this year’s dark horse
candidate. EverythingWestport.com Thursday, August
26, 2010
“I have a lot of work to do,” the
contender for the 4th congressional district told the ROMEOs at their recent
luncheon. “And I still have a primary to win. But my message is strong and
clear. Fix the problems in Washington, don’t create them.” The ROMEOs (Retired Older Men Eating
Out) hosted Sean Bielat, republican primary candidate for the Massachusetts
4th congressional district just one week after the sociable seniors lunched
with incumbent Barney Frank. The outreach of Westport’s ROMEOs is impressive,
attracting top-notch speakers and high-level political candidates to address
their group. The contrast between the candidates
couldn’t be more different. And well-known Barney Frank is a towering figure
in comparison to little-known, politic neophyte Sean Bielat. But Bielat might just be the mouse
that roared. “Something is very wrong in our
country today,” Bielat said. The lack of jobs, the growth of our deficit, and
at the root of it being the real estate meltdown which never should have
happened.” Many have linked Barney Frank,
Christopher Dodd, and Chuck Schumer as well former Presidents Jimmy Carter
and Bill Clinton with the sub-prime push to promote affordable housing for
every American, and the lack of strong regulatory oversight on Fannie Mae and
Freddie Mac to deal with the mortgage crisis that followed. “And no single person is more
responsible than Barney Frank,” Bielat said. “There is a spirit of systematic
corruption in Washington where democrats are using the system to push their
ideology for their own benefit.” Bielat pulled no punches. With the
specter of Scott Brown’s come-from-behind drubbing of Martha Coakley looming
over this race, an incumbent candidate will face a real challenge to retain
their seat, even from little known candidates. Bielat does not plan to make a career
out of elective office. In fact the former iRobot program manager believes in term limits, and plans to return to industry
after two terms, if elected.
“We need to get our economy going
again,” Bielat said. “My wife just had our first baby and he’s already
$30,000 in the hole!” In a sense Bielat is quoting from the
conservative playbook; but he’s not alone. Many democrats are being tempted
to tack to the right to win reelection, with conservatives attacking that
political expediency. Bielat has recently appeared on Fox’s
Hannity and Laura Ingrams conservative talk shows. The young, former marine lieutenant
(active service) spoke out against Barney Frank's support for taxpayer funded bailouts and the failed
stimulus package. Bielat said entitlements need to be reined in and he suggested Congress take pay cuts during economic downturns rather than the pay raises they have often approved for themselves. Asked if wage restrictions, such as the minimum wage, should be loosened or lifted, Bielat said such ideas should be considered when times are tough, to bolster businesses' ability to maintain and create jobs.
Bielat, a Catholic, was raised a
moderate democrat in Rochester, New York, and was a page in the U.S. House of
Representatives at the age of 16, sponsored by a democrat. This is his first
stab at political office. "People
have brought up that I was once a registered Democrat, and, frankly, its
helped more than its hurt," Bielat said. He experienced conservative
leanings around 2002, influenced by his military service and business
experience. "I don't talk about labels. I talk about my values and how I
support pro-growth economic policies, sustainable solutions to create jobs,
and a secure border. When I talk about the issues that matter to people in
their daily lives I get a lot of nodding heads." "Ironically,
on the same day, Barney Frank attacked me for being too conservative and too
liberal," Bielat added. "It just shows they recognize that our
campaign is a legitimate challenge and they're willing to throw everything at
the wall, no matter how ridiculous." Bielat is a disciplined, serious man, as
articulate with his words as he is firm with his political principles. He is
quick on his feet and well-versed in the tricky waters of national politics. “Bad leadership has really hurt us,”
he said. “I won’t be distracted by committee memberships, and can better involve myself with matters of the 4th congressional district,” Bielat said in response to a question of how a junior congressman could beat a 29-year incumbent known for his powerful connections and strong constituent services. “Frank is not staying on top of local matters. He could have done more to stop the Hess LNG project, and do more to attract funding for local projects. And his various positions on the national issues of the day are wrong; we should be focusing first on the economy and jobs.” Bielat, 35, will be opposed by Norfolk businessman Earl
Sholley in the September 14th Republican primary, - - - - - End - - - - - © 2010 Community Events of Westport All rights reserved. EverythingWestport.com |
