Ben Holden for Board of Selectmen



			Issues			PHOTOS!
			Our Board of Selectmen is the town's brain trust--our political leadership. The BOS has many obligations and functions, the most important of which is providing for the town's future. Town Planning Town Spending Environmental Quality Local Economy and Social Safety Net Charter Revision How the BOS Has Failed Us The people of Canton need, deserve, and should have a game plan. Our next BOS should prepare five-year and ten-year plans. It should provide a vision of what we need to do and how to do it. On our horizon: two hydropower electric generating plants, rebuilding a pretty old bridge, a new town garage, a firehouse, a new roof for the library, and a major rebuilding of portions of the old Collins factory by a private developer. This is a lot for a small town. Goal planning is often done by business and institutions, infrequently by governments. The power plants have to be the highest priority, and, yes, we are waiting on the US Congress. Your children's children will thank you for the wisdom you show in building the hydro facilities. It's not easy, but we're in it and need to get it done. Other towns with dams and watercourses are watching our progress. We need to be smart about all those other investments, too. The enormity of the list requires a more coherent direction forward. -- The citizens and taxpayers of Canton deserve a careful tending of the town's funds. A new BOS should work to finish jobs, collect monies due, and spend carefully for town needs. Governments can't work when they are broke; governments should be well provided for. Don't forget the big thing: at every level we have governments to do right, to provide education and public safety, to do well and honorably with public treasure. They should spend prudently and tax gently and fairly. -- The people of Canton support earth-friendly, green practices. We need to preserve farmland and forest, we are willing to pay for non-polluting power, and we want to keep the town's unique character. The new BOS should lead in protecting our agriculture and rustic lifestyle; transition to alternative-fuel town vehicles; look into coop solar power projects for town buildings, electric car charging stations, and safe cleaning products, fertilizers and chemicals. We ought to explore the idea of a regional transit system with neighboring towns. -- Census data show many in town are doing quite well, thank you. Yet many have seen their lives grow more financially constricted. The national economy is not a town problem, but business, like charity, ought to begin at home. The new BOS should lead in making the town business-friendly: recycle exisiting vacant property to grow our commercial and industrial base. In evaluating bids for the purchase of goods and services, we should give preference to Canton concerns and/or bidders employing Canton residents. It is in the interest of the town to encourage employers who provide jobs to our residents. The new BOS should bump up our combined Social Service and Senior Services department to fund two full-time positions. We were smart enough to move Social Services back in town; the needs and numbers of clients have grown exponentially. The Canton Food Bank will serve 600-700 clients in 2011. There is serious need in town. Social Services has the responsibilities; they should be given the employee hours to meet these responsibilities. -- Read Ben's letter about the Canton Charter Revision here. -- Our current Board of Selectmen has failed us. If you study the performance of our Board of Selectmen over the past four years, you will find it sorely deficient. They display muddled thinking, make poor decisions, can't add, don't read the small print and waste money. Four Republicans and one Democrat. As a group they are dysfunctional; they come to agreement before starting discussions and their consensus lacks the wisdom of exposure to contrary ideas. They all share a group responsibility. They gave us five police chiefs in one year in a process they could not have made uglier by trying. They raised taxes during a recession so the town could put more in its savings account. They wasted the effort and expense of the town garage land purchase vote debacle. They paid MIRMA without calling the special town meeting required by the charter. They screwed up the charter revision--not a one of them added 2+2+1 and saw FIVE. They created an anti-business climate so pervasive we lost our IGA, and empty commercial space abounds. They failed to collect a $450,000 reimbursement from the state for a land purchase made four years ago. They spent $60,000 on a road study as if the roads had repaired themselves since the 2008 study. This will be a year of change. I am running for Selectman because I don't trust 'em to do right; and, shucks, I couldn't do worse; and I will try to do better. Canton has great challenges and opportunities in the future. I want to keep Canton green, return to a common-sense, tight-fisted government, support local business and the commonweal...and do the difficult stuff for Canton's future. You don't have to agree with everything I say to support the basic idea of remaking the BOS. Approved by Ben Holden Paid for by the Green Party of Connecticut

Issues

PHOTOS!

Our Board of Selectmen is the town's brain trust--our political leadership. The BOS has many obligations and functions, the most important of which is providing for the town's future.