My name is Paul Walsh and I am a candidate for Mayor. I believe Braintree can do better and the residents deserve better. We need a Mayor who will focus on solving the problems this town is facing. We need a Mayor who will make the tough decisions that Braintree will face in the years to come. We need a Mayor who will get results for our community.
For 46 years my roots have been in Braintree. I grew up here. I went to school here. Braintree is a great town. But I see young families and retirees being driven out by ever-increasing taxes and fees. I see unchecked over development, town wide, out of control traffic problems, and an unprecedented increase in the drug and crime rate. Our roads may be improving but many of our roads have been in deplorable condition for far too long. We have budget shortfalls year after year, property taxes are up and property values are in decline. As Mayor I will implement new programs to bring new sources of revenue in town without reaching into the resident’s pockets any further.
I've heard several candidates running for various town offices claim the budget is balanced. I'm not so sure this is the case. In the past 4 years the town expenses have increased by almost $20 million dollars. Things like the 24+ million dollar un-funded retirement account and, the over-inflated Mayor’s office budget make me wonder how could the budget be balanced? I think we should plan that there will be less state aid. I've been talking for a long time about finding new sources of revenue without adding to the burden of the residents. I have mentioned alternative energy in the past & believe a windmill located at the former dumpsite would be far more cost effective than a $6 million dollar solar panel farm. A windmill will reduce the cost of power to several town buildings as well as provide extra income. A solar panel farm has a very short life span; is extremely expensive to purchase and maintain. I also believe Braintree should build a parking facility at the Braintree T station which will be owned and operated by the town. It will utilize new automation technology to bring in needed additional revenue. But most importantly I would not spend money we don't have!
It is difficult enough for all of us to make ends meet these days. As your Mayor I will change the focus of our government to get results for Braintree. I will not make promises I can’t keep. I will take the necessary steps to institute change. We were promised a streamlined government 4 years ago. This promise has not been delivered. We were also promised the trash fee would be eliminated. This promise hasn’t been kept.
4 years ago I began my Mayoral campaign to help correct the various issues that existed in Braintree. Many people in town agreed with my ideas and solutions to improve the infrastructure and financial problems. However a career politician was elected.
If you have been watching the town government for the last 4 years you know that little has been done to change Braintree’s government with the exception of assigning new titles and increasing salaries. The new form of government was supposed to make things better for the town, with a focus on controlling finances and improving town management. But in the last 4 years things have gotten a lot worse.
I believe the most critical, pressing issues facing Braintree is the finances. The problem has been on-going and has been ignored for too long. First and foremost we must get a handle on the budget and the out of control retirement account. Planting trees as a nice feel good thing but if the town is bankrupt the trees won’t help with our financial mess! As I stated 4 years ago the only trees I would have planted were trees thats that grow $100 bills – not the ones that have cost the town thousands of dollars spent on salaries and materials during this difficult economic environment.
These are some of the reasons why I decided to become a candidate for Mayor again. After talking to many residents, I believe that we really are ready for a true change in the direction that Braintree should be heading and a change in the person to lead us forward.
We have a strong school system in Braintree. However the recent Boston Magazine article ranking the Boston area’s best public schools in 2011 put Braintree at #75 out of 135 school systems. This is very troubling because just four years ago we were very well ranked in the mid-50s. We can't let this downward trend continue. The tired mantra "it's for the children" may be old and tired, but it does have a ring of truth! We need to make smart but tough decisions about Braintree’s school system. I would first consider refurbishing our schools. In most cases this would be the most cost effective solution and provide the teachers and students with a clean safe learning environment.
But this is another issue that will require a Mayor with a keen sense of running a business – not a smooth talking career politician that owes many favors to his long list of contributors and political buddies. I would welcome new and reconditioned development that will benefit Braintree. This will help keep our 2-tier tax base intact. I will also make certain that the town bylaws are implemented fairly and evenly, not on a selective basis. And I will break the cycle of patronage hiring and the good ol’ boy network.
We need a hands-on Mayor whose only focus is managing and improving our town. We need a Mayor that is engaged with the residents and available to all of them on a daily basis. We don’t need a chief of staff running the operations of our town. I am not interested in being a politician. I do not want any other position except to be Braintree’s C.E.O. (Mayor). We have an incredible opportunity to change Braintree for the better and correct the problems that the present elected official has ignored and neglected.
We need to get this right and I believe that I am the only candidate for Mayor that represents a true change. I will take on this challenge; make the tough decisions necessary to move Braintree forward for the people.
Thank you for listening to me. I would be happy to talk with you further in the next few short weeks. Please contact me at walshforbraintree.com. I respectfully ask for your support and your vote on November 8th.
