Lakeville wants a well-run city
To the editor:
The election of Matt Little as the mayor of Lakeville is a reaction to the one-dimensional thinking that has pervaded our public discourse these past few years.
This line of thinking, that our former mayor adhered to, is the belief that public institutions and public servants are inefficient and non-value adding and the only solution is to reduce them.
This line of thinking could not comprehend how publicly-run liquor stores could be well-run and efficient and provide value to our community (in the form of millions of dollars of profit a year). We had to hire a consultant to tell us what we already knew.
This line of thinking could not see how supporting a public-private partnership for a senior citizen center could add value to our community. This is the same line of thinking that assumes that public servants are not honest and hard working but are in fact liars.
With the election of Matt Little the majority of our community sent a message that they do not subscribe to this line of thinking. They know there is a place for well-run public institutions. They know we have public servants, teachers, school administrators, police and government workers who are doing their best to provide services to our community under very difficult circumstances. Most of them have seen their workloads increase while at the same time have had to defend themselves against unfair and inaccurate accusations. The public had enough of this. We all want a high quality community and public institutions and public servants help make this desire a reality.
Yes, they need to be accountable. They also need to be appreciated for the value they add to our community. Matt Little gets that.
Tom Traub
Lakeville
Matt little didn’t get votes from the majority of the city. He only collected somewhere around 40%. Additionally the liquor study didn’t tell s what we already knew. It saved us 3000000 dollars which was in the budget to purchase land or another liquor store. Matt little is too naive and it will be exposed
Correct, not a majority, but a plurality. This was a three-way race, so such an outcome is to be expected, and 40% in that situation is quite a strong result.
And your numbers are taken out of context – 3mil could have been spent, but that money would have been an investment that would have paid itself back over time. You can argue whether or not this would have been worthwhile in the short-term, but to just say it would have been money out the window is just laughable.
Keep to your policy objections and leave out the ad hominem attacks next time, and maybe you will seem a little less Crazy.
Sane – 3 million was going to be spent until the results of the survey came back. Matt Little was the only one to vote against the survey. Good thing the other four voted for the survey.
We all have the right to freedom of speech and our own opinion so take your “ad hominem” legal vocabulary and run it up your fundraising sign at the senior center.
Thank you for so eloquently stating your thoughts. I can assure you that they echo my perception, and those of my family, and my neighbors. We are ready for Lakeville to move forward, adding value to our community without additional dysfunction.
We just elected the guy that created the dysfunction