State Rep's Position On Women Just Wrong

This column originally appeared in The Sun Chronicle on Friday, november 14, 2014.

AN INSIDE LOOK

By Bill Gouveia

            Jay Barrows is a good state representative who has served his communities of Mansfield, Foxboro and Norton with distinction over the last eight years.  He is smart, savvy, and the kind of behind-the-scenes worker who gets the job done with little fanfare or publicity.

            But last week, Jay royally screwed up.

            While discussing the narrow victory by Governor-Elect Charlie Baker over Martha Coakley, Barrows said Baker talked about more relevant issues and didn’t get bogged down discussing the alleged “war on women”.  He suggested that even women were turned off by Coakley’s concentration on the pay inequity for women in the workplace.

            “They’re sick of all this talk about equal pay and discrimination against women”, the veteran legislator said.  He noted the issue is not a problem at the insurance agency he owns.  When asked about studies that show the inequity clearly exists, Barrows questioned their validity, asking, “Do you believe everything you read?”

            No Representative, I don’t.  In fact, I could barely believe your comments when I read them. 

Barrows may have only been serving for eight years, but the outdated, outmoded, prehistoric attitude he projects when he suggests the issue of equal pay for women is bad politics has been hanging around for generations.  And it is every bit as wrong as he is.

From a political viewpoint, it should be pointed out Baker did indeed improve over his 2010 performance with women voters by some nine percentage points.  But Coakley still beat him among women by 15% in a race that saw her lose by less than two percentage points statewide.  For Barrows to even hint that gap closed because women are tired of hearing they should get equal pay displays the kind of insensitivity and lack of understanding that keeps this problem from being solved.

It should also be noted Baker talked about the equal pay issue during the campaign.  He did not play it up as much as Coakley, largely because it was more of an issue to her political base than his.  But Baker agrees it is a problem.

Perhaps Barrows has some statistics he can share, but there seems to be little in the way of facts showing women were “sick” of hearing they should get the same pay for the same job.  But many women – as well as men – might be feeling ill that in this day and age, some public officials still just don’t get it.

Barrows said during his four terms as a state representative he has never heard a woman complain about unequal pay and never received a letter on the issue.  Now in fairness, that may in part be because there is little a state legislator can do directly to correct this basic unfairness, as opposed to a chief executive like a governor.

But given the position Rep. Barrows so clearly articulated last week, why would anyone even bother to talk to him about it?  People and politicians who don’t believe a problem exists are unlikely to try and do anything to solve it.  If you were a woman experiencing pay discrimination in the workplace, would you go to Representative Barrows to tell your story?

Although something tells me he might have gotten a letter or two on the topic this past week, and might get even more in the months ahead.

It is also important to draw the distinction between the so-called” War on Women” and the equal pay issue.  The war phrase has become a bit of a political catch-all, used more to create anger and fear than really pinpoint any particular problem.  But the “glass ceiling” for women and the fact they make on average 78% of what men get paid for the same jobs is something borne out by careful study and statistics.

Equal pay and treatment of women is neither a Democratic or Republican issue.  It is hard to imagine anyone getting sick of debating something so important to everyone, especially the good voters of the First Bristol district represented so ably by Jay Barrows.

If in the past eight years Jay Barrows has never run across a female constituent upset over the equal pay issue, then I respectfully suggest he needs to get out more often.

Bill Gouveia is a local columnist and longtime local official.  He can be emailed at aninsidelook@aol.com and followed on Twitter at @Billinsidelook.

Post-Election Analysis, Local and Otherwise

This column originally appeared in The Sun Chronicle on Monday, November 10, 2014

 

AN INSIDE LOOK

By Bill Gouveia

 

            As a political columnist, I feel compelled to give you my analysis of the recent midterm elections.  After careful study and consideration, here is my detailed breakdown on the state and national results:  It was a good year to be a Republican. 

 

How’s that for insight?

 

            On the national level, it was clearly a great day for the GOP.  They took control of the Senate with ease, won the lion’s share of the governor races, and solidified their majority in the House.  They managed to define the key issues and blame President Obama for almost everything, including Ebola.  It was a decisive and smart political butt-whipping.

 

            Of course, winning control of the government is sort of like being a dog chasing a car.  Once you catch it, you have to figure out what to do with it.

 

            Congress got virtually nothing done over the last two years.  Each side blames the other, but in truth they share the blame.  Both Harry Reid and John Boehner were obstructionists in their own chambers.  Republicans will discover – as Democrats know all too well – that having a majority in the Senate does not mean you suddenly can do what you want.

 

            But Republicans worked hard for the right to put their policies and philosophies front and center.  Democrats have to acknowledge that and accept the consequences of losing.  That doesn’t mean they should just fold their tent and go home, and they won’t.

 

            Winning is easy.  Leading is hard.  If Republicans concentrate on exacting revenge for what they perceive as past sins of Democrats, then nothing in government will get better.  We will continue the gridlock and hatred that has consumed and occupied Washington for the last decade or more.

 

            But right now, they should be allowed to enjoy their celebration.  They earned this victory.  It was clear, it was convincing, it was widespread.  This election might change everything, or it might change nothing.  That will be decided largely by the willingness of Republicans to be leaders as well as winners.

 

            On the local front, there were few surprises in area communities.  If you had any doubt this is a Republican-leaning part of the state, you need only look at the local results in the US Senate race. 

 

Hopkington Selectman Brian Herr actually carried five of the ten Sun Chronicle communities over Ed Markey, despite having less name recognition than the players on the Patriots taxi squad.  But he did have an R after his name.  The race for Massachusetts Attorney General was not competitive statewide, but GOP candidate John Miller still gained a majority in half the Sun Chronicle towns.

 

Governor-Elect Charlie Baker swept all ten communities, partly because his moderate-to-liberal stances on many issues made him attractive to local Democrats. 

 

The only surprise in the Attleboro state representative race was the margin of victory for incumbent Democrat Paul Heroux.  He dominated Republican Bert Buckley, who had the backing of nearly all the local representatives and city officials.  It was a solid vote of confidence for Heroux as he finishes his first term.  Wrentham State Senator Richard Ross also cruised to an easy victory.

 

But the biggest winner of the night may have been the Town of Plainville.  The defeat of Question 3 guaranteed the slot machine parlor run by Penn National will indeed open, keeping millions of dollars and several thousand jobs in town.  The casino repeal was rejected by 80% of Plainville voters, and lost in every area community.

 

Interestingly enough, that included Foxboro where over 60% of those casting ballots supported keeping the gambling law.  It was ironic that they got to vote on a measure allowing a gambling establishment on Route One, just down the road from where Robert Kraft had proposed a resort casino.

 

Granted, voting to allow legalized gambling statewide is different from allowing it in your own town.  But the wide margin does make you wonder how Foxboro citizens would have chosen had their selectmen not denied them the opportunity to even listen to a casino proposal, never mind vote on one.

 

Turnout in the area averaged over 50%.  Let’s hope some of those folks remember how to get to the polls come the next local election.

 

Bill Gouveia is a local columnist and longtime local official.  He can be emailed at aninsidelook@aol.com and followed on Twitter at @Billinsidelook.

Life is Like "Let's Make A Deal"

This column originally appear3ed in The Sun Chronicle on Friday, November 7, 2014

 

AN INSIDE LOOK

By Bill Gouveia

 

            As I get older and inch closer to my sixth decade of life, I have come to a relatively simple yet still startling revelation:

 

            Life is pretty much a series of episodes of the old television game show, Let’s Make a Deal.

 

            Like most of us, I wasn’t worried about the aging process during my younger and more foolish days.  I mean, I wasn’t exactly a “wild and crazy guy” in the old Saturday Night Live image (could I possibly date myself any earlier into a column?).  But neither was I any type of “health nut”, devoted to a lifestyle that would ensure me a long and fruitful existence.

 

            I weighed 120 pounds when I graduated from high school.  I’m just a little bit over that now, some 40 years later.  Well, maybe a lot over that.  Okay, so I’m double that and have shrunk about an inch – you wanna make something of it?

 

            I didn’t get this way overnight.  It was a long and selfish road that led me to this spot where I currently waddle.  It took a lot of fatty foods and Coke (the beverage, not the other stuff) to get to this point.  And it wasn’t because I didn’t know any better.  I knew the job was dangerous, but I kept taking it.

 

            Many of us are willing to sacrifice our longevity for short-term pleasure and enjoyment – at least when we are younger.  As we get older, we want to start making a deal.

 

            We start worrying about ourselves, and rightly so.  Some eat less, eat better, exercise more, and generally take better care of their bodies.  They go to bed earlier and get more rest.  In return for these acts, they ask the higher powers we hope control these things to recognize their belated efforts and reward them with a longer and healthier time on this planet.

 

            “Okay, if I give up butter and go to margarine, you give me an extra three years.  I change to Diet Coke, I get another 18 months.  And passing on salt should definitely mean an extra five years,” you reason with the forces that control the universe.

 

            But in the end, we have to make choices.  Just like in the aforementioned game show, we are unsure what is actually behind doors number one, two and three.  There are no sure things.

 

            Then we get shown what is hidden behind one door, and have to decide if we are willing to settle for that.  Our heads tell us it might be the best possible deal, but our hearts urge us to try and get something better.  Go ahead – eat that bowl of ice cream every night.  It’s got to be worth the risk, right?

 

            When the second door swings open, we are often pleasantly surprised.  We got this far without paying an overly high price, and it’s not so bad.  Of course we aren’t going to settle for this.  We both want and need more.  And what the heck – we’ve gotten by so far, haven’t we?

 

            That is where I am now, and it won’t be long before Door Number Three swings open and reveals what the road to the final prize will look like.  Now the bargaining starts for real, because the stakes seem much higher looking forward.

 

            “Listen, I’ll do better,” you reason with the disembodied voices in your head.  “I’ll actually go to the gym once in a while.  I’ll get that physical I’ve been putting off.  I’ll even stop taking my diabetes pill with a Coke every night,” you add, throwing in what could be the clincher.

 

            But I realize I decided a while ago not to take the deal – at least, not fully.  I’m not saying that’s the smart move, and I’m not suggesting anyone else do the same.  I’m just saying it’s the choice I’ve made.

 

            I know when I’m 70 and facing various issues, I’ll probably be sorry.  I’ll be regretting my short-sightedness.  I’ll be thinking I should have sacrificed more for the longer view.  I might be wishing I had done it differently, and start trying to make a deal.

 

            But I have certainly enjoyed getting to this point.  And maybe – just maybe – there’s a treat behind Door Number Three. 

 

Bill Gouveia is a local columnist and can be emailed at aninsidelook@aol.com and followed on Twitter at @Billinsidelook.

Why Negative Politics? Because They Work.

This column originally appeared in The Sun Chronicle on Monday, November 3, 2014.

 

 

AN INSIDE LOOK

By Bill Gouveia

 

            Tomorrow is Election Day.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for it to be over.

 

            While I thank all the candidates and campaign workers for their hard and earnest efforts to better serve our government and help people – I’ve had enough.  I would just like most of them to go away for a little while, and let me get back to family, football, fatty foods and the other really important stuff in life.

 

            I love politics.  Even the inside, backroom, nitty-gritty stuff that either bores or ticks off most people.  I’m fascinated by the strategies, the philosophies, and the incredible drive it takes to get things done on the state and federal levels of our government.  I haven’t quite become a C-Span devotee yet, but I do pay attention.

           

            However, the negative politics that have peaked in this off-year election are wearing me down.  I simply can’t stand the whiny, accusatory and destructive attitudes and campaigns that have become the norm. 

 

Listening to the current crop of candidates bash each other has become worse than hearing nails dragged down a chalkboard (those are the things we had before whiteboards, for those of you who have never clapped an eraser).

 

            Don’t get me wrong, there are still some folks running for public office who inspire me and earn my admiration.  But for the most part I am dismayed that we – the voting public – continue to make negative campaigning the most effective way to get elected.

 

            Take the race for Governor in Massachusetts.  On one side we have Martha Coakley, a mediocre attorney general best known as the democrat who lost Ted Kennedy’s senate seat.  Her opponent is Republican Charlie Baker, who turned around Harvard Pilgrim but can’t remember if a conversation with a possibly fictitious New Bedford fisherman occurred last Saturday or in 2009.  They apparently are the best their parties can offer.

 

            But Massachusetts doesn’t have the market cornered on races between candidates focused on destroying the other side.  You need look no further than immediately south and north of the Bay State to confirm that.

 

            In Rhode Island, State Treasurer Gina Raimondo and Cranston Mayor Allan Fung are rolling in the mud like a couple of happy hogs.  Their television ads are enough to make Richard Nixon blush.  If half the charges they make against each other are true, each should be in jail.

 

            Up in the Granite State, former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown is trying to unseat Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen.  They are locked in a tight race, with each trying hard to make voters hate and distrust the other.  Both have been quite good at it.

 

            Each candidate has totally distorted nearly every vote the other has ever cast.  Even when they are right in their criticisms, people have trouble believing them because they chalk it all up to politics. 

 

Brown pretends not to be a carpetbagger who moved there because his prospects for a political career were better than if he stayed.  Shaheen pretends she can get reelected on her own record, without resorting to pointing out Brown’s political faults and opportunism.

 

            And thanks to our unique geographic location, we get a front row seat to all of it.

 

            Being located in Southeastern Massachusetts means we are part of both the Boston and Providence television markets.  So not only are we treated to the crass commercials and campaigns from the elections we can vote in, we get to wallow in the slime of those we cannot directly affect as well. 

 

            And don’t even get me started on some of the congressional races throughout New England and the country. 

 

            It doesn’t have to be this way.  We could be listening to a lot of good debate about the serious issues before us.  But negative politicking is widespread for one simple reason:  It works.  We accept accusations of wrongdoing at face value, but demand undeniable proof of anything good. 

 

            There is no way to get rid of all the negativity.  That has always been and will always be an integral part of politics.  But we can do better.

 

            It is often said our electorate is merely a reflection of the people serving in government.  In my opinion, exactly the opposite is true.

           

Bill Gouveia is a local columnist and can be emailed at aninsidelook@aol.com and followed on Twitter at @Billinsidelook.

Halloween Costumes of Local Public Figures Revealed

This column originally appeared in The Sun Chronicle on Friday, October 31, 2014

 

AN INSIDE LOOK

By Bill Gouveia

 

            Today is Halloween, one of the uniquely American holidays that doesn’t get you a day off from work but does encourage you to knock on your neighbor’s front door.  The one night a year when you are expected to dress up in scary or amusing costumes.  A chance to express yourself in an uninhibited and unrestrained manner.

 

            Of course, it is supposed to be about children.  They generally dress up as the things that scare them most – or at least, they did in my day.  We dressed as ghosts, goblins, zombies, monsters, all the things that dominated our nightmares and sent shivers and tremors down our spines.  It was a way of facing and overcoming our deepest fears.

 

            It may be different today, when costumes tend to be superheroes and cartoon characters.  But many of us still believe our choice of Halloween costumes – particularly as adults – says a lot about what we are thinking beneath the surface of our outside personas.

 

            With that in mind, I set out to use the skills of my crack team of trained investigators to discover what some of our local and state officials and/or public figures were going to be for Halloween.  Using methods unknown even to the NSA and CIA, they worked tirelessly to discover what these good folks were planning on being tonight when the sun goes down.  It just might be indicative of what they fear the most.

 

            So without further ado, I give you the results they uncovered.  Here are what some of your favorite public figures will be dressing as this Halloween.

 

            The North Attleboro Board of Selectmen will be going all out tonight.  Some will dress as a modern town charter.  Others will don costumes and go as children denied a place to play in the street.  The remaining members will be disguised as an actual binding ballot question.

 

            The Seekonk School Committee will, as expected, dress as a school employee with actual job security.

 

            Gubernatorial candidates Martha Coakley and Charlie Baker are going out as their collective worst nightmares.  Both will be clothed as Plainville voters asking for a rational explanation of why the candidates support an unbuilt Springfield casino but not the half-constructed Plainville racino, should Question 3 pass.

 

            State Representative Betty Poirier will be in costume as a state representative from an outside district visiting Attleboro without her own approval.

 

            The Catholic Bishops of Massachusetts will be dressing as people who want to spend some of their money gambling in casinos rather than bingo games or church raffles.  After the Pope’s comments this week, some might also dress as cast members of “The Big Bang Theory”.

 

            The Rehoboth Board of Selectmen will be walking throughout the community in costume as a packed Town Meeting pretending to have the best interests of the town as a whole in mind, but really there for only one specific purpose.

 

            Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick will dazzle and amaze when he dresses up as a sports reporter with a legitimate question who he can’t intimidate into silence.

 

            Mansfield Selectmen will be varying their approach to the holiday.  Some will go as newly available liquor licenses, others as voters who say they will shop at downtown stores but actually go to the malls and shopping plazas.  And of course, one will be dressed as a bilingual help wanted sign.

 

            The Foxboro Selectmen will be revealing some deep-seated fears with their costumes.  Some will be dressed as Robert Kraft, some as an electronic sign, and others as a town counsel with some backbone and capable of independent thought.  Plans to dress as the Open Meeting Law were dismissed as too difficult.

 

            Of course, inquiring minds want to know what your intrepid Sun Chronicle Columnist will be trick-or-treating as on this Halloween night.  I was originally going to opt for the frightening look, and thus simply go as I usually appear.  But at the last minute I decided to dress up as something truly terrifying.

 

            So if you see someone walking around in a NY Giants football jersey and wearing a NY Yankees baseball hat, please just wake me up and send me back to my therapist’s office. 

 

            Happy Halloween to all you kids out there, both big and small.

 

Bill Gouveia is a local columnist and can be emailed at aninsidelook@aol.com and followed on Twitter at @Billinsidelook.

Time To Get Tough With Liquor Violators

This column originally appeared in The Sun Chronicle on October 17, 2014.

 

 

AN INSIDE LOOK

By Bill Gouveia

 

If local officials want both license holders and the public to consider the sale of alcoholic beverages to minors a really big deal, they had better start treating it as such.

 

Despite the growing emphasis on preventing the sale of such products to those under the legal age of 21, it continues to happen with alarming regularity throughout this area.  There is simply no excuse for it, and neither the licensing authorities nor the general public should tolerate it.

 

No one is disputing the difficulty bars, restaurants and liquor/package stores face in preventing increasingly sophisticated attempts by those underage to obtain alcohol.  With the ability to create realistic-looking IDs with nothing more than a laptop and printer, the job of those holding these licenses is tougher than ever.

 

But failure to even attempt to check and verify the age of patrons is something that must be treated harshly and severely.  For the most part, area licensing authorities have been far too lenient and forgiving when it comes to this serious issue.  That needs to stop immediately.

 

How many times have you read about local establishments being caught selling to minors during routine compliance checks?  These "sting" operations are hardly unusual or unexpected.  They are conducted on a regular basis, and establishment owners usually receive letters warning them they may be visited in such a manner.

 

The latest incidents occurred in Foxboro, where the police department sent a 19-year-old into 29 different establishments on a Thursday night.  The youth was allegedly served at nine of those businesses without an ID check, despite the avoidance of the busy weekend crowds.  If the violations are confirmed, that is an alarming percentage.

 

More than that, it is a slap in the face to both Foxboro police and selectmen.  It clearly and without doubt says license holders are not taking either the punishments or the problem seriously.  It is disrespectful in every way. 

 

This is not unique to Foxboro.  We have seen the same situations in many other communities.  But when Foxboro police conducted a similar operation last fall, three establishments were found to have served a minor.  They all agreed to accept punishments for their violations.

 

All three were issued letters of reprimand.  One was given a one-day suspension.  That establishment was allowed to pick the day of their punishment.

 

Here's hoping these businesses all managed to recover from that harsh treatment.  No doubt they learned a valuable lesson after being made to pay such a high price.  That is sarcasm, in case anyone is wondering.

 

To be fair, selectmen do not have complete control over handing out punishments to liquor law violators.  Their actions are subject to appeal to the ABCC (Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission) and must meet standards that state board considers fair and reasonable.

 

But if local officials don't start getting tough on those placing alcohol in the hands of minors, then why should the ABCC?  The punishments have to start fitting the seriousness of the act.

 

There is no reason why any liquor establishment found guilty of serving a minor without checking for ID should not lose their license for at least three days on a first offense.  And those days should be served at the direction of the licensing authority, not hand-picked by the violators.

 

Everyone understands these are trying economic times.  No one wants to hurt local businesses.  It is difficult for owners to be totally responsible for every action of every employee.  Being unable to serve or sell alcohol for three days can be an awful economic hardship.  After all, mistakes do happen.

 

But when your mistake is serving a minor, the result is often dead kids.  That trumps worries about keeping local businesses afloat.

 

The strategy of telling licensees "If you do that again, you are in big trouble" is no more effective than when parents use it.  If you want to be taken seriously, you have to act seriously.

 

If found guilty, there should be no sympathy for any of these nine establishments. 

 

Here's hoping Foxboro selectmen set a firm example for their own town and neighboring communities by treating this situation properly.  If they don't, then there is no reason to run those compliance checks again next year.

 

Bill Gouveia is a local columnist and longtime area town official.  He can be emailed at aninsidelook@aol.com and followed on Twitter at @Billinsidelook.

This column originally appeared in The Sun Chronicle op

Not Just The Pats Had a Bad Week In KC...

This column originally appeared in The Sun Chronicle on Monday, October 6, 2014

AN INSIDE LOOK

By Bill Gouveia

            If you think only the Patriots had a terrible time in Kansas City last week, think again.  I’m pretty sure my son and I had an even more stressful and painful experience visiting the hospitable Mid-West.  And almost all of it was my fault.

            It was with great enthusiasm and optimism I set out early last Monday with plans of watching my beloved Patriots battle the Chiefs.  I took a very early morning flight out of Providence to connect with my youngest son in Baltimore.  Our plan was to fly on to our destination and enjoy some time there.

            But almost immediately, things went wrong.  Or more correctly – I went wrong.

            While my son was fighting airport traffic, I was waiting at the gate – or so I thought.  Turned out I was next to the gate, but in the wrong line.  After my son arrived, we shortly thereafter realized we were about to board a plane headed to Florida.  We dashed across the aisle to try and make our intended flight.

            However, it had been overbooked.  When we did not board on time, they gave our seats to someone else.  We watched helplessly as our plane sat at the gate taunting us, then pulled away leaving us behind.

            A very helpful airline staff member proceeded to try and help us.  The first flight she offered us would have gotten into KC at 7:25 pm for a 7:30 pm game.  The alternatives slowly got better, but not enough to guarantee we could make it to the nationally televised Monday night contest.

            Eventually, we had to settle for flying into St. Louis, renting a car, and driving nearly four hours across the entire state to Kansas City.  If you have ever driven Interstate 70, you know it is a straight and flat highway through some of the most boring sights you could ever ask to see.  Picture the Mass Pike with no hills or valleys.  I’m surprised my son didn’t kill me on the ride.

            We had to drive a half-hour past our hotel when we got to Kansas City because we needed to go to the airport.  Unlike me, my bag was smart enough to get on the correct flight and was waiting there for me with a mocking attitude.

            When I reached for my driver’s license to claim my bag, I nearly passed out.  My license was no longer in my pocket.  I did get the bag, but headed to the hotel wondering how I was going to board a flight home the next day.  And hoping my son’s sense of humor was still intact.

            A search of the car failed to turn up my license, and off to the game we went.  Just as the National Anthem began to play, Avis called me to say they found my license – in St. Louis.  I knew I would not have it in time for my flight tomorrow, but sat back determined to at least enjoy the game.

            Ah yes, the game.  It was a nightmare from start to finish.  It was extremely loud, and none of that was due to us cheering.  Chief fans – always polite – were actually feeling sorry for us.

            After a delicious BBQ lunch the next day, it was off to the airport.  Fortunately I still had identification, but needed something with a photo.  I was finally saved not by my credit cards, but by a BJs Club card with a scratched up picture of me from at least 15 years ago.

            That got me into the security area, where I was thoroughly frisked by a dedicated TSA agent.  I’m pretty sure he and I are now considered legally married in several countries. 

            My son kept a close eye on me as we waited for our plane home, and insisted on walking me to the new gate when we got to Baltimore where he left me to my own devices.  He may have secretly watched from afar for a while.

            I did manage to make it back to Norton without further incident, a minor miracle in and of itself. My wife and I are now scheduled to travel to Buffalo this weekend to again watch the Pats game.

            She insists on driving.

Bill Gouveia is a local columnist, longtime Patriots season-ticket holder, and terrible traveler.  He can be emailed at aninsidelook@aol.com and followed on Twitter at @Billinsidelook.

No Confusion Between Foxboro and Vegas Signs

This column originally appeared in The Sun Chronicle on Friday, September 26, 2014.

 

 

AN INSIDE LOOK

By Bill Gouveia

 

            You never know what can wind up being controversial in a small New England town.  But there are some things that always raise the anxiety level in seemingly every community.

 

            Put a leash law on the Town Meeting warrant and watch the fur fly.  Try cutting sports from the school budget and be prepared to see some hard-hitting action.  Discuss spending money on a new town hall and feel the walls closing in on you. 

 

            But right behind those is another soul-searching issue currently making the rounds in Foxboro, with voters perhaps being faced with determining its fate soon.  Yes, we are talking about the highly subjective and always sensitive issue of – signs.

 

            More specifically billboards in this instance, with technology adding fuel to the fire.  Be they political, business or just general signage, these advertising tools always seem to capture a somewhat disproportionate section of the attention spans of town officials and residents.

 

            Signs may be emotionless creatures, but the feelings they can stir in others are amazing.  They tend to be highly personal to both those who own them and those who merely have to look at them. 

 

            Put a political sign in your front yard and watch what happens.  Malls and restaurants depend on unique and colorful signs to draw people into their locales.  A few years back in Norton, there was much ado about a rather ordinary CVS sign not blending with that community’s “colonial character”.

 

            But now digital and LED signage has risen to become the focus of the Foxboro debate.  The town already has such a billboard, located on Route 1 near North Street in the shadow of Patriot Place.  A proposed new sign bylaw would allow for others, but pretty much restrict them to the Route 1 corridor.

 

            For those unfamiliar with the concept here, these digital billboards are extremely clear and colorful.  In some cases they are almost like large televisions.  They certainly do draw a lot of attention.

 

            You might think this would be the perfect area for the latest in advertising technology, given the amount of commercial activity and traffic drawn to the area.  Route 1 – especially in the general vicinity of Patriot Place and Gillette Stadium – has not projected the image of a small town for decades now.  And it is no stranger to billboards.

 

            In fact, the town itself is involved in a complicated and bitterly contested arrangement with the Kraft Organization in which both make money from renting out billboards.  But some in town are much more concerned with the aesthetic impact upon their community than the financial one.

 

            To be sure, there are legitimate concerns about electronic signs and everyone is more than entitled to their own opinion.  Some believe they are a safety hazard and a distraction, although between the GPS screen, satellite radio, mobile phones, digital dashboards, and back-up cameras, that might be a little difficult to swallow.

 

            Others believe they are simply in bad taste.  Foxboro calls itself “The Jewel of Norfolk County”, but many officials and citizens would not like to see jewelry ads actually moving on a billboard as they drive the busy Route 1 roadway.

 

            Foxboro Advisory Committee chairperson Tracey Vasile recently revealed that a strong majority of her committee members “had concerns about additional electronic billboards on Route 1.”  Committee member Larry Thomas expressed his disapproval of additional electronic displays, reminding everyone “This is a New England town, not Las Vegas.”

 

            It’s a good thing he cleared that up.  At the Patriots game Sunday people were getting confused and asking for directions to The Strip and Caesar’s Palace.  I mean, seriously?  Is there anyone who really thinks the stadium section of Route 1 could possibly look like a small New England town anymore?

 

            The truth is electronic signs fit the character of Route 1 in the stadium area.  A handsomely made wooden sign with colonial overtones would actually look out of place.

 

            Fear of both change and technology is not new.  But when you allow an area in any town to become a commercial shopping destination and home to an NFL team, it is hard to continue to accept the tax revenue it produces and at the same time ban the signs that help raise it.

 

Bill Gouveia is a local columnist and longtime local official.  He can be emailed at aninsidelook@aol.com and followed on Twitter at @Billinsidelook.