Some Foxboro Selectmen Have Wrong Priorities

AN INSIDE LOOK

By Bill Gouveia

This column appeared in the Sun Chronicle on Monday, February 26, 2018 

            Virginia Coppola and James DeVellis are selectmen in Foxboro.  When it comes to hiring town hall clerical employees, both appear to believe qualifications are not as important as who your spouse is.

            They both made that clear this week when the town manager announced the hiring of a new “community information specialist”.  Coppola and DeVellis were outraged when they discovered the new employee is the wife of the manager of external affairs/business development for the Kraft Group.

            Selectmen (thankfully) play no role in the hiring process for this position.  That is the job of the managers, both well-paid professionals.  They fully admitted that when they hired the individual, they did not know who her spouse was or if she even had one

            That’s because employers are not allowed to ask those questions.  Candidates – at least those for non-confidential municipal clerical positions - are under no obligation to disclose marital status, religion, or favorite color.

            But Coppola and DeVellis were not satisfied with that, or the fact the new employee agreed to a confidentiality agreement out of an abundance of caution.  They said hiring this person somehow opens the town up to the risk of secret information being leaked to the Kraft Group.  They were a bit vague on just what that information might be.

DeVellis suggested the town manager should have reviewed the candidate’s Facebook page and social media accounts because she had been to meetings and functions, and thus could have been recognized.  The town’s lawyer recommended against that practice. 

They were not reassured when told the person would not be participating in confidential matters, and would not attend any executive sessions.

            There are employees in town now who recuse themselves in cases where they have relatives involved in the topic under discussion.  That is extremely common in municipalities everywhere.

            Yet DeVellis claimed this situation compromised the board and made him uncomfortable.  He tried disguising his concerns as being about the hiring process, but it was clear his objection was to the person.  He simply did not want the employee in this position to be the spouse of a Kraft Group member.

            Town Counsel and others pointed out almost all documents in town hall are public record, and any employee could distribute information.  In fact, that is what this position of “community information specialist” is supposed to do.  So DeVellis’s objection is hard to fathom.

            Coppola’s reasoning and logic was even worse.  She outrageously and publicly questioned the integrity of the individual when she wondered out loud, “Why does she want to work for the Town of Foxboro?  If she’s so qualified…certainly she could get a higher-paying job in the private sector.” 

            After hearing that awful statement from Selectman Coppola, a lot of potential and current employees may well be asking themselves the same thing.

            We can only assume Coppola and DeVellis are currently scouring town records, looking for the marital connections of every town employee.  If there is a secretary in town hall married to a manager at the local donut shop chain, they will no doubt have similar concerns.  Otherwise, their actions would smack of discrimination.

Because as they said – for them, it’s not about the Kraft Group. 

Yeah, right. 

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

Reform Must Come First in North

Change Must Come First In North

by Bill Gouveia for the Sun Chronicle


There is little doubt North Attleboro needs more money in its budget to properly fund the operation of the community and provide services citizens and taxpayers deserve. Selectmen have called for an override to add about $6.5 million to do exactly that, and they deserve credit for having the political will and courage to try and address the very real problems.

But voters should firmly and decidedly reject this override, despite a strong case being made by the board. The reason is simple:

Their current governmental structure is not working, and until it is changed the voters and citizens should not trust it with an increase anywhere near this magnitude.

That is not meant as an attack on any individuals currently holding office in North, but rather an indictment of the entire system. Any kind of even cursory look at the facts proves it to be true.

This is a community where the legislative body refuses to correct the obvious problems that plague it. The 135-member RTM (Representative Town Meeting) has consistently fought efforts to reduce its membership, despite the fact it has great difficulty attracting people to serve.

This year there are 61 open RTM seats available at the upcoming town election. A grand total of 38 individuals will be on the ballot seeking them. There will be 23 seats with absolutely no candidates, save for write-in opportunities.

That’s almost 38 percent of the available seats attracting zero candidates. Many of those vacancies will be filled by appointments by the RTM itself.

This is the body that ultimately decides the town’s budget, enacts the bylaws, and conducts important town business. It speaks volumes about the lack of confidence North citizens have in the RTM system.

Some will point out a charter commission is currently considering eliminating RTM, and revamping much of the rest of North Attleboro’s governmental structure. They will tell you that is a major discouragement to those considering seeking election.

That might have some truth to it — this year. But it does not explain why participation has been almost as terrible in most other recent years as well.

The people of North Attleboro need to take a firm stand. They must insist on government reform first, before any major budget increases. This government does not even have a town manager with authority and responsibility to hire, fire, and administer the budget. There is no way voters should give this disjointed system another $6.5 million. Plan first — pay later.

That may indeed seem harsh. It may also seem unfair, particularly to the students in a school system that cries out for additional funding. Or to the public safety departments that have undergone significant cuts in the recent past.

But it makes no sense to pour more money into a bad system. Demand the changes first. Make sure there is none of the political sabotage that has ended other attempts at reform. Don’t let a bad governmental format dig a deeper financial hole for what will hopefully be a new and better one.

If North Attleboro taxpayers are going to trust local government with another $6.5 million, that government should have to first show things have indeed changed.

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

I Hear You - I Really Hear You!

Yes - I Can Hear You Now!

by Bill Gouveia for the Sun Chronicle

I have often been accused of not listening. While I generally deny it, I will admit that many times I simply could not hear.

In a nod to advancing age and a rejection of useless vanity, I recently started wearing hearing aids. I’m sure that is of little interest to most, but I mention it in hopes my experience might encourage others who have been considering it but decided against it for various reasons.

I can’t tell you how relaxing it is to not strain intently just to hear people speaking. To participate in conversations in restaurants and not have to simply nod my head and pretend because I had not been able to understand. To not have to say “What?” repeatedly and irritate people (well, I still irritate people, just not by doing that).

To suddenly be hearing things you haven’t heard in years is strange. I had no idea my floorboards and cellar stairs were so creaky. Flushing the toilet now sounds a bit like standing at Niagara Falls. If you crinkle a paper bag within 100 yards of me, I am likely to jump. And while it does not “cure” the ringing in my ears, it definitely helps mask it.

While I heartily recommend these small electronic miracles, I also understand why more people don’t use them. They are expensive, and often not covered by medical insurance. Even when purchased at “discount” prices, they are still pretty costly.

It is also somewhat difficult to get used to wearing them, although the ones I have are pretty small and comfortable. I have never used the “earbuds” style of headphones because I hate the feeling of something in my ear. But these are relatively non-intrusive and I quickly forget they are even there.

I was also concerned about how they would look to others. I worried about them being visible, about looking old or infirmed. But the former turned out not to be an issue, as they fit nicely behind my ears and are covered by my glasses. The latter just didn’t seem very important once I realized how different my life was when I could hear properly.

There are a few drawbacks. A lot of the background noise I could not hear previously can now occasionally be both annoying and overwhelming. Certain voices of a particular frequency sound like a siren going off in my head. After years of talking loudly to me, my wife is having trouble lowering the volume. But the benefits far outweigh any problems.

Is it somewhat damaging to my ego? Maybe — but you get over that quickly. Preparing for bed has become more of a process. Between gathering my medications, storing my glasses, taking care of the dental work, and now properly caring for the hearing aids — it can feel like taking a car apart in the garage every night. But it ensures I won’t run out of things to complain about anytime soon.

To those who can benefit from hearing assistance and are avoiding it for non-monetary reasons, I urge you to give it try.

But hey — you don’t have to “listen” to me.

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

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Congressman Kennedy Earning His Way

This Isn't Your Grandfather's Kennedy...

by Bill Gouveia for the Sun Chronicle

Being a political junkie, I watched the State of the Union address last week. Then I watched the official Democratic response.

If you’ve read this space before, you can probably guess which one I liked better.

But it was interesting, informative and intriguing to see local Congressman Joseph Kennedy of the 4th District of Massachusetts deliver the response. Though not necessarily for the reasons some might think.

Much of the country tuned in to see the grandson of Robert Kennedy and the grand-nephew of President John F. Kennedy step firmly into the national political spotlight. Many did so with visions of Camelot in their heads, others with continued contempt for the Kennedy clan.

But please allow me to help explain something to the rest of the country. We here in Southeastern Massachusetts aren’t currently being represented by John, Robert, or Ted Kennedy. We didn’t elect someone to continue a dynasty, or restore one. This is not a seat to be inherited.

We elected and re-elected Joe Kennedy because he represents our ideals, our values and our work ethic. Because he is smart, knowledgeable, humble and effective. We didn’t bestow a title upon him. We hired him to do a job.

And Congressman Kennedy is doing it well.

He has earned his way. He spent time working for the Peace Corps. He toiled as a state assistant district attorney in the Cape Cod area. If you think that is a glamorous political appointment — think again. It is a tough, gritty assignment dealing with real people and real problems at a level many of our leaders never experience.

His reputation for constituent service is excellent. He is available throughout his district, and in a manner that is heavy on listening and learning, and light on showing off and politicking — though the latter part is definitely increasing after last week.

People at our end of the district are in no way “liberal elitists” catering to big-name democrats. We demand a lot from our leaders, and are pretty good at sniffing out phonies when we find them.

Joe Kennedy appears to be the real thing. His honesty and openness is striking, and he is getting better every day at something he has not always been comfortable with – speaking out strongly in public.

You can’t fake sincerity, at least not for long (present White House occupant excepted). In places like Attleboro, Fall River, Taunton, Foxboro and Norton, folks tend to get right to the point. They aren’t overly impressed by big names (unless they are Brady and Belichick).

Look, one great speech does not a leader make. It is premature to be touting Kennedy for president in 2020, or even governor or senator yet. He has more work to do, and lots more to prove.

But those who thought he was simply “another Kennedy” should now know better. Congressman Kennedy has his own record to stand on, and continues to build upon it. He’s proud of his family, as well he should be. But in political terms, he is creating his own path.

This congressman is building his own legacy, and doing it the right way. Just ask his constituents. And after last week, the rest of the country.

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