Letter: Barrett Offers Real LeadershipLetter to the Editor ,
08:00PM / Thursday, October 29, 2015 | |
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To the Editor:
Drugs, blight, crime, higher taxes and fees, the sudden closure of the hospital, a vacant downtown: is this really moving North Adams forward?
Due to misguided priorities and policies we are witnessing our beloved city atrophy, not progress. Taxpayers are paying more and receiving less as city services and property values continue to decline. Without a course correction we can expect only more of the same. A new set of priorities backed by proven leadership is needed to address and rectify the problems facing this city.
John Barrett is the best man to bring such leadership back to City Hall. Barrett is running a positive, issues-focused campaign. He has refused to participate in the petty bickering and personal smears that mark the current administration's big money political operation. He has painted a clear contrast between his values and those of the status quo.
John Barrett's record is one of providing effective city services while keeping taxes at a sane level. The present mayor has raised taxes mercilessly, leaving citizens hurting. When John Barrett last left office, North Adams had more than $3.8 million in reserves. Those funds have since been squandered.
Barrett would reinstate a code enforcement officer to crack down on the blight that plagues our city and attracts drug dealers. The current mayor, who denies blight is a problem, eliminated that position and we are reaping the consequences. Barrett believes that a full-service hospital in North Adams ought be a top priority, and he has the passion and know-how to make it a reality. The current administration was blindsided by the closing of the hospital and is content to settle for less.
When examining these issues and others it becomes obvious that real leadership is needed in the city of North Adams. The policies and priorities of the last six years have led our city down the wrong path and we have a right to demand better. For too long we have been a rudderless ship. What is now required is a proven leader who has the desire and ability to make North Adams strong again.
John Barrett III is that leader, and I encourage you to vote for him on Nov. 3.
Roger M. Simpson
North Adams
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