Opinion / Commentary

Hackneyed process paints bleak budget picture that calls for change

Commentary by Frank Schroth

The Warrant Committee did again this year what they had done last year and the year before that and the year before that . . . they requested a level dollar budget from town departments. A level dollar budget paves a one-way street for a department head and that one way is backwards.

The Planning Board’s Housing Production Plan: a tepid effort at best

Commentary by Frank Schroth

Let’s start with the good news. At least one member of the Planning Board believes that the board should be engaged in planning. When the topic of Milton’s Housing Production Plan came up at the most recent meeting of the Planning Board, it was Ms. Innes who said, “We need a plan to get this [the housing production plan] done. It’s just hanging out there.” One out of five is .  .  .  frankly, a pretty poor statement on how the current board supports and advances the goals of the Planning Office.  “The primary focus of the Planning Office is to concentrate on economic development, housing strategy, and open space issues” according to its web site. How can you tell?

The Milton Selectmen meet in Quincy

Commentary by Frank Schroth

Any minute now the Board of Selectmen are going to take up a discussion of the Town Administrator’s goals and objectives .  .  . in Quincy .  .  . on a Saturday morning in a private office building.

Why a Master Plan?

Commentary by John Cronin

Why is the Town working on a new Master Plan?

There are four big reasons:

  1. Hall of Famer Yogi Berra advised: “If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up somewhere else.”
  2. Milton wishes to identify new net property tax revenue sources, to sustain its quality life style.
  3. The Master Plan is required by law.

Frank thoughts on a possible override and Myles Connor

Commentary by Frank Schroth

Early last spring, members of the Warrant Committee made statements indicating that they felt there was a strong possibility that the town would need an override if it wants to maintain service levels (teachers, police, etc.) at their current levels. This is not a surprise. What might come as a surprise is Myles Connor’s appearance this evening at the Milton Art Center. We won’t be there.

Can We Afford Our Future?

Commentary by Senator Brian A. Joyce

Screen Shot 2013-07-18 at 9.33.31 PMAn important but little known committee has been meeting lately discussing a serious issue facing the residents of the Commonwealth: the extraordinary amount of debt we are carrying.

At the end of last year, Massachusetts was $21.182 billion in debt. According to the 2010 Census data, this works out to $11,309 for every man, woman and child in the Commonwealth.

Selectman Sweeney and the MWRA

by Phil Matthews / Milton View

As we enter the final days of the 2013 town election, the issue of water and sewer rates has become a key factor in the Selectman’s race. (You can read the full article here.)

Letter: Yovino questions environmental impact study

from Paul Yovino, this letter was also submitted to the Boston Globe

Letter To The Editor:

Regarding the proposed flight changes at Logan Airport which would bring departure flights over Milton I have read that proposal’s defining document , The Boston Logan International Airport Runway 33L Area Navigation Standard Instrument Departure Environmental Assessment Draft , several times and it seems purposely vague as to the airplane noise impact on the variously affected cities and towns.

Boston Globe weighs in of FAA flight path change

by Frank Schroth

There is an editorial in today’s Globe suggesting that residents take a wait and see approach to possibility that the 33L, the runway which will have more departures, will increase the noise effects over affected towns. They cite Dedham and Milton as two of the affected communities.

The Price of Development

from The Canton Citizen

Editor’s note: The following guest column, written by Hemenway Drive resident Denny Swenson, addresses a proposed 40B development on the Milton/Canton town line. The developer, Texas-based Mill Creek Residential Trust, is seeking to build 276 apartments on a 22-acre parcel on Brush Hill Road—across the street from the Fuller Village senior independent living community. (The article is in 3 parts: Part 1, Part 2, & Part 3.)