Whats the line? If you can't beat them, join them?

Big Town meeting - throwing my hat into local politics; It's either that or I'm going to ask for a re-enactment of the French Revolution.

There is a huge furnace that roars, "Feed me." Money, money, and more money feeds this incessant machine until any knowledge of that filthy word called "financial constraint" is unintelligible to the listener.We all like to do better, to achieve greater career and financial goals, but the system is starting to crack. Look at the big three auto makers. Those working the line year after year made wages so high that the ability to compete was being lost. However, as is always the way, the average worker was being asked to tighten his belt and accept a wage reduction while the CEO's were able to maintain the status quo. The TM, (Town Manager) who also is unaffected by a heavy tax and fee burden will be okay no matter what happens. (The board of selectman passed a waiver stating that he did NOT have to live in town) Good deal. But we, the people of Winchendon, are forced to say, "enough is enough." I don't know how we are going to get through all this but asking the average citizen to once again tighten his belt and shell out more money makes me feel like a serf being called upon to increase his tax of more wheat while the Lords and Ladies reap all of the benefits of my labor leaving me with none.I say, "No" to every and all increases and lets see what happens because what we have been doing clearly does not work!!!
I recently saw a headline which stated that America is richer now than it has ever been. Another said that come 2008, China will be the number 1 exporter in the world. I also read somewhere that the back log for Americans who have placed orders for high end sports cars has never been greater.Where is all this wealth?Certainly not in Winchendon!Every morning it is getting harder to get out of the driveway as the never ending convoy of bedroom commuters travel into cities and towns that can offer jobs. Each week, the price of food and the daily needs of home-ownership are further burdened by the price of gas and fuel oil. Yet taxes, fees, and the quest for more money grows each year. Something has to break.Money is so tight that many go without health insurance. Have any of you taken the time to look at how the State of Massachusetts is planning to help us? www.mahealthconnector.org Hardly affordable but mandated.Pay a mortgage and home insurance. Taxes and fees, utilities and food. Now, the added burden of "Mandatory" health insurance; And we're considering a Prop 2 1/2 override? For many, many people, their incomes have not kept pace with the rise in costs. Retired or those within the DPW, along with many, many others have seen little in wage increases. I work in retail and watch the price of almost every item increase in price each week. It's an epidemic! It has to stop somewhere.Throwing more money at our problems will not solve them.I once worked a job where I lived according to my budget. I received a promotion and a $12,000 raise and thought that I was in heaven. In time, I again lived according to my budget and found that I really could use another $12,000 raise! The point is, sometimes we have to tighten up because we have no choice. After a few years of having the added dollars from us having passed an override, we will be looking for more, and more, and more.We all know it's true.Say "NO" to an override. ( There are 51 articles up for vote and four overrides asking for more money than that which was allotted)