New Policy Regarding Comments Section of SalemNews.com

Want to comment on stories and articles at salemnews.com?

Beginning Feb. 25, commenters will be required to use their real names when posting on salemnews.com.

In this blog post I will address the reasoning and some of the benefits behind this new policy.

As many of you know, when you write a letter-to-the-editor of most newspapers, you are required to include your name, address and contact information.  I have found that most of the newspapers will then call to verify that you are the author of the letter.

This is a good policy.

Why?...Because to it establishes a level of responsibility and accountability.  Anonymity, on the other hand, allows blowhard commenters to hide behind their pseudonyms and spew all kinds of nasty, angry, and senseless rhetoric...with no accountability for hatespeech.

They are known on blog sites as "trolls".

Allow me to share just a few quotes from an anonymous commenter who has used several pseudonyms to hide his identity.  Most of his comments were directed at me personally or against Enough Is Enough (EiE), a fiscal watchdog group I belong to that spearheaded the popular operational audit of the Hamilton/Wenham Regional School District and successfully ended a decade of Proposition 2.5 overrides in Hamilton and Wenham.

QUOTE:

• "You are the only one on this (comment/message) board that is using you own name. That speaks volumes to your stupidity."
•  "I knew that as soon as I mentioned the village idiot, you would respond."
• "I think that the School Committee and the citizens of Hamilton don't trust you and your group of fools."
• "Most people are sensible enough to not form one of these foolish groups.  But, then there are the exceptional groups like EIE who continue to act as fools."
• "When a vigilante group like this forms, they usually don't last for long.  Maybe they should go back to harrassing the children from Gordon Conwell."
• "The village idiots are at it again."
• "I love when people with no clue and a bad cause come together with collective ignorance."
• "If you wore the Jester's hat when speaking for EIE it would be easier for me to understand."
•  "I have always thought of you as a dim wit but I didn't think that you were this stupid."

How's that for "constructive" commenting?  Would this person spew such nonesense if he were made to provide his real name?  Maybe...maybe not.  But if he did, at least he would be held accountable for what he says.  He would have to take responsibility for his words.  Having seen this individual change pseudonyms in the past, I doubt that he will be willing to stand behind his diatribe if he has to tell the world who he is.  To do so would be an embarrassment to him and he prefers to try to embarrass others, not realizing his words have an opposite effect.

Fortunately, most reasonable and rational people recognize the difference between diatribe and substance and are unwilling to accept the former as the latter.

So I say "BRAVO" to the decision makers at the Salem News and their new policy.  As one reader stated in the comment section of the article announcing the Salem News policy decision:

• "THANK YOU Salem News for taking a step sorely needed a LONG time ago. Resident trolls will hate it, as will those with axes to grind but don't seem to have the guts to be upfront about who they actually are.  No progress can be ever made amongst hardliners and haters. Looking forward to seeing the effect of honesty."

By the way...he used his real name.

Want to read more? . . .
Online Blogging or Online Flogging?: http://tinyurl.com/4fpgrmn
Using Real Names Can Elevate The Discussion: http://tinyurl.com/4hyo8rj

4 Reasons Home Prices Are Likely To Keep Falling

It's been almost five years since the housing bubble peaked, and the bust isn't over yet.

Home prices around the country fell 4 percent last year. They're now down about 31 percent from their peak, according to today's Case-Shiller numbers (see graph).

Last year's declines were widespread: Prices fell in 18 of 20 major metropolitan areas last year. (The two exceptions were San Diego and Washington, D.C.)

More declines are likely to come. Here are four reasons why.

1. There's still a glut of houses on the market.

At the current pace, it would take about seven months to sell all of the newly built houses on the market, and eight months to sell all of the existing homes on the market. In an ordinary market, it would take about six months to sell all of the homes on the market. This excess supply tends to push prices down.

2. Distressed sales account for a huge chunk of all home sales.

Distressed sales include foreclosures and short sales, where the owner sells for less than he owes on the mortgage. According to one measure, distressed sales accounted for nearly half of all home sales in January. These homes typically sell at a discount.

That in turn tends to bring down the prices of other homes, even those that aren't distressed sales. This problem is likely to persist: Nearly 5 percent of all mortgages are in foreclosure, which matches the all-time high. (For more on distressed sales, listen to our interview with Mark Zandi.)

3. Interest rates are rising.

The rate on the average, 30-year mortgage hit 5 percent this month, up from a low of 4.17 percent last fall. Higher interest rates make it more expensive to buy houses. As this morning's WSJ points out, that pushes some would-be buyers to keep renting, which in turn reduces the demand for homes.

4. The government will continue to wind down some of the extraordinary measures it took to support the housing market.

More than 90 percent of new mortgages are guaranteed by taxpayers. This props up home prices by making it easier for people buy houses. This is exceptionally high by historic standards, and will decline over time.

The Obama administration has already recommended lowering the cap on the size of mortgages that are guaranteed by taxpayers through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The cap was raised to as much as $729,750 during the crisis, and is scheduled to fall to $625,500 later this year.

The latest downward leg in home prices started after the end of the another government program — first-time home-buyer tax credit, where the government paid people thousands of dollars to buy houses.

It will probably be a long time before prices get back to the heights of the bubble. A study last year looked at more than a dozen financial crises from the past century, and found that home prices tend to remain below their bubbly peaks during the entire decade after each crisis.

by Jacob Goldstein

NPR - Planet Money



"We don't know where the money is."

So stated Hamilton Selectman Jennifer Scuteri during a meeting of the HWRSD Operational Audit Committee on February 9th.  Her answer was in response to a question posed by resident George LaMontagne about a section of the audit report that said that only about $200,000 out of yearly budget of approximately $600,000 for maintenance was actually spent on maintenance...for years.  Mr. LaMontagne simply wanted to know what happened to the remaining $400,000 per year.

This does not seem to be an unreasonable request considering that over a period of years we are talking about more than $1 million.

Here are some other comments from that meeting regarding the question of the unaccountable funds from the maintenance budget:

Molly Martins (Wenham Selectman): "It may be that the information does not exist in a format that's discernible."

Jennifer Scuteri: "I think everybody is just acknowledging that at best we know that $200k was spent.  Um, there's no good record keeping.  We don't know where the rest of the money went.  And going forward, I think there's going to be more transparency."

Roger Kuebel (Wenham Finance Committee, to Mr. LaMontagne): "Are you concerned that there was fraud?"

George LaMontagne: "I can't answer that Roger.  We don't know."

Molly Martins: "The coulda, shoulda, would haves...and we know they weren't doing it well.  That became evident.  I think most people knew it, and it became documented in the report.  That confirmed what many people believed."

Jennifer Scuteri: "I feel a little bit like it's just an acknowledgment that there was bad accounting and we don't know where the money is...There's no way she (we) can track it...it's not by school.  It's not by what was done."


Does anyone else other than George LaMontagne want to know what happened to that missing (yearly) $300k to $400k?

While the new school administration has thus far proven to be open, caring, transparent and competent,  it would appear the question of the missing funds is something the audit committee would rather forget about and trust that it will not happen again.  After all, they imply, what good will it do to know where the money went?  We need to move forward, they suggest, and not dwell on the past.

To that, I say "BULL PUCKY".

Over the past 13 years, because of ten Proposition 2.5 overrides for the schools, the taxpayers in Hamilton and Wenham have cumulatively paid more than $40 million (in override costs only) to the HWRSD.  As most of you know, the overrides became part of the tax levy so taxpayers are burdened with those costs again and again, each and every year.  And now certain officials are hoping you will simply forget about a measly $1+ million or so and "look forward, not back."

You know, as in...

SWEEP IT UNDER THE RUG

The taxpayers of Hamilton and Wenham deserve more.  They authorized $90,000 for the operational audit.  They deserve an answer to Mr. LaMontagne's question.  Only then can Roger Kuebel's question be answered.  Only then can they be assured that it will not happen again.  Only then will those responsible for what appears to have been excessive and abusive spending, and deviations from accepted practices, be held accountable.  That's what the taxpayers expect and deserve.

Perhaps James Thurber said it best:

"Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness."

You Know You're From Massachusetts if...(101 Clues)

1. The Red Sox World Series win was, and will always be, one of the greatest moments in your life.

2. The guy driving in front of you is going 70 mph and you're swearing at him for going too slow.

3. When ordering a tonic, you mean a Coke.

4. You went to Canobie Lake Park or Whalom Park as a kid.

5. You actually enjoy driving around rotaries.

6. You do not recognize the letter 'R' as a part of the English language.

7. Your social security number starts with a zero.

8. You can actually find your way around the streets of Boston .

9. You know what a 'regular' coffee is.

10. You keep an ice scraper in your car year-round.

11. You can tell the difference between a Revere accent and a Dorchester accent.

12. Springfield is located 'way out west'.

13. You almost feel disappointed if someone doesn't flip you the bird when you cut them off or steal their parking space.

14. You know how to pronounce the names of towns like Billerica , Gloucester , Haverhill , Leominster , Peabody and Worcester .

15. Anyone you don't know is a potential idiot until proven otherwise.

16. Paranoia sets in if you can't see a Dunkin Donuts or CVS Pharmacy within eyeshot at all times.

17. You have driven to New Hampshire on a Sunday just to buy alcohol.

18. You know how to pronounce Yastrzemski.

19. You know there's a trophy at the end of the Bean Pot.

20. You order iced coffee in January.

21. You know that the MBTA Purple Line will take you anywhere.

22. You love scorpion bowls.

23. You know what they sell at a Packie.

24. Sorry Manny, but number 24 means DEWEY EVANS.

25. You know what First Night is.

26. You know at least one guy named Sean, Pat, Whitey, Red, Bud or Seamus. Bonus: You know how to pronounce Seamus.

27. McLobster=McCrap

28. You know at least 2 cops in your town because they were your high school drinking buddies.

29. You know there are 6 New England states, but that Connecticut really doesn't count.

30. You give incomprehensible directions to tourists, feel bad when they drive off, but then say to yourself, 'Ah, screw them.'

31. You know at least one bar where you can get something to drink after last call.

32. You hate the Kennedys, but you vote for them anyway.

33. You know holding onto the railing when riding the Green Line is not optional.

34. The numbers '78 and '86 make you cringe.

35. You've been to Good Time Charlie's.

36. You think the rest of the country owes you for Thanksgiving and Independence Day.. (... and they DO).

37. You have never actually been to 'Cheers.'

38. The words ' WICKED' and 'GOOD' go together.

39. You've been to Fenway Park .

40. You've gone to at least one party at U MASS.

41. You own a 'Yankees Suck' shirt or hat.

42. You know what a Frappe is.

43. You've been to Hempfest.

44. You know who Frank Averuch is.

45. ADVANCED: You know Frank Averuch was once Bozo the Clown

46. You can complete the following: 'Lynn, Lynn ......'

47. You get pissed off when a restaurant serves clam chowder, and it turns out to be Snows.

48. You actually know how to merge from six lanes of traffic down to one.

49. The TV weatherman is damn good if he's right 25% of the time.

50. You never go to Cape Cod,' you go 'down the Cape '.

51. You think that Roger Clemens and Johnny Damon are more evil than Whitey Bulger.

52. You know who Whitey Bulger is.

53. You went to the Swan Boats, House of Seven Gables, or Plimouth Plantation on a field trip in elementary school.

54. Bobby Orr is loved as much as Larry Bird, Tom Brady, and Ted Williams.

55. You remember Major Mudd.

56. You know what candlepin bowling is.

57. You can drive from the mountains to the ocean all in one day.

58. You know Scollay Square once stood where The Government Center is.

59. When you were a kid, Rex Trailer was the coolest guy around. Speaking of which.... Can you still hum the song from the end of Boom Town ?

61. Calling Carrabba's an 'Italian' restaurant is sacrilege.

62. You still have your old Flexible Flyer somewhere in your attic.

63. You know that the Mass Pike is some sort of strange weather dividing line.

64. The only time you've been on the Freedom Trail is when relatives are in town.

65. The Big Dig tunnel disaster wasn't a surprise.

66. You call guys you've just met 'Chief' or 'Boss.'

67. 4:15pm and pitch black out means only 3 more shopping days until Christmas.

68. You know more than one person with the last name Murphy.

69. You refer to Savin Hill as 'Stab 'n Kill.'

70. You've never eaten at Durgin Park , but recommend it to tourists.

71. You can't look at the zip code 02134 without singing it.

72. You voted for a Republican Mormon as Governor just to screw with the rest of the country.

73. 11 pm? Drunk? It means one thing: Kowloons!

74. 2 am? Drunk? It means one thing: Kelly's Roast Beef! The one on Revere Beach not the one on Route 1.

75. 5 am? Drunk? It means one thing: You wish you had a blanket in your back seat.

76. You know that P-Town isn't the name of a new rap group.

77. People you don't like are all 'Bastids.'

78. You took off school or work for the Patriots first Super Bowl Win Parade.

79. You've called something 'wicked pissa.'

80. You'll always get razzed for Dukakis.

81. Saturday afternoons meant Creature Double Feature with Dale Dorman.

82. Sunday mornings meant the Three Stooges on Channel 38.

83. You've slammed on your brakes to deter a tailgater.

84. No, you don't trust the Gorton's Fisherman.

85. You know that Papa Gino's usually has a jukebox.

86. You think Aerosmith is the greatest rock band of all time.

87. Your town has at least 6 pizza and roast beef shops.

88. You know at least three Tony's, one Vinnie and a Frankie.

89. 20 degrees is downright balmy as long as there's no wind... then it gets wicked cold.

90. You were very sad when saying goodbye to the Boston Garden .

91. Thanksgiving means family, turkey, High School football, and the long version of Alice 's Restaurant.

92. You know the guy who founded the Boston Pops was named Athah Feedlah.

93. You know what the Combat Zone is.

94. You actually drive 45 minutes to New Hampshire to save $5 in sales tax.

95. You've pulled out of a side street and used your car to block oncoming traffic so you can make a left turn.

96. You've bragged about the money you've saved at The Christmas Tree Shop.

97. You've been to Hampton Beach on a Saturday night.

98. Playing street hockey was a daily after school ritual.

99. Hearing an old lady shout 'Numbah 96 for Sioux City' means it's time for steak.

100. You remember Jordan Marsh, Filene's, Grants, Bradlees, Caldor, Zayres, and Ann & Hope.

101. You actually understand all of the above and will pass it on to other friends from Massachusetts .