Look at that nice hat he made for Buffalo. Ram. He mooded in a manner. So, tuffalo, you must go away. I must read Buffalo. I don't need your ramy old hammy old help. It makes me want to stammer and yammer and yelp. The ram slunk away with his warm woolly stuff. And old Mr. Buffalo snarled and snuffed. I'm the buffalo fluff. I heave and I hold. Leave me alone because I've had enough. Maybe you can help me say that next time the buffalo says that. Wonder why he's so angry. Look at him here. A prairie dog passed by. Mean, Mr. Aloff. Excuse me, sir. I don't mean to sound goofily, but would you like to join me for flippies and funnels and romp and race in my tubular tunnels? Do you think Buffalo can fit in these tunnels that the prairie dog made? He could be a little tight.
And his brother was the mayor who was upset because it was going to hurt the economic development aspect of the town. So they ended up you know throwing rocks through his house and everything but he decided in the end to stay. They were going to leave his family and they just decided to stay and face it and it's just if you've ever seen Erin Brockovich or Silkwood it's just that kind of movie with someone standing up for doing the right thing. Uh which leads into I think very nicely this week's uh topics, which revolve around responsible government, defining priorities, reintroducing the idea of public service, understanding bond ratings, and questioning contradictory messages. There's another one that I don't think we're going to get to so defining priorities uh we're handed a budget, we don't really have a say in it all, and wouldn't it be better to somehow have a process where the people are included and say well maybe I want that or maybe I want this.
Silly old weasel, cried Buffalo Fluff. I can't play in your tunnels on account of my buffalo. Leave me in peace. Go back to your burrow. Let me stomp around while I frown and I furrow. You ready? Can you say it with me? I'm the buffalo fluff. I heave and I huff. Leave me alone because I've had enough. So, he's a very angry buffalo. And it looks like the other animals are trying to cheer him up or be friendly. Uhoh. who comes next. Then a squawky old crow perched on Fluff's horn. And Fluff looked at him with a sneer and a scorn. "Hey there, old pal," said the crow with a smile. "Chitter and chatter and catch up for a He sounds like a friendly crow." No way, fluff huffed, his fur standing on end. I'm far too huffy to have time for friends. That's too bad, squawkked the man old crow.
Well, I think that's right. Like Framingham put that on the ballot to have a citizens component for budgeting. And I really actually think it's kind of surprising if you are a public servant that you have to get somehow the public Now, I know we would people will say well the select board represents us and school committee represents us, but that ultimately is not practical in a town of our size have 18,000 people. So, you you do have to do better and reach out to the public. Yeah, and so I I've been noticing with I've been going to visit some other town uh Facebook pages uh and they've not all of them, but a lot of them have been voting down their overrides. But, it's not it's what they're saying after that is just so related to this. Um it's they're all saying, "Hey, our town manager reports to the select board.
Because you seem like a guy I'd like to know. We really have to find out why is so angry. And just as Fluff Fluff reared up to shout, a dark and doomy cloud blocked the sun out. With a rumble and a grumble and a bangy loud block, the whole prairie and mountains were covered in dark. Storm's coming. Then with one final thundery blundery blop, the heaviest, humpiest cloud opened up and down came the rain with a splash and a spluff right on the head of the old buffalo fluff. Look, looks like it's just raining on the buffalo. Now, what happens to your hair when it gets wet? Does it stay all fluffy? What happens? What happens to your dog when he gets wet? Let's find out what happens when a buffalo gets wet. Oh my goodness, look what happened. What happened to all his fur?
The select board doesn't report to the town manager." Or "Why aren't we following our charter?" Or "How did things pass How did things pass town meeting and fail at the at the ballot when people have gotten up and said you're not listening to us. So, there definitely seems to be and we talked about this, I don't know what number it was, the listening and the absolute listening problem. Oh, and while I'm at it, you know, we were supposed to have a listening tour about Yeah, right. And there were two public forums for people to get up and speak. I went to the first one, the second one was supposed to be in April and I'm waiting for it and I'm waiting for it. No one said anything, so then I had to do a couple of emails and I found out it had been canceled.
Does he look scary now? Squawk, said the crow with a grin on his beak. Why? Buffalo fluffs. Just a peep squeak. Then Ram and Prairie Dog gathered to see that indeed Mr. Fluff was so very we. We can mean little. So doesn't he look very different than the way he did at the beginning of the story. Oh no. Does he look so scary now? Look, cried the ram. It's old Mr. Fluff. So little and p all wet in the buff. Everyone got from the mice to the snakes, even the scaly old fish in the lakes. They're all like, "We look so different now." Bluff shouted out, "Don't look at me. I'm not little. I'm tough as can be." He shimmyed and shook to repuff his fluff. Then he snarled and gnarled and stomped with a hoof. Ready? Can you say what? I'm the buffalo fluff.
So, I mean, this whole time that we're saying, you know, they did everything without us, listening to us, and then promised us a listen and then canceled a listen. So, I I I I >> [laughter] >> I don't know. I think it's just horrible. What do you think? Well, I think the defining priorities um when I haven't seen I've seen positions being added. In fact, with this override, I believe we're adding more positions. It It doesn't make it really a credible argument about budget and I think as a community, we should be able to have broader discussions about if we want to add positions, if we think we don't have enough money already to run the government. And I think there's a lot of priorities that may be really need to be looked into. Um other another town I I thought someone did a great job writing about and it was really kind of heartfelt saying, I I I admit I wasn't really paying attention, but clearly had a suggestions of five things to look at before you really get down the road of saying I have to cut a firefighter.
I heave and I huffalo. Leave me alone because I've Stop. Stop, said the ram. You don't have to act tough. We like you just fine with out all your puff. He's right, said the prairie dog, a smile in her eyes. You're great how you are, no matter your size. Oh, aren't they kind friends? After buffalo wasn't too kind to them, too friendly. I am sniff the buffalo who wasn't so fluff. I'm sorry for being so grumbly and tough. Without my fluff, I'm tiny, and misable. No, called the crow. You're huggly and snuggly kissable. Sneak. Crows give him a great big smack. A big kiss. Do you think this is going to change how Buffalo behaves? And all the creatures from the bats to the bugs covered old fluff with kisses and hugs. And that's how the story of Fluff ends with a happy old buffalo snuggling his friends.
And it was something like non-essential discretionary spending, travel, conferences, training, consultation not tied to critical operations, number one. We've been spending money on those things, right? I think have some public records on those. >> Do you want me to say Okay. >> so. Back on the subject of listening, uh during this override, they had all these meetings where they weren't listening to anybody, but there was a promise that they would eventually start listening. So, there were two uh public override forums scheduled. I went to the first one. They said there'd be another one in April, and I'm waiting and I'm waiting, and then I find out that it's been canceled. And I'm like, "Really? You're canceling the public forum on the override?" And apparently, they've been taking them into the offline somewhere. I don't know. I I just think that's a problem. Um so, yeah, we were talking about uh training.
Looks like he has time for his friends now, doesn't he? Oh, I love how Buffalo's friends didn't give up on him. And I like how he turned into a friendly, happy buffalo. What do you think about Buffalo Buffalo? Isn't that a fun story? All right, we have another fun story with rhyming words as well called Lizzy McTizzy and the busy dizzy day. A lot of rhyming words there. And it's written by Sarah Weekes. And it's illustrated by Lee Wildish. Look at Lizzy McTizzy. I love her beautiful red curly hair. Very fun. Let's find out what this busy dizzy day is all about. Lizzy McTizzy was has lost her shoe. She's late for the party, but what can she do? One blue shoe is one too few. To go to the party, she has to have two. You can't go out walking around with one shoe, right?
And So, they train >> So, some of the things I imagine that would come out if we got to sit down as a community, right? And someone This is another town did a very thoughtful of like five things to look at before you seriously get into like cutting someone's job. Cuz I I think all of us would not want that, but we also have to realize budgets have to work. Like, if you aren't making enough money, do you add another streaming service at your house? Mhm. I don't. Right? So, first the first cut to you saying is non-essential and discretionary spending such as travel, conferences, training, consultation not tied to critical operat- operations. So, I think you have some examples, right? Um I do. I did a public records request on the uh town manager's budget cuz it's one I've never looked at, and it's one of the large It's It's a large one.
So, she needs to find her shoe before she can get to the party. Where is her shoe? Is it under a chair? If you were a shoe, would you hide under there? Where is her shoe? Is it up on the shelf? If you were a shoe, would you hide there yourself? Are you going to hide on the shelf of your shoe? How would a shoe get up that high? She'd have to put it there, right? She looks in the bubbles. She looks in the books. She looks in the plants that are hanging on hooks. She looks in the crooks, in the crannies and nooks. But there isn't a shoe in the places she looks. Where is her shoe? Under here? Under there? Could it be under some underwear? Where is her shoe? Over there. Over here? Could it be stuck in a chandelier? She peers in the pantry and moldy crust.
So, I noticed um that it was in March we paid $5,600 for the College of Charleston Athena webinar. And yes, he It's saw it right on the website he went to bed and I guess my question is if we're being told we don't have any money I'm I'm confused why we would prioritize something >> adding a streaming service to your household budget when you can't afford it yeah and then I also saw we they keep talking about this um staffing survey and what I see in here is two charges one for 15,000 in 2024 and then one a couple of month a year later actually it's a year later for 52,000 that's what what's that together 68 67,000 for a staffing survey that we we still don't have and it seems like the selectmen can't get it's so that's two examples right there and I mean I don't know it doesn't seem like belt tightening to me it doesn't seem like belt tightening and and I think there's probably some value in comparing us to other communities but it's difficult right because Ashland was a solidly working class community and then a lot of new people brought our wealth dramatically up we found out recently that we're actually lower rate >> than poor yeah and and so those are factors that how do you compare that with another town right we we have a certain budget to work with and I feel like that should be the number one priority is figure out how to work with that budget >> I mean we've been I'm going to call it upscaling the salaries to towns around us giving some rather large raises on top of you'll get like a 3.5 and then 16,000 or 8,000 or 5,000 or whatever it is.
She checks in the attic. Only dust. She has really lost her shoe. It's nowhere to be found. She opens the cooler and ew, stinky cheese. She crawls in the doghouse and yikes, itchy fleas. She thought maybe the dog took it. She peaks in the mailbox and under the mat. She gets on her knees and peaks under the cat. Do you think the cat would be sitting on her shoe? You never know it. She peaks every place so she can think of and then she peaks in those places all over again. So she went and looked in all the different places and in checked it again in case she missed it. Look in the tool box. She looked in the bathroom. She looked in the cereal box. These are kind of silly places. In a teapot, in the trash can. in her goldfish bowl and in the cookie jar.
And again, I I don't know why these decisions are being made if we're being told we need to tighten our belts. That seems like the absolute opposite. Well, and I think that if you're ready to move on, rolls into the topic uh reintroducing the idea of public service. >> Yes. I have an example. I we do these uh triple A bonds, which is actually the next topic, but I was just trying to get an idea of what we pay for it. And I tried for 4 days, different times of the day, uh to get, including today, uh to get in touch with the accounting department, and no one answered the phone. And then I was told that one of the people was working remotely, but there are two of them. So, I guess my problem is you're you're like a public-facing uh organization, and here I am trying to get this information, and I can't even get anyone to pick up the phone.
Silly places. Lizzy is dizzy from racing around. There isn't much time for her shoe to be found. The party is starting, but what can she do? She looked and she looked and she can't find her shoe. She didn't have to stay home because she only has one shoe to wear. Did it drop in the driveway and somehow get squashed or plop in the washer and somehow get washed? Think her shoes washing around there? Is it stuck in the chimney all covered with soot or running around on some other girl's foot? So, she's checking all her the girls to see if they're wearing her shoe. Lizzy McTizzy is totally beat. She's worn herself out from her head to her feet. She plop plumps up a pillow and flops on the couch. And that's when a lump makes her jump and say, "Sh, uh-oh. What do you think?" Is that her shoe?
You know, then I was told, "Oh, just email." But I actually had emailed about a different topic that I didn't get a response from. And I know people tell me that they can't they email or whatever, and they they don't hear from people. So, but how do we how do we fix that? So, I think it is an honorable vocation, and I think that all people mostly in in public service, I have high regard for, do their job and service. I think where I have a difference is how did the salaries get to be market rate, meaning market like compared with private sector, yet the benefits are beyond? And I feel like on these larger budget to be sustainable, we have to have discussions like maybe you get to choose I get a market rate salary or and I and I do a 401K like the market.
What color did she say her shoe was? Is that the color we see here? Can you see it? Let's see if that's her shoe. Could it be? Is it true? Could that lump be a shoe? Shoot. It's a boot and it's not even blue. So now she has one blue shoe and one red boot. What would you do? So if So what if a boot doesn't go with a shoe? So what if a red doesn't go with a blue? Who cares if a pair is a mismatch mistake? As long as you get there in time for the birthday cake. So she wanted to get to the party. She and she has two thing two things on her feet, right? They may not match. Is that okay? Can she still do that? It says, "Happy birthday." The party is swinging. The music is loud. The cake looks delicious.
Yeah. Or I choose to get that lower salary and the security of pensions and benefits. Yeah, I mean there's definitely really cannot have private sector salaries and public sector benefits because I think that's at the root of a lot of these alleged problems that towns are having. They're just really out of control and way off topic of what they're supposed to be doing. Um I sometimes too I don't know, maybe it's just me. Maybe it's cuz I ask a lot of questions. But not all the time, some sometimes it's awesome, but that I'm that we're somehow a pain. And it's like you know, I think if you want to work with the public, you got to learn to love the public, right? Or like them or respect them. I don't know. So I feel like it at town hall that we are, but I feel like that there might be it it might tie back into that, you know, our our we're saying our first responsibility is to question authority, but that does come when you do question.