"Q: How many years have you been teaching at Franklin High?A: 26 yearsQ: Why did you want to become a teacher?A: Mr. Walsh loves getting to talk about history and politics as his job and became a teacher because he loves teaching about this material"
 |
| Mr. Walsh teaches US History II and AP Gov. |
"A new report from the Rappaport Institute at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government highlights the strong partnership between the Baker-Polito administration and the state’s cities and towns, how it came to be, and the positive results it has achieved.“We set out a few months ago to try to understand what was happening on the ground, what was so different about the way that this administration was working with cities and towns that we kept hearing about,” said Danielle Cerny, a visiting fellow at the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston and the author of the 50-page policy brief, during an unveiling event at Harvard on Sept. 28. “What were the pieces? Did it really work? Could we bottle it, particularly as we start to prepare for transitions here and elsewhere. How could we try to capture this?”
 |
| Rappaport Institute at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government |
Get with the program. We’ve all been so advised at one point or other. In this case, it’s about getting you to the programs you want – exactly the way you want them.
We’re now posting our programs on YouTube. It’s familiar. It’s what we all know. It’s immediate. You can now watch our key meetings and events LIVE on YouTube. They will also be there for replay. In a world where we all want what we want – when, where and how we want it, YouTube fills the bill.
And – as always –
Thank you for listening to wfpr●fm.
And, thank you for watching.
And – as always –
Thank you for listening to wfpr●fm.
And, thank you for watching.
 |
| Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) |
The meeting was conducted in a hybrid format: members of the Finance Committee, selected guests, and Town Administration personnel were in the Council Chambers, the remainder were remote along with the public via the Zoom conference bridge, all to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.
The show notes contain links to the meeting agenda including documents released for this agenda.
Let’s listen to this budget hearing on "General government"
Audio file = https://player.captivate.fm/episode/d9c1b417-b587-4cee-a861-c5409f4085cf
--------------
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/4.27.21_fin_com_agenda.pdf
--------------
We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.
This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.
How can you help?
Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.
For additional information, please visit www.Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com
The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.
I hope you enjoy!
------------------
You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"
 |
| FM #526 - Finance Cmte Budget Hearing #1 - 04/27/21 (audio) |
The writers are the mayors of Pittsburgh; Youngstown, Ohio; Dayton, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; Cincinnati; Huntington, W.Va.; Morgantown, W.Va.; and Louisville.
"Every four years, voters in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky are told how important they are to American industry, but once the election is over, nothing happens. The United States now has a president-elect who comes from our region originally and is more likely to understand what we need to revive it. We, the mayors of eight cities, are banding together to demand real investment in our shared region, which has fueled the U.S. economy for generations yet never gets the attention it deserves.
It’s why we’re asking for an ambitious federal response to save our industries and communities from destruction: a Marshall Plan for Middle America.
In the post-World War II recovery period, the Marshall Plan was a $13 billion ($143 billion today) investment strategy to rebuild Europe and foster economic and democratic institutions. Like postwar Europe, Middle America faces similar issues of decline — a shared crisis of aging infrastructure, obsolescence of business and government institutions, and the need for upskilling and reskilling the workforce."Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
|
|
|
"At its Annual Meeting on Jan. 24, the MMA unveiled its MassTown Careers campaign, an initiative aimed at attracting a new generation of workers to careers in the state’s 351 cities and towns.Continue reading the MMA article
Facing a wave of retirements and a highly competitive job market, cities and towns confront a growing challenge in filling a diverse range of jobs, including in the areas of management, finance, information technology, public works and more.
MassTown Careers was conceived to raise awareness about the appeal of municipal jobs as a career choice for candidates of all ages. The heart of the campaign is video testimonials featuring Massachusetts municipal employees highlighting the wide range of available jobs and the many rewards of working for cities and towns.
“I’m passionate about doing work that is truly important to my community, my family, and myself,” says Carolyn Kosnoff, assistant town manager for finance in Lexington, one of the municipal employees interviewed for the project.
 |
| "conceived to raise awareness about the appeal of municipal jobs as a career choice for candidates of all ages" |
"Massachusetts on Wednesday became the first state in the country to prohibit retail sales of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes.
Gov. Charlie Baker also announced that the state’s temporary ban on vaping product sales will now end on Dec. 11, when public health officials are set to adopt a new set of permanent vaping regulations. The sale of flavored tobacco vaping products will still be prohibited on that date under the new law signed by Baker.
Pitched as a way to help protect children from the dangers of nicotine addiction but criticized by adult e-cigarette users, retailers and lawmakers from border communities, the legislation also imposes a 75% excise tax on vaping products.
“We are grateful for this landmark legislation and know it will go a long way forward in addressing this epidemic, specifically in aiding our response to this epidemic for our youth and young people, with the simple goal of not allowing another generation to become addicted to nicotine,” Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel said after Baker signed the bill. “As a physician and commissioner of the Department of Public Health, I will continue to recommend that people not use any vaping or e-cigarette products. These products are not safe.”
 |
| Governor Baler's twitter photo on the legislation signing |
"Despite Gov Charlie Baker’s announcement Wednesday that a state ban on all vape products will end on Dec. 11, as the state works on additional regulations, at least one vape shop owner says the damage has already been done.
David Bershad, co-owner of Vape Daddy’s, which has stores in Framingham and Newton, said he’s lost $500,000 since the four-month ban started on Sept. 24. Bershad said he’s waiting to see if there’s a class-action lawsuit against Baker by businesses looking to recoup their losses.
If there is, Bershad said he’ll join it.
″(Baker) hasn’t solved any problems. People are still going to die,” Bershad said, referencing the three deaths in Massachusetts that are linked to vaping. “A fourth victim is going to happen.”
"Massachusetts will invest an additional $1.5 billion in K-12 public education over the next seven years after Gov. Charlie Baker signed a funding reform bill, touted by supporters as a generational change, into law Tuesday.
The legislation directs the bulk of new funding toward districts weighed down by cost drivers, aiming to close opportunity gaps that for years have led to disparate educational outcomes across the state.
“We want all of our children to have the same opportunities to achieve,” Senate President Karen Spilka said in an interview later Tuesday during a visit to the Daily News, noting a “persistent” achievement gap in many school districts. “The talent is the same across the state. The opportunities, unfortunately, have not been the same.”
The law comes four years after a commission warned that Massachusetts was underestimating the actual cost of education by $1 billion annually and more than a year after the last attempt to update the system fell short. Now the focus shifts to a different challenge: following through on the commitment to ramp up funding for schools starting next year."
 |
| The full " How Your Town Government Works" panel being introduced |
 |
| subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters on iTunes |
With a big town election looming, local civically minded residents are gearing up to host a program aimed at giving people an insider’s look at town government.
The “How Your Town Government Works” program is set for Wednesday, Sept. 25, 7-8:30 p.m., at THE BLACK BOX, 15. W. Central St., Franklin.
While sponsored by the Franklin Democratic Town Committee (FDTC), the organizers are quick to point out the program is completely non-partisan and non-political; rather, they describe it as a public service program.
Members of the committee include Chairman Karen Landers, Herb and Paula Gross, and Colin and Sue Cass.
“We were one of several subcommittees set up by the FDTC to plan activities for the year. The idea for this forum came from Paula, who has lived in Franklin for a few years and realized that she knew very little about Franklin’s government,” said committee member Sue Cass. “We agreed that this lack of information was probably shared by many residents and, since this is an election year, we thought an educational forum about the government would be timely.”
 |
| “How Your Town Government Works” program is set for Weds, Sep. 25 |
 |
| Franklin Civics Forum: How Your Town Government Works - Sep 25 |
 |
| Quick survey on when to schedule an informative session on Town Government |
"When U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested delaying the State of the Union amid a government shutdown in January, Massachusetts educators jumped at a teaching opportunity.
“The shutdown highlights separation of powers that people don’t think about until an unusual moment like this occurs,” said Peter Ubertaccio, dean of the school of arts and sciences at Stonehill College in Easton. “Simple questions like, ‘How does this happen?’ suddenly become really relevant.”
The longest shutdown in U.S. history, which ended on Jan. 25, left thousands of furloughed workers without pay checks for weeks, and put numerous federal programs at risk of losing resources. But it also created new opportunities for Americans to learn more about how government works and what it means when it doesn’t work."
 |
| Page one of the original copy of the Constitution (via wikipedia) |
"When Democrats Maria Robinson and Becca Rausch were in the throes of campaigning for a seat in the Massachusetts legislature, they took a pledge – if elected, they would work to achieve greater transparency in state government.
Both were victorious in last month’s state election - Robinson, of Framingham, is headed to the House, where she will represent the 6th Middlesex District. Rausch, of Needham, will serve in the Senate representing the Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex District.
That means the pledge lives on, and at its heart is a demand that every vote at the Statehouse be done by roll call. It gives constituents a clear picture of how their elected officials vote and where they stand on the issues."Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
 |
| https://www.progressivemass.com/ |
"From standardizing community host agreements to allowing porta-potties on outdoor pot farms, speakers at a public hearing Wednesday offered many suggestions on how to tweak regulations governing recreational pot, with particular emphasis on helping small farmers succeed in the nascent industry.
“There’s no ganja like farm-grown ganja,” said Eric Schwartz, co-founder of Farm Bug Cooperative, a cooperative of farmers which will be applying for a craft marijuana cultivator cooperative license. “I think Massachusetts can be a shining example for the rest of the country in ending the failed marijuana prohibition policy.”
About 100 people gathered at the Worcester Public Library Wednesday morning for a public hearing on draft regulations governing the adult use of cannabis in the state. The meeting was hosted by members of the Cannabis Control Commission, and was one of several being held throughout the state to solicit feedback on the draft regulations - which oversee everything about the cannabis trade from seed to consumption."
 |
| MA Cannabis Control Commission webpage |
 |
| subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters on iTunes |
 |
| Rep Jeff Roy making his presentation before the discussion/Q&A with Tom Mercer and Denise Schultz tat I moderated |
