How did Colleen Hunter and Ginger Fraser come to the conclusion that they wanted to run for the Selectman and Budget Committee seats? I sit on the Budget Committee and have seen Fraser at our meetings once in the 4 years I have been on the committee. And that was only since she put her name in to run. Both women have lived in town for 20 years yet the only time they have been to a meeting or shown interest in the town was when they put their names in to run for a seat? How committed are they? Fraser states that she has a BS in Accounting, the budget committee has little to do with balancing the books. It does and so does the select board require critical thinking with some depth of knowledge of the past history of the board motions and defeats. This is not information they can gain from simply reading the minutes, to truly understand how the boards work you need to have put your time in and show up to the many meetings.
On this basis alone I could not cast my ballot for either woman. I do commend them for stepping forward but if you are truly interested in occupying a seat on any board in town please do your homework. Come and sit through some of the 4-hour or all day long sessions we have during the select board and budget committee process.
Robert Louf and Jim Hoffman have done just that. Louf and Hoffman have been to many of the selectman and budget committee meetings. They have shared ideas and given input at these meetings and have tried in many ways to find solutions through critical thinking and can speak their own minds. Hoffman brings with him the knowledge of what the retired folks in town are dealing with and listens to them and translates that to the board. Louf is involved in town, he volunteers on Little League and is a member of Rotary. He is out in the community and accessible to listen to townspeople and gathers opinions in this manner to base his voting decisions on the select board.
I urge you to vote for these two men who have shown interest and have already put their time in to hit the ground running when they are rewarded with the budget committee and selectman’s seat they so deserve.
In addition, Tom Keane and Rick Hiland are two gentlemen who have proven track records of understanding the town and where it needs improvement and change. Hiland is a businessman and lives in Bow so he pays not only personal property taxes but business taxes in Bow and has an ear to the business people in town. Tom Keane spends countless hours finding solutions to better the town and the schools as he sits not only on the select board but the school board also. I have personally seen him at numerous budget committee meetings and planning board meetings.
I urge you to vote for the candidates who are fiscally responsible and have put the time in to hit the ground running and who fully understand the workings of the town; Louf Hoffman, Keane and Hiland.