CapeCodToday Blog Chowder

While Tom Cahir may or may not be a good choice for chairman, as far as I know, CCRTA isn't impacted by the Sagamore Bridge mess. That said, it is illogical for CW Rice to bemoan the CCRTA deficits and then suggest the solution is Cape wide rail service - which could only be operated with a hugh taxpayer kiss. I believe I read there isn't a passenger rail service anywhere in the US that has been run for any length of time with out a subsidy.

My experience with the SS and HyLine fast ferrys is: the captains don't give a damn about small craft. They are well aware of the impact of their wakes but will blast by within 100 yards of all craft large, small, sail or power. I guess management is holding them accountable to a schedule. I'm surprised there haven't been more reported accidents since there appears to be no law enforcement in the area.

Ernie & Ana -
Most people looking over the field of current candidates would conclude Christy will be the "least beholden" to special interests. Deval, Galvin and Baker all have baggage whereas Christy, by virtue of his personal resources and isolation from insider Beacon Hill dealing, comes with the cleanest slate. Just one man's opinion.

The Corps claims they have to complete the work in a hurry to qualify for several million dollars in stimulus money. Yet over the course of the project I'm confident many millions more will be lost in commerce. Now, add those millions to the hundreds of thousands of gallons of gasoline wasted in the gridlock and you come to realize why you simply can't trust a small cadre of bureaucrats to make these decisions.

BTW: I'm sure there's some connection which can be made to the current health care debate but I'll leave that speculation to others. :-)

I have little sympathy for any developer who buys property knowing what the rules (zoning) are and then cries foul when he can't get the rules changed. Stu owns the Dockside property on South Street. He wanted the rules changed to develop condos and was told no. He purchased the Freezer point property in Barnstable harbor and wanted the rules changed and was told no. Now he purchased the proposed Hilton site and again says "change the rules for me".

Let's remember the town has no basis to ask for mitigation from a developer who develops property with strict adherence to existing zoning.

I'm confident Stu will be back with a plan to put something else on this parcel which will produce plenty of tax revenue for the town. IMHO, any plan he produces which does not adhere to zoning and does not mitigate the traffic impact to that section of Rt 28, should be vetoed by the town.

I thought there might be a change of course when the banner announcing the Mihos for Governor Cape headquarters came down.

Right on acapecodder. I came within inches of hitting a biker when taking a left turn off Rt 28 near Honey Dew.
He was riding AGAINST the traffic and outside my field of vision, behind my left shoulder, when I began to take the turn.

BTW: there's also plenty who drive their bikes on the sidewalk and expect the pedestrians to get out of their way.

When the economy was booming it was hard to find any help at Home Depot. Now I'm greeted like a rich relative which is how I've been always treated at Bradford's Ace Hardware in Hyannis.
FWIW: I will continue to keep it local - whenever possible.

This is SOP for state/federal agencies. TWO GALLONS of laundry bleach gets into a catch basin and they'll fine the small business and make a big deal in the media so others will tow the line. And, as I read this, the fine was not about any HAZMAT damage but was imposed because the business missed the two hour time limit!

Before you vaccinate your pet you should perform your on due diligence on the dangers of over vaccination. Google "rabies vaccination dangers" or visit this site: http://www.healthyhappydogs.com/VaccinationDanger
Yearly vaccinations seem to be over kill and dangerous for older house pets.

I understand why the police wanted the reg, and if I had my coin collection stolen I suppose I'd be happy to have the reg in place, but some how I get the feeling the licensing board will agree to anything and everything proposed by the BPD. Now that scares me, Sgt Murphy said during the hearing one of the best regulations in the town was closing it up between 1AM and 3AM. I'm sure it makes his job easier but many on the force are earning $100K+ because they tell us they do a difficult job!

Tag line on this OpEd says "Christy Mihos, who lives in Yarmouth, is an Independent candidate for Governor of Massachusetts in 2010"

Is this true? Have your declared? Where do we sign up?

"How will 8000 more unemployed people help the State? " Well it will be 8,000 fewer salaries+generous bonus packages the Massachusetts taxpayer (employed, unemployed, retired) won't have pay!

I agree they make great beer but it is very pricey. When purchased by the glass at a bar it's priced competitively with other brands. When purchased at a liquor store in the growler, ounce for ounce, it's much more expensive than other micro brews.

The congress will do nothing to favor the Tribe at the expense of the Commonwealth. IMHO: the Wamp casino plans just went up in smoke.

Part of the fall out of the abuse comes when you go to your doctor/dentist with a legitimate need for a pain killer. Some doctors will opt for Tylenol rather than something requiring a script. Others will not accept new patients who have conditions which entail pain management meds.

Barolo filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy as reported in the Public Records Bulletin several weeks ago. Sooo they probably won't be paying their license renewal.

It would seem to me a restaurant has a choice of a seasonal or year round license. If they say they want the year round license they are committing to serve the public in the lean months and should open for a portion of each day (or maybe a portion of each week).

Then there are those that close "for renovations" for 2-4 weeks each winter but I'm fine with that.

From an advertiser's POV, I stopped using the CCT because I got a better response to a free classified ad on Craigs List than I was getting for a paid ad in the Times. From a consumers point POV, why pay money for the same news and commentary I get free on line?
However, there is still something I miss online which drives me to purchase a hard copy of the CCT - the ads, specials, & coupons particularly in the Sunday edition.

Christy you make it seem easy - but I know it's not.
Well done - congrats

If the charter school supporters want their views supported on the school committee they can field and elect candidates who reflect those views. The last national election proves the old adage- democracy belongs to those who show up.

First - the solons should allow Massachusetts residents to buy wine on the internet -
Second - we need the solons to abolish the minimum floor on booze (in case you didn't know, the state sets a floor on the price of a bottle of liquor)
IMHO: The consumer pays more because of corruption on Beacon Hill.

Teddy's comments reported in the Boston Herald:

“I do not believe that this action by the Interior Department will be sustained,” said Kennedy in a statement.

He noted that the Interior Department’s inspector general is investigating Minerals Management’s handling of the Cape Wind application. He also noted the Federal Aviation Authority still has concerns about the project.

“By taking this action, the Interior Department has virtually assured years of continued public conflict and contentious litigation,” Kennedy said

I expect a favorable report.

IMHO: this project can be justified or opposed by people of good will but, at the end of the day, it will come down to what Barack Obama believes he owes to the 20th century's "liberal lion's" opinion of what a pristine Nantucket is worth.

In the 21st century the game may have changed - but maybe not.

Timeout - nothing says the dealer has to write the check on a local bank. Heck, he'll want to use an out of state bank and get the float. BTW: last time I checked selling your stuff isn't reportable to the IRS - if it were you've got a town full of scofflaw yard sellers.

I watched the hearing. The police began their presentation citing the dollar value of reported thefts in Barnstable over the past three years. What I didn't hear was a single instance of them finding any of stolen property in the possession of any business license holders.

As I understand it, the police want these small businesses to report virtually all their transactions with a photo ID of their customers every month.

So I guess if Aunt Sally has to sell her wedding ring to pay her real estate tax, some clerk at the Barnstable Police Department will get a report with Aunt Sally's photo ID? This transaction then goes into a searchable database.

It seems like a bit too much big brother to me.

An educator's letter to the Barnstable Patriot states "The union contract is up this year. If the whole staff takes a 7 percent pay cut, 4 percent net after tax, the system saves its $6,000,000.00 and 125 staff members." While I think his math is flawed, this sounds like a plan worth pursuing but, given human nature, that will never happen.

Let's face it. True conservatives abhor most of the policies of BOTH presidents named Bush. The exception being their proactive actions in the Middle East. Domestically they botched it. Now the liberals get their turn - those are the rules both sides have to abide.
BTW: Let's not equate corporate welfare with business and wealthy individuals using "tax loopholes". Congress became the villain the first time they changed the code to accomplish anything more than fairly raise the funds to pay for government. The best example is where the tax code exempts municipal bonds from taxes to lower the cost of financing public works projects. Then a business/individual buys a load of munis but the government says "whoa, you've used a tax loop hole and got too much tax free income." So government comes up with an alternative minimum tax. We need a flat tax but it'll never happen.

One reads a nursing facility's admissions contract. It has an arbitration clause. Do you advocate going elsewhere trying to find a bed for your loved one who needs an immediate admission?

Lawyers hate arbitration because they don't get the big $$$. FWIW: The older the patient the fewer the lawyers who'll take the case because they can't get as big a fee when a 90 year old dies versus say a 60 year old.

Yes, I'm certain you'll see the ABA lobbying for legislation to the benefit of their members.

BTW:If you refuse to arbitrate stock brokerage disputes there are few, if any, firms which will take you as a customer.

With regard to her educational background, once admitted to the Ivy League few ever flunk out. That said, I can't imagine any president's child ever being denied admission to any of these elite institutions. Does anyone know if Caroline passed the NY bar exam? I recall JFK Jr found it a challenge.

There's a sidebar story here. Usually the DOR gives an offender a chance to make things right before it gets this far. Then again, maybe this is one of those high profile prosecutions to get other offenders to tow the line. Yesterday he was open with inventory - tonight, at 5 PM, the windows are covered. FWIW: Abbott went from managing Mickey Broadhurst's last campaign for selectman to being one of Atsalis' biggest supporters, who will clearly run for cover rather than standing by Abbott.

Bob W's advice is on the mark. These fund raisers call every business owner on the Cape. If you fall for their line and agree to make a contribution they'll send over a runner to pick up your check. My response is to tell them I'll mail my check to the local charity's address.

"Stone was walking down a corridor at the Cape Cod Mall when she saw a large group of youths ahead."
It seems the Cape Cod Mall and its merchants fail to recognize how much business is lost due to the intimidating presence of large groups of youths - something you don't see when shopping at Patriots Square in Dennis.

Come on - since when is the measure of a man's lifetime based on a single issue. I expect we can all agree wind power will never supply more than a very very small part of our country's demand. On virtually every other green issue I expect Ted scores near the top. But if I read this editorial correctly, you are concluding Ted's legacy comes down to "What have you done for me lately?"

I hear some libs in NY think taxes on fattening foods is the way out of the fiscal crisis - LOL. I hope this doesn't gain traction on Beacon Hill - the cones at Four Seas are already pretty pricey.

Let's stay on point - which member(s) of the Massachusetts congressional delegation will vote against the UAW?

Next thing they'll be having one food pantry for cats and another for dogs! It would make more sense to use the present "food pantry infrastructure" in various towns. They already have the collection and distribution facilities as well as staff.

Been there and I can appreciate the pain.
But, believe me, Allie's passing in her sleep is less painful to you than having her "put down: - a term I hate.

The problem here is a system wherein the attorneys can find success in going after tangential parties with the deepest pockets. In the RI nightclub fire Budweiser was sued because their name appeared on promotional signs - come on now. IMHO: either cap the awards or change to loser pays or both.

Gift Certificates was what I was obliquely referring to in my earlier comment. Cape Cod Today would do its readers, who may be shopping for GC's for the holidays, a great service by publishing a list of which restaurants are publicly listed for sale.

Perhaps just as news worthy would be including the names of the "dozen other restaurants" up for sale.

I heard RFK Jr was being considered to head the EPA. If he does I'd expect that would be the end of placing anything in the Sound. Regardless, the new President owes the Kennedy family so I expect the new administration will find a way to preserve its "greenness" while opposing the project.

I expect Teddy will be making the case against Cape Wind with President elect Obama. End of Story?

When local newspapers go out of business, who will be paid to gather and report the local news?

Buying a lobster roll at all these places is a rip off. Have any of the three places LOWERED their prices as the price of lobster meat at the fish market has come WAY DOWN? IMHO: buy the meat at the market, mix in some Hellman's, put it on a grilled roll and enjoy. If you want to dine with a view, put the roll in a bag, grab a bottle of chard and drive to the beach.

"The Nov. 4 general election, he said, offered a choice between the outsider - him - and the insider - her, who mentioned how the staff wears sweaters in the winter when the heat gets turned down to conserve energy." I'll be voting for the candidate who knows how to control the thermostat.

Giving $5 million to a railroad which has never been profitable is a waste of tax payer funds. Setting aside whether commuter service makes sense, the taxpayer has a right to know whether the CCCR has a proven "track record". For the past 10 years it's been the folly of a parade of wealthy backers. Let's see their financial statements and determine whether this company can run its own business profitably before it is given tax payer money.

While seeking a "cure for cancer" seems to be the Holy Grail, a cure for fatness - swallow a pill and you can eat just about anything without gaining weight - may soon become a higher priority for our society. Does anybody dispute that "fitness" is a non existent concept among the folks discussed in this post. Diabetes is running rampant among the poor because of their carbo intake. That's not going to change. So until the much maligned drug companies find a solution, things will get worse before they get any better.
Thanks Doc for an informative post.

I'd like to know what Mr. Milne does for a living? I ask because many times it indicates whether a politician can really understand the daily challenges facing his/her constituents. Has he worked hard in a "team environment" to earn a pay check. Please do a follow up on this aspect of Mr. Milne's resume.

For years I have traversed the South Street/Ocean Street intersection. I will attest to a significant increase in the foot traffic from Main Street to the harbor. Many will disagree on the benefits from the infrastructure improvements by, IMHO, most of the changes have improved the village.

It's too bad this is an elected position since the duties are no more political than say a town's treasurer. If you owned private business and were seeking to fill a position with the same duties as the Register you'd advertise for applicants. If you came down to three finalist resumes - Turkington, Young and Welsh-Perrino - the choice would be clear. Based on education and experience, Welsh-Perrino is a perfect fit.

How does it make sense to bring more traffic into Hyannis to park at the "Transportation Center" a/k/a the bus station? Currently the bus station has few cars parking in its lot because it is inconvenient to reach - for many it involves coming down Willow Street! Hello...