Every tax is a pay cut.  Every tax cut is a pay raise.
Citizens for Limited Taxation

Ethics, n
A set of principles of right conduct.
The rules or standards of governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession.

Gerard E. Desilets is the town moderator and as such, gets to handpick the following committees (according to the Town of Framingham's Annual Report).
  • Finance Committee
  • Personnel Board
  • Government Study Committee
  • Capital Budget Committee
  • Permanent Building Committee
  • Real Property Committee
This is all well and good, until you realize that Gerard Desilets's day job is being a program director for the South Middlesex Opportunity Council.  SMOC is a private fund raising, fund giving organization that interacts with the Town of Framingham.  It seems too easy to have possible conflicts of interest when you have a position that handpicks committee members. 

Personally, I'm fascinated that he handpicks committees concerning themselves with property, given that SMOC buys land in Framingham and other places. 

The town does not have an "ethics" board to scrutinze his choices for committee members for any possible conflicts of interest if any exist.  I do not see any, but conflicts of interest do not stand out like a bright yellow dandelion.  They are more like crabgrass.

Note that the town moderator is an elected position, but if you voted for him, you probably did not know he worked for an organization that is based in Framingham and conducts business with the town.  It's possible I voted for him, not knowing he was an employee of SMOC.  I will not make that mistake again.

I would feel much more comfortable if anyone who can hand pick these committees had no interaction with the Town of Framingham in their day job or night job.

Gerard E. Desilets has also played the role of being Framingham's campaign manager for Shannon O.Brien in her failed bid to become Governor.

Send comments to: hjw2001@gmail.com