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

Rob Haneisen CNC rhaneis@cnc.com 508-626-3882

Journalism is not a profession.  It's a trade.  Anyone can start writing, there is no code of conduct or particularly vital common body of skills that anyone (apart possibly from journalism schools) can see.  But generally, reward depends on individual effort and some individuals do very well, which is stimulating. The basic premise behind any newspaper is to make a profit.  Reporting news is a secondary concern.  Reporters have a tendency to choose strong adjectives to make stories more interesting than they really are. The one function that newspapers perform very well, is that when there is no news, they give it to you with the same emphasis as if there were.

Fact: Rob Haneisen does not live in Framingham This would certainly limit his moral authority to tell us (Framingham residents) how we should live our lives. Fact: Rob Haneisen has three roles with CNC. As a reporter for the Metrowest Daily News As a columnist for the Metrowest Daily News As the editor for the Framingham Tab (also run by CNC) Fact: Rob Haneisen has never run for political office. Fact: Rob Haneisen's mother is a teacher and his wife is a teacher. Rob Haneisen has his own political ideology but has never openly stated it.  No one is fooled. One of the most frightening things I learned in my run for Selectman is that reporters are clueless with numbers.  Perhaps, this is why Rob Haneisen is a journalist and thus avoids numbers.  Given that he has chosen a career as a journalist, As a member of the Fourth Estate, I just wish he could suppress his powerful urge to write.  I told him that the town's expenses went up from $100 million to $160 million in just 7 years.  He asked me why this could not be accounted for by inflation. Here's an typical example of a math problem that he could not solve without having to ask someone else for the answer.  If the Town of Framingham's budget was $100 million in 1996, how much should the town be spending in 2003 if it was constrained by Proposition 2 1/2? As a mathematical formula, it shows as: $100 million * ( 1.025 ** 7 ) = $100 million * 1.188 = $118.8 million Now, Rob, the difference between $160 million and $118.8 million is $41.2 million. This amount is not accounted for by Proposition 2 1/2 (or inflation, as you call it). As a side note, I had always wondered who carries one of those "How Much Should You Tip at Restaurants" cards that show basic multiplication tables.

Log entries

09/25/2004 When someome submits letters to the editor and Rob simply doesn't like what it says, he cuts out whatever he wants without notifying the sender. 01/24/2004 According to an article entitled "Painful but logical budget cuts", it seems his mother is a teacher and his wife will soon be a teacher. I can visualize some possible bias on teacher salaries already. 11/01/2003 Rob Haneisen repeatedly shows up on George King, Jr's show, Framingham Today as a reporter asking questions of George King. As you watch the show, remind yourself that Rob Haneisen doesn't live in Framingham.  My first thought was Hmmm! The Fourth Estate in bed with the Second Estate.. He is mostly seen saying "Uh-Huh, Uh-Huh" in total agreement with George. 10/03/2003 It would seem that Rob Haneisen has a strong preference for kindergarden students over seniors. He seems to not want the senior center because it seems a waste of money. But kindergarden should be a birthright?  Hmmmmm! 09/19/2003 In this editorial, Rob Haneisen states that it's alright if the Framingham police violate US Immigration laws.  It's funny that the our police chief Steven Carl stands ready at town hall to arrest Seth Levenson in the King scandal. I suppose it's alright to also ignore all DEA laws. This is a very sad example of the lack of quality in Rob Haneisen's editorials. It helps me, though. 06/15/2003 This page is a study in black and white of how Rob Haneisen edits a letter you might submit to him.  I think he chopped this one with a large ax.  The result makes my english look bad. Perhaps he didn't notice. 05/02/2003 In this article, as the Editor of the Framingham Tab, he doesn't state who the "fringe" candidate was, or what he means by "entering local politics unprepared". He does not even define a "fringe" candidate.  That must be one he doesn't like. he suggests that Ed Noonan will execise cronyism even before a single person is selected for any committee. Who was his source for that suggestion? 04/11/2003 In this article, as a columnist, he disguises himself as an expert on community activism.  Rob Haneisen does not live in Framingham but he is quite content to give you his opinions of Framingham, without citing his sources.  Let him run for office. Let's see if he can get elected dog catcher. 02/27/2003 In this article, as the Editor of the Framingham Tab, he is advocating free kindergarden for all Framingham children. Any consideration for the frugal taxpayers is swept aside.  Afterall, he claims it should be a birthright.

Send comments to: hjw2001@rcn.com