It is in your purview!

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

It is in your purview! Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Susan Naja, Framingham

There is no question as to why the current Board of Selectmen has chosen to change the way public participation is conducted at the weekly selectmen's meetings. They, themselves, have acknowledged that the changes to the policy were in direct response to the participation of three individuals who, on a weekly basis, passionately approach the selectmen - our town government - requesting answers and help for a problem in Framingham.
They have been met with a variety of reactions from ignorance to indifference to rudeness. When asked specific questions their patented answer (for some on the board) is "This is not in our purview". Perhaps with this new policy which calls for civility from the public participants, we may start seeing the same type of civility on the part of the chair and other members of the board. Whether the change in the public participation policy is good, bad or indifferent remains to be seen but I do feel that it has, at least, afforded the BoS the chance to challenge themselves to working with the public on all issues - even issues for which they feel they have no control.
The chair has often said that issues about which certain individuals speak each week are not within the purview of the Board. I disagree with that assessment, in part, and offer the following as possible actions the board can begin to take to address issues that are brought before them. This is acting as our town government. We all realize that our BoS are not expected to do the work of our federal or state government. However, as those who govern our town, I believe that the following are steps that our BoS - our elected leaders - can and should take.
First, when someone, anyone, comes before them for a license of any kind (new business, renewal of a license, change in owner, liquor license, change of manager.anything) the BoS should automatically, every time, ask to see the proper documentation that the person who is the responsible owner/proprietor/operator/manager is legal and can operate a business in Framingham/USA. Then ask for a listing of all employees and ask for the same about them. If it's a company wherein deliveries are done, ask to see proper documentation that their employees are licensed to legally drive in the commonwealth. By doing this, I'm sure a lot of illegal businesses will be stopped before they're allowed to get started.
Second, for those businesses already ruining - I mean running - in downtown Framingham, begin an investigation of each and every business owner/proprietor/operator/manager and their employees to see if the owners are legal to have a business and that the employees have the proper paperwork to prove they can work in Framingham/MASS/USA. Visually examine the licenses and the back-up documentation that was used to secure said license. These visits should be un-announced visits.
Third, for those businesses that can't produce the proper documentation for either themselves as owners or any of their employees, steps should immediately be taken by the BoS to rescind their business license to operate. This is the type of documentation that should be on-site. None of this "I have to get it from home, I have to call someone else to get it, I have it filed away... blah, blah, blah". That only affords them the opportunity to buy time to creatively create documentation.
Fourth, all businesses operating in Framingham should be checked, at a minimum, quarterly to assure the BoS and the town that the organization is not involved in any illegal activity - whether it's illegal hiring practices, procuring illegal documentation or whether it's the very nature of their particular business to be engaged in any sort of illegal activity. This can only be accomplished by business-to-business visits. Hands on. Not over the phone. No hearsay. Just visiting the businesses in Framingham and asking the business owners/operators, etc. what their particular business does. Asking pointed questions "Do you hire people without proper documentation?" Do you help procure housing, work, healthcare, welfare, schooling, etc. for anyone who you know or believe to be in town illegally" "How do you determine a person's legal status?" (Good for those who believe in "Don't ask - don't tell"). These visits, as well, should be un-announced.
I moved to Framingham from Natick in 1974 and lived here until 1987 when I moved to the Southcoast region of Massachusetts. I moved back to Framingham in early 2004. I was here a total of 2 days and called my dad in Natick and said, "What's happened to Framingham?" No joke. I was more than taken aback at the changes that had taken place in this town in the 17 years I had been gone. Changes that, in my opinion, have not made Framingham a better place to live. Had I known that Framingham had changed so much - and not for the better - I would not have bought property here. That's very sad.
Respectfully,
Susan Naja, Framingham

It is in your purview!	Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Susan Naja, Framingham
There is no question as to why the current Board of Selectmen has chosen to change the way public participation is conducted at the weekly selectmen's meetings. They, themselves, have acknowledged that the changes to the policy were in direct response to the participation of three individuals who, on a weekly basis, passionately approach the selectmen - our town government - requesting answers and help for a problem in Framingham. They have been met with a variety of reactions from ignorance to indifference to rudeness. When asked specific questions their patented answer (for some on the board) is "This is not in our purview". Perhaps with this new policy which calls for civility from the public participants, we may start seeing the same type of civility on the part of the chair and other members of the board. Whether the change in the public participation policy is good, bad or indifferent remains to be seen but I do feel that it has, at least, afforded the BoS the chance to challenge themselves to working with the public on all issues - even issues for which they feel they have no control. The chair has often said that issues about which certain individuals speak each week are not within the purview of the Board. I disagree with that assessment, in part, and offer the following as possible actions the board can begin to take to address issues that are brought before them. This is acting as our town government. We all realize that our BoS are not expected to do the work of our federal or state government. However, as those who govern our town, I believe that the following are steps that our BoS - our elected leaders - can and should take. First, when someone, anyone, comes before them for a license of any kind (new business, renewal of a license, change in owner, liquor license, change of manager.anything) the BoS should automatically, every time, ask to see the proper documentation that the person who is the responsible owner/proprietor/operator/manager is legal and can operate a business in Framingham/USA. Then ask for a listing of all employees and ask for the same about them. If it's a company wherein deliveries are done, ask to see proper documentation that their employees are licensed to legally drive in the commonwealth. By doing this, I'm sure a lot of illegal businesses will be stopped before they're allowed to get started. Second, for those businesses already ruining - I mean running - in downtown Framingham, begin an investigation of each and every business owner/proprietor/operator/manager and their employees to see if the owners are legal to have a business and that the employees have the proper paperwork to prove they can work in Framingham/MASS/USA. Visually examine the licenses and the back-up documentation that was used to secure said license. These visits should be un-announced visits. Third, for those businesses that can't produce the proper documentation for either themselves as owners or any of their employees, steps should immediately be taken by the BoS to rescind their business license to operate. This is the type of documentation that should be on-site. None of this "I have to get it from home, I have to call someone else to get it, I have it filed away... blah, blah, blah". That only affords them the opportunity to buy time to creatively create documentation. Fourth, all businesses operating in Framingham should be checked, at a minimum, quarterly to assure the BoS and the town that the organization is not involved in any illegal activity - whether it's illegal hiring practices, procuring illegal documentation or whether it's the very nature of their particular business to be engaged in any sort of illegal activity. This can only be accomplished by business-to-business visits. Hands on. Not over the phone. No hearsay. Just visiting the businesses in Framingham and asking the business owners/operators, etc. what their particular business does. Asking pointed questions "Do you hire people without proper documentation?" Do you help procure housing, work, healthcare, welfare, schooling, etc. for anyone who you know or believe to be in town illegally" "How do you determine a person's legal status?" (Good for those who believe in "Don't ask - don't tell"). These visits, as well, should be un-announced. I moved to Framingham from Natick in 1974 and lived here until 1987 when I moved to the Southcoast region of Massachusetts. I moved back to Framingham in early 2004. I was here a total of 2 days and called my dad in Natick and said, "What's happened to Framingham?" No joke. I was more than taken aback at the changes that had taken place in this town in the 17 years I had been gone. Changes that, in my opinion, have not made Framingham a better place to live. Had I known that Framingham had changed so much - and not for the better - I would not have bought property here. That's very sad. Respectfully, Susan Naja, Framingham

Send comments to: hjw2001@gmail.com