The full, 520-page final report can be found here. A summary of the information can be found below:

The Origins of the Coronavirus Pandemic, 

COVID-19 ORIGIN: COVID-19 most likely emerged from a laboratory in Wuhan, China. The FIVE strongest arguments in favor of the “lab leak” theory include:

1. The virus possesses a biological characteristic that is not found in nature.
2. Data shows that all COVID-19 cases stem from a single introduction into humans. This runs contrary to previous pandemics where there were multiple spillover events.
3. Wuhan is home to China’s foremost SARS research lab, which has a history of conducting gain-of-function research at inadequate biosafety levels.
4. Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) researchers were sick with a COVID-like virus in the fall of 2019, months before COVID-19 was discovered at the wet market.
5. By nearly all measures of science, if there was evidence of a natural origin it would have already surfaced.

PROXIMAL ORIGIN PUBLICATION: “The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2” publication — which was used repeatedly by public health officials and the media to discredit the lab leak theory — was prompted by Dr. Fauci to push the preferred narrative that COVID-19 originated in nature.

GAIN-OF-FUNCTION RESEARCH: A lab-related incident involving gain-of-function research is most likely the origin of COVID-19. Current government mechanisms for overseeing this dangerous gain-of-function research are incomplete, severely convoluted, and lack global applicability.

The Implementation or Effectiveness of Any Federal Law or Regulation

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO): The WHO’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was an abject failure because it caved to pressure from the Chinese Communist Party and placed China’s political interests ahead of its international duties. Further, the WHO’s newest effort to solve the problems exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic — via a “Pandemic Treaty” — may harm the United States.

SOCIAL DISTANCING: The “6 feet apart” social distancing recommendation — which shut down schools and small business across the country — was arbitrary and not based on science. During closed door testimony, Dr. Fauci testified that the guidance, “sort of just appeared.”

MASK MANDATES: There was no conclusive evidence that masks effectively protected Americans from COVID-19. Public health officials flipped-flopped on the efficacy of masks without providing Americans scientific data — causing a massive uptick in public distrust.

LOCKDOWNS: Prolonged lockdowns caused immeasurable harm to not only the American economy, but also to the mental and physical health of Americans, with a particularly negative effect on younger citizens. Rather than prioritizing the protection of the most vulnerable populations, federal and state government policies forced millions of Americans to forgo crucial elements of a healthy and financially sound life.

NEW YORK PANDEMIC FAILURES: Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s March 25 Order — which forced nursing homes to accept COVID-19 positive patients — was medical malpractice. Evidence shows that Mr. Cuomo and his Administration worked to cover up the tragic aftermath of their policy decisions in an apparent effort to shield themselves from accountability.

• Evidence suggests Mr. Cuomo knowingly and willfully made false statements to the Select Subcommittee on numerous occasions about material aspects of New York’s COVID-19 nursing home disaster and the ensuing cover-up. The Select Subcommittee referred Mr. Cuomo to the DOJ for criminal prosecution.

TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS: President Trump’s rapidly implemented travel restrictions saved lives. During Dr. Fauci’s transcribed interview, he unequivocally agreed with every travel restriction issued by the Trump Administration. This testimony runs counter to the public narrative that the Trump Administration’s travel restrictions were xenophobic.

COVID-19 MISINFORMATION: Public health officials often spread misinformation through conflicting messaging, kneejerk reactions, and a lack of transparency. In the most egregious examples of pervasive misinformation campaigns, off-label drug use and the lab leak theory were unjustly demonized by the federal government.

• The Biden Administration even employed undemocratic and likely unconstitutional methods — including pressuring social media companies to censor certain COVID-19 content — to fight what it deemed misinformation.

The Development of Vaccines and Treatments

COVID-19 VACCINE: Contrary to what was promised, the COVID-19 vaccine did not stop the spread or transmission of the virus.

RUSHED COVID-19 VACCINE APPROVAL: The FDA rushed approval of the COVID-19 vaccine in order to meet the Biden Administration’s arbitrary mandate timeline. Two leading FDA scientists warned their colleagues about the dangers of rushing the vaccine approval process and the likelihood of adverse events. They were ignored, and days later, the Biden Administration mandated the vaccine.

VACCINE MANDATES: Vaccine mandates were not supported by science and caused more harm than good. The Biden Administration coerced healthy Americans into compliance with COVID-19 vaccine mandates that trampled individual freedoms, harmed military readiness, and disregarded medical freedom to force a novel vaccine on millions of Americans without sufficient evidence to support their policy decisions.

NATURAL IMMUNITY: Public health officials engaged in a coordinated effort to ignore natural immunity — which is acquired through previous COVID-19 infection — when developing vaccine guidance and mandates.

VACCINE INJURY REPORTING SYSTEM: Vaccine injury reporting systems created confusion, failed to properly inform the American public about vaccine injuries, and deteriorated public trust in vaccine safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

VACCINE INJURY COMPENSATION: The government is failing to efficiently, fairly, and transparently adjudicate claims for the COVID-19 vaccine injured.

The Societal Impact of Decisions to Close Schools

COVID-19 SCHOOL CLOSURES: The “science” never justified prolonged school closures. Children were unlikely to contribute to the spread of COVID-19 or suffer severe illness or mortality. Instead, as a result of school closures, children experienced historic learning loss, higher rates of psychological distress, and decreased physical well-being.

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC) INFLUENCE: The Biden Administration’s CDC broke precedent and provided a political teachers organization with access to its scientific school reopening guidance. Former CDC Director Rochelle Walensky asked the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to provide specific language for the guidance and even went so far as to accept numerous edits made by AFT.

AFT INFLUENCE: Schools remained closed longer than necessary because of AFT’s political interference in the CDC’s school reopening guidance. AFT is a political union, not a scientific organization, that advocated for mitigation efforts that prolonged school closures — including an automatic closure “trigger.”

• Testimony revealed that AFT President Weingarten had a direct telephone line to contact former CDC Director Walensky.

LONGTERM IMPACTS: Standardized test scores show that children lost decades worth of academic progress as a result of COVID-19 school closures. Mental and physical health concerns also skyrocketed — with suicide attempts by 12-17 year-aged girls rising 51%.

New Mascot for Town Meeting members…

In what history will show as cowardly surrender, 213 Town Meeting members voted to accept the unfunded and likely unenforceable MBTA Communities act without a fight. Only 8 Town Meeting members chose to fight for Belmont to remain a suburb (including myself). There is no other answer besides cowardice for voting to fundamentally change Belmont into a dense urban community. Town meeting put more effort into fighting for solar panels on a school than keeping Belmont an oasis bordered by Watertown, Cambridge, Waltham and Lexington. Since, Belmont’s surrender the Town’s of Weston and Gloucester have rejected the MBTA act, and the Town of Needham is bringing it to the voters to decide. Already developers are seeking out opportunities in Belmont and the plan hasn’t been approved yet by the State. 

Massive Override planned for November 2026

No, this is not an April Fool’s joke. This is just weak leadership caving to materialistic activists. The taxpayers who support this are either clueless or complicit. We just passed an $8.4m override in April. We passed debt exclusions for the rink and library (those will show up in your 2025 tax bills) and the $300m BHSMS in the prior years. We are literally spending ourselves into bankruptcy because the activists want everything new and now and sooner than later the piper will call.  

Keep in mind… we are getting to the point of catastrophe from a budgetary standpoint. I have said it before… I could see Belmont closing the brand-new library or aggressively restricting hours because we can’t afford the operating budget, and the override will fail as Belmont becomes less attractive to move too and real estate values fall. Let us not forget… Patrice Garvin’s Town budget is sleight of hand as many departments are understaffed freeing up funds that should be used on headcount. I can almost guarantee you that the next employee contract negotiations will be brutal as we continue to see staff from all departments exit including the schools. Rumors say Liz Dionne wants to be directly involved in negotiations this time which may help reduce some of the toxicity but if she doesn’t read Townie Talk and understands the pending “skilled labor revolution” it won’t make a difference. You won’t have any leverage for another decade. Kind of makes “poking the labor bear” these last five years seem shall I say moronic. 

As for the Establishment that have buried this Town in debt…

The successful Override committee made promises of doubling Belmont’s commercial tax contribution to 10% of revenue if the Town would just pass that override. The Community Preservation Act advocates promised 100% matching funds. Library supporters claimed the library was in imminent danger of a fire. All three were lies. Ends justify the means lies. So, when it comes to voting… the time is now to vote out the incumbents or candidates hand-picked by the incumbents. 

What does that mean… 

It means change in all forms.

Mike Crowley is running for Moderator. Mike is a change candidate and although we don’t agree on many things, we do agree that too many voices are silenced or dismissed, and I believe he will keep his word and protect the 1^st Amendment. I also hope Mike will be much better at finding diversity on Town appointments. Not everyone needs to be a lawyer, economist, or Professor. We are moving away from the intellect economy and appointments should reflect that. 

Taylor Yates is running for Select Board. Can’t say I have met him outside of he seemed to be running the last Town meeting for some reason. I won’t be voting for Taylor as he is the precise “establishment candidate” supported by both Roy Epstein and Adam Dash that I dread. Belmont is in such a dismal state that any endorsement from those two should be the kiss of death politically. We will see. Someone needs to run.  

Thank you…

Roy Epstein and Mike Widmer for many years of service to the Town of Belmont in multiple roles. 

Epstein is not seeking re-election to the Select Board and Mike Widmer is not seeking re-election as Town Moderator. The men worked countless hours and that is commendable. 

Cushing Square 90-minute parking

Restaurants are seeking to increase the parking limit in Cushing square from 60 to 90 minutes to allow customers enough time to enjoy their meals. Seems reasonable

Town Secrets…

We know about the bowling alleys, the Payson cuddlers, Washington Street swingers and the Barber shop bookie, but did you know about prohibition in Belmont. A 90-year resident told me if you went to Batson Pharmacy or Corbett Drugs you could also ask for the good stuff. The Corbett family was unavailable for comment but the Clydesdale stall behind the building always made me curious. 

Police Promotions

Congrats to Corey Taylor and James Siracusa on their promotion to Sergeant with the Belmont Police Department. Stay safe lads. 

Belmont Neighbors

If your neighbor still has up a Harris/Walz sign, please reach out to them and get them in touch with a mental health counselor. It’s a cry for help. 

Oakley Country Club

A fire started overnight Thursday at the Oakley Country club in neighboring Watertown that impacted a few rooms. The water damage will likely result in the cancelation of some holiday functions. No reports of any injuries. Wiring looks to be the cause. 

Teddy’s Kitchen

“No Soup for You”. Just kidding… Cushing Square Teddy’s Kitchen owner Nick Faggas has reportedly perfected the Egg Lemon soup recipe. The soup is on the regular menu and available as take out and is good for the soul but doesn’t cure baldness.  Great choice as Winter kicks in. 

Strippers, EX-Cons and Amway salesmen

All came together last Saturday to celebrate the BHS Class of 1984 reunion. Sources say former Principal and all-around nice guy Foster Wright made an appearance. The event was held at the Chateau and a few diehards made it to the after party at Conley’s. Photos were unsuitable to print but can be found at my “only fans” site. 

The new Library

The only thing good you can say is it still is on budget according to Trustees. The building just had a topping off ceremony except they forgot the US Flag. The Belmont “Memorial” Library and no flag. BTW is it me or does it feel like the hulking library is literally just a few feet from the street itself. Urbanization anyone.

Bang, Bang…

Belmont has a problem. Police searches and arrests are now too often gun related in Belmont especially in affordable housing units. This isn’t a one off as Police presence in Cushing Square and Waverley is frequent and we have NEMLEC on speed dial. The question is what has changed in the last few years that is making our residents in affordable complexes less safe, and the answer may be the process of assigning tenants? Some say it relates to putting the Cambridge Housing Authority in charge of Belmont housing. Of course, if you talk to the residents, they will tell you they fear to speak up because if they do, they get evicted. There have been too many instances to ignore it anymore. As for the DEI police… just because you don’t like the facts doesn’t make discussing them a crime as Moderator Mike pointed out. 

Must watch TV…

Our Little Secret

This one is funny. Stars Lindsay Lohan while still with the botched plastic surgery. It’s a family Christmas movie with some bland adult themes. 10/10. 

Say Nothing

“A true story of Murder and memory in Northern Ireland”. This is a miniseries that airs on Hulu and was written by Patrick Radden Keefe. He tells the story about the troubles in Northern Ireland and the cost of achieving peace. Some embellishment and claims denied but worth viewing.  

Just Saying…

Stone Hearth in Belmont Center has its Winter specials out and they include Spaghetti Bolognese (that’s gravy for Italians and meat sauce for the rest of us) and a Steak and Cheese sub. I highly suggest the cold “Whirlpool” on tap. 

US Open Pickleball and Belmont

Belmont resident Ann Reynold’s was in Naples, Florida at the US Open Pickleball Championship. Reynolds was being honored for her patented  “backhanded pickle wiggle slam” shot. Unfortunately, the shot has been banned in every Country but China. 

Things you missed

US Congressional Covid Report

The final report came out and it essentially confirmed masking was useless (regardless of type), the vaccine was not effective at stopping the spread, the vaccine was not adequately tested for safety, and the lockdowns outside of the first month or so were destructive. Did I forget to mention… the virus most likely came from a lab in Wuhan. Why that is important is it likely changed the focus by US Health officials because those same officials were involved with funding gain of function research in Wuhan. Dr. Fauci and team should be criminally investigated, and Biden should not pardon any of them as Americans deserve answers. 

Education news

If you recall in prior issues my concern about the use of, in my view, faulty literacy curricula like Lucy Caulkins then good news… a class action lawsuit has been filed in Massachusetts Superior Court. A return to Phonics is imminent. 

The lawsuit, filed in Massachusetts Superior Court by Justice Catalyst Law and Kaplan & Grady, seeks substantial relief for the generations of students and families across Massachusetts harmed by the defendant publishers and authors’ discredited literacy products and deceptive marketing. The suit also seeks a court order requiring defendants to warn schools and families of the defects in their literacy products and other relief to fully remedy the situation, so school districts have quality literacy instruction materials.

Justice Catalyst Law

Time Magazine Person of the Year

As a former recipient of the award in 2006, I can tell you it’s a great honor. This year’s recipient is a two-time winner which is unheard of. Just shows this man is a transformational historic figure. Yes. President Donald Trump is Time’s “Person of the Year” again. 

Belmont Republicans

For the second year in a row, I was invited to chat with the Belmont Republican party. This year the event was at Patou in Belmont Center known for its Fine Thai Cuisine. For the record, I love their Chicken Basil paired with a Peroni or two or three. Anyways as you can imagine it was a festive crowd celebrating the new direction of the Country or as one attendee said a return to normal. As Belmont’s award-winning journalist muckraker, I am unenrolled but firmly in the America First party if there was one.     

Ha, Ha Ha….

Biden should just hand the keys over now…

UFOs in the form of drones/small, unmanned planes flying in formation have been reported across multiple States (50,000 reports) and above many Government facilities. The UFO’s even have forced the temporary closing of airports. All these events have occurred in the evening and the Biden Administration’s lack of transparency is causing great alarm from Democrats and Republicans alike. After the irresponsible handling of the Chinese Spy balloon, people are right to be upset. Jan 21^st can’t come soon enough… hand over the keys now Joe. 

UHC shooter 

Luigi Mangione has been identified as the coward who shot United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in the back killing the father of two young boys. Luigi lived the life of an elitist. Expensive private high school and Ivy League education. Along the way this child of multi-multi-millionaires, was indoctrinated with anti-capitalist hate and became a climate alarmist. I can only assume that a fair amount of this is linked to the unhealthy groupthink infesting our elite educational institutions. This needs to stop.  

“Skilled Labor Revolution”

Ready to have your mind blown? Skilled labor is about to dominate the American workforce again. The evidence is overwhelming but is at the same time a gut punch to the elite. Imagine Plumbers, Electricians, Firefighters, Utility workers, Nurses and even Teachers making more money than most people with graduate degrees (I know Teaching requires a grad degree here in MA.) I could write a book on this, but I will give you the short version. 

The elite envisioned a Globalist economy that they could control. For decades, they indoctrinated US families with stories of how College was critical as most jobs would be in the “intellect economy” and all manufacturing would be outsourced to poor countries with cheap labor. Guidance counselors said the College you choose is just to set you up for a Graduate degree. Hillary Clinton told coal miners those jobs are gone forever and to learn to program PCs instead. Two major changes things killed the Globalist takeover in its tracks.

Covid and Artificial Intelligence 

Covid exposed the globalist supply chain as a threat to national security. Countries that relied on Asian manufacturing experienced massive lead times and in some cases had their supplies shut off completely. The US must control our supply chain and that means internal manufacturing capabilities from semi-conductors to blood pressure pills. This coming decade will see a “manufacturing boom” in the US. Most of those jobs will be skilled labor. 

At the same time, Artificial Intelligence, is killing the intellect economy.  Just look no further than Big Tech and Pharma. Layoffs have been commonplace. Some of the top cuts are software programmers and program managers. Elon Musk eliminated 80% of Twitters staff and the product hasn’t skipped a beat. Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan, says the generation that follows Z (those born in 2011 or later) will work an average of 3.5 days a week. Goldman Sachs says 300 million jobs will be lost to AI. Most of those jobs will be light intellect jobs and then eventually high intellect as machine learning grows. Sure, the top 20-30% of many fields will survive and thrive but that is thinning out the herd in a big way. 

I work in an industry that supports artificial intelligence. The speed at which AI is advancing is much faster than anyone predicted. Not to get nerdy on you but the new Google Quantum chip can do in 5 minutes what an average computer can do in 10 Septillion years. (that’s a 1 followed by 24 zeroes in case you are wondering). AI will have a disproportionate negative impact on the intellect economy where the skilled labor economy will thrive. It will take a couple decades to reach balance again but, in the meantime, pay for skilled labor will surge well past most degreed positions. 

My advice to Belmont 

Waltham just finished a new High School. The High School offers 18 vocational tech programs. Belmont doesn’t offer any as best I can tell. I would negotiate a deal with Waltham that opens slots in those courses to Belmont students. We should do it now. This new Labor economy will last decades like the intellect economy that started in the 90’s. 

Boom Boom

BFD responded to a bonfire or firework explosion at Winn Brook school Saturday night the 14^th. A rubber barrel was extinguished. This begs the question as to where certain Butler grads from the 1970’s were on Saturday night? The lack of Busch cans in the area leads us to believe it was a Winn brook resident obsessed with explosions as TT readers recall the Little Pond explosion this past year. 

TownieTalk02478

All good things must come to an end. This is the second to last TownieTalk for me. If the right person is interested, it can go on. For those who may not be comfortable muckraking… there are other opportunities available outside of TownieTalk as BelmontBriefing.com (my gracious host) has told me they are expanding and looking for regular contributors on anything from what’s new in the arts and music scene to Sports and other community events be it at the School or Community level.  

December 25^th, 2024

We get to say Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas on the same day this year as Hanukkah starts on December 25^th. The Jesuits taught me quite a few things but the Jewish and Greek Orthodox religious calendars was not one of them so I can’ tell you what’s behind the rolling dates. 

Cheers, 

PJ Looney

Townie Talk 02478

“AMDG” “Never Forget” “Never Again”

Burbank Elementary School

Was rated the second-best Elementary School in Massachusetts by US News and World report. Belmont was rated the #3 suburb of Boston to live in. People should be driving over here now with $1.7 million in cash to scoop up my house before it triples in value. 

ABC “The View”

The mainstream media is in free fall after losing the trust and respect of most Americans. CNN is looking to eliminate its overpaid on-air talent. MSNBC is losing viewers faster than a Kamala dude can spell Starbucks. Now we find out ABC is desperate for a Trump voter to add to the cast of “The View”. Patrick Young and I are front runners for the job, but he is leading because my good looks would distract the mainly female audience. That and the fact I use the term female put me at a disadvantage. 

Journalistic integrity…

An avid reader of TownieTalk02478 has suggested we have a “sex pool” except in this case it’s an office pool predicting who among Belmont is paying for the deed.  All I need to do is create a list of 50 Belmont men who think they are important and then let others bet on whether those people are on the actual list of 28 men the DA is charging with soliciting prostitution. As Belmont’s most respected and leading news and opinion site I can’t in good faith do that with insider information and all. I can say that like the Dean’s list you won’t find my name on that list. 

Speaking of lists… 2024 

The year 2024 in Belmont will be remembered for the attacks on free speech and diversity of opinion by those in power. The Select Board with Chair Liz Dionne, Matt Taylor, and Roy Epstein have turned democracy upside down. Town Moderator Mike Widmer also shares some blame for failing to allow open criticism in a Town in desperate need of transparency or give the Belmont Police a chance to defend Civil Service prior to our vote. My advice is less gavel and more listening even when its criticism. 

Let me make a list of some voices… not all… that have had their voices stifled and or been demeaned for not toeing the line. 

Who is next… look for the Police and Fire Chiefs to go from strong to weak as they lose hiring ability and for the Town Clerk to be an appointed position vs elected.  

Holiday season has arrived… 

You now have permission to wear those classic Holiday sweaters, the more the better, and I mean everywhere… work, church, school, wakes, and job interviews.  You can eat pumpkin pie, drink egg nog and watch a ton of holiday classics. 

I have watched five holiday classics this month… 

Belmont Savings Bank Foundation 

just handed out some “beer money” to a couple projects in Town. The Donald J Trump Library is getting $2 million, and the “Skip Vigs” Skating rink is getting $1 million. Both buildings have advanced to the framing process. In other news, Corbett Pond will not be open for skating this winter as the library took the pond over for storage of construction material, debris and parking. The Corbett family is considering selling naming rights to their pond to Belmont Savings for $1.5m. 

Belmont MBTA community housing shocker!!!!

There are those who think and then there are those who know. TownieTalk readers know. Common sense would say any zoning change that can add 1,600 to 2,200 new housing units (15-20% increase in our housing stock) would be a massive disruptive change that impacts the entire Town. Our already overburdened Town services, school system, congested roads, and rat problem will go from bad to chaotic.  

Now those who think but don’t know will say it’s just a zoning change and not much will come from it. Those who know will point to Lexington MA…. 

“Lexington has seen seven applications for new developments under its MBTA Communities zoning, for a combined total of 960 proposed housing units. The town’s Planning Board has so far approved two of those projects.” Boston Globe

Less than one year from approving the change and Lexington has 960 units proposed. Does anyone with common sense think developers won’t come aggressively into the #3 rated suburb of Belmont and scoop up and aggressively build. Can you picture dozens of Beatrice circle developments in whatever zones get approved? Total transformation of Belmont to an urban community and it will happen fast and furious like Lexington. 

The only way to stop this insanity is for residents to contact their Town Meeting members and ask them to reject all MBTA Act proposals at next week’s Town meeting and wait until the State Supreme Court rules on the Town of Milton’s challenge to the legality and enforceability of the unfunded MBTA community act mandate. 

Select Board members talk the talk on public safety but don’t walk the walk and it’s making you less safe.

Imagine former Select Board member, Mark Paolillo, walking through the Center and waving to a Police officer. The officer being a professional, waves back but in his head is thinking wow there goes the guy who shafted me. Trust me it’s not a stretch to say many feel that way about Mark since his speech at Town Meeting on Civil Service withdrawal. 

While it’s not fair to blame one person for the public safety crisis that exists in Town… it is fair to point out those who added kerosene to the fire. Last November, Mark Paolillo stood before Town Meeting and gave his blessing to remove the Belmont Police from Civil Service without collective bargaining. It was a huge blow to fairness and oddly Paolillo citing his family ties to law enforcement said, “Trust Us” and assured us the negotiations with the Police Unions would be “fair and balanced”. It was dumbfounding as all leverage would be removed from the Police, and they would be negotiating with the same Town administrator that was called out by 7 Union heads in a letter to the Select Board for her alleged demeaning behavior, but Mark was willing to put his integrity and legacy on the line and stand by it.

Prior to the vote we had 3 police vacancies. We now have 9 with two officers transferring to Waltham and one to Burlington. We have 4 new officers in the academy that hopefully will graduate and start patrolling in May of 2025 and we have another 3 candidates offered positions, but we don’t know if they will accept the offers or even make it to the academy. In simple words, we have an exhausted workforce that feels dismissed and demeaned by Town leadership and has no incentive to remain in Belmont. This is happening at a time they are greatly needed for their professionalism and experience to help mold the new officers coming. It’s insane when you have a staffing issue that you would make things worse by provoking existing employees, but this is current Belmont Town leadership.   

The Town Administrator and Select Board have decided their offer is the best the Town will do and since the Police have no leverage the Town will enact it. The offer is a one time $2,000 bonus. Comparative to other Towns that fairly negotiated the change out of Civil Service that is absurd and demeaning but that is apparently what Mark Paolillo, and the Select Board consider “Fair and Balanced” barring a town meeting intervention. I fully expect the Police Union to file suit against the Town for 1^st amendment and fair labor violations. The whopping $74,000 the Town is paying out in bonuses will be surpassed in weeks on lawyer fees. 

At the recent Select Board meeting, Town Meeting members like Paul Roberts and I spoke up about the dire public safety emergency facing the Town and how the Town needs to fix it now. Chair Liz Dionne wanted nothing to do with it, slammed the gavel, and moved onto more pressing needs like an update from the recreation commission on the number of trick or treaters at Town Hall. At the end of the meeting, I scoured the parking lot to look for the clown car. They must have walked instead.  

So, what does Mark Paolillo do now? He could weasel out and say he is just one voice and be “that guy” or he can “man up” and fix things by offering an amendment to return the Police to Civil Service until a collectively bargained replacement is negotiated. He faces the classic are you a “man of the people” or “elitist” dilemma.  

You can’t make this up… Part 1

Massachusetts voters eliminated the MCAS as question 2 passed. Already, MCAS 2.0 is being discussed that would include grading students on being a “Global Citizen”. The Socialists continue to ruin public education. Global citizens don’t believe in American exceptionalism or capitalism. Just what we need is a generation of dead beats.  

Part 2…. 

Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton had a moment of honesty and shared he didn’t want his daughters being trampled on the playing field by men/boys or biological men/boys. It is an opinion shared by a large majority of Americans and Moulton is by no means transphobic. Didn’t matter as members of the Salem School Committee and City Council, his own staff manager, the Poly Sci Dept. head at Tufts University and his own State congressional delegation attacked Moulton for speaking his truth. Boy has the Democratic party changed over the decades. 

Part 3… 

A Melrose high school teacher allegedly wrote: “Happy Veterans Day to any Vet who didn’t vote for Trump.” “Otherwise, I hope your Veterans Day is filled with tears and PTSD,”. 

A Millbury School Committee member resigned after a social media post: telling Trump supporters she hopes they choke on a “piece of (expletive) covered in broken glass.” 

Black students in Stoughton MA received text messages saying they have been “selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation” as part of a nationwide hate campaign randomly targeting black students. The texts imply the new Trump presidency will have “executive slave catchers”.  It is reported the texts were sent through a service called “Text now” that supposedly offers untraceable burner phones. Hard to believe the FBI doesn’t know who is behind this hate fearmongering and its politically inconvenient.  

Precinct 7 

Jeff Liberty and Bill Trabilcy both volunteered to fill an empty seat on Town Meeting in precinct 7. Such a shame as I thought both were reasonably smart. Now at least one of them is going to be ruined by the insanity of Town meeting. Make sure your cellphone is fully charged at all meetings as you will quickly figure out who to tune out and will need a distraction.

Election Update…

The GOP completed the trifecta winning the House. President Trump is already paying dividends as Countries and Businesses adapt to America First policy. He has also started nominating a solid cabinet ready to “drain the swamp” and restore peace.  Unfortunately for President Trump, the American media will now start to honestly report on how atrocious the economy really is and start printing revision after downward revision. His task is monumental and for the sake of America let’s hope he can deliver.  

BTW… if you are moving to Canada, you will need $200,000 in your bank account and a job in hand. Imagine if the US followed the same process. 

Happy Thanksgiving. 

We are down to just two more issues. 

Cheers, 

PJ Looney

Townie Talk 02478

“AMDG” “Never Forget” “Never Again”

TownieTalk02478

We are getting close to the end of TownieTalk. Even if we didn’t win the local battles, we at least put them on record for history to judge. Democracy is constantly being challenged on the local level and TownieTalk still has three major stories ahead. Thank God, on January 5^th, the American people voted to restore Democracy to our Country. American exceptionalism is back. We can all feel good about preserving our freedom and knowing that peace through strength is returning. 

Local Election recap…

The residents in Belmont came out to vote with about 75% voter participation. Ellen and her team did a great job with no major complaints. My suggestion of having a keg at Town Hall to encourage early voting in person was rejected as it was too manly for Kamala Dudes who would feel unwelcome.

BTW… when dogs are neutered, they wear the cone of shame. When men are neutered, they become Kamala dudes. There is a Kamala Dude sign up in Belmont. Poor guy. Hope he has some frozen peas. 

To the results… 

POTUS

Harris 75%, Trump 20%, and 74 residents voted for the Socialist party. Surprisingly, the once vocal pro-Palestinian crowd in Town did not show up or lost their values and ended up voting for Harris. 

State Rep. Don Rogers won. Good news is we won’t hear his name again for two years. Warren and Brownsberger both won as well. 

Question 1

Belmont voted Yes as did the State. Now we can find out who is benefiting from housing and feeding the illegal immigrants. $1 Billion can fund many new summer homes on Martha’s Vineyard for friends of the Maura Healey administration. 

Question 2

Belmont voted Yes and the State said No. This was a smart vote by Belmont residents because once you eliminate standards you have no real way to judge performance. The MCAS will remain for now (only the graduation requirement was eliminated) but since it has no consequence the students will not take it seriously. The State could have addressed the small population of capable students who had challenges with the test by amending the graduation requirement to those who failed being given the opportunity for one-on-one educational observation instead. This tells you the goal of the vote was not about addressing the problem but rather redefining education away from the fundamentals most parents expect children will be taught. 

Question 3

Belmont voted Yes and the State voted Yes. This enables rideshare employees to unionize. This was a toss-up. Will It hurt or help employees? The answer is to be determined.

Question 4

Belmont voted No and the State voted No. This had to do with mind altering mushrooms and allowing people to grow their own. 

Question 5

Belmont voted No and the State voted No. When a base pay raise is rejected by the same employees it supposedly would benefit then you know something is wrong. 

Question 6

64% of Belmont voters have endorsed universal healthcare. Great news is now with President Trump winning in a landslide they will get their wish by moving to Canada. 

The U.S Election…

President Trump 312 Kamala Harris 226

Trump wins popular vote (ahead by over 4.7 million votes)

GOP wins Senate

GOP likely to hold Congress

Landslide win for America First…

As reported by TownieTalk in our Sept 11^th edition, Trump was going to win in a landslide and boy did he ever. Winning the popular vote by millions. His blowout victory is an undeniable mandate for mass deportations and a secure border, less interventionism in foreign conflict, less Woke extremism, and a stronger US economy built around manufacturing and putting America first. 

Winners…

American democracy. American citizens and those immigrants who come here legally, the middle class, union workers, military personnel, Blacks and Hispanics. The 1^st, 2^nd, 10^th, 14^th amendments and hopefully the repeal of the 22^nd . Women wanting a female President but accepting that it shouldn’t be an “empty vessel”.  Also, if you can’t pronounce Kamala that’s Ok because the next time you see her, it will be on a TV commercial with John Kerry, Al Gore and Mike Dukakis promoting timeshares in Canada. Saturday Night Live will benefit from bringing back once alleged murderer Alec Baldwin. 

More winners… Robert Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Nick Bosa, Joe Rogan, Patrick Mahomes, Harrison Butker, Riley Gaines, Capitalism, Freedom, and never forget Lakin Riley (RIP). 

Biggest Winners… Hunter Biden, Mayor Adams, and January 6^th protesters. Pardons on the way. 

Josh Shapiro and Andy Beshear just became huge frontrunners for 2028 unless we extend Trump’s new term to 6 years making up for the Russian hoax. 

Losers…

Globalists, Elites, Progressive Dems, Never Trumpers, Celebrities, Mainstream media.

Iran, antisemites, Mexican Drug Cartels, men in women sports, DEI, Antifa, Big Pharma

Big losers

Joe Biden           75 million garbage Americans rejected your empty vessel replacement. 

Dems             The DNC spent well over $1.2 billion and ended up $20m in debt to lose in a landslide

Jack Smith         You are fired! History will not judge you kindly.

Adam Schiff      Heard the weather is hot in Guantanamo Bay

Dr. Fauci            Time to fake an illness to avoid prosecution

Tim Walz           Even Minnesota hates him. 

Mark Cuban      Women are weak and dumb… 

Nancy Pelosi     Forced out a President who lost his mind to replace him with Kamala who has no mind

Chris Christie    NJ almost voted for Trump. Must be lonely begging for anyone to interview or hire you

Larry Hogan      Charlie Baker is looking for friends to join his book club. 

Oprah             Too many photos with Epstein, Weinstein and Diddy to be a moral leader. 

Michael Moore Lost touch with the working class

James Carville Lost touch with reality 20 years ago. 

Huge losers

Democrats        GOP traded Liz Cheney to the DNC for Elon Musk. No backsies

Liz Cheney         Is there anyone less likeable? Seriously.

Barack and 

Michele             As relevant as a Blockbuster video store now.  

Jimmy Kimmel   The “Juggies” man is now the Kamala dude poster boy (tears and all). 

The Media A huge thank you to the mainstream media. Without their condescension, dismissiveness and lecturing it would have been less of a blowout. MSNBC, CNN, New York Times, Boston Globe and others have shown how not to treat people. It’s almost like the Belmont Select Board and Town Administrator could be editors or anchors of those institutions. (Credit to Jeff Bezos for realizing that the mainstream media is despised and not trusted by most Americans and taking baby steps to reduce the unhinged bias. TownieTalk02478 is for sale and could bring instant credibility to the Post).

The View How can we ever repay you for inviting Kamala on to your low IQ show and asking her that famous question “What would you do different”. America owes you deeply for exposing the empresses lack of clothing. 

The Diddy Eminem, Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B, Glo Rilla, Lebron James all came out for Kamala. I can’t wait till the new FBI heads starts releasing names of all the celebs present during these “Freak Offs”

Distraught Progressives

You worry too much. There will be no national abortion ban. Not only that but more Red States like Missouri and Montana are constitutionalizing access to choice with some restriction in their charter. Even 57% of Floridians want to extend the period for choice. In other words, it was a lie to scare you just like Project 2025.  

Unless you wanted WW3, you should be happy we have an administration that doesn’t want war or believe our troops should be the World’s peacekeepers. Close to 2 million Russians, Ukrainians, Jews, and Palestinians have died over the last 4 years because of American weakness. 

We have a $700m MBTA deficit that will be passed onto T riders and residents. We spent $1 billion on illegal immigrants last year in Massachusetts alone.  If we get rid of our sanctuary state status, we will save 100’s of millions. If we keep it, we will be inundated even more as illegals flee non-sanctuary states. 

If you are thinking of leaving the US… please do. It will help reduce rents and housing costs for the rest of us. Canada really doesn’t want you. Same with Spain, Australia, and Ireland. Nigeria and Haiti have nice climates and could use your money. 

All Harris/Walz t-shirts will be sent to Africa along with Dallas Maverick champions jerseys.   

Cheers, 

PJ Looney

Townie Talk 02478

“AMDG” “Never Forget” “Never Again”

MBTA Communities Act

This November, Belmont Town Meeting will be tasked with evaluating two proposals to bring Belmont into compliance with a State forced mandate that is currently being challenged in the State Supreme court and one in which members of the court are questioning not only the guidelines set forth in the act but whether the act is even enforceable. In other words, the Court is likely to render this act unenforceable. The act takes power away from Towns and enriches developers. It also threatens massive tax hikes on Towns with low commercial tax base like Belmont.   

Town Leaders must answer three critical questions prior to any TM debate

1. Shouldn’t an issue that will likely have a massive negative impact on the quality of life for all who currently live in the Town… essentially changing Belmont from a Suburban community into an urban community… and stressing already stressed Town services, Schools, and roads be decided by a Town-wide vote instead of Town meeting which studies have shown is not representative of the whole Town demographic? 

2. Why didn’t the Belmont Select Board challenge the State mandate? The Select Board put their personal reputations on the line saying “trust us” with this override and they would grow the commercial tax base to 10%? This MBTA act does the opposite of what was promised and will shorten the period this last override was promised to last.

3. Conflict of interest. Over the summer, Alisa Gardner-Todreas, COO of MetroWest Community Development, was appointed to the Belmont Planning Board. At face value that is a solid appointment, but as with everything in Government, there will come times when a person may need to recuse themselves from topics and discussions due to conflict of interest such as with the current MBTA 3A act. Did Ms. Gardner-Todreas recuse herself from all MBTA community housing act discussions? If not, isn’t the whole process tainted?

Belmont does have guidelines for those serving on committee’s regarding conflicts of interest. The most recent I can find is dated July 22, 2021, and available online under the Town Clerk Tab… Committee Handbook on page 23. “Massachusetts General Laws Pertinent to Committees, Boards, and Commissions”. Under that is a section on Ethics (Conflict of Interest) and under that specifically it states… 

“You may not take any official action affecting your own financial interest, or the financial interest of a business partner, private employer, or any organization for which you serve as an officer, director, or trustee” 

The role of Belmont Town Meeting members is to be a “checks and balance” and the process to date on this subject has been flawed and biased. There is a lot of money at stake for developers should this pass and there is a massive loss of local control should it pass. I will be voting NO across the board and believe residents should have an expectation for answers to all three questions from all three Select Board members. They are welcome to email townietalk02478@gmail.com with their response. 

Judith Feinleib

She has a well written article out on Belmont Senior Tax relief. (spoiler – not happening and somewhere Reardon, Laverty, and Murphy are saying Told you so Roy). https://www.facebook.com/jfeinleib

Belmont Health Alert

Role up your windows when driving by the new Library construction site on Concord Ave and the road construction site on Mill Street. Otherwise, you could ingest harmful construction dust in both locations. 

I have had a resident complaint that these sites are supposed to be watered down to avoid the harmful dust storms, so I just drove by the Library and an MBTA bus caused nearly brown out conditions. 

Town Hall voting 

Early in person voting has started at the Belmont Town Hall. On Saturday, I voted as myself and then on Monday, I voted as Paul Roberts and on Tuesday as Matt Taylor. Unfortunately, on Wednesday I tried voting as Anne Mahon, and they asked for ID. I called them sexist, racist, and genderist but they still wouldn’t let me vote. This was probably the first and only time Roberts and Taylor voted for President Trump. Where I think Anne is a hidden Trumper. Kidding aside… it was fast and easy, and you still have several more opportunities. 

Transgender news

This is a huge and troubling story. The New York Times reported that a study on using “puberty blockers” has been held back as the authors are concerned it will be used for political reasons. The study started 11 years ago was designed to look at whether giving “puberty blockers” to pre-teens and teens would help their mental state. (Gender questioning teens are believed to have a higher rate of suicidal thoughts). The study did not find any significant mental health benefit after using puberty blockers. Now, this is only one study, although it was highly anticipated due to its size and longevity and a couple other recent studies reached similar conclusions. No single study should be overweighted but hiding the data is detrimental to physicians and parents trying to weigh the benefits and potential harm of treatments for children.  Science should be data driven and not driven by political bias especially when involving children’s health.    

October Surprise

Simple… Black men, Hispanic men, and Union workers abandoning the Democratic party after decades of false promises and being taken for granted now supporting President Trump under which they were thriving and felt he was a strong leader who put them first. 

A close second was Kamala embracing Liz and Dick Cheney. Can you imagine after decades of calling the Cheney’s Evil personified the liberals in Town are welcoming her to the Administration? Insane 

TownieTalk02478 Electoral Map

Trump 302  Harris 236  (270 needed to win)

I have Harris winning Wisconsin and Virginia although both are in play. 

Election shocker: Popular vote is about even 

MA State shocker: The Abandon Harris coalition will vote Jill Stein, and she could end up with 14% of the MA vote. Harris still wins handily but the message is sent as Stein is only expected to get about 6%. 

The Last week…

Trump had his best week of the year. His appearance working the fry machine and takeout window at McDonalds was second only to Ben Affleck on the Dunkin commercial. It showed his soft and fun side. It reminded Americans that Trump loves McDonalds and was no stranger to it. It was a middle-class American moment filled with fun, happiness, and humor. He then went to the Pittsburgh Steelers game and received a thunderous standing ovation with the crowd shouting “USA, USA”.  This is the week that sealed the election win for him. 

The week for Harris was bad. She held interviews with three major outlets and dumbfoundingly refused to answer any questions about her specific policies and how she might be different than the current Biden/Harris administration. The media is desperately waiting for her to break from Biden and begging her to stop focusing on Trump and start giving voters a reason to vote for her. On top of that she thought traveling with warmonger Liz Cheney was a good idea. She and her surrogates insulted Black and Hispanic men calling them everything from misogynistic to even racist for not supporting her. To make matters worse, the women at the center of the domestic violence allegation against her husband, Doug Emhoff, went public confirming he hit her so hard her head spun around and confirming he has a dark side which goes back to his treatment of the family’s former nanny he impregnated. This mainstream media is treating this like the Hunter Biden laptop, so you know the allegation passes the sniff test. Same with Kamala working at McDonalds. I can’t think of many 60-year-olds that couldn’t find several people to confirm a job they supposedly worked at in college. Worst sign for Kamala was swing state US Senators running ads praising working with President Trump.   

The day after… 

Belmont Kamala supporters are going to feel anxious and distressed, and many will again tease they will move to other Countries but in the end, they know with Trump back in office we can expect… 

World Peace.

Shorter waits for medical care/More affordable housing

Lowe prices 

Less crime and less locked shelves at stores

A return to made in the USA

Energy Independence

Freedom of religion, speech and an end to the weaponization of Government

Lower inflation

A general feeling of Winning

Haha

Q: How are politicians like diapers?
A: They both need to be changed regularly, and for the same reason.

Cheers, 

PJ Looney

Townie Talk 02478

“AMDG” “Never Forget” “Never Again”

League of Women Voters (LWV)… racist event?

To most Boomers and Gen X, brown bagging meant bringing your lunch to school or work versus buying a meal. I was blessed to have a mom, who made very good peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on Wonder bread. Unfortunately, our snack was Fig Newtons or Nilla wafers while privileged friends had Twinkies and Ring Dings.  Anyways, I digress. What is the outrage? Well, as Belmont’s award-winning  journalist, the LWV’s poor choice of nomenclature needs to be called out.  

The League of Women Voters is hosting a “Brown Bag event” this Friday to discuss the MBTA Communities Act which forces housing density on Towns ill equipped to support it and takes zoning power away from local communities. According to woke sources… it is grossly improper to use the term “brown bag” as it alludes to the Brown Paper Bag test which according to Wikipedia is a racist and colorist practice of comparing a person’s skin color to the color of a brown paper bag. Those whose skin color was darker than the bag would be denied privileges afforded to White people. 

Now I am not comparing the LWV to Mayor Michelle Wu who openly had a reverse brown bag test to attend a holiday party as I believe the LWV is just not aware of how insane “cancel culture” has become where Wu thrives on racism. We do however live in a Town that fed into and amplified Mendelian thinking (Wellington mascot replacement) and a Town that officially denigrated Columbus Day by applying modern day revisionism to 15^th Century Life. So, it would be a missed opportunity not to point out the insanity of wokeness.  

Senior Center/REC and COA

The pow-wow with Donelan, Dionne, Garvin and Senior Citizens turned out to not be the picnic hoped for. (BTW, pow-wow and picnic are also cancelled words). There is a follow up meeting scheduled for today and an odd twist has developed still being vetted on my end. The COA has one job and that is to look out for the best interests of Seniors which is at odds with the Town Admins current consolidation plan of the Senior Center and Rec department.

We have been down this path before of different goals between appointed boards and Town leaders…. as in the Claypit path. The Conservation Commission had negotiated with the BHSMS building committee that they could use  1/3^rd of the Claypit walking path to stage materials during construction under the condition the path was fully restored at the finish. The conservation commission was treated like bilge at a meeting in which they were bullied to not only accept the work wouldn’t be done as promised but also to accept there was no commitment to prioritize or find funding to restore it. Imagine these folks volunteered to be treated this way. 

Belmont High Boys Soccer

The BHS Boys soccer team entered the week ranked in the Top 20 in eastern MA. The Girls are also on path for post season play. The girls recently topped Arlington 1-0 while the boys got spanked by Arlington.  

Belmont Rumor…

Four residents are interested in challenging Roy Epstein for his seat on the Select Board this April. TownieTalk02478 has been looking into the backgrounds of all 4 before the scrubbing begins. There is a possibility that an additional seat will be added depending on Town Meeting. Obviously, there is mutual agreement that the Town is on the wrong track and there may be agreement on the need for a new Town Admin. Belmont Government always had a large role for residents willing to volunteer their expertise/services, but the current board seems to see residents with opinions as counterproductive to their goals and the TA as a tool to silence them. 

Town Hall for early in person voting. 

In person voting is the only 100% certain way to know your vote is counted. Mail in ballots can get lost and or have signature challenges. 

The November Election Questions…

Question 1 asks voters whether the auditor should be allowed to investigate the state legislature, overseeing and evaluating at least some of its activities

Polling indicates a large majority of voters are voting YES to allow the State Auditor to audit the State Budget. Somewhat shocking that this isn’t already being done and makes you wonder what they are hiding. YES, seem reasonable

Question 2 Eliminating the MCAS graduation requirement.

Currently, prior to graduating, High School Seniors need to pass the 10^th grade MCAS. A YES vote would eliminate the requirement but not the test itself. 700 out of approximately 73,000 students did not graduate due to the inability to pass the 10^th grade level test. 

I am a NO on this one. A HS degree must have some value. Get rid of the graduation requirement and Teachers will likely focus even more of their time on the educational haves at the expense of the have nots. 

Question 3    A Union for Uber and Lyft Drivers   

Not easy on its face. A YES vote could be counterproductive as the cost of Uber and Lyft is getting to the point that consumers may stop tipping which could have a more adverse impact on drivers than any benefits it derives. At the same time there is not enough transparency for Drivers in what users are paying. 

I’ll flip a coin on this one.

Question 4 would allow a group of naturally occurring psychedelic drugs — psilocybin, psilocyn, mescaline, DMT, and ibogaine — to be grown, shared, used at home, and offered by licensed professionals in a more clinical setting.

A simple No. 

Question 5  The minimum wage for tipped workers 

Tipped workers can make as little as $6.75 an hour minimum wage versus the $15 minimum wage. A YES vote would force restaurant owners to increase that wage to $15 an hour by 2029. 

This is an easy NO. President Trump has promised to eliminate income tax on tips for those in the service industry. Most tipped workers make far more than $15 on average per hour in tips. Increasing the wage leads to an increase in menu prices, a decrease in customers, and a threat that consumers will stop tipping (tipping is somewhat of an American tradition but give someone a reason and it will go away quickly). 

Question #6  non-binding vote in support of Single Payer healthcare.

100% NO. If you want single payer healthcare, then join the armed services. You see they have single payer healthcare as in the VA system. The VA is known for horrendous quality of care. Not convinced then move to Canada. You will get good treatment if you can live in pain long enough to receive it. Need an MRI (a year or so). Surgery after the MRI (another year or so). 

Our healthcare system is already in tatters after Obamacare added millions to the healthcare rolls. I literally watched a woman with a hole in her neck in which her trachea was visible wait an hour in the emergency room to be seen. This is what happens when you increase demand with a shrinking supply of medical professionals to serve them. 

Massachusetts news of note….

Drake Maye debuts…

He wasn’t great and he wasn’t awful. With a better team he may be a top 20 QB. Time will tell. 

Secretary Galvin…

When you are the Secretary of State and responsible for election integrity you shouldn’t withhold voter roll information. Not only is it against the law… it raises legitimate concern over what you are hiding. 

US News of note

FBI lays an egg…

The FBI tried to hide a recent revision to its 2022 violent crime statistics in the footnotes. The agency previously reported violent crime fell by 2.1% in 2022. In fact, violent crime rose by 4.5% in 2022. This is a major revision which like the faulty Bureau of Labor Statistics downward jobs revision of 818,000 screams of election interference. These are just two of the examples why trust in Government is at an all-time low. Either it’s intentional or incompetent but the result is the same. 

Reparations…

Kamala Harris was pressed on reparations and passed. Townie Talk supports reparations involving any current owners of slaves being forced to compensate those slaves they benefited from. So, if you held Nike or Apple stock we are coming after you. Inconvenient truth is slavery may have ended in the United  States 160 years ago, but it is alive and well in other Countries as you read this, and most people are benefiting from it. This is a great reason to bring back manufacturing to the USA that has worker protection laws.

2024 Election Update   

As of press time, I have the election as Trump 296 to Harris 226 with Nevada and Wisconsin to close to call. 270 is needed to win. Trump is winning the online betting platform at 54.9%.

Another bad week for Kamala Harris. Interestingly, Harris is not putting on an act with her hard to follow word salad answers. Her Howard University yearbook quote was: 

“The thing that Howard taught me is that you can do any collection of things, and not one thing to the exclusion of the other. You could be homecoming queen and valedictorian. There are no false choices at Howard.”

Week in review…. 

President Trump

Survived the week without being shot at. 

Gave multiple two-hour campaign speeches.

Announced he would move to eliminate Federal Taxes on Social Security income. 

His VP Vance called out Martha Raddatz for implying it is no big deal that Venezuelan gangs were occupying a handful of apartment complexes in Colorado. 

Actor Dennis Quaid endorses Trump citing illegal immigration and increasing crime as reasons California is becoming unlivable. 

NASCAR Driver Danica Patrick endorses Trump

VP Kamala Harris

“Wouldn’t change anything” about the last four years in office, The View Sonny Hostin

Proposed tax cuts/incentives for Black people.

Posed for a 2^nd Vogue cover while Hurricanes ravaged the South. 

Proposed giving first time home buyers $25,000 (Seriously… everyone can now increase their ask price)

Proxy, Bill Clinton says that Lakin Riley, the 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia, would be alive today if the illegal immigrant who entered the Country in 2022 had been vetted.  

Barack Obama tells Black men not to think and just vote for Kamala. Implying they are misogynists.

Actress Jennifer Garner says men who vote for Kamala are sexy.  

VP candidate Walz went Pheasant hunting but didn’t know how to load his rifle.

President Joe Biden praises Governor DeSantis on cooperation in Hurricane planning.

US House Rep. Raskin (D) refuses to say he will certify the 2024 election results if Trump wins. 

FWIW… 

Massachusetts will vote for Kamala Harris by a fair margin. Don’t waste your breath arguing with friends and neighbors in a State that has no impact on this election unless you are doing it for sport. Upset over Harris or Trump signs… Why? They don’t matter. I see Massachusetts as Harris at 60%, Trump at 29% and third party at a whopping 11% (mainly  protest votes against Biden/Harris for GAZA policy). 

Some Great news for America and the World…

Elon Musk: Space-Ex successfully caught a returning rocket booster into its base station. A huge accomplishment. They also launched a rocket to Jupiter. Check back in 2029 for details. 

Nuclear Energy: Great news for clean reliable energy fanatics. SMR’s and small reactors are gaining steam with both the US government and Data Center firms. Companies like  OKLO, a Sam Altman (OPEN AI founder) backed company and Kairos are advancing quickly in the desperate need to increase America’s surging electricity need. 

Cheers, 

PJ Looney

Townie Talk 02478

“AMDG” “Never Forget” “Never Again”

Autumn in New England; there is really nothing like it. There is a distinct moment when the  air shifts, cooler and crisper, signaling that summer has officially passed. Leaves change  color and pumpkins sprout on porches. A walk around Belmont, the Town of Homes, on a  sunny fall day is a beautiful thing.  

And every four years, lawn signs touting a presidential candidate join the leaves, pumpkins,  and Halloween decorations. It is part of American culture, a simple and benign expression  of free speech as guaranteed in the constitution. Yet many people have told me I am brave  for displaying TRUMP*2024. Brave? I know firefighters, soldiers, police officers, and first  responders who are truly brave. I know adventurers and athletes who put themselves at  risk to explore their boundaries. That takes guts and I think they are brave. If Belmont  residents must be brave to express themselves, then something is wrong with Belmont. 

In the few weeks that my TRUMP*2024 sign has been on display, the reaction has been  more positive than negative. Yes, one female runner passing by saw the sign and, without  breaking stride, raised her hands above her head and shouted, “Go Kamala, F*** Trump”.  Not a lot of people can run, shout and maintain stride so I applaud her fitness. It does seem  however, a good example of Trump Derangement Syndrome. It was a stunningly beautiful  autumn day, she has the good fortune to be out running on a weekday, and she stains it.  Then again, her right to free expression, no matter how base, is protected. 

Ironically, in the evening of the same day, another woman rang our doorbell and introduced herself. She said “I saw your sign and had to stop by. I have lived here for several years, and  I feel so alone.” Indeed, our town has become so proud of its tolerance that it is intolerant  of any dissenting opinion and is quick to shun. 

The last time more Belmont voters supported the GOP candidate than the DEM candidate  was 1980. Since then, the gulf has grown to a very unhealthy 80 – 20 ratio.

Looking at this data while considering the “you are brave” comments, what should one  conclude? That 80% feel empowered to commit acts of vandalism and violate someone’s  constitutional rights? I certainly hope not, although when political lawn signs have been  vandalized in the past, it is the “red” ones that suffer the abuse.  

So, “How can you vote for Trump?”, you ask. Well, to be honest, he’s never been my cup of  tea, my first choice, or the image of a President that I favor. Nevertheless, I am casting a  vote for humanity and world peace. The planet is closer to nuclear war now than at any  time since the Cuban Missile Crisis (classified events not withstanding). The push for  NATO expansion is a misbegotten gambling with our lives. Similarly, enabling Iran and  weakening Israel has brought war and misery to the Middle East with a broader war or  nuclear exchange possible any day now. I am also voting for a secure border, enforcement  of immigration laws, Title IX, women’s sports, and free speech. If the collaboration  between government agencies and big tech to control the narrative doesn’t scare you, then  the gross misapplication of the law in the last 4 years should. Between inflations and  foreign policy, things haven’t been this bad in America since the Carter administration, and on election day in 1980, Belmont voted for Reagan. I have no delusions of Trump winning  Belmont, but I expect to see more Trump supporters being brave in the remaining weeks  without fear of molestation. 

Credit: Belmont Media Center

 “Hatred of President Trump so intense that it impairs people’s judgment”

Fareed Zakaria on Trump Derangement Syndrome

Readers are in for a treat as I share a “letter to the editor” that reeks of TDS. But first…

Slow local news cycle…

The Ramen Noodle restaurant is still on track for the old Trinktisch location

The Dunk tank raised $1,200 to help with Belmont residents in need. 

Donelan, Dionne, and Garvin did a damage control meeting at the Senior Center with the takeaway being Garvin’s actions were dismissive (a theme that continues).  

Milton MA. is suing the Mass attorney General over the MBTA Communities act which has stripped local zoning control away from the Town. Prayers that Milton wins otherwise Belmont will lose its suburban charm and all the override money will be spent handling new students from high-rise’s.

The Town may soon have 5 Selectman which is something I opposed in the past but support now. The petition was turned into Ellen this week.   

RATS… making their way to Washington Street from Grove Street in large numbers. It’s an epidemic in Town that seems to be ignored. Get rid of your compost piles, secure your trash lids, lose the bird feeders, and it may be time to say goodbye to backyard chickens.   

School has been open for 5 weeks. Time to retire the signs. Has that Lawn Trash feel now. 

Don’t ask. 

Much more going on in the World….

The Mideast is on fire…… remembrance

October 7^th, 2023

A year and a day ago, Israel and Saudi Arabia were on the verge of a historic peace deal put in place by President Trump. The next day, Hamas funded by Iran murdered 1200 mostly civilians including babies. Raped and dismembered. They took 250 hostages from infants to elderly and including Americans. In a coordinated response likely indicating knowledge of the attack in advance… Pro Hamas groups immediately marched on US College campuses blaming the victims. American Jews quickly found out their allies in politics were in fact antisemites in hiding. The attack wounded America permanently. 

Today on what should be a day of mourning instead is a “week of rage” by college protesters.  

Patriots…

The blame for the collapse of the New England Patriots franchise falls on one man. That man is Bob Kraft. He became as toxic as Jerry Jones is to Dallas. He started to believe he was the reason for the team’s success and became more active. He wouldn’t let Belichek spend money on top tier free agents. He is rumored to have forced Belichek to trade Garropolo creating a permanent wedge between Belichek and Brady. He was all in on picking Mac Jones. Hired Mayo as a HC when he had no real experience. All in on PATS to take Drake Maye when a trade down for two picks was more critical to build the OL and WR corps. Our season is over in early October. 

Illegal Immigration shocker…  

Yes, Nantucket is having a bad time with illegal immigrant pedophiles and rapists. No, it shouldn’t be a surprise. US Immigration and Customs enforcement (ICE) says that among those NOT in detention, there are 425,431 convicted criminals and 222,141 with pending criminal charges. This includes 62,231 convicted of assault, 13,099 convicted of homicide, 2,521 kidnappers, and 15,811 with sexual assault convictions. No surprise we are seeing an influx of Venezuelan gang activity in the US. The United States is not safe when our borders are not secure, and it’s become much worse the last 4 years as Trump policies were reversed under Kamala’s watch.

Bad week for Harris but does it matter…

Doug Emhoff is not a role model as much as the liberal media wants him to be. He admitted to knocking up his children’s nanny while married and paying her off after the Daily Mail reported the story. A new story reported by the same outlet says Emhoff violently beat his then girlfriend in 2012 outside a black-tie event in Cannes. Emhoff hasn’t denied the story. The ex-girlfriend has not denied it and three of her friends are on record saying it happened and with receipts to back it up. All are Democrats. 

Then her VP comes across as a complete doofus during the debate. How bad was it… Saturday Night Live now has its modern day “Dan Quayle” in Tim Walz. Brutal is an understatement as Walz say he is friends with school shooters and makes mistakes as to his military rank and whereabouts during the Tiananmen Sq uprising. 

The worst part of her week was clearly Joe Biden telling America that every decision he made she was right by his side and involved. Probably why Kamala has closed the gap with President Trump when the question is what words you associate with the candidate. 8% associated Trump with the word “Lie” while 6% said Harris. 

And then the cherry on top… as Hurricane Helene has become Kamala’s Katrina. The lack of effective response combined with taking the time to announce $195 million in Lebanon humanitarian relief when Americans are without power, food, and hundreds are still missing after the storm. FEMA has given $45m to Helene efforts. So American tax dollars are being spent 4-1 for foreigners over citizens in the Biden/Harris Admin. On the same day it became known that Biden/Harris spent 21-1 more on illegal immigrants ($66 Billion) in 2023 than Homeless Veterans ($3 Billion). If you don’t understand America first outrage after reading that then you never will. 

Now for your reading entertainment and full transparency…. An anonymous letter to the editor unedited minus one line that was removed for libel. The letter is ironic in so many ways… the lies underlined and the hate that they so much want to imprint on another is their own.  

And there you have it. I know not all Harris supporters are as ill-informed as the above letter writer appears to be. Some just have different views that align better with Biden/Harris policy. Some may feel they were better off these last four years vs the prior four. My advice to the letter writer is to get better informed. Try reading the Boston Globe and then reading the NY Post. You will see how different each will report on the same story, and you will see what they choose to print vs what they ignore. After that try researching online. If you believe say Trump has never criticized “Putin” then do a google search to see if there is any evidence he has. Hint… there is. I know you are reading TT regularly which should help you grow as a person but you need to open your mind… Townie Talk is always open to sharing opposing views and opinions but, in the future, you need to put your name on it.

Cheers, 

PJ Looney

Townie Talk 02478

“AMDG” “Never Forget” “Never Again”

The Mission of the COA Board is to “enhance the quality of life for seniors“. The COA Board is “appointed by the SelectBoard to oversee programs and policies of the COA.”  (COA Mission Statement)

The proposed merger was recommended by the Town Administrator at the May 2024 Select Board meeting. (See SB presentation )  At the next COA Meeting, despite the brevity of time, a SubCommittee was established for the purpose of analyzing and evaluating the “proposed merger”, scheduled for Fall 2025, after the Library leaves.   The subcommittee has met twice since then.

At the dedication of the Beech Street Center several years back the SelectBoard promised that it would be used for the sole purpose of seniors until 2049. This promise was made to the seniors, and the Friends of COA  whose involvement with and dedication to this cause, advocated and raised money for the Beech Street  Center.  

I have assembled the information below for the COA Board’s review of this matter. 

First it must  be noted that  the timetable for the “proposed merger” has been moved up to NOW from the Fall 2025, as originally advised.  Fall 2025 was to coincide with the time when the Library was scheduled to leave.   I believe it is also important to consider the brief turnaround time provided to make these changes.

 Since being told that the”proposed merger” would not take place until after the Library vacated (Fall 2025),  a Human Services Administrative Coordinator, COA/Recreation  (Closing date: 7/25/2024.) has been hired . This new position is listed on  the”proposed merger.”  new organization chart 

The former Recreation Asst Director is now the Asst Human Services director.

Comparing the new “proposed merger” organization chart  (COAorg charts) to the current organization chart, it appears that there are more administrative positions which, by their nature, are more costly, than the current positions.

Secondly, Enhanced Communication is one of the reasons suggested for the “proposed merger”. (See SB presentation).  Yet the “tall ” organization proposed  compared to the existing “flat” organization chart of the current  COA model  creates more people to go through for decision making, discouraging communication.  Note below the accepted Human Relations concern of  Tall Organizations.

Disadvantages of Tall Organizations

“Organization is less responsive to change and can be expensive to run, due to high wage costs (many managers) restricted freedom and authority for staff members.”

What’s a Tall Organization and Is It Out of Fashion? – Functionly

Other claims of the “proposed merger” are Best Practices.

The Best Practices document (COAbestpractices) has been compiled by former Directors of the COA.  It is what the COA has used throughout the Board’s tenure, so it is  questionable whether the”proposed merger ” would have any significant advantage.It  “presumes that the COA Director has an advanced degree in some area of human services along with significant experience with the aging population.”  Topics include:  Communication Programming, delivery of Social Services, delivery of Core Services, Transportation and Nutrition, and Involvement with other agencies. It concludes with ” the Director’s primary purpose is to support, advocate for and implement policies and programs that enhance the quality of life for seniors in the Town.”

Also below is a compilation of other Human Service programs in communities comparable to Belmont.  It is notable that only 1 of the 9 Human Services departments  includes Recreation.

• Somerville – https://www.somervillema.gov/departments/health-and-human-services
• Newton – https://www.newtonma.gov/government/health-human-services/social-services
• Worcester – https://www.worcesterma.gov/hhs
• Bedford – https://www.bedfordma.gov/195/Health-Human-Services
• Natick – https://www.natickma.gov/1050/Human-Services
• Arlington – https://www.arlingtonma.gov/departments/health-human-services
• Ashland – https://www.ashlandmass.com/229/Department-of-Prevention-Human-Services
• Lincoln – https://www.lincolntown.org/132/Council-on-Aging-Human-Service
• Littleton – https://www.littletonma.org/226/Elder-Human-Services

Finally I am disturbed by the actions of Town Administration toward Former employees, Board members, Real Estate Owners and members of the community, including  Town Treasurer (Floyd Carmen), Town Retirement Board (Tom Gibson), Assessors Board (Reardon, Laverty and Patrick Murphy), COA Directors ( Nava and Dana), Chair of the Planning Board (Jeff Birenbaum), Member of the Warrant Committee (Marie Warner AND CFRB) and Real Estate owner,( Locatelli).

The Board may also remember that as a Board we asked at our  February  meeting to schedule the annual potluck luncheon that we have always had for the Staff.  We were advised that the Staff had concerns that we were critical of them.  Having spoken with COA staff I have never found any reluctance to communicate their concerns.  Town Administration’s  behavior of vilifying and slandering former employees, Board members and members of the community  is not suggestive of an intent to serve the community.  By extension, this “proposed merger” has questionable merit.