One is
all for one
and one for one.

One is done.

So victory declared.

Drink up
the Koolaid.

But the water?

It’s not transparent.
The tape doesn’t show
what is not on the tape.

Next big rate increase to come
is a drop in the bucket
of what should have been done
by now.

New board?
Klepper, Jannitto, Mack – all still there.

RFP looks designed to keep Mack.
Only the silly wouldn’t see that.

One may be done.
But all is not done.
Not by a long shot.

Though those who have ignored the water pressure problem for years and years and years now of 4,200 ratepayers are still on the board. I hope the others can push this to be started. The franklin street pressure problem was addressed almost immeadiatly.

It is still wrong that we have to pay $35 dollars a month or more for electricity for pumps, water filtrations systems due to contamiates leaking into the house as proven by the RI Department of health, which is currently writing new regulation on that for water systems in the State. We pay the same rate for a service that is disgustingly inferior to the rest of the ratepayers. That is wrong!!!

After over 20 years of complainin g about this and the answer always being ignored, we 4,200 ratepayers need a viable and quick solution to this not the same old run around prevailent by the Past Boards and Delise who seem to relesh in denying they had to do it.

Where is the justice for us. Not to mention half the syste fire hydrants below standards required by the NFPA ( Nation Fire Prevention Association) and the State.

Same old BCWA (except Mr. Palmieri).

Also, Mrs. Marchand is a long-time RIWRB director, and she and the rest of the RIWRB board for years have ignored their duty to review water authority WSSMP’s at "hearings". RIWRB failed to provide required oversight of BCWA.

All the current Board members, (except Mr. Palmieri) voted Mr. Klepper to be the new BCWA chairman, this past June. Mr. Klepper has been a BCWA board member for decades and is largely responsible for the current mess. Mr. Jannitto and Mrs. Mack are still there. This is no “new course”.

Transparency?

Where are the minutes for the recent meetings?
Where is the new WSSMP plan?
Where is the new updated infrastructure replacement plan?
Why are the “director’s packages” that directors review at meetings not on the website?
What is the status of the Water Main Replacement project that was recommended by the Pare report but was abandoned due to lack of funds?
Whatever happened to all those B&E report recommendations?
The Warren Water Treatment plant is broken, supplied by the broken Shad, and source water is badly polluted.
Why is a “Rate Study RFP” being pursued when we already paid for the B&E rate study, and why is such work deferred to consultants?
Why isn’t BCWA being transparent about the big upcoming rate increases?
How is cutting benefits to “future employees” a sacrifice?
Mack still $375 per hr?

Where is the BCWA director admission of mistakes and that the critics were right?

I agree Marina that kudo's should be given where deserved as always. But there is a long way to go, and keeping them on their toes is the right answer ;-}

Jack-Sorry to interrupt the love fest between you and Marina, but could you please hop over to the August 19th "Sunday Political Brunch" thread-Apparently all the readers with an IQ higher than their shoe size are having some difficulties in deciphering your gibberish.

Thanks for your help ;-}

Kudos for any positive changes
should be given to Mr. Gary Morse.

Gary spent months slogging through piles of old records going back years.

He wrote Letters to the Editors.

He attended many, many meetings & prepared many, many analyses.

Many times at many meetings, his was the lone voice of reason.

He spoke when it was not the popular thing to do.

Thank you, Gary, for all of your work.
For more than a year.

If anyone deserves to be mentioned by name
for all he has done
to try to make positive change
it is Gary Morse.

But there is much still to do over at the BCWA.

And the legal RFP is ridiculous.

The Board indeed is being given “a chance” – that’s not the issue.

The issue is that so far, there is a continuation of the old BCWA ways.

I’m not fooled.

Start with this fact -

Every one of the BCWA directors (except Mr. Palmieri) voted to install an old crony for the new Chairman, when they had “a chance” to vote for someone else and have a real “fresh start”.

But they didn’t.

We have all agreed in the past that the buck stops with the Town Councils when it comes to the constant re-appointment of their buddies. Let's hope that this election changes that. Everyone can see the difference it makes when you get new people with new ideas appointed.
I totally agree that Gary has been instrumental in pushing for transparency and asking the hard questions. He has been amazing! Where would any of this have gone without him? Did anyone say anything to indicate otherwise? And certainly there is much to be done. I personally think that the message has been received at the BCWA and that most of the new members are working towards making substantive changes. There will be three new appointments in February. This is an on-going process. And the biggest referendum will be this November at election time. The Town Council members that voted repeatedly to re-appoint the old guard should be voted out of office. Cast your vote for a candidate who understands the problems at the BCWA and who will monitor the progress, or lack of, closely.

Marina's article is on target and so are many of the other comments. BCWA is moving in the right direction but needs monitoring to ensure that it stays the course. There are many people to credit for the shake up, their fortitude and persistence ... thank you!

We disagree with the opinion piece above.

The Executive Director should show leadership ability, rather than simply being “receptive to all changes suggested by her board”.

BCWA still can’t even produce a professional, comprehensive website
or an RFP for legal services.

A few examples:

1. Per the RFP for legal services, BCWA needs a lawyer with “breath” of services. The RFP says so. How embarrassing. Doesn’t the current attorney have a “breath” of services?

2. BCWA wants an attorney who LOSES when complaints are brought against his/her client. The RFP says so - BCWA wants to see “violations brought” and the “cost of violations”. That means the attorney lost. Maybe they meant to say “allegations”?

3. They want an attorney who can supervise the preparation of agenda. They obviously need help in that area. It's easy but no one who works there seems to be able to prepare a proper agenda. Not the high-priced lawyer. Not the recycled Executive Director who has spent years on the RI Water Resources Board.
Why?

4. …”regulatory the rules and regulations”….
Whatever that means.

5. They want an attorney who has experience with bond documentation.
Why not just engage an experienced bond counsel for the bond work as necessary?

6. They want rate setting experience. Why not rely on properly trained financial experts?

Same old attorney.
Recycled Executive Director.
RFP signed by new Chairman ol’ Mr. Klepper.

Thanks for the prior compliments and kudo's on changing BCWA, but there are a lot of people who deserve recognition for hard work, particularly for Marina Peterson's long term efforts.

But in my mind, two East Bay residents deserve special credit for recognizing the depth of BCWA's problems as early as Feb 2010, and for working hard to expose these problems.

The two residents are Jeff and Janice Black of Barrington.

BCWA did all they could to hide the facts using their $475 per hour attorney. The average resident, including myself, would have given up on a fight where the attorney gets richer the longer the fight goes on.

The Black's did not!

It took 2 yrs of research, and their own money to get at most of the facts people relied on to bring about the changes that are only beginning now (lots of progress still to go Manifold).

Just how bad were BCWA's problems? For one example, take a ride down Serpentine Road in Warren to look at the farms, cattle, and manure on the ground.

Look more closely at what the Black's saw in 2010 and you will see drainage pipes all along Serpentine Road that have the purpose of delivering that farm run-off under the road and directly into BCWA's raw water drinking supply, the Kickemuit River.

Everyone in the East Bay who turns on a faucet owes Jeff and Janice a special thanks.

Gary Morse

There is a huge question remaining as to whether BCWA will reappoint Sandra Mack as legal counsel.

The legal mistakes in her past, and the damage to rate payers it caused, is in no way rectified by sudden bragging rights for her work on the recent bond refinancing.

The significance of Ms. Mack's impact in this bond refinancing matter is being blown way out of proportion by BCWA. Further, it is a drop in the bucket when compared to the problems of the past (e.g. what about the lack of a forensic audit on the $5 million cost overrun of the East Bay Pipeline we are still paying off today).

If she is reappointed, then ratepayers may have problems.

Quite frankly, I still like the idea of desolving the BCWA and turning it over to the State. That takes the towns politics out of it totally, which we all know has been a major problem with all this.

From BCWA website:

“the BCWA bond refinancing will save over $525,000 during the next 5 years”….”The Authority has plans to utilize the savings to begin an infrastructure replacement fund to handle ongoing capital projects.”

What BCWA neglects to say:

For decades, BCWA failed to comply with IFR laws, which has caused of the demise of the BCWA infrastructure.

The outspoken public correctly pointed out this failure, and until recently were ignored or yelled at.

Asserting that savings from lower future interest payments will “handle ongoing capital projects” (and not providing an IFR plan), & implying that this will comply with statutory IFR requirements is lame.

Why isn't the current IFR “plan” on the website?

BCWA should have been advised to "begin" an IFR fund and plan decades ago, and should have fired Mrs. Mack a long time ago, and funded it with the money that would have been “saved” by paying market rates, instead of Mrs. Mack’s exorbitant $475 / $375 per hour for all these years. Kent County Water Auth. lawyer is $160 per hr.

Klepper, Mack, and Jannitto are huge obstacles to a "new course".

Mrs. Marchand has been at RIWRB for years, and did not fulfull her duty to conduct WSSMP review hearings with respect to the BCWA WSSMP plans (which would have revealed non-compliance with IFR laws, etc.).

This involves our important public water supply, and with the track record of these individuals in charge, I cannot pretend all is well.

To some of the nay-sayers of the BCWA, I say this, when an opening from your town opens up, APPLY for the position. That's what I did. I was a critic for a couple of year's. I felt the BCWA was doing a terrible job. So my only way to find out the RIGHT information was to get invovlved. Here are some things I have learned along the way.
New leadership has changed the climate of the BCWA. From a new director to some new board members. Just go to a board meeting and see the difference.
Many in the public continue to slam our legal service, I to was very concerned that we were not getting the most for our dollar. Again when I became involved, I have seen what other's do not. A very well qualified person doing a rather tough job. What many people do not understand is this, there is a legal budget that is set. Outside of litigation, the Authority gets much more than what we pay for. (I can here it now from some of the Nay-Sayers on that one.) If more people attended these meeting you would fully understand where I am coming from. We are even in the middle of an RFP for legal service's and our current lawyer (Sandra Mack) is working as diligent as expected, no sour grapes in her work ethic.

The BCWA is currently planning on a major overhaul with our Web-Site...we feel the public deserves a more informed and user friendly site. A new contract, a more stream-lined organization, I see positive change in the BCWA.

There is much more that is going on in the BCWA. There is so much work to continue to bring the department to becoming the best in the State. Many errors may have been made for quite a few year's. We are going to fix many of them. What we need is time. What the public needs to know is this, the Board is a group of committed citizens who care about there community. We are people who stepped up and took on a very huge work load. This isn't an easy board to be a member of. The reading alone is a part-time job.

I guess my whole point of it is this, when I read some of these post's I actually feel that you can never and will never make anyone happy. But that's the way it goes. But to you people who use these blogs remember one thing...You may not like us...you may think its All politics...heck, you act as if we get free water, I have only this to sat to you.....Apply for a Directors Position and show us what you are made of...You might actually learn something.

My name is Joe DeMelo and I approved these comments.

Regarding the legal RFP, assuming that it had terrific exposure, I would guess that many qualified firms will apply. Perhaps a significant savings would be to hire a firm with more reasonable rates for routine legal work, and use Sandra Mack as a consultant when bond work is necessary. I hear the comment from BCWA that they "depend on her for everything." Well, maybe it's time for that to change. The legal advisor could maybe just provide advice on "legal" issues.
It's definitely time for a change in that direction. We need to have a Water Authority Administration that can stand on its own and do the job required. Certainly the salaries are professional grade...the performance should be as well.

Marina,

Thank you for pointing out the absurdity of that "depend on her for everything" comment.

We all understand that Ms. Mack's prior stewardship of BCWA was to create this dependency. That should be the exact reason to let her go as soon as possible.

The Board has remained legally stupefied for too long and needs to get legal counsel that has the goal of weening the board off dependency.

Mr. DeMelo, you did not address the factual issues raised in the above comments.

Also, last June you voted for Mr. Klepper as Chairman, and had little or nothing to say about it at the public meeting. Discussions and emails between directors occurred behind-the scenes, in violation of OMA.

And putting some information on a website does not involve a "major overhaul" as you claim, and this seems to be just another of the same-old lame excuses for avoiding transparency we have heard for years.

There is simply no justification for Mrs. Mack's outrageous $474 / $375 per hour rate all these years.

And you over-looked that we have volunteered many free hours over the past couple of years, and had to pay for to view records which should have simply been on the website for all to see.

Perhaps Mrs. Mack should be a volunteer.

I am disappointed, and can’t help recalling what you told Mr. Marshall after your appointment:

“I told Ken (Marshall) that next time around I’m going to get your vote.”

http://www.eastbayri.com/news/2011/oct/11/two-named-water-authority-board/

Same old BCWA.

I have received a response from BCWA on the advertising for the legal RFP. It was advertised on 8/3/12 in the Providence Journal, and then locally in the East Bay Ri papers. It also appears on their website. If you "google" rfp legal services bcwa ri you will get http://www.bristolri.com/news/2012/aug/01/request-proposals-general-legal-services-bristol-c/ which is East Bay Newspapers. If you "google" rfp legal services ri it doesn't seem to appear anywhere. To the best of my knowledge they have had no responses yet. I did notice that there were several professional sites online where RFP's could be listed, but there may be a fee.

Thanks, Marina.

For BCWA to represent that an expensive
yet poorly-drafted RFP
Is somehow nonetheless good enough
to attract properly qualified applicants
is like saying
that dirty water
will still
quench a thirst.

It’s not good enough.

It makes a bad impression.

And it certainly makes one wonder.

Thanks Marina!

How about sending the RFP to attorney's who are already representing water authorities? That's a novel idea.

BCWA could start with Kent County Water Authority. Or maybe PWSB's law firm. Anyone but Ms Mack.

Lets examine some of the past legal gems.

The Bristol County Water Supply Act (Act) statutorily mandated an approved plan in 1993. It was not submitted until 2011.

The Act mandated that the Shad pipeline be in place before money was spent on the water treatment plant. The Shad pipeline was never even permitted, and yet BCWA got approximately $1.5 million to retrofit the WTP. The required Shad pipeline is no longer in the planning with everyone blaming Rehoboth.

BCWA continued to submit "maintenance" requisitions to the RIWRB up until 2011 for work not covered under the Act.

The contract for the East Bay Pipeline had an absurd drill removal clause in it causing a $5 mil cost overrun. The vetting company of that contract was never asked to account for the crappy vetting job that cost rate payers a fortune.

Ms Mack has not acted on the $5 million state grant earmarked only for the Shad pipeline. How is the RIWRB going to apply that money without statutory approval? Is that question even on the ballot this fall? No! Has she advised the board of this minor problem?

And what about that wasted $400,000 in litigation for watershed land in 1996?

Finally let's not forget the $65,000 for losing against the Blacks.

I am sure that BCWA is well aware of the ratepayers feelings regarding the high attorney fees that have been paid over the years. How they handle this RFP will certainly indicate how sincere they are about entertaining a change of attorney, especially since they invariably are going to have to request a pretty substantial rate increase soon.

If anyone took the comments of teabaggers Gary Morse, Marina Peterson, and the Blacks seriously, you would think Sandy Mack was Osama Bin Laden in disguise.

Maybe Morse, Peterson, the Blacks, and their fellow teabaggers are jealous of Sandy Mack, who by the way has more legal expertise and intelligence in her pinky finger than those teabaggers have in their collective brains.

Ring ring.

LHPFBB: “Hello.”

HINA: “Hi, Fruit, it’s me – He In Need of Advice”.

LHPFBB: “Hi He. What can I do you for?”

HINA: “Can you put me ‘n touch with Pinky Mackfinger? I need advice.”

LHPFBB: “Sure. I’m in touch with those who are in touch with those who are in touch. Ya want this meeting to roll or walk? ”

HINA: “Walking’s good. It’s slower.”

LHPFBB: “Whaddaya need to know? Pinky needs to be briefed–it’s a lot o’ work to figure out what the heck you’re talking about.”

HINA: “I need to know EVERYTHING! Like how to draft comments on the Patch! I look stupid! And I feel like a turncoat & all this stuff we’re doing feels dishonest & I know the East Bay Four is right. And I know they appreciate the time I’m putting in…. but… but… tell me again, why does the board do the Executive Director’s job? I need advice, Big-Boy!”

LHPFBB: “I gave you advice…but did you LISTEN?! Pinky’s not magic you know.”

HINA: “Will I still get your vote?”

LHPFBB: “It’s not MY vote we’re worried about here, HINA! These people aren’t stupid just ‘cause we call 'em stupid! ”

HINA: “Oh. Right. What’s a teabagger? Am I a teabagger?!”

LHPFBB: “You’re one of us now, He, as long as you do what you’re told you’re not Insignificant Public anymore. We don’t give a crap about that transparency crap when it comes the crap we’re doing.”

HINA: “Ok. Got it. ”

Isn't it just perfect that our intellectual BristolRI02809 would choose to use the despicably vulgar term of "teabagger" on a "family friendly" blog? Would we expect anything else??

marina peterson teabagger queen

Ring, ring.

LHPFBB: “Hello.”

HINA: “Hi Fruit …uh… we gotta talk.”

LHPFBB: “What?”

HINA: “This is sensitive …uh…you shouldn’t keep on talking about 'Blacks' like that you know… it’s not …uh… what do they call it now?….uh… oh yeah…it’s not “p.c.”! You being a politician and all should know better. That seems very …well… small of you to keep on… wait… I didn’t mean “small”… uh… little…oh …uh…now you got ME doing it… this p.c. stuff is hard... harder than making comments on the p.c. Hey…. now I’m really confused.

LHPFBB: “Name calling? Insults? We do it ALL the time…All the time… you’ll get used to it. Why, I’m so good at it it’s an ART!”

HINA: “All the time? Time? Is that like at a Kenny Big Ol’ “Time”?

LHPFBB: “Oh, no. Definitely not. Well… sort of. Maybe. Yes. Exactly. Uh… wait. I’ll have to get back to you on that.”

HINA: “I think I’m starting to understand. You use Spaniards, too right?”

LHPFBB: “You can, yes. It can be very effective to use Spaniards like I do. Old Spaniards are okay. New Spaniards wouldn’t work.”

HINA: “Oh....like ‘Spanish Inquisition’”?

LHPFBB: “Oh yes! That's one of my favorites!

HINA: “What about mummies? Anything about mummies?”

LHPFBB: “Mummies? No. I don’t think so. But name-calling is good… it keeps you from having to know any facts.”

HINA: “Ok. Thanks, Big-Boy.”

You just don't seem to get it Marina-Here are 3 LEGITIMATE definitions of the word "teabagger", taken from mainstream media websites:

1.One who carries large bags of packaged tea for shipment

2. An upper class participant in motor racing

3. A misinformed, right-wing corporate media consumer who often fails to understand that the tea party represents a corrupt plutocracy that steals from the middle class by taxing labor and profits from corporate tax subsidies

You make it pretty obvious in your posts that you look at the term "teabagger" in a sexual connotation, as opposed to mature adults, who realize the term has many non-sexual meanings.

Here's some advice for you Marina-If you feel such a need to have sexually charged conversations, there are hundreds of pornographic websites where you can indulge in your perverted fantasies, while leaving this blog for clean, non-sexually charged debate.

Ring, ring.

LHPFBB: “Hello.”

HINA (nervous): “Hi Fruit. Sorry to bother you again, but …uh… just wondering…can I use the same insult over and over and over and over and over?”

LHPFBB: “You mean like calling someone a teabagger?”

HINA: “Yes! It’s like you can read my mind, Big-Boy!”

LHPFBB: “Hey they don’t have Big Ol’ Times for me for nothing! I got skills you know! Sure – use the same tired old insult over and over and over and over …. It
NEVER gets old for the unimaginative! Especially if you cite ‘the internet’ as your source! Most people aren’t smart enough to cite the internet you know.”

HINA: “Are you sure?”

LHPFBB: “Oh, yes. Definitely. Well… sort of. Maybe. Yes. Exactly. Uh… wait. I’ll have to get back to you on that.”

HINA: “I think I’m starting to understand. It’s low brow & easy, right?”

LHPFBB: “YESS! Oh yessss! You don’t have to know ANYTHING! No reading to do. No facts to know. Just hurl the same old insult over and over and over. It NEVER gets old. And it makes you look really, really smart & clever. Trust me.”

HINA: “Wow. Thanks, Big-Boy.”

$32K for yet another “Rate Study”?

That’s per the July 25, 2012 BCWA Directors meeting minutes.

What happened to the B&E “Rate Study” (Pg 5-20 of B&E Report)?

If another “Rate Study” is really needed, why can’t the new Exec Director (or her new engineer) do a “Rate Study” (or update the B&E Rate Study)?

Remember how Ms. Mack “met with the bidder (B&E) and the work was redefined” (Ms. Mack had the B&E contract changed, reducing the scope of the true performance audit part of the B&E work, replaced with the new non-performance audit task labeled “Rate Study”).

More RFP’s in the pipeline…

Excerpt from Executive Director’s Report for July 25, 2012:

“The State of Massachusetts has notified us that the Anawan dam (low hazard) and the Shad Factory dam (significant hazard) are required to be inspected by August 15*.

We are requesting a time extension to be able to send out a request for proposals for dam inspection services.

Requests for repairs to the Anawan dam have been submitted to the RI Water Resources Board. They are seeking legal advice as to the legislative commitment to cover the cost of maintenance of the Massachusetts supplies.”

There are many obvious questions.

Regarding that new Union Contract –

Why have we not seen a side-by-side analysis of the new vs. old contract presented by the new Exec Director, posted on the BCWA website?

And if she cannot do that for the public, why can’t Ms. Marchand at least put the new contract on the BCWA website, along with the old one, so the ratepayers can do this simple side-by-side comparison ourselves?

“Three proposals for the rate study were received on 7/10” (per the Exec Director’s Report for July 25, 2012), and Municipal and Financial Services Group was “award (ed) the contract” for $32K per the July 25, 2012 BCWA Board minutes.

Transparency would involve posting the RFP (and contract as soon as it is available), on the website.

The ratepayers deserve to know what to expect with the big upcoming rate increases.

Excerpts from BCWA “Rate Study RFP”:

“The BCWA desires to update its water rates to ensure adequate funding for current operations and maintenance as well as identified capital maintenance and improvement projects through 2020”;

“The study shall recommend a rate structure that considers and makes provision for the following factors:

a) Current and future cost of providing water…

b) Projected demands.

c) Availability and future costs of supply including emergency supplies.

d) Age and condition of system and the need to fund long-term capital improvement/ replacements for supply and distribution infrastructure.

e) Funding requirements for all current long-term liabilities and dept obligations (bond and loans).

f) Impact of current and future environmental regulations.

g) Other impacts as identified.”

The RFP calls for a “preliminary report” (15 copies to be presented at “working session for input”).

“Incorporate changes pursuant to comments” in “Final Report” (15 copies plus one reproducible copy) due by Sept 14, 2012.

The Anawan club is finally suing the BCWA for not maintaining the dam, not living up to their signed agreements with them, and ignoring the safety issues at the dam in Rehoboth. Don't know how the attorney let it come to this. This will probably be costly. Certain money is owed to this organization and the fact that BCWA will probably not need them anymore should not affect the payment of monies owed.

Tonight's Bristol Town Council meeting will probably have Poppasquash residents who are pretty upset about their fire hydrants being removed....

BCWA minutes, Wednesday, January 11, 2012

"Assistant Engineer, Mr. Richard Fennessy, stated that storm damage to Anawan will cost $27,751, BCWA has until 10/31/12 to complete the work and then it will be able to be reimbursed from FEMA."

Is BCWA going to litigate at a huge legal expense vs. just fixing the dam?

Do you remember the Sandy Mack $65,000 legal bill to fight the Blacks on a basis that BCWA had to protect against a $1,000 fine?

Hey Marina-Why don't you bring the Blacks with you to the meeting, so they can slam Joe DeMelo in person instead of trashing him on the Patch.

Never mind-they'll probably continue to trash him on the Patch or have the attorney general's office go after him.

Yes, Gary. We remember.

And remember how, even though they paid that lawyer all that money, BCWA was still found to have all those violations, anyway?

And BCWA continues to have violations. The violations are so flagrant & obvious that it's almost like she's hoping for another pile of complaints to be filed so she can have more billing opportunities.

Yet another reason in my opinion to desolve the BCWA and give it to the State to manage as a transfer station. Return all property and buildings not needed for transfer station to the town of Bristol, Warren and Barrington. Get these towns out of the public Utility business. It has been too long of a day coming.

The basis of a sucessfull venture is based on success not how much money can be thrown into it. This is a perfect example of a pit. They waited way to long to solve obvious problems with it. They stil have not even touched the tip of the fiscal problems and never will with out a forensic audit of where all the money went since its inception.

Where is the so called due diligence in this? I mean really where the hell is it?

Ring, ring.

IP: “Hello.”

LHPF BB: “Hi Insignificant Public. Will the Blacks be complaining to the AG about
stupid politicians?”

IP: “Hi, Fruit. Ah, Fruit, a little bit o’ manners would be nice. Let’s see ... I’m not your ouija board, you know. And we’ve already spoken about your politically incorrect ways.”

LHPFBB: “Hurry up you idiot! I gotta know. We got people peeing their pants here waiting for shoes to drop.”

IP: “We’ll get back which ya on that, Big-Boy. But keep writing in the Patch. We find it inspiring and mighty, mighty humorous.”

LHPFBB: “Humor?! You don’t know the pressure I’m under! I gotta keep these guys thinking up stupid things to post so we can try to find out what you’re up to, Insignificant Public! What are you up to?!”

IP: “Well...we’re big readers, you know. We like to read. We have stacks of things to read. We’ve never seen so much reading material. We also like to write. Sometimes we color, too. We don’t always stay inside the lines, though.”

LHPFBB: “You’ll be coming to meetings and crawling up to politely tell us what you think is wrong, right? Right?! You always give us a chance to call you names and kick your pearly whites in person, right? You always do that, right? Because you suckers always play by decency rules, right? Even though WE don’t.”

IP (laughs): “Oh, yes Fruit. Sure. We're always decent rule-players no matter what you do. Yes- count on us!”

Lot's of filth & dishonesty remain at BCWA, and it is very disturbing.

The big impending rate increases, would be easier to accept if there was some real substantive change for the better at BCWA, but I don't see it.

Lots of folks gathered at the Bristol Town Meeting tonight to talk about Hydrant removal in Poppasquash....Executive Director was there, Brian Mellor was there, many residents. I did not stay... will watch the video. I was sick from the first part of the meeting!

Marina,

The unfortunate new BCWA Board members are now trying to unravel decades of problems left by the legacy board members.

When the new Poppasquash development started going up in the early 1990's (Reliance Drive, Courageous Circle), it appears they needed a fire hydrant in the area to keep the fire insurance rates low.

But if Poppasquash Road is a private enclave from the guarded gate down, who exactly is paying the bill for this hydrant? Is it the town of Bristol?

Previous posts address far larger and more substantive discussions, but I had to laugh when I opened our water bill recently. BCWA now (finally - welcome to 21st century) accepting credit cards for payment - for the princely extra fee of $3.95! Message - pay us faster, save us the admin work of processing checks, chasing bad checks, sending out overdue notices, etc. - even though you'll be helping BCWA save $, we're charging you big time extra for this! To the BCWA board - this is a huge customer disconnect - few in their right minds would take advantage of this option.

Ring, ring.

Insignificant Public: “Hello”.

Low-Hanging-Political-Fruit Big-Boy: “Hi Insignificant. A question…”

IP: “What do you want to know now?”

LHPF BB: “Kenny wants to know what the little people think about his campaign.”

IP (winces): “Campaign promises aren’t exactly a campaign.”

LHPF BB: “What do you know about Kenny’s campaign promises?”

IP: “We can read. BristolRI02809 is telling it all in the Patch.”

LHPF BB: “That’s got nothing to do with Kenny! I mean, sure, BristolRI02809 talks about Kenny all the time, it seems like he’s running Kenny’s campaign, he talks like he & Kenny are as one, he’s the one who said Kenny’s a big boy havin' Kenny big ol’ ‘times’, he says what Kenny’s gonna do in office, he talks like Kenny with the constant name calling ... but….oh… yeah…. see what you mean.”

IP: “Don’t worry, Kenny’s gonna win. What’s not to love? He’ll split like Chafee and be in like Flynn.”

LHPF BB: “So I shouldn’t worry?”

IP: “Kenny’s all set. And he’s undergoing a series of trainings to get ready for the big leagues of RI government. He’s already had his training called “Your Role as a Public Official”. Next is “How a Bill Becomes a Law”. And last, but not least, is workshop #3- 'How to Post Comments Anonymously While Still Showing Your BristolRI02809 Pride'.

http://sos.ri.gov/documents/publicinfo/omdocs/notices/4494/2012/129599.pdf