letters to the editor

To the editor:

I am writing to announce my candidacy for reelection to a second term on the Board of Selectmen. It has been an interesting three years and an exciting time to be on the board.

The primary role of the Selectmen is to carry out the will of the town. We do not set policy, but rather assist the town in making informed decisions, as well as assuring that these decisions are carried out. I find all of this to be challenging and, when we get it right, very rewarding. This is not to say that the board does not make decisions throughout the year; of course we do. But these decisions are often in the details: committee appointments, public safety, and how to best present choices to the town.

During these three years, I have been involved in the development of the new town web site, I serve on the Community Center Study Committee, and I am liaison to the land use boards as well as the Council on Aging, School Building Advisory Committee, and others This has given me a great deal of perspective about the many faces of Lincoln.

Major challenges facing Lincoln in the short term include potential changes to the school campus. Will we begin to renovate or rebuild our K-8 school soon? Will we design and build a new community center? Is a campus master plan a good first step? Some of these questions will be put to you at our March Town Meeting. Whatever direction Town Meeting takes us in, I hope to continue to be part of that process as your Selectman.

We are all in this together; it is everyone’s responsibility to be informed and participate in the process, with your voice and with your vote. With your support, I will continue to listen, and to use my best judgement in making decisions placed before the board and representing the residents of Lincoln.

Sincerely,

Renel Fredriksen
Trapelo Rd.

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrrel.com. Letters must be about a Lincoln-specific topic, will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

To the editor:

State Representative Thomas Stanley recently met with Waltham and Lincoln voters to discuss the We The People Act. This proposed bipartisan Massachusetts bill calls on Congress to propose a constitutional amendment to affirm (1) that rights protected by the Constitution are the rights of human beings only, not corporations, and (2) that Congress and the states may place limits on political contributions and spending. The second principle would overturn recent Supreme Court rulings in Citizens United and McCutcheon, both of which unleashed a flood of money into the electoral process.

This act also proposes that if Congress does not pass the amendment, the Massachusetts legislature will call for an amendments convention. In Article V of the Constitution, the Founders provided two routes for proposing an amendment to the Constitution: by a two-thirds majority vote of both houses of Congress or by an amendments convention called for by two-thirds of the states. The second route could be taken when a dysfunctional Congress blocks reform advocated by the people. In this case, state legislatures could petition Congress to call a convention—not for overturning or changing the Constitution, but for proposing an idea for an amendment. The threat of such a convention can force Congress to act, as it did with the 17th Amendment.

At the meeting, Representative Stanley enthusiastically agreed to co-sponsor the proposed bill and actively support its passage. He joins lead sponsor Representative Cory Atkins in the House and will help recruit more legislators from around the Commonwealth as co-sponsors. A growing coalition of citizens groups across the country also supports this bill.

Massachusetts has always been a leader in the fight for democracy. In 2012, a unanimous General Court passed a bipartisan bill to restore the 1st Amendment and fair elections to the people. However, more must be done. We need to take back the Constitution from private, wealthy power and get big money out of elections through a constitutional amendment.

Sincerely,

Gary Davis (chair, Lincoln Democratic Town Committee)
20R Indian Camp Lane

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrrel.com. Letters must be about a Lincoln-specific topic, will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

To the editor:

I am writing to announce an upcoming vacancy on the Lincoln Water Commission in the Spring of 2015. Established in 1872, Lincoln’s Water Department provides clean, safe drinking water to its customers and fire flow protection throughout the town. Governed by three elected commissioners serving three year terms, the department is funded totally by user fees.

My service on the commission has been a great experience. I have been enormously impressed by the dedication, attention to detail, and depth of knowledge of the superintendent and my fellow commissioners, both past and present. I was asked to serve on the commission due to my chemistry and legal background. I found my legal training fairly useful in resolving the various issues that frequently arise, while my knowledge of chemistry has been less relevant. To paraphrase a favorite property law professor’s dictum, water law is not about regulating water; it is about regulating people’s relationship with water, a finite resource.

I have decided not to seek reelection when my term expires next year because my job circumstances have changed so that I cannot commit to another three-year term. While I love living in Lincoln and would very much prefer not to move, my commute is now substantially longer, and I wish to have the option to relocate if necessary.

Therefore, I encourage interested Lincoln citizens to attend some upcoming Water Commission meetings to get a sense of the day-to-day work of the commission. The meetings are generally held at 7:30 a.m. on the second Tuesday morning of every month at the pumping station at 77 Sandy Pond Road, with some quarterly Saturday morning meetings as needed. The times and frequency of meetings can readily be changed by consent of the group. Please contact Superintendent Greg Woods at 781-259-8997 for any questions.

Sincerely,

Ion C. Abraham
Farrar Road