Seven Villages, Janet Joakim

Eric Schwaab - suddenly a registered voter in this town, and just as suddenly running for town council as the Gary Lopez, John Julius and the COG candidate, is clearly showing his complete lack of understanding of municipal law and The Town of Barnstable.   

This guy is making promises that can NOT be kept. 

He is promising that he will eliminate bus fees by somehow subverting lease agreements and legal issues with the airport enterprise accounts and use capital money for school operating budgets…… huh?

Has Schwaab actually done any research of his own? Who has he spoken with and what did he provide for information?  He has no idea what is going on with the school operating budgets! Has he ever sat down with school committee members? Has he ever sat down with the school superintendent or anyone in that office? Has he ever discussed this with the finance director?  

Where do we begin? 

Let’s start with his sources for “facts:”

He referenced Gary Lopez’s COG site as a website that would give supporting background information to support this absurd claim.  Well, that says it all, doesn’t it? Gary Lopez.  John Julius.  COG.  These people have no true understanding of the laws that govern our various functions in municipal government. 

Historically Lopez has bent numbers, twisted facts, and stretched legal interpretations into what ever shape it takes to support his stories that town, state, and federal governments are all corrupt conspirators full of people who are out to pad their own pockets and steal your money. 

John Julius latches onto the the Lopez-Lies and steps up to the town council microphone at public comment spouting accusations at the council waving arms and telling the viewing audience that we are irresponsible liars who are loose with money and breaking the laws constantly.

WOW.

How does such a town then receive AAA, AA1 bond ratings? How does this town constantly win awards for financing, management, community service and innovations?

Now, ERIC Schwaab, this newly-registered-to-vote Brighton resident, is basing a campaign on the Lopez lies!

The school bus fees issue is simply NOT an issue a town councilor can change.

 Ask Rick Barry, who has been trying to convince the school committee to reconsider the bus fees and kindergarten fees since their inception. This councilor is a parent of children in our school system, as are Tom Rugo, Fred Chirigotis, Jim Crocker ….. For that matter, the majority of councilors either currently have children in the school system, or have children who are alumni of Barnstable Schools. We all understand how the process works.  A town council cannot manipulate the school budget.

But, here in Barnstable the current council and management have developed a working relationship with the schools that has won awards for innovation and is based on trust.  The school committee has noted our concerns about the bus fees and explained their positions.  Eliminate bus fees and the money that it takes to provide this transportation will come from somewhere else, eliminating programs, or staff.  Has Mr. Scwhaab explored this difficult issue with the school committee? 

And, using airport enterprise money for school bus fees? Again, Mr. Schwaab hasn’t done his homework and is relying on the wrong guy to do it for him.

The legal avenues he suggests show misinterpretations of the law done Lopez-style.  Like Lopez he provides bits and pieces of truth woven into a fairy tale about using capital money from a municipal enterprise account…… there are SO many reasons that this cannot legally be done!!  

 Our legal department is preparing a response to his misinterpretations of the law and when that is done and delivered we will discuss it here.

 But the basics — the way an enterprise account is funded – will come in a future post that will further demonstrate that Eric Schwaab, this carpet-bagging COG candidate is reading fairy tales to residents as he takes his creative writing skills from door-to-door.

Don’t fall for it.

There are two better choices for candidates in Precinct 3 – tell anyone you know living in precinct 3 to come to the polls Tuesday, September 18, and vote Hersey or Munafo, the two choices who are actual year-round-work-here-raising-their-faimily-here residents of this town… Don’t let a Lopez COG candidate muddy the waters.

Tell him to head home to his “home office” in Brighton for the winter. more about the promises, enterprise accounts and office spaces in our next post