President Calvin Coolidge once said, “Collecting more taxes than is absolutely necessary is legalized robbery.”  That’s how Newton residents should view the three question override vote on Tuesday. The unanswered questions about tax hikes that could cost the average taxpayer $5,000 to $10,000 over ten years should leave all residents with the conclusion that the taxes are unnecessary. 1) Why are the Newton schools more than twice the cost per student of other elementary schools in the state? The new Angier elementary school will cost $37 million for 465 students, and Cabot elementary school…

  Newton taxpayers paid for schools already but the money was spent elsewhere. Our Group Moving Newton Forward with Fiscal Responsibility is a grassroots group dedicated to ensuring fiscal sanity and responsibility in the city of Newton.  We believe that a property tax increase via a Proposition 2½ ballot override rewards fiscal mismanagement, incompetence and lassitude and it is a pathetic excuse for poor management.  Mayor Warren’s cheering section has regurgitated the myth that he has “saved ~$200M” in his first term.  If that is the case, then why has general fund spending increased from…

  Ten reasons why Newton voters may vote NO three times on the proposed property tax overrides this coming Tuesday, March 12: Newton's 0.75 percent increase in the meals tax Social Security (FICA) tax increase from 4.2 percent to 6.2 percent Newton's 2.86 percent increase in property taxes from 2012 to 2013 Doubling of the Massachusetts Gas Tax Massachusetts highway tolls increase of 5 percent MBTA rate fare increase of 23 percent (with the promise of raising fare an additional 33 percent this year) Massachusetts health insurers rate increases from 6 percent - 12 percent  Governor Patrick's …

  Please vote Tuesday, March 12. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. There are 3 questions. Here is why I am voting YES, YES and YES.  Newton has an operating budget of $315 million. These three initiatives will add another $11.4 million to it to meet important needs. Setti Warren, our mayor, working with the Board of Aldermen and School Committee, works hard to use the $315 million thoughtfully, efficiently and effectively. All labor contracts were renegotiated to hold compensation increases to  2.5 percent Each item in each department budget is reevaluated annually  to make sure it’s …

To the editor: Don’t let Add-A-Lane become add-a-pain. 1. Three traffic lights stopping traffic on Route 9 at Route 128! 2. Two of the four cloverleaves of this currently functional intersection plucked out! 3. Balking drivers criss-crossing through Newton’s neighborhoods, seeking a faster route, disrupting traffic patterns across the city.   The controversy over the Route 9 – Route 128/95 intersection is coming to a head, and it is important for everyone to get educated and involved RIGHT NOW. On March 6 the Public Safety and Transportation Committee of the City of Newton Board of Aldermen …

To the editor: Is this the right time for an override? Sequesterization is the new buzzword for trickle-down economic reality on the local level. We rely on federal funding for highways, housing, and everyday community needs. Will second and third-tier citizen needs be met should Congress turn off the fiscal money tap? Governor Patrick has stated the case for expected state cuts in municipal funding. His $1.9 billion tax plan will meet with an additional heavy tax burden here at home. Should this fiscal perfect storm happen, Newton taxpayers would have to fill the void in unexpected extra …

  A city where people can walk, bike, and drive without trips, spills and damage to their vehicles due to potholes. Where emergency responders have the tools they need. Where school buildings are conducive to learning. Where students get a well-rounded education with the attention they need to meet their potential, in classrooms that enhance and foster learning. That’s the Newton I grew up in, the Newton where I returned to raise a family, the Newton we now have the opportunity to preserve for future generations. But I see it slipping away. Angier and Cabot Elementary have been identified by …

  I’m writing to ask you for your support, and most importantly your THREE YES VOTES, in order for Newton to pass Mayor Setti Warren’s override package on March 12. Local government in Newton has come a long way in the past few years getting its finances in order. I have been working hard – and quite successfully, I might add — along with the other members of Newton’s legislative delegation to ensure that our city continues to receive its fair share of local aid. Still, because Newton is such a great place to live and raise children, many young families have moved here over the past decade, …

  To the editor: Why should you support the override? There are indeed many reasons why you might not want to—but not one of them is as important as the one reason why you should.  Some people don’t want to support the override because non-Newton kids are educated in the Newton schools, or because construction at North was a botched endeavor. Some people don’t want to support the override because they don’t have kids in the Newton schools, or because they don’t like our government, or our tax rates, or our president, or the state of our economy, or the direction this country is going in. I’m …

In Newton only about 20 percent of households have children in the system. Those households are probably more receptive to the upcoming override, since its failure to pass will likely adversely affect their kids’ school experience. But what about the rest of us [e.g., empty nesters like me, whose daughter has been out of the system for eight years]?  Why should we pay more taxes, when there's less direct benefit for us? One answer: Property value. Research has shown that school quality has a significant and positive impact on a city’s property values.  Many families move to Newton because of …

  On Monday, 11 February 2013, Pope Benedict XVI formally announced his Papal resignation due to his advanced age and diminished strength, which has not occurred in the past 600 years.  During his term as Pope, Benedict XVI has been confronted with internal scandals arising from within the Church, specifically sexual abuse crises costing the Church two billion dollars in settlements according to Chester Gillis, dean of Georgetown University; however, the Church's scandals cannot solely define the Pontiff's administration, which began in 2005.  Globally, he has reached out to the developing …

  Last week, the Newton PTO Council voted overwhelmingly to support the Mayor’s proposed override package.  A yes vote on the override package, which includes three ballot questions, insures that the children of Newton get the education they deserve, in facilities that address their needs. Our schools are facing serious enrollment issues, budgetary pressures, and deteriorating facilities.  For Newton to continue to uphold its standard of educational excellence, we need improved buildings, more teachers and greater funding for our schools. To receive the full benefits of this override, the …

Spirited citizens, calling themselves Moving Newton Forward, want to preserve an essential element of our City’s most common good---your household income. What are you saving for? A car? A honeymoon? Tuition? Retirement? Mayor Setti Warren is betting that you will sacrifice more of your personal savings to fund his government’s growth by saying yes to his three override proposals in March. Moving Newton Forward urges you to vote no on each on March 12. Instead, let’s respectfully ask our Mayor and Alderman to do what households do---choose expenses wisely. Live within their means. Vote no on …

To the Editor: WAKE UP, WABAN! THE TRAFFIC IS COMING, THE TRAFFIC IS COMING! Add-A-Lane is nearly here! The design process of the Mass Department of Transportation is almost 75 percent complete. The Public Safety and Transportation Committee of the City of Newton’s Board of Aldermen has had the item on its agenda eight times already. The time to get educated and involved is NOW!  THE MASS DOT IS PROPOSING A PERMANENT CHANGE TO THE INTERSECTION OF RT. 9 AND RT. 128/95 THAT INVOLVES MORPHING THE EXISTING FOUR-LEAF CLOVERLEAF INTO A TWO-LEAF CLOVERLEAF. They want to install two traffic lights at…

  To the Editor:On Christmas Day, the owners of NY Pie of Waltham spent their morning cooking up and delivering delicious ham dinners for all the firehouses in Newton and Waltham, as well as the police departments. Their only motivation was to express their appreciation for the service of our first responders.  It was heartfelt and thoughtful, and made this Christmas Day far more special to all those who took part.   Thank you NY Pie! --Jessica LockeExecutive Director, Jessica Locke Firefighters Fund

Dear Editor: According to the 2010 Census, 12,979 people age 65 and older live in Newton, and every one of them should be deeply concerned about Republican Scott Brown’s health care policy.  The centerpiece of Brown’s health care policy is working to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the federal health care reform law known as ObamaCare.National health care advocacy organization Community Catalyst Action Fund released a new analysis finding that, if the Affordable Care Act (“ObamaCare”) is repealed, senior citizens in Newton and across Massachusetts will be saddled with higher costs and fewer …

The Jessica Locke Firefighters Fund would like to express our deep appreciation to the Newton residents and firefighters who, on September 11, volunteered to cook and deliver dinners to all the firehouses and police stations of Newton, Belmont, and Watertown: Linda McLaughlin, Helen Ventouris, Christine Schafer, Laurie Gershkowitz, Lt. Michael Murphy, FF. Tom Lopez, and Lt. Rich Toli. In addition, we are very grateful to Joe Prestejohn of Cabot's Ice Cream, who provided beautiful desserts for the 14 stations. The legacy of unity and service that took place after September 11, 2001 continues …

Editor's note: The Board of Aldermen is currently considering an item that would re-zone the Austin Street municipal parking lot to a "Mixed-Use 4" zone. This follows a study done by a joint advisory planning group (JAPG), which recommended the lot be used for a combination of housing and commercial space, or a mixed-use site.  In addition, the Traffic Council considered last month removing several metered spots in Newtonville at Walnut Street and Newtonville Avenue to improve crosswalk visibility.  Dear Editor --  I am writing because I do not agree with the city taking away 85 parking …

Editor's note: This column was originally written for the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce newspaper. Hello there. My name is Greg Reibman. I’m the new president of your Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce. I know what you’re thinking: “Another new president? What the heck’s going on at that place anyway?” It’s true.  Your chamber has experienced more than its share of turnover.  That’s never the optimal way to run any business. But as every experienced businessperson knows, sometimes circumstances beyond our control require us to adapt, adjust and – hopefully -- emerge stronger. Fortunately…

As an aspiring educator, I am passionate about the influence a teacher can have on students. In January I began student teaching at a Boston Public School, where I have witnessed a great teacher at work.  This teacher has taught in other schools before, but it is her first year at this school.  Many of her students misbehave, which could reduce learning time. But despite such challenges, she has created an effective learning environment through good management skills and student-teacher relationships.  She has one of the highest homework completion rates in the school, her students recently …