Christopher R. Cook
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On the article Reports: 'Merrimack Valley Bandit' Suspect Apprehended
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On the article Police Presence Enhanced ‘Across MBTA’
Christopher R. Cook
11:34 am on Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Unfortunatley the security methods we use in the USA are reactionary...we never thought terrorists would use razors to take over a plane and crash them, so we institute the TSA, never thought a person would put a bomb in a shoe, Richard Reid changed that. Would never think a printer cartridge could hold a bomb...we were wrong. A guy gets onto a plane with a bomb in his underwear...even after going though the "tough" screening.
Sadly I keep hearing people saying they never thought it could happen at the Boston Marathon. We as a people of the USA arent prepared to face the fact everywhere is a threat. It was a very public, very open, heavily televised event with tons of spectators all carrying backpacks. Carrying a bomb in a backpack would never look out of the ordinary.
I talked to a girl from Isreal who said when we hear one go off...we all run...cause we know a second one is prob going off close. Instead we had people in Boston standing around taking pictures with no real thought of...theres prob another one around here...myself included. I would expect the streets of Boston to either be void of trash cans...or install bomb resistant ones after this. But thats the key word.....AFTER this....there is rarely proactive steps that are taken. We are always one step behind. -
On the article Police Presence Enhanced ‘Across MBTA’
Christopher R. Cook
10:42 am on Wednesday, April 17, 2013
ReplyI have no problem with the enhanced presence, but all this uniformed presence does is try and "scare" a potential attacker away from that point in time. Its the raw intel side, the backside work, that will catch the planning stages.
How often do you hear of a uniformed officer straight up stopping a terrorist attack right before it happened...it doesnt happen. Do I mind a MBTA cop walking around cars...no....but just like after 9-11...as time goes by....we get complacent. I remember going to a sporting event in the years following 9-11...EVERYONE was patted down and checked. Ive been to multiple events when I havent even gotten wanded or patted down...i was just waved through.
Time will pass....people will think it wont happen again here....budgets will get tighter...less money available for the enhanced presence...and were back to where we started. -
On the article Mass. Tax Plans: Too Much, Too Soon? Or Too Little, Too Slow?
Christopher R. Cook
12:50 pm on Monday, April 8, 2013
the latest report I read from MassDOT has debt service due on the Western Pike (west of 95) portion still paying for a few more years as they had the authority to bond out maintenance
This was in the latest Gov. "21'st Century Trans Plan" that laid out the debt service currently owed and the debt service that would be incurred if all his plans were executed
It had line items explaining the western turnpike debt was due to be paid by FY 2017
funny thing is the WT tolls pull in around 120 million per year, but debt service is never more than 20
so its been pulling in a ton of cash that has been spent elsewhere in the state -
On the article Mass. Tax Plans: Too Much, Too Soon? Or Too Little, Too Slow?
Christopher R. Cook
12:38 pm on Monday, April 8, 2013
come on Saber....they changed it to "non-emergency"
I am considered one of these as my job isnt plowing during a snowstorm
If i had drove to work during that blizzard I would have been arrested...remember -
On the article Mass. Tax Plans: Too Much, Too Soon? Or Too Little, Too Slow?
Christopher R. Cook
9:02 am on Monday, April 8, 2013
The MTA has been abolished since Nov 1, 2009
It was folded into the new MassDOT created that day
im sure its the mostly the same people, but the Pike is under the states umbrella
Prob is before the tolls collected on the Pike, could only be spent on the Pike
now the tolls are a cash cow for the whole state transportation dept
thats why they also took the Tobin Bridge from Massport in 2009. -
On the article Mass. Tax Plans: Too Much, Too Soon? Or Too Little, Too Slow?
Christopher R. Cook
8:59 am on Monday, April 8, 2013
If the state and town didnt make the infrastructure improvements the Patriots would have went to CT
BTW, unlike many other states and towns who paid for the actual stadium
Mr. Kraft paid for 100% of the stadium and improvement costs of approx 325 million in 2002 costs just the stadium, and funded the building of Patriot Place
im sure his investment is leading to foxborough raking in more general business activity because of Gillette and Patriot Place
He is the towns largest taxpayer...and without him the town would not have a chance at having some of the new faciltiies they built recently -
On the article Mass. Tax Plans: Too Much, Too Soon? Or Too Little, Too Slow?
Christopher R. Cook
8:55 am on Monday, April 8, 2013
No...they are still paying the bonds off on both sections of the Pike...the western portion is due to mature in 2 years and the tolls are legally mandated to come down...unless another portion of law changes the language
the Eastern portion of the pike is allowed to have tolls for a longer time until all bonds issued...construction and maintenance bonds are paid off
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On the article TELL US: What Town Project Is Most Important Right Now?
Christopher R. Cook
4:32 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
ReplyBancroft Elementary School
Considering the vote just got approved this is going to be built regardless. Once we get these contracts locked in, it will be good to go and no question about it being completed.
Youth Center
This has been a boondoggle from the beginning. The more the town waits, the more expensive its going to be. They really shot themselves in the foot by not proposing this with a combined Senior center to be able to justify the spending for 2 facilities.
Ballardvale Fire Station
This is by far the "lowest" cost for the best realizable benefit project I have ever seen and how this has hit so many roadblocks is disgusting. One of these days a house may go up in flames in the southeast part of town and its current location and services of the fire station is going to cause a fatality or terrible property damage. The original cost estimate of 4 million dollars is going to continually go up due to abutters complaining and now it seems we need to acquire private land to drive up the costs. Andover has 3 primary ambulances and 1 back up, but only 2 places for them to operate out of, that doesnt make sense. We have more than 1 ladder, but no space for the second primary ladder. Build the thing already.
Town Yard
To many people fighting over this.
I-93 Interchange Project
10 years away from this cause of enviro and funding problems.
Sound Barriers Along I-93
Already paid for by the state...still a joke of a project. -
On the article Voters Approve Additional $5.8 Million for Bancroft School Construction
Christopher R. Cook
10:31 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013
Replyhappy with the vote...but in all seriousness...does it bother any residents that around 300 or so people just decided the fate of a town of over 30K
this form of gov sometimes makes me question its effectivenessand to the person who wanted to delay it
why would you want to add another possible 2 million in construction costs by delaying it again
what else did you expect to happen between now and the annual town meeting...Andover to magically find 7 million dollars...MSBA wasnt going to give us anymore
since we are a good school district we wont get any other federal or state aid
Christopher R. Cook
10:55 am on Thursday, April 25, 2013
armed robbery is more like 20-30...PER bank
anyone with 1/4 of a brain should realize you NEVER go in armed...the penalties are severe
even if you dont have one and then state you do....its armed robbery
smart ones keep it quiet...pass a note...and walk out