LETTERS
TOWN MEETING NEEDS TIME LIMITS

To the editor:

This is the morning after the final night of Town Meeting, 2008. Like many islanders who stayed to the bitter end, I am walking around exhausted and spent from two, four-and-a-half hour marathon sessions we endured to conclude the town's business in just two nights.

Is this really the best way to conduct the important business of Town Government? The articles brought to a vote after approximately 10 p.m. were pushed through with little or no meaningful dialogue. It was just "aye, aye, aye" until Sarah brought the gavel down to conclude this year's exercise in democracy.

I propose that the rules of the meeting be changed to make sure every article gets time for thoughtful and meaningful discourse. The time of the meeting should be changed to 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., ending the meeting after the vote on whatever article is under consideration at 10 p.m.

This change would allow not only the thoughtful consideration of all the matters before the voters, but would also allow more people to plan to attend the meeting. Parents could arrange for babysitters, many of the babysitters are youngsters themselves who need to get a good night's sleep before school. Knowing that you would be home at a reasonable hour might also encourage people to stay beyond the discussion of their "pet" articles and avoid some of the exodus we see after hot button articles have been put to rest.

Others before me have suggested changes to the Town Meeting schedule, such as all day Saturday meetings that might possibly conclude all of the town's business in one sitting. Regardless of the method, it is time to consider a substantial change to the process to bring more voters into the meeting, and to allow ample time for the full and complete discussion of matters which will affect the people of our town, now and far into the future.

Sincerely,

- Kenneth L. Beaugrand

SHORT-TERM WORKERS VITAL

The following letter was originally sent to Congressman William Delahunt and is reprinted here at the author's request.

To Representative Delahunt:

I am writing to inform you that the House Immigration Subcommittee has scheduled a formal Hearing on the H2-B program on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 2 p.m. at 2141 Rayburn House Office Building

I ask for your support and pass, the Save Our Small Business bill. Without our H2B support staff we will:

• Not be open as many days or hours.

Affecting the clients desiring services.

Affecting our Island's reputation of great service

Affecting the summer visitors decision to come again

• Not be advertising as much

Affecting the income and profits of the magazines, newspapers, and television stations we have supported in the past.

Affecting the advertising agency and photographers we normally use.

Affecting the printing companies that produce our direct mail advertising

• Not be purchasing as many goods and services as usual.

Affecting our suppliers, their employees and overall business.

Affecting the UPS, FedEx and USPS and other delivery companies. As well as the company that picks up the rubbish created by the containers our supplies arrive in.

• Not be hiring additional American workers as result of the reduced hours.

Affecting the college summer American workforce that will be looking for the other positions that the H2B workers do not qualify for.

Affecting the American personnel that we would normally hire for the additional hours we will not be open.

Affecting our profits which allow us to employ our core staff in the slow winter months. These employees may end up on unemployment this coming winter.

Congress still has a short time to avoid a complete disaster for me, my company, and the American workers who depend on me and my business.

Congress needs to make passage of the Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act its number one priority.

There can be no excuses about this group or that party holding things up. Passing the Save Small Business bill is vital to American jobs and America's economy.

We are counting on you to make this happen.

On behalf of Tresses & The Day Spa, our employees and clients, I urge you to remedy the current crisis resulting with the failure of elected representatives to renew the returning worker exception and to address the employee needs of our nations Small Business. Unless Congress acts expeditious, thousands of position, for which no U.S. workers are available, may go unfilled-to the detriment of our business, our American employees and our clients.

If there were American workers to take these positions why would we go to all this trouble to bring in temporary workers? After all the Department of Labor sets the wage, determines if there are American workers for the positions and has the final approval of our need. So any argument of wage, availably of American workers and our need has already been answered by the US Department of Labor.

Congress needs to provide Tresses & The Day Spa with access to H-2B short-term workers for this fiscal year and into the future. The annual H-2B cap was hit on January 2, 2008 which was earlier than the exhaustion of the cap during the previous fiscal year.

H-2B short-term seasonal workers are a small but extremely important part of our company's workforce. And our H2-B workers go home at the end of the season. This is a non-immigrant visa and has nothing to do with immigration.

If you truly are interested in stimulating our economy you will support the passage of the H2B returning worker exemption. To do otherwise would defiantly depress the economy further.

I strongly urge you to support efforts that will ensure access to these vital short-term workers.

If I can provide more assistance, please contact me at 508-228-0024

I am expecting your support. Sincerely,

- Theresa Davis

Salon Owner