Letter to the MetroWest Daily News
“When I came to Framingham” -- these were the words that were heard from most of the twenty plus speakers who shared their courageous stories at last week’s public hearing sponsored by the PILOT committee regarding social services financial, environmental and community impact.
Over one hundred attended this meeting, most of whom were either employed by SMOC or were receiving or had received services from SMOC. The above stated purposes for the meeting were completely undermined by stacking the audience and making this a public relations coup on behalf of social service providers and SMOC in particular.
Those in need of social services within our 67,000 residents should be provided by the existing social service agencies which truly have a broad array of excellent programs.
Making Framingham the hub for an ever expanding social service network to import clients from outside of our town, from outside of our state and as a matter of fact from any state in the nation is wrong. Social service web sites are advertising seeking clients from across the country to come to Framingham. When will Framingham be viewed by the public as Lawrence and Brockton are currently? When will we reach the “tipping point” when long time residents move out of town and real estate brokers are told by house seekers not to look at properties in Framingham because of negative perceptions. You have heard the saying “perception is reality.”
Spread social service agencies
into the other 350 towns and cities in Massachusetts and stop importing clients
into Framingham.
Enzo Rotatori
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