The general public's understanding of of creating a public works project is pure ignorance. Parks, Statues, monuments, buildings, and civic projects are politically sacred obligations intended for posterity.
When Mansfield, CT decided to build a Community Center 20 odd years ago someone should have explained this to them. Something along the lines of, "Oh, by the way, you build it - it's yours to have, hold and maintain, kit and kaboodle, FOR POSTERITY". But that's not what was sold to them. Uh uh.
The citizens of Mansfield were sold an ever-Wokey nirvana-esque pit stop for peace, love, and understanding that involved all of Region 19 with Mansfield residents being very, very special and everybody else paying the overhead. Well, I'm getting ahead of the story.
Most of the Mansfield public not imprinted with the woke mind virus understood it would never break even in terms of expenses and were more or less resigned to that reality. Putting up with listening to health nuts sing Kumbaya once in a while was tolerable and NO BIG DEAL.
But there was another disconnect. The building and the services offered in that building are two separate cost centers both of which were being taxed locally in Mansfield! Local taxes HAD TO pay for the public works thing built next to Mansfield's pos government offices. I mean you can't just hide it. Not that they didn't try by having an ugly, perfunctory MLK mural slapped on the side of the building to ward off anyone who might make noise. "Look, we got a therapy mural!"
But as the shiny new object got more expensive to operate, the local posse of political hacks began devising strategies to turn that Nirvanistic rat's nest of health seeking locals into an engine of health for profit. Now we've caught up.
Why are Mansfield tax-payers paying for the services side of the equation? Dagnabit, these angry citizoids were told to believe that they would have FREE (as in "free beer") access to the now legendary town under-utilized facility thing. Not that they actually ever want to go in there - its just the principle of not being asked to pay twice - this a theme that we will return to.
This cohort of social media participants could care less about senior citizens. It's a show-me-the-money crowd. Not that there's anything wrong with senior citizens.
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Swarmy Expectations: Mansfield CT Public Works
The Facebook Mansfield Connection Censored Entry
I've been doing some free (as in free beer) analysis and troubleshooting work locally because the Community Center I attend in Mansfield, CT is trying to pull a fast one (as in fraudulent scam) involving Senior Citizen insurance benefits.
The Mansfield Community Center has created a political narrative that removes Tivity
Health based reimbursement incentives (Silver Sneakers, et al) from being used to access the facility offerings.
The politicians claim the facility is being short-changed. I attended the public meeting. Mansfield's Facebook page is where the issue is being discussed and my remark was censored. This is the exchange of interest.
"I
attended the Mansfield Silver sneakers public hearing and will
provide some information that should open some eyes.
The
first speaker noted that the Board claimed that the Silver Sneakers
reimbursement claim was incorrect. I looked up his assertion in
Google AI.
Mansfield Parks and Rec claims that "For
every dollar received for a traditional MCC membership the insurance
providers reimburse an average just 42 cents. Unfortunately, the
revenues received from insurance carriers to provide these services
are not adequately offsetting the costs." This is not only a
fraudulent claim but it is equally disingenuous in its attempt to
gaslight the public.
An individual MCC membership fee is
$39.00/mo. $39 x .42 = $16.38/mo reimbursement. The problem is that
that's not how reimbursement works.
Google AI: "The
reimbursement that a community center or gym receives from Tivity
Health, the parent company of Silver Sneakers, is typically on
a per-visit
basis.[1]
This means the facility is paid each time a Silver Sneakers member
checks in.
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What I find interesting is that a for profit business seems to think it is profitable enough to continue but that a government department does not think this is so. This is rather unique in my experience. Perhaps we should compare how each is applying this to see if any modifications should be made to make the program more profitable.
Also, will there be a review of policies if the projected income does not materialize and/or if there is a drop in membership from people 65 and older.
Last thing....is every program at the center run at a profit?
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Steven Knauf Google AI: "Understanding the project involves grasping its purpose, scope, and the processes involved in its execution and completion. This includes defining clear goals, understanding the project's lifecycle, and identifying key components like scope, time, cost, and quality. A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end, aiming to create a unique product, service, or result."
IMO (and I don't think I'm wrong) when government dedicates itself to a long term public works project, say a Community Center, it is performing a civic entanglement, much like marriage, "for better or for worse". In other words, this isn't about initial cost but about long term civic upside - not always fiscal.
This Mansfield government doesn't understand the project. The MCC is a maintenance challenge. It requires a thoughtful maintenance schedule that softens that cost. Mansfield's P&R budget spending resurfaced the gym floor, bought lots of new equipment, added an outdoor pickleball court, added a new massive playground, on and on and on. It exploded the public works budget and played accounting tricks with lots of loosey-goosey cost centers. And, as an inevitable consequence, has saddled future generations of tax-payers with the continuing maintenance and upkeep cost.
So it comes as no surprise, that they're phishing for money and the seniors are an easy (but pyrrhic) cash cow to cover their spending addiction.
When I queried Google Ai about Mansfield's budget, it suggested that Mansfield has added a lot of new employees lately. It's that sucking sound you hear around town.
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I don't believe the seniors are an easy cash cow. I agree with you it is pyrrhic at best. I think it sends a bad message but time will tell."