Brian, what is it what you accomplished in the last ten years?

“In the 10 years we’ve accomplished a lot of things,” Brian claimed but did not really mention even one of his accomplishments.
If you read in-between the lines of Brian Johnson’s interview Tanguay published in the Southbridge Evening News (SEN), you realize that Brian Johnson actually hasn’t done anything over the past ten years besides to horde chapter 90 funds and to wait.

The SEN: “Johnson said he would like to hold on to his current position to see the results of a decade of planning and saving come to fruition.”

Brian, you don’t need to hold on to your position, you might get a better view to appreciate the results of other people’s planning and other people’s work from the roof tops doing roofing jobs for your own company, J&G Construction.

There is a lot of talk in the interview about “work” and “accomplishments,” Brian Johnson just fails to mention that these projects are NOT planned and executed by the Highway Department; they are planned and executed by OTHER Firms and Companies.
In essence, Brian Johnson is talking about other people’s work and accomplishments.

The SEN further: “On Sturbridge Road, work will begin this summer to alleviate a drainage issue that causes a large puddle to form in the roadway during any significant rainfall.”
Brian Johnson: “That’s a big goal that we’re starting to reach, getting that puddle fixed.”
Again Brian, you are talking about other people’s planning and work.. Brian, with your expensive heavy equipment, a little intuition, creativity, and a transit, this situation could have been eliminated years ago.

Any other Highway Surveyor would have bought two pre-cast catch basins and some concrete pipes, would have blocked off Stafford Road for two days, then dug a trench from side to side, installed a catch basin on both sides of Sturbridge Road, connected the pipe and made sure that the pipe had a downward slop of 2% towards the south side of Sturbridge Road (I would expect a Highway Surveyor to know how to use a transit), dug a trench along the bank on the south side of Sturbridge road where the concrete pipe would exit the ground and filled up that trench with large coarse aggregate. Then, backfilled and paved the top of the trench, DONE!

Brian Johnson, according to the SEN: “Leno Road is a section with major frost heaves in the winter that we plan on attacking.”

Brian, while you do all the waiting and hording of funds four days a week with your crew of four men all summer long, why didn't you seal the road surfaces??
Every child knows that freezing temperatures form cracks because asphalt has not a high tensile strength. Water gets into the cracks and freezes, causing cracks to get wider and heaving of the pavement. The road-ways of Holland are falling apart.

I remember smelling hot tar on occasions when the former Highway Department sealed cracks in the roads during the summer months. I have not smelled hot tar in 10 years. Not every effective method needs to cost millions of dollars.
Here is how it is done, the machine costs as little as $1,400 (AK10 Crack Fill Melter Applicator):

Brian then talks about resurfacing Brimfield Road in 2013.
Brian Johnson:
“We’ve been working on that since about ’06 and that’s going to be a project with MassHighway.”
Brian, who is “we”? What is your involvement? Your work? Directing traffic? Standing on the side of the road inspecting fishing rods?
That’s the only thing I have seen you doing during the recent construction of the storm water drainage systems along Mashapaug Road that OTHERS designed, OTHERS planned, and OTHERS built, and that was paid for by match grants.
To give the readers an idea of the kind of money that is being spent in one month just on planning, here a copy of a monthly invoice for services provided by SEV Associates, Engineering, Planning, Landscape Architecture, Surveying. (as always, click on the bold/italic term to follow the link to the document or webpage, this is consistent throughout the Holland Blog.)
Brian, they even do the photocopying for you at a price of $2.50 a copy..

Again, Brian, what are you doing all the time, what are you doing the four days a week you are suppose to be working?

The SEN: “Over his 10 years as highway surveyor, Johnson said he is also particularly proud of the road maintenance his department handles in the winter with plowing and sanding. “We have a great crew,” he said. “A lot of thanks goes to the crew on that one.”
No complains about the snow plowing, I have seen Highway Department trucks pushing plows over bare roads. I learned that there is extra money to be made on weekends and after hours. But again, that is called snow plowing, road maintenance is what you do during the summer, or better it is what you, Brian Johnson, failed to do over the past ten years.

Brian Johnson in the SEN: “It’s something I’ve done for 10 years and I feel I’m growing with the job.”

Yes Brian, again, I agree, (see picture on the right)!

The picture above shows Brian standing in front of my car after I took a picture for the piece Office or residence? While his friend/neighbor was standing behind my car so I could not move, Brian Johnson called the police (state and local).
Once the local and state police showed up on the scene, Brian and his neighbor/friend ganged up together against me and lied to the police, claiming that I trespassed onto Brian’s property.
Fortunately, my pictures taken with my digital camera which leaves timestamps on each picture, told a different story and exposed Brian and his neighbor/friend to be liars, as reported in the piece, Our elected Highway Superintendent a liar?

I don’t know much about Brian’s opponent George Carling. I had not heard the name before he filed his nomination papers. I hope that the voters of Holland give Mr. Carling the chance he deserves; Brian Johnson had his chance and needs to leave together with his corrupt father.

Brian Johnson posed with family in front of his oversized campaign sign for the parade on Memorial Day. I have not seen him at the flag rising or at the Memorial. He was also not at the cemetery or at the Senior Center.

Holland can do better and deserves better, vote for George Carling!

June 7, 2010, Peter Frei