I just got back from a four hour town meeting…ahhhhh, democracy…just gives me those cozy Norman Rockwell vibes… By the way, the meeting continues tomorrow night at 7pm…BE THERE!
For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, here’s a description:
Town meeting is a form of local government commonly practiced in the U.S. region of New England, but uncommon elsewhere in the United States. Despite the name “town,” it can also apply to other governmental bodies, usually school districts.
While the uses and laws vary from state to state, the general form is for residents of the town or school district to gather once a year and act as a legislative body, voting on operating budgets, laws and other matters for the community’s operation over the following 12 months.
Is this one of those deals where you get a couple of strangers who are passing through and torture them in some hideous set of “town games”? Like the movie 10,000 Maniacs? 'Cause that could take four hours if you prolonged it and maybe served ice cream and cake.
locally, we have the “College Hill Forum” which is kinda like a town meeting. Most of the time, it’s sparsely attended - maybe 20 people, most of who are on some committee or other and have to present something, and any politicos that are running for office (last one, Justin Jeffree from “98 Degrees” attended because HE’S running for city council).
If there’s a controversy, like a road closing proposed or something - you’ll get a LOT of people showing up.
It’s at least a way for one to keep in touch with the neighbors.
Well, we were voting on the town budget and the school budget. There were almost 800 people there. Since state aid for education has been severely cut in the last three years, there is no money to fund all of the essential services, including the schools, without raising property taxes over the mandated maximum increase. This means an override vote at the polls. So, it’s a horrible, contentious split in our town, pitting the police, fire, and seniors against the families with children, as if we don’t all live in the same town! And our illustrious Governor, Mitt Romney, is still pushing to lower the state income tax. I can’t even imagine what the next few years are going to be like for our town.
Mitt Romney? Son of George? George used to be the governor of Michigan. Currently there are those in Michigan Republican circles who are upset because they think Mitt is too tolerant on Gay rights and Abortion issues.
Lyle Lanley: Well, sir, there’s nothing on earth
Like a genuine,
Bona fide,
Electrified,
Six-car
Monorail!
What’d I say?
Ned Flanders: Monorail!
Lyle Lanley: What’s it called?
Patty+Selma: Monorail!
Lyle Lanley: That’s right! Monorail!
[crowd chants `Monorail’ softly and rhythmically]
Miss Hoover: I hear those things are awfully loud…
Lyle Lanley: It glides as softly as a cloud.
Apu: Is there a chance the track could bend?
Lyle Lanley: Not on your life, my Hindu friend.
Barney: What about us brain-dead slobs?
Lyle Lanley: You’ll be given cushy jobs.
Abe: Were you sent here by the devil?
Lyle Lanley: No, good sir, I’m on the level.
Wiggum: The ring came off my pudding can.
Lyle Lanley: Take my pen knife, my good man.
I swear it’s Springfield’s only choice…
Throw up your hands and raise your voice!
All: Monorail!
Lyle Lanley: What’s it called?
All: Monorail!
Lyle Lanley: Once again…
All: Monorail!
Marge: But Main Street’s still all cracked and broken…
Bart: Sorry, Mom, the mob has spoken!
All: Monorail!
Monorail!
Monorail!
[big finish]
Monorail!
Homer: Mono… D’oh!
Like the People Mover monorail in Detroit that doesn’t go anywhere except in circles. It to was suppose to put DEEEtroit on the map also but runs empty most of the time and is used as billboard for any company that wants to paint it.
Update…the continuation of last night’s town meeting went for THREE AND A HALF hours tonight (I did NOT attend tonight)! That makes a grand total of 7 1/2 hours for a town meeting!!! The only reason I know this is because I caught the tail end of it on the local cable access channel as they were adjourning.
(I know you are all just ecstatic to hear about this!)
Robin
As a native New Englander, I hate living in a place where there are (virtually) no towns. The smallest unit of government is our 1000 square mile, 1 million population county. They have meetings, but when you’re a voice out of a million, there’s not much motivation to go – they don’t get anywhere near Robin’s 400.
Our Town meeting ran to about 16 hours this year. Same issues, folks want more services (teachers, police & fire fighters) than we can pay for. Averae turnout of 200 or so people in a town of 15,000. Among the high points were an animated hour long discussion of whether the lawyer hired by the cable tv committee was worth it ($10,000). The citizen raising this concern is an executive in a cable industry association whose position seemed to be that towms should just trust cable companies to do the right thing and not bother with lawyers. The discussion of whether to reopen the library on Sundays at an annual cost of $19,000 took and hour. (It will reopen, but it shouldn’t) Passing the $50 million annual budget took 30 minutes. Go figure.
No. I was wrong the movie is called, “2000 Maniacs”.
It was about some people who stopped in a small isolated town for car repairs. The town was celebrating something or other. The towns people committed horrible atrocities. It was one of those C-Rate horror movies with little plot and lots of fake blood.
By the way, the meeting continues tomorrow night at 7pm…BE THERE!
