October 3, 2008

Adventures in Town Government

Looking Forward in Tiverton

Justin Katz

I've got a letter in the current Sakonnet Times looking ahead in the effort to get Tiverton on a better, more sustainable track:

In short, if a revolt is to be successful and enduring, it must be considered, and from that necessity derives the difficult, often tedious work that must be done. Razing the town square requires only a match and the flick of a wrist; rebuilding Main Street requires thought and mutual action.

We have to come to understand our town and its governance intimately in order to apply pressure just so, just there (a little to the right) — with light prods to reposition policies where they are awkward or detrimental, with caressive persuasion to relax resistance to new, sometimes frightening ideas, and with the occasional painful tug through which we may find relief. That, in my estimation, is the framework within which TCC must act and in which citizens should participate. Change is a regimen, not a pill.

8:10 PM | TrackBack (0)
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Very good letter, Justin.

Also a good opportunity, especially as absentee ballots will be going out soon, to reiterate one of the points in your letter: everyone should vote only for the candidates they support. If there will be five finalists, on a town/city council, for example, but you only approve of two candidates, just vote for those two. Also, if there's a race you're not familiar with, just leave it blank. The rest of your ballot is definitely still valid if you do so.

Posted by: Monique at October 4, 2008 7:03 AM
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