Town Meeting turned out OK after all

Dear Editor:

Despite it all, the weirdness of two rules to cover a tie — one if the moderator hasn’t already voted, and another if it’s a budget item — and the appeals to emotion that would make a Southern Senator Claghorn blush, we passed some good articles and turned down others.

Having been on the Finance Committee, I was delighted to see more than a few 5-2 votes. When I was on it, you were expected to vote in lockstep with the other go-alongs. When I figured out who the two were, I was gratified at the judgment of whoever allowed them to be on there.

Yes, Reservoir Pond was saved, and hopefully a great extra aid to that endeavor (despite the majority FinCom’s and selectmen’s vote against it) was the Community Preservation Act passage, which will cost me about $42 a year (pending a successful result at the next town election). The poor and those in danger of foreclosure will be forgiven the tax, thus voiding that plea to emotion. The kicker argument was from Pat Johnson: “It’s not often that you get a 35 percent return on your investment.” She was referring to the seed money we would put out to attract state and federal funds that would be far more than our investment. We are already contributing to other communities who get this benefit from their CPA investments at the RMV, they told us.

We took on the management of the Ponkapoag golf course, which gives me the creepy feeling that we the citizens will be hit with some costs somewhere along the way. Sometimes we reap a costly whirlwind when we think we just voted for something that costs nothing. But mine was the one vote against it, so let’s hope that turns out better than our jousting with the windmills of Westwood.

Why is it that people try to get you to vote for their warrant article by telling you, “This doesn’t mean that anything will happen. You just open the door for more action to bring it about.” Why would that be a reason for or against doing anything? If it’s a bad idea, it’s bad now. It won’t get any better through the passage of time, unless the meaning of the warrant is twisted and modified (thus making our actions futile and misconstrued).

Have you noticed when someone wants you to vote their way, it’s “Stoughton, Milton, Sharon, Wayland, Lexington and Walpole all have this.” But when they want you to vote against it, it’s “I don’t want to be like Stoughton,” or “We don’t have the income of Lexington or Wayland.”

I used to get nauseated at town meeting, but now I find it greatly amusing and, somehow, more honest. Or maybe I’m so jaded, I don’t expect as much anymore. But I was greatly impressed with the rationality and factual persuasion of the citizens who spoke up for the CPA passage. We actually have some pretty good citizens in Canton who take their civic responsibilities seriously.

No, we’re not Lexington or Wayland, but I’m glad to be in their company tonight.

See you at the polls. At least we’ll have something on the ballot besides unopposed politicians (as we were reminded tonight). Again, not a reason for voting for anything.

Cheers,

Alice C. Brown

Reservoir Circle

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