Well, what I find fascinating is it is a town full of individuals, people who want to stand in their homes on their property and care only about that. There seems to be a lacking in community. Where is the pride in community? The desire to have a strong community base? We have a little over 2,000 registered voters (out of a population of 6,000+) and in our last town meeting where a New England town votes on everything by verbal Aye and Nay methods, there was around 312 voters!
Overall it was an eye opening experience. The questions people had, the arguments that ensued were all fascinating from an observers standpoint. The Yankee mentality....
Some of my favorite from the night were:
Question on buying a new fire truck. 1) How many fires did we have last year? {UM, ok, does it matter if YOUR house is on fire?!?} 2) Well, if the fire truck is just 30 years old, and you say still passes inspection, then it ain't broke. So come ask us for a new one when the old one is broke.. {Again, slap head... If it is broke, what will put out your smouldering hillbilly shack?}
The pain was just excruciating! I am not one for high taxes nor for crazy spending to increase taxes, but sometimes you have to spend money! It is funny that no one questioned the 2.7 to 3% salary raise for the town workers! Shventa, I did not get a raise this year due to the economy!
But the best one so far is the hand painted sign... "Vote NO to the fire dept. They are building a GYM with are money".... are?!? really?
Driving through Jersey, land of the property tax, income tax, sales tax, I looked out the window and saw sprawling stone work fire departments, town halls that look like small estates, post offices spiraling high into the air. I read about new equipment, of parades, of parks, monuments, and schools with money.
So what works and what does not? I do not know....
