SB2: Nothing to be afraid of
Letters to the editor - 3/10/07 Part 3
Article Date: Saturday, March 10, 2007
Editor, The Citizen: The fear mongering that goes on by those opposed to Senate Bill 2 (SB2), the Official Ballot Referenda, never ceases to amaze me. Those opposed constantly mislead and try to scare voters away from change that would allow the elderly, those who are ill, military service members, pilots, truck drivers, those with small children, those who work second or third shifts, and other business/busy people the right to exercise their constitutional right to vote without having to sit for 3, 4, 5, or more hours in a meeting many of them currently can't make. NH Department of Revenue Administration literature on SB2 defines it simply as a form of town meeting with two sessions. Not so scary.
Editor, The Citizen: The fear mongering that goes on by those opposed to Senate Bill 2 (SB2), the Official Ballot Referenda, never ceases to amaze me. Those opposed constantly mislead and try to scare voters away from change that would allow the elderly, those who are ill, military service members, pilots, truck drivers, those with small children, those who work second or third shifts, and other business/busy people the right to exercise their constitutional right to vote without having to sit for 3, 4, 5, or more hours in a meeting many of them currently can't make. NH Department of Revenue Administration literature on SB2 defines it simply as a form of town meeting with two sessions. Not so scary.
State Rep. Bill Tobin claims that his research (not published or otherwise made available) and consultation with other lawmakers (unnamed) lead him to believe that Senate Bill 2 has "serious flaws" and is an "unworkable form of government."
When asked what specifically those flaws are, or what he has done in the last three years as a legislator to correct them, he doesn't respond. This is important since several towns in the state are operating under this "flawed" system. One of Mr. Tobin's claims is that with SB2 voters are not informed. That is an arrogant and condescending attitude. With SB2 voters have much more opportunity to gather and digest information than they do at a school district, or town meeting where when the discussion on an issue moves in favor of one side or another someone yells "call the question."
Watch at a school district or town meeting when this happens. Watch people look around and ask their neighbors what exactly is being voted on. Watch people ask how they should vote because they couldn't, or for some reason didn't, follow the discussion. Watch as they're intimidated by the belief that they'll offend someone if they don't vote the way they think that person expects them to. If you want to talk about people being uninformed let's really bring it home. How did people vote for Mr. Tobin without the majority going to a meeting to discuss his attributes and shortcomings? Could they have been uninformed when they voted for him? According to him, it's likely.
Mr. Salatiello, a former selectman, state representative, and school board member in a recent letter to the editor entitled "What Part of No Don't People Understand" is also condescending. What part of the fact that a majority (not yet a super majority, but a majority) of people have voted for SB2 doesn't he understand? Mr. Salatiello warns that SB2 is so "drastic" it requires a 60 percent "super majority" to pass. Immediately following that he says many communities have "unwittingly" adopted SB2. How does a community "unwittingly" adopt something that requires a "super majority?" Apparently he really does believe that voters are stupid. Those opposed to SB2, including Mr. Salatiello, claim that it takes away people's "constitutional right to assemble, debate, and vote on budget and policy issues."
That's untrue. The deliberative session provides for exactly the same assembly and debate as the school district or town meetings do. And let's not kid ourselves. There really isn't a lot of debate at those meetings. Two different years I've stood to speak at Winnisquam School District meetings. After having made a point and heard an opposing point of view which I wanted to respond to, I was denied by the moderator the opportunity to speak again. So where's the debate? Town and School District meetings aren't as informative as Mssrs. Tobin and Salatiello would like you to believe. You'd better go knowing the issues, or you'll be left behind. With SB2 you have the opportunity to come away from the deliberative session, which is essentially the town or school district meeting without the vote, and read and talk/debate with your friends and neighbors about various issues. After having given some real thought to the issues and finding answers to your questions, a few weeks later you can go to the polls and make an informed vote in a private setting that precludes intimidation or being forced to vote "on the spot" with lingering questions or doubts. And if you can't be at the meeting you are not disenfranchised. You can vote absentee.
Mr. Salatiello says that "the real danger" is that SB2 puts control for decisions in the hands of a small group of people because deliberative sessions are not well attended. The truth is that town and school district meetings aren't either. What does he call 200 (and that number falls rapidly after a couple of hours) out of 2,000 registered voters who show up for town meeting in Sanbornton — a majority? What does he call 150 to 300 (or if there's a big issue 500) voters out of approximately 7,000 registered voters in Tilton, Northfield, and Sanbornton who turn out for Winnisquam School District meetings — a majority? The beauty of SB2 is that a deliberative session is held where the warrant is read and discussed and whether amendments are made, or not, many more people get a chance to exercise their constitutional right to participate in the democratic process and vote on the final warrant.
To suggest as Mr. Salatiello does that supporters of SB2 would have summer residents register to vote locally, then unregister here and register to vote again in their winter communities is a twisted scheme that can't be taken seriously. No one has ever proposed such a thing. What was discussed is that those with summer homes, many of whom were once year round residents here but now winter elsewhere, might want to have one spouse (if, and only if, they qualify) register to vote locally. After all, property owners pay pretty hefty taxes in New Hampshire and if they're not registered to vote here, they have absolutely no say as to how much taxes increase or how the money is spent. The truth is they cannot elect local or state officials who spend their tax dollars, nor do they have the right to stand up and speak on their own behalf without asking permission of the legislative body. (That's state law and I've seen that permission denied.) Thus, if one isn't registered to vote here, they're being taxed without representation. Seems years ago there was a little party in Boston on that theme.
I encourage those in Tilton, Northfield, and Sanbornton to vote for Senate Bill 2. The strength of a democracy is based on the number of citizens who participate in that democracy. Senate Bill 2 provides for more participation. Tradition is a wonderful thing. But times change and so do traditions. Just think. If we really wanted to stick with what was being done over a hundred years ago, we'd all go to town meeting on foot, horseback, or driving buggies. Today is a new day and with the passage of time, like it or not, comes change that best serves people's needs. In the busy world we live in today Senate Bill 2 is a much needed change in our political process.
Sanbornton voters, be sure to vote for SB2 for the Winnisquam School District at the polls on Tuesday.
Review the facts about SB2 at: www.nh.gov.revnue.municipalities.
Peter Dascoulias
Sanbornton
When asked what specifically those flaws are, or what he has done in the last three years as a legislator to correct them, he doesn't respond. This is important since several towns in the state are operating under this "flawed" system. One of Mr. Tobin's claims is that with SB2 voters are not informed. That is an arrogant and condescending attitude. With SB2 voters have much more opportunity to gather and digest information than they do at a school district, or town meeting where when the discussion on an issue moves in favor of one side or another someone yells "call the question."
Watch at a school district or town meeting when this happens. Watch people look around and ask their neighbors what exactly is being voted on. Watch people ask how they should vote because they couldn't, or for some reason didn't, follow the discussion. Watch as they're intimidated by the belief that they'll offend someone if they don't vote the way they think that person expects them to. If you want to talk about people being uninformed let's really bring it home. How did people vote for Mr. Tobin without the majority going to a meeting to discuss his attributes and shortcomings? Could they have been uninformed when they voted for him? According to him, it's likely.
Mr. Salatiello, a former selectman, state representative, and school board member in a recent letter to the editor entitled "What Part of No Don't People Understand" is also condescending. What part of the fact that a majority (not yet a super majority, but a majority) of people have voted for SB2 doesn't he understand? Mr. Salatiello warns that SB2 is so "drastic" it requires a 60 percent "super majority" to pass. Immediately following that he says many communities have "unwittingly" adopted SB2. How does a community "unwittingly" adopt something that requires a "super majority?" Apparently he really does believe that voters are stupid. Those opposed to SB2, including Mr. Salatiello, claim that it takes away people's "constitutional right to assemble, debate, and vote on budget and policy issues."
That's untrue. The deliberative session provides for exactly the same assembly and debate as the school district or town meetings do. And let's not kid ourselves. There really isn't a lot of debate at those meetings. Two different years I've stood to speak at Winnisquam School District meetings. After having made a point and heard an opposing point of view which I wanted to respond to, I was denied by the moderator the opportunity to speak again. So where's the debate? Town and School District meetings aren't as informative as Mssrs. Tobin and Salatiello would like you to believe. You'd better go knowing the issues, or you'll be left behind. With SB2 you have the opportunity to come away from the deliberative session, which is essentially the town or school district meeting without the vote, and read and talk/debate with your friends and neighbors about various issues. After having given some real thought to the issues and finding answers to your questions, a few weeks later you can go to the polls and make an informed vote in a private setting that precludes intimidation or being forced to vote "on the spot" with lingering questions or doubts. And if you can't be at the meeting you are not disenfranchised. You can vote absentee.
Mr. Salatiello says that "the real danger" is that SB2 puts control for decisions in the hands of a small group of people because deliberative sessions are not well attended. The truth is that town and school district meetings aren't either. What does he call 200 (and that number falls rapidly after a couple of hours) out of 2,000 registered voters who show up for town meeting in Sanbornton — a majority? What does he call 150 to 300 (or if there's a big issue 500) voters out of approximately 7,000 registered voters in Tilton, Northfield, and Sanbornton who turn out for Winnisquam School District meetings — a majority? The beauty of SB2 is that a deliberative session is held where the warrant is read and discussed and whether amendments are made, or not, many more people get a chance to exercise their constitutional right to participate in the democratic process and vote on the final warrant.
To suggest as Mr. Salatiello does that supporters of SB2 would have summer residents register to vote locally, then unregister here and register to vote again in their winter communities is a twisted scheme that can't be taken seriously. No one has ever proposed such a thing. What was discussed is that those with summer homes, many of whom were once year round residents here but now winter elsewhere, might want to have one spouse (if, and only if, they qualify) register to vote locally. After all, property owners pay pretty hefty taxes in New Hampshire and if they're not registered to vote here, they have absolutely no say as to how much taxes increase or how the money is spent. The truth is they cannot elect local or state officials who spend their tax dollars, nor do they have the right to stand up and speak on their own behalf without asking permission of the legislative body. (That's state law and I've seen that permission denied.) Thus, if one isn't registered to vote here, they're being taxed without representation. Seems years ago there was a little party in Boston on that theme.
I encourage those in Tilton, Northfield, and Sanbornton to vote for Senate Bill 2. The strength of a democracy is based on the number of citizens who participate in that democracy. Senate Bill 2 provides for more participation. Tradition is a wonderful thing. But times change and so do traditions. Just think. If we really wanted to stick with what was being done over a hundred years ago, we'd all go to town meeting on foot, horseback, or driving buggies. Today is a new day and with the passage of time, like it or not, comes change that best serves people's needs. In the busy world we live in today Senate Bill 2 is a much needed change in our political process.
Sanbornton voters, be sure to vote for SB2 for the Winnisquam School District at the polls on Tuesday.
Review the facts about SB2 at: www.nh.gov.revnue.municipalities.
Peter Dascoulias
Sanbornton
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