SB2 will allow voters to take back their government

To the editor,

The Citizen March 9, 2009

The prescription plan for solving grotesque spending is to implement SB-2. We have enjoyed tremendous increases in Meredith’s debt and tax increases due to the ability of a flamboyant School Board and Board of Selectmen to manipulate the budget and Town Meetings. The “Barbarians” are truly at the gate when local government can continue year-after-year to provide less information on reasons for increasing our taxes without providing us with the ability to thwart their quintessential increases in budgets. Leadership fails to respond to a public that is not apathetic, but worn out by worry and over work. The School Board and Selectboard, with their enormous egos, have been hugely successful at gathering forces at town meetings to pass whatever they want. They assume we are the richest people in the state. Some folks live from hand to mouth to make their daily commitments and salary go further. We face rising taxes, inflation , job losses, reductions in retirement plans and reduced income. Personal serenity and security is something of the past. School boards fail to respond to the shocking increases in budgets. They show a manifold dereliction of their duties when they manufacture and manipulate Town Meetings. These boards have virtually unlimited power and no ethics and this situation requires voting reform. Advantages of SB-2: We must launch an effort to shut

down the spending and initiate a process of getting more people involved in the budget approval process and to the voting both. This effort can be achieved by approval of Senate Bill -2 (SB-2) which gives those that are unable to be present for Town Meeting a chance to vote by absentee ballot and the ability for those that are present in the community to vote by secret ballot in the privacy of a regular voting booth during a time of personal convenience. SB-2 permits voters to vote conveniently during regular voting hours during the day.The movers and shakers continue to dominate the budget process with stunts like voting on the big budget cost items at Town Meetings last, at 11 p.m.. Hours are spent on a list of items with smaller significance and at 11 p.m. the major budget of over $10-million comes up for discussion without much opportunity to discuss the line items. Last year an hour was spent on a presentation regarding the fire department and another hour on Long Pond.. There was no presentation on the enormous budget. No PowerPoint graphs and charts were presented as information by either the School Board or the Selectboard. There were no graphs or charts demonstrating performance on state standardized tests, SAT test scores or how we stacked up against other school districts, or a willingness to elaborate on how we spend so much money per student for average results. No voter had the opportunity to ask why we have such a blotted educational administration. For instance, why do we need an assistant superintendent of schools for such a small school district with declining enrollments. No one asked why we need a dormitory and apartments in the fire station renovation project. We need a return of public freedom fighters who want to take our liberties back and allow us to challenge the status quo and a militant political active teachers’ union. We need to vote YES for SB-2, which will give the voter the opportunity to vote in a voting booth and permit the use of the absentee ballot so we can engage in debate. Are you ready to join in the process of taking back our government. Advance freedom and vote YES for SB-2 providing all registered voters the opportunity to vote in a voting booth.

VOTE YES FOR SB-2!

Richard Gunnar Juve

Meredith

HOME