Just some odds and ends for a Monday morning.
On the election:
Four weeks to go until the annual town election. Remember, Fairhaven's annual town election is held on a Monday. I am often ask why that is, and other than the fact that is the date set in the special act, I don't have a real clue as to why.
Jamie DeSousa, Bob Espindola, Jeff Messier and Phil Washko are the four candidates running for Selectman. One seat available, four candidates. You will be hearing a lot about them in the next few weeks. You should make a point to get to know them.
Whoever wins this election is going to go into office with no "honeymoon" period. The budget is a big problem. Simply put we as a town are behind the eight ball as far as funds. State aid was flat in the governor's proposed budget, and the word on the streets is there won't be anything additional from the house or senate budgets either.
Coupled with some of the matters which will be on the warrant for the annual town meeting in May, our new Selectman is going to need to be on a pretty sharp learning curve. Well from his supporters' view anyway.
The first candidates forum event I understand is this week. It is a Candidate's Breakfast Meeting sponsored by the Fairhaven Businessmen Association On March 8, 2012. It will be held March 8th from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. There is a charge to attend ($10). I understand you need to call in advance for a reservation. Today is the last day to call from what I gather. The number I saw is 508-990-8500.
A different election:
Bet there is a fair amount of you who aren't even aware tomorrow is the Massachusetts primary for the presidential election. If you are so inclined, you can go out and vote for the republican candidate who least offends you (if you are enrolled republican or are unenrolled, sad to say I am not 100% positive if we as a state prohibit cross party voting).
I had to check to in fact make sure there was even a primary election tomorrow! Shows you the value of Massachusetts in the mind of all the candidates. Anyone seen an ad looking for their vote tomorrow?
Let's face it, with Romney running, most of the others have made the assumption the Bay State is his, at least in the primary. It will be interesting to see if Mitt gets the nomination whether Mass. stays blue or not in the general election. Personally I think it will. Still a real long time to go on that one. Eight months is an eternity in a presidential election.
Just think, eight months ago most pundits had President Obama written off. Now that the republicans have had time to beat each other up and point out just how less than stellar the filed is, it seems there are a great many people reassessing their options.
Anyway, remember there is in fact a primary tomorrow. Primaries always cause a bit of internal debate for me. I find it a bit baffling that we have developed a system of party politics that allows people who are not members of the party to nominate candidates to run for the party they choose not to be members of. I have gone round and round with some n this debate.
Back to the first election:
I am at this point I am predicting a 25% to 30% turn-out for the annual town election (the primary will be lucky to hit double digits). Prove me wrong!!! Get out and vote, get everyone you know out to vote. Make this election one to remember, and make every one that follows it a strong showing.
I am going to give you a break on the charter commission topic, other than to say there will be more on it sometime this week.
With so many hot topics being debated all over town, it would be extremely disappointing to have fewer than 1/3 of registered voters participate in deciding the fate of Fairhaven. Not only is there a four-way run for the one Selectman seat, there are also two School Committee seats up for grabs. David Gonsalves is the only incumbent running since Mr. Kruger opted out and I believe there are three challengers on the ballot. I think that the most compelling reason as to why people should show up to vote on Monday April 2nd is that every single Town Meeting seat is available b/c of the precinct changes. Remember folks, it's TM that gives the public a voice in the governing of Fairhaven AND they set the budget. In my 13 years as a resident I've not seen a town election more crucial than this one ~ there is a lot at stake and the results of the election will decide the fate of Fairhaven as we embark on the start of our next 200 years.
ReplyDeleteLong ago, in the mists of time, I worked in the cataloguing department of the University of Michigan Graduate Library and there was an index of books that were part of a series. And one of the series I kept encountering was "If I Were Dictator" series. So with that long-winded intro, "if I were dictator" I would bag the whole primary/caucus fol-de-rol and make each party run every candidate, nationwide, on one day very close to the Party's Convention. Then those with the highest percentages can horse-trade at the convention and actually build a platform beyond a personality. No, it probably isn't very fair or democratic on one hand however it isn't seeming to be fair or democratic now between all the money they burn through (Plutocrats-R-Us) and that states with later primaries feel left out because often it has been all over long before everyone has a chance to vote (voter apathy).
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