Memories of the 28th Century

This is a letter that I sent to one of the local papers. I wonder if they will print it. The issue is whether the town charter will be amended to eliminate the town meeting and replace it with a thirteen member council. The vote won't come until Spring, so I am saving some of the best for later.


When the zeitgeist changes, everything can be different. I was hoping that the election of Trump was an isolated event, but in the Town of Amherst, Massachusetts a Charter Commission reported out a proposed charter that Trump would be proud of. If the proposed charter passes, then local government will no longer be in the hands of the citizens; it will be in the hands of a few representatives and some employees.

At the present time Town Meeting has little power over operations; it just passes the budget, and the Town Manager is supposed to execute. The boards and commissions that run the operations operate within the structure of state laws and are overseen by the Town Manager and by the Select Board. The Town Meeting is an interesting piece of democracy in a mostly oligarchic system, but it is traditional.

It seems like the people who want to run the town don't want anyone watching them. The Town Meeting can look into matters, and it could set up standing committees like congress, but it hasn't, and the present proposal will eliminate the town meeting and leave very little citizen oversight over town business. Money is already spent with reckless abandon, without citizens watching I wonder how much more recklessly spending will be.

If the people are interested, then it would be easy to reject the present proposal and have another charter commission that would reflect the values of the town and would make use of the knowledge and experience of the citizens. One thing that would be necessary would be standing committees that would watch over and report on town departments, including on budget proposals. The Town Manage would simply ensure that the approved budget for operations be followed. The Town Meeting could meet several times a years to consider other legislation, and there would be no need for the select Board at all.

This is contrary to the zeitgeist of the Trump era, but that has to stop somewhere, and we have the opportunity to restore democratic principles.