As Expected

Well, it has been an adventurous week. I haven't been as punctual about blogging as I would like to be. It is becoming hard to think of what to say... This weekend has filled that space nicely. Lets start off with niceties.

I built a bow and arrow, complete with quiver for Henry. He is a very, very happy boy. Actually, I am kind of happy with the way it all came out. I think I would have died for something like this at his age. There may be something in the Bronson genes that communes with sticks. I still have one that I carved in my teens sitting next to my work bench downstairs.

It was nice out this weekend.

I woke early and walked Chauc both days.

I didn't die from heart failure during my music set or at any other time this week.

OK, that does it for niceties. Now for the not-so-nice.

I attended the town meeting this Saturday, or at least the sham that passed for one. I must say, I did not in any way expect that the "politics" of those in charge of our greater state would poison those who govern us at such a local level. I didn't think that, even at this lower level, the need for political office came along with a need to decieve.

I am naive.

The board pulled a fast one, and, in my opinion, truly tried to deceive the people of Rutland. Instead of presenting the town with the budget that the school committee had come up with, they came up with their own figure, which was significantly less, and, without any explanation, or even admission that they had changed it in any way, attempted to get their own version passed. Fortunately, some of us caught on and tried to piece together what should have been presented. Unfortunately, it was too late as confusion swept the audience. I had very little hope of the school's budget passing in Rutland, especially because the town foolishly rejected the 2 and a half prop override. I was content to see the budget fail and was ready to be a part of the process either way. However, I am truly saddened that, for what I can only surmise was because of the board's lack of belief in the intelligence of the people of Rutland to hear clearly and vote with a clean and informed frame of thought, the board tried to make our decision for us.

This is the result of their, at best, misguidance, at worst, subterfuge:

The question's resulting vote was absolutely meaningless. This, in my understanding, is how this played out.

A vote of yes, to their lower budget request could do one of two things:

If the rest of the towns vote to accept the school budget
1. Be completely meaningless because the town's would then dictate that Rutland must pay the school's original budget request.

If the rest of the towns vote against the budget:
2. Be completely meaningless because the School committee would have to reconsider the budget and pass a new, lesser budget for the towns to approve.

This was the case by the way, they did vote in the meaningless number.

A vote of "no" for the town proposed school budget would do these two things:

If the rest of the towns vote to accept the school budget
1. Be completely meaningless because the town must pay the amount the school originally dictated anyway.

If the rest of the towns vote against accepting the school budget:
2. Be completely meaningless because the school must then reconsider the budget and approach the towns with a new figure.

What a huge waste of time and energy. We are now stuck in this purgatory of voting yes against the school budget.

It was awful. It was my first town meeting. What a terrible mess. Perhaps we should have had the voting of the town officials after the town meeting.

db