Time To Plant...Time To VOTE

Hurray!!! Our calendars tell us it is spring, and soon it will be time to plant, rake the yard, get out the barbeque…… and VOTE. Huh? Vote? Is that right?

Yes, our towns hold their annual Town Meetings and elections in the spring.  Many of us know that this is coming, but some either don’t know, or feel that their vote doesn’t matter.  In last spring’s Wenham election (population of nearly 5,000, with 2,880 registered voters), only 352 people voted!  In Hamilton (population 8,500 residents with 5,695 registered voters) 655 ballots were cast... just 12 percent of voters.

As a result, a handful of people made the decisions on what the towns would do and who would lead us.

So why does that matter?

This annual process can have major impact on our schools, senior services, public safety, even things like our trash pick up. Our voting results also have an impact on our pocketbooks, as government run without citizen oversight more often than not results in higher taxes and inefficiencies. The old expression, “No one is watching the store” comes to mind.

Our two towns have in the past suffered from our lack of involvement.  Schools and government often operated “behind closed doors” where bad practices were hidden from public view.  For example: Hamilton Selectmen and our regional School Committee received reprimands for violating Open Meeting laws.

In the past two years, virtually all incumbents running for another term were defeated.  This resulted in many new leaders with the drive and energy to open up governance and accountability to the community.  The change has been wonderfully refreshing, and while we have a ways to go yet to fix years of poor operations and even neglect, we have the people in office who are up to the job.

So if things are better…why take time away from getting out the lawn mower in order to vote?

BECAUSE we could very easily slip back, and allow the old ways to re-emerge.  We in EiE want a “big tent” of leaders with differing views. We urge you to vote for new voices with energy and commitment.  We do not recommend returning closed-minded thinkers to office. 

Please put down that rake and come out to further the progress we have made by electing fresh candidates with new ideas. Let’s get the total vote much higher than last year.  Everyone has a stake in our future.

Hamilton Town Meeting is set for April 6 at 9:00 a.m. and the ballot election is April 11.

Wenham Town Meeting is set for April 6 at 1:00 and the ballot election is also April 11.

The only wasted vote is the one that goes unused.

Respectfully submitted by:

Enough Is Enough Steering Committee
(Citizens For Fiscal Responsibility)
Hamilton & Wenham