April 23 Vote: Question #1 Petition Requirements

I ask you to vote NO on Question 1 at the April 23, 2019 Town wide vote. Question 1 is a punitive reaction by town interests and their supporters so they can continue to stack Town Meeting for their agenda. It’s over before the general voting public has time to become educated on a specific proposal and then have an opportunity to vote privately at a town wide election. This proposed change makes it more difficult to petition Town government. Referendum Petitions are disliked and feared by all special interest groups. Town wide voting provides balanced oversight to counter adverse changes expedited through Town Meeting.

The Wakefield Town Charter changes affirmed at the November 2018 Town meeting will be questions 1-10 on the April 23 town wide vote.

Why do ‘Town Meeting stackers’ argue that Town Meeting is the ‘purest form of Democracy’? Why are they selling that Town Meeting is superior to a Town wide vote? Why does the Commonwealth require that changes to a Town Charter also be voted Town Wide? The truth is sometimes Town Meeting is not representative of the general public. It is over-weighted by Town Counsel, Town Administrator, Finance Committee, other board members, and the many municipal employees they direct. Also attending are folks in private industry that service the town, or whose commerce is directly affected by town legislation. Yes, we are welcome, but make no mistake about it, the general taxpaying public can be at a disadvantage here. Many do not attend Town Meeting as have time commitments and other challenges. Many are uncomfortable in public to raise their hand and have their vote be seen by associates or neighbors. This is not unique to Wakefield; it is part of being in a community.

It’s also true that great ideas can come from small groups of motivated people, and it’s why I am a great fan of Town Meeting. It provides an opportunity for all voters to be heard in public and participate in Legislation. The raw truth is that I support the right of any group to rally the troops and win at Town Meeting. I acknowledge that those who are astute enough to bend the rules to their advantage and achieve victory are the same folks I would want to represent me in a legal battle, and yes, even sometimes be my politician. This does not mean I am naïve. I expect high levels accountability and ethics. Without checks and balances, any organization can become corrupted. The fact is, sometimes Town Meeting fails miserably to represent the people. In America, where it’s ‘for the people, by the people’, we all know a vote by several thousand is more representative than a vote of less than 200. That’s why the Commonwealth requires Charter changes to be voted on town wide.

The ‘referendum petition’ vote at the November 2018 Town Meeting was ironically an example of a stacked Town meeting. Voter count spiked to 181 for the ‘referendum article’, but the next article had only 137 votes. Led by a well-known local attorney, that group of 44 voters did the deed and abruptly departed after the ‘referendum article’ passed. This caused the Town Moderator to exclaim:

“Motion carries, ...Oh, oh!, here’s, look democracy in action! Ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha! Hey you know you people that said it was packed? Bar the doors! Ha,ha,ha! Oh Wow! By the way Mr. Kenney it’s my discretion. Ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha! Yeah, thank you, Oh wow! All right, Article 29, as you, as you respect the crowd and go quietly.”

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL8AgsSkOkQ Timestamp: 2:36:40)

On April 23 we will vote ten times for articles already affirmed at Town Meeting. Contrast that ten (in one day), with the only five referendum petitions that have occurred over twenty years. The referendum votes in 1998 and 1999 affirmed town meeting. The referendum votes in 2008, 2014 and 2018 were rejected. Perhaps this recent pattern of rejection demonstrates that new forces have been stacking Town Meeting and they are less representative of the voting public. Come to think of it, the same folks who are trying to convince you to reduce your petition rights are the ones who stacked the fall 2018 Town Meeting. Go figure? Please vote NO on question 1 to preserve your voting rights and keep a check on Town Meeting.