It's now been just over seven days since the Rochester Town Board took a potshot at free speech. What's even more amazing is that - in that time - the Board has yet to issue an official apology. During the past week, several newspapers published articles about the scandal, some lambasted the Board in their editorials (even calling for resignations) and even had political cartoons drawn to make fun of the extremely poor way in which the Town Board handled themselves last Thursday. The Committee on Open Government stated that they could, in fact, have discussed the Executive Session in public, so they found another excuse (possible litigation) to keep quiet.
Has this had any effect on the Board? Apparently not much. Instead of admitting their mistake, apologizing and taking their medicine, the Board's Deputy Supervisor called the Sheriff's Department for police presence at Wednesday's Special Meeting. The Board discussed matters that don't seem to have been in the Meeting Notice (at least not the one posted on the Town Hall door.) The only member of the majority who seems to have some inkling of how much damage they did to their reputation is Alex Miller, who pushed the Board into moving March's regular meeting to the Fire House in order to prepare for the crowd which will undoubtedly show up.
What's worse is that whenever you speak to any of the Board's supporters, they either try to defend the Board's actions or, at best, tell us that the Board needs to mend fences with the public. They never, ever admit that what the Board did was just pure wrong. This isn't just about perception and reputation. It's about right and wrong for public officials. It is ALWAYS WRONG to tell the public they can't have their say. Its is ALWAYS WRONG to refuse to move a meeting to accomodate the public. It is ALWAYS WRONG to refuse to acknowledge that the public are the employers of public officials. It is ALWAYS WRONG to act as if the public serves the Board and to order them around.
The problem is the old saying: power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. This rule affects conservatives as well as liberals. However, those who believe that government is - by nature - incompetent, corrupt and dangerous are less likely to fall into this trap than those who look to government for solutions. That's why Thomas Jefferson told us that "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty."
And vigilant we shall be.
3 comments:
One way I determine what I want from government is to see it in action. What action indeed! Most people are to busy to care what goes on and assume the motives of our "public servants" are the same as their own. The people of Rochester are getting a small slice of the kind of government our nation sacrificed thousands of its own to prevent. A dull echo, a reminder of tyranny, IN MY TOWN. This slice is enough for me to pay attention. The arrogance was on full display and we shouldn't become distracted from the fact that they think they know what is best for us and our town. They proved it to me and I don't want them making any more decisions on my behalf. Government was formed by us, for us and answers to US.
Right Time? What time, what station?
thanks.
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