With all that gets said during the heat of the moment in a political campaign, it's important to sometimes look at the big picture, the long-term view. While we all have our gripes about government, it's not some alien force imposed on us from above. Those in office represent us. And if there are things we don't like, it's our responsibility to get involved and work for changes. But government, like most things in life, will never be perfect. It's been said that our democratic system is the worst one ever, except for every other one that was ever tried. Most people want to go about their lives, not get informed or involved in government, and expect it to all go well. But it doesn't work like that. Democracy is a high-maintenance process; neglect it and it becomes a mess. The cost of having the right to decide your government is also having the responsibility to put in the effort to do so effectively.
I get asked why it matters if you vote tomorrow, or whom you vote for. The reality is that both the short-term and long-term health of our community is at-stake. All the effort that went into preserving our town and school services at this year's FTM are at-risk if candidates with personal agendas prevail. The progress made in making both our school and town services more affordable are at-risk. For all the misinformation about spending being out of control, the fact is that school spending went up about 2% this year, municipal spending about 1%, and this has been trending down each year. What the anti-tax crusaders fail to tell you (or don't understand themselves) is that the cause for this year's 8% tax increase was almost entirely to make up $1.5 million in auto-tax money promised by the State but then withheld. And a majority of voters chose to pay $3 more per week in taxes, rather than allow the State's actions to destroy our schools & town services. It was a responsible, long-term investment in our own community, in each other, and that's the reality that gets lost when some spread misinformation to exploit people's fears during difficult times. Our future, as well as present services, is what's at-risk.
It's easy to proclaim empty, feel-good words about "tax cuts". But if you do so, you have the obligation to explain what you will cut to pay for those cuts. The reality is that "quality of life" is about a lot more than taxes. Things don't happen in a vacuum. Every action affects countless other things, and the "rule of unintended consequences" usually applies. The same tax cuts on the federal and state level that were so popular with many are the same ones that pushed the financial burden down onto property taxes. Saving a few dollars in taxes today can cost us all more in the long-run by failing to make necessary investments in our community. Responsible government attempts to balance all concerns and aspects of the community, for the common good. And that's why you need serious, sincere people representing you, ones with the courage to tackle problems honestly, and even risk being unpopular in order to do the right thing.
Most if not all people agree with the bumper-sticker "issues" most candidates repeat like a mantra: create jobs, lower taxes, lower costs & spending, more transparency. What's really at-stake are the details, how we bring these goals to fruition. Whether on the local, state or national level, it seems to me that just about every issue and debate can be boiled down in its essence to three options: status quo, radical change, and incremental change.
Take the tax issue. Keeping things as they are, the status quo, is generally the position of labor unions, who understandably want to preserve the pay-levels and benefits their members have accrued over the years. But the reality is that far too often, these compensation packages are out of whack with the taxpayers' ability to pay. Most agree that change is needed, but what kind of change? Conservative anti-tax groups (like the Tea Party) advocate radical change, drastic cutbacks in taxes and spending that will cause untold harm in our communities. This is a great option to vent frustration or promote a political agenda, but not to govern real people with real needs. I believe that when the options are clearly understood, smart, incremental change is the best course. Things should at least be heading in the right direction. And despite unprecedented challenges, and some opportunists amplifying and exploiting fears for political gain, the facts demonstrate clearly that they are.
But the problem is that competence and moderation aren't exciting. It's the extremes, full of anger and the dumbing-down of the facts, that draw the attention. And this is where fringe deep-pocketed special-interest groups like the Tea Party and their local versions, anti-tax groups like TCC, come in. Knowing they can't win a majority by promoting their true agenda and views, they put on a mask of reasonableness and populism, exploiting people's fears or lack of true information. They rely on voters' apathy and short-term memories to turn dissatisfaction into an excuse to discard reason.
In the end, it all comes down to values. It's easy to cut schools when you don't have kids in them, to cut community services when you're well-to-do, and to not care about the decimation of a community when you have no history in it. Most TCC candidates, like TC candidates David Nelson & Robert Coulter, have no kids in schools, and have lived in town just a handful of years. They've clearly demonstrated that their only interest is self-interest. They have a right to pursue that agenda, but also an obligation to do so in an honest way.
It's stunning to think that there are two TCC leaders running for the Town Council while supporting lawsuits against Tiverton, looking to overturn the decision of the people of Tiverton at the Financial Town Meeting. These suits cost the town precious time and money to litigate, and if somehow successful, could leave the town millions of dollars in the hole. These same candidates lead an organization that raised and spent untold amounts of money to pay for robocalls on the eve of the FTM to scare senior citizens with the lie of a 22% tax increase. And TCC knew it was a shameful lie; not one of them dared even mention it at the FTM. Now TCC won't tell us who gave them the money for these calls. So we're left to wonder: where did the money come from? Was it from outside developers, who will now be looking for a return on their investment if TCC candidates are elected (and do THEY really have your best interests in mind?) If this isn't the case, why not just tell us the truth about those funds? Is this the "transparency" TCC talks about?
What's exciting and hopeful is that one person can truly make a difference, especially when uniting with others doing the same. I urge all Tiverton voters to get as informed as possible, and get out to vote tomorrow. It's also crucial to get the facts out to family, friends & neighbors, and encourage them to vote in support of their community as well. I have a lot of faith in people and in the outcome if a majority of voters truly understand the facts and vote accordingly. If we were to take the time and energy spent in political infighting and devote it to a unified effort to address our problems, our situation would improve overnight. It may be a cliche, but if we work together in good faith towards a solution, we can preserve our quality of life, now and for the future.
Brian Medeiros
Tiverton, RI
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