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Charter Revision and Special Interest Groups
By Joe Cadrain, Winsted
For the last few years, the Town of Winchester's frustrated Board of Selectmen and other bureaucrats have attempted to blame others for their inability to convince voters to trust them or their proposals. They have referred to the Winchester Taxpayers Association organization as a small minority, a special interest group, gadflies, naysayers and the like, yet the voters continue to follow the Taxpayers Association's lead regarding town issues. This action by the voters has incensed the real minority (the Board of Selectmen and bureaucrats) to a point where they are so close to the forest they cannot see the trees. They do not understand that the majority wins—not the minority!
Is the Winchester Taxpayers Association a special interest group? Yes, we are, and our intent is to make information on local issues available to the public. Is the Board of Selectmen a minority special interest group? Yes, they are! Are political parties special interest groups? Yes, they are—and so are unions, social organizations, and other groups with common causes. So here we are with a minority special interest group, called the Charter Revision Commission, cloned by another minority special interest group, the Board of Selectmen, suggesting charter changes proposed by the selectmen. They say we should trust them, because they think they know what's best for us. I ask you: Who would benefit most from the proposed charter changes? In my view it would be those who present their "I want" lists to the taxpayers. I say: Vote NO! Maintain your rights.
Winchester is a small New England town with a precious, charming tradition of a town meeting budget process that brings all those interested in town affairs together for debate. Should this proposed charter revision be passed, the annual budget meeting would cease to exist, because no one would bother to go to a meeting if it didn't provide them the authority to do anything. What would remain would be budgets going directly to referendum again and again until the voters yield to bureaucratic demands.
A February 5 editorial in the Republican-American on the Winsted Charter Revision Commission concluded that the proposed charter change was not in the best interests of the voters: "Charter commissioners are confident voters will approve this change. But in these days of runaway government spending by unresponsive politicians, voters should think twice before giving up the power to restrain the spendthrifts closest to home." I agree with the editorial, which was titled "Preserve voters' right to amend budgets." Have a nice day.
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