Has anyone ever asked you what form of government we have? I have queried citizens that exact question and many have replied that we have a democracy which is, of course, the wrong answer. I just refer to the Pledge of Allegiance and the sentence, “to the republic for which it stands.” A republic is a country with a representative form of government. We elect those officials who will be our representatives in and therein lies the problem of citizens not voting.
The first perplexing matter is the dismal percentage of citizens who vote. Why even bother to register to vote when one is not going to undertake the action of voting? I often state that Windham’s election turnout last June is a prime example of apathy as ten percent of registered voters actually voted. This disturbs me because we were voting for our own town council and school board members right here in Windham.
Since such indifference runs rampant, we can only expect that we get what we deserve and the percentage really drops when you see that the vast majority of citizens do not attend council or school boards meetings. I take my right to vote and participate in our government seriously and also attempt to have other citizens do so, no matter their political philosophy (or lack of). If we do not take an interest in the functioning of our government, who will? Lack of citizen concern allows a small minority to take control assuring that their agenda will be completed. I have to ask is that what you want? More and more citizens seemingly only partake in our community when something causes a great deal of pain. That’s a technique used by political parties and public officials. The Property Tax Cap proposal is a prime example and believe me, it will be used again in the near future. The problem is that the voter is tricked into what they perceive will cause the pain, not the political agenda put forth.
We must ensure that our government at all levels is responsive to us. I firmly believe that this has been lost to a great extent at the state and federal level. A perfect example is Maine’s deficit which is in the billions as the governor and legislature raided the state workers’ retirement and health-care funds while a state official proclaims we had an increase in revenue and are now in the black.
At the local level here in Windham we must attend or at least watch our local government at work. We must have public participation to ensure that our tax dollars are spent wisely and are fully accounted for. That public participation must include the freedom to speak at all meetings and allow us to engage in an intelligent debate with our elected officials. We certainly need a council and school board that does not shy away from allowing us to publicly debate. And we must always be conscious of any board or council that never says no.
We certainly must retain the rights as given to us by the Constitution of the United States and not a town charter that infringes upon our rights like the right to reform our government when it becomes necessary. When we elect an official to represent us and the opposite occurs, to be a true Republic we must have the authority to remove elected representatives when deemed necessary. Please register to vote and vote each and every Election Day. It really does make for a better place to live.
Remember the following words from a Native American saying: Tell me and I will forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I will understand.
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