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Health & Fitness

The Election is Here — So It's Time to Pay Attention

My take (and my take alone) on the November 8 election.

Let me start by repeating that this blog represents my own opinions and does not speak for any organization that I am affiliated with. 

The municipal election is right around the corner, so here's my take.

First, a few observations about the campaign thus far. 

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There's been a lot of theater, from waving credit cards to suggesting that fraud may actually be occurring in Town Hall. We've also had our share of straw man arguments. According to Wikipedia, a straw man is "an informal fallacy based on misrepresentation of an opponent's position.'"

So for me, there has been a lot of noise from those seeking to unseat elected officials but not much real detail about how they would achieve their goals in a way that is different than what is occurring now. I can assure you that current Board and Commission members — both Republican and Democrat — are all committed to holding the line on spending, reducing unnecessary programs, eliminating duplication, creating efficiencies, etc. So I'm not sure what is really new here. And to hear that next year's budget might be held at no increase by taking advantage of recently negotiated health care savings is an interesting claim. It seems to assume that the current Boards would not think to do this. If true, this would be an odd concept, since it is the current Boards who have negotiated these savings for the town with the clear intention of controlling Brookfield's costs while maintaining excellent services. (Bravo, by the way, to the current Town and School negotiating teams for achieving remarkable things. Brookfield will benefit for years to come.)

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Finally, the periodic attempt to tie local politics to national issues is an unfortunate straw man. Brookfield does not have the institutional debt and spending issues that the state and federal governments do. What we do have is a fiscally sound government that has a long tradition of providing value for our tax dollars. If candidates believe we can do without certain services, or if they believe that there are areas where we can cut back, they should be specific. Saying they'll find things that others couldn't is easy. Discussing specifics is always harder. 

Now for my say.

This year, Brookfield voters have a particularly important choice in candidates for municipal offices. The difference in approach is significant, and the results will have the potential to shape our town for years to come.

During the past two years, Davidson and Lasser have moved the town forward in significant ways, working collaboratively and openly with other boards and the community at large, accomplishing much while creating budget surpluses. This is a team that deserves the opportunity to continue serving our town.

But for Davidson and Lasser to succeed, we need to elect Board and Commission members who share their collaborative approach to working for all constituencies in town, getting as much done for as many as possible in as cost-effective a manner as possible. To that end, I’d urge you to support the entire Democratic team — a slate that includes three unaffiliated candidates.

With a single exception, Democratic candidates were endorsed by the new non-partisan group called Brookfield’s Best Candidates. And while I urge you to look at Ted Murphy’s candidacy seriously (he would be a fine and collaborative addition to the Board of Education), BBC’s recommendations should tell you that Row A on the ballot deserves your support.

In the end, it is always about what is best for us as a community. In a recent report, the late Steve Jobs is quoted as saying, “The axis is no longer liberal versus conservative.”  These are words that should resonate in towns like ours. As a community, we need to support candidates who have proven that they can get things done, candidates who are committed to collaboration, candidates who have shown an openness to work with all constituent groups to move forward.

I urge you to vote on Tuesday November 8, and I urge you to vote to continue Brookfield’s progress.

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