Charter Attacks In North Attleboro Disappointing
by Bill Gouveia
Watching some current North Attleboro RTM members and other leaders come out and attack the proposed charter — not to mention the abilities and integrity of the elected volunteers who created it — is sad, disappointing and sometimes disgusting.
But it is hardly unexpected.
After all, at its core the charter question is really about politics. At stake is the very foundation of the town’s political system. Anyone who expected all those currently holding the political power to sit back and allow the elimination of the system they currently control was naïve.
But it is important to note some of the complaints about the proposed charter are vague, semantic arguments lacking true credibility. Many center around misleading conclusions drawn in a somewhat pathetic attempt to defeat it based on emotion, rather than facts — because the facts don’t support a “no” vote.
RTM member John Dromsky made a big deal out of the commission stating the state attorney general had “approved” the preliminary draft of the charter. He correctly noted the AG’s office does not approve content, but merely certifies the charter does not conflict with the state Constitution or laws.
But he wrongly claimed the commission implied the approval involved the content. The commission meant nothing more than the form of the charter had been approved. To say otherwise is not only factually incorrect, but deliberately misleading.
Still, Dromsky’s characterization of commission members pales in contrast to his fellow RTM member and coordinating committee Chairman Bob Nerz.
At a coordinating committee meeting last month, Nerz gave a presentation urging defeat of the charter, stating he wanted to try and stick to facts. He congratulated the nine commission members on their hard work and urged everyone to keep that in mind.
Then during the televised meeting he went on to undermine the integrity of the commission and its members, questioning if they were “blinded by bias” and wondering aloud if the entire process was even valid.
Nerz questioned if commission members were generally unfamiliar with the current form of government, despite the fact the commission chair is a former selectman and town administrator. He even suggested they might be unfamiliar with their own charter.
Nothing but the facts. Right. It’s always easier to criticize others than to come up with your own solutions.
Every North Attleboro citizen should familiarize themselves with the proposed charter. They should compare it to the current form of government and decide which gives them the best representation and bang for their tax dollar.
They should also understand that today, North has no charter. That means the town surrenders certain powers to the state to make changes local voters should be able to decide for themselves. Only a charter gives them that power, and you can change and adapt a charter after you adopt one.
No system of government is perfect. No matter what voters decide on April 2, there will always be problems.
But the charter proposal before them is more than worthy of their consideration, and the dedicated citizens who spent almost two years constructing it deserve more respect than they are getting from some town officials currently clinging to power.
Bill Gouveia is a local columnist and longtime local official. He can be emailed at billsinsidelook@gmail.com and followed on Twitter at @Billinsidelook.
No comments:
Post a Comment