[fatlazyless]

A letter to the editor, Laconia Daily Sun,
Wednesday, February 20, 2008, from Peter Miller who is a former Meredith Selectman and was chairman as recently as 2006.
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Let's be honest about this; SB-2 is just meant to curb town and school spending

To the editor,

Shame on Mr. Juve for playing the "service" card in his attempt to peddle Senate Bill 2 to the voters of Meredith. Though it has always been true that residents unable to attend the annual town meeting have been disenfranchised from that vote, this criticism of the town meeting form of government is signifigantly less relevant today than it was at other times in American history. Until ADA, annual meeting places were not required to have handicap access, precluding attendance by the disabled. Regarding military servce, far greater numbers of draft-age men served on the front lines - and died - during the Civil War, World War II, and "Nam than is true today. Yet town meetings were not abolished in New Hampshire during those wars. My $20 bill says there has never been a hue and cry in Meredith to abolish town meeting during wartime because draftees were unable to attend and vote.

The town meeting form of government is the democracy that was envisioned by Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and the other enlightened architects of our glorious nation. They believed that free discussion and debate, followed by a vote, produced the best decisions. Our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution were forged in town meeting type deliberations. By practicing the democracy that they preached, these individuals, the greatest political minds in the history of mankind, put heir very lives on the line. If 1776 had failed, they surely would have been executed. hence Paine's famous words, "Give me liberty, or give me death." Town meetig democracy is their lagacy to us, and it is our direct and unbroken connection with them.

Meredith's town meeting has been a lively event all the many years I have attended. Voters have not been afraid to speak their minds. The debates pro and con ther major warrant articles have been excellent, and I for one have benefited from them. Though some votes are far from unanimous, ultimately we respect each other for airing enough to attend, to speak, and to vote. The annual town meeting is an extremely important part of he social fabric of our town.

"But you can still have your deliberative session," say the proponents of SB-2. That's a joke. In every town that has adopted Senate Bill 2, attendance at deliberative sessions has been minimal. It is the vote that brings people out. SB-2 towns suffer from a disconnect between discussion/debate and voting.

Let's be honest about SB-2. The issue is town and school spending, and SB-2 is meant to be a club with which every capital project, no matter how necessary, and every budget increase, no matter how modest and justified can be bludgeoned to death. So please don't insult voters' intelligence with the other rhetoric.

The SB-2 folks say the sky has not fallen in SB-2 towns. But what has been the fate of capital projects in those towns? In which of those towns have employees unionized, and which of those towns will see unionization in the years to come? What is the state of employee moral, employee retention, and other factors with huge cost ramifications in SB-2 towns? What has happened to the quality of services, and the quality of education? What is the state of civic pride? The string of defeated capital projects and imposed default budgets will cost taxpayers more in the long run, but the SB-2ers can't see it because of their tunnel vision. Or maybe they just don't plan to be around when the economic consequences hit.

Here in Meredih, we have escaped the divisiveness found in so many other Lakes Region towns. We have rallied behind capital projects that have failed repeatedly in neighboring communities. We are perceived to be a cut above, and that has attracted many fine new residents and many talented new town employees. We have a very good thing going here, as witnessed by the extraordinary increase in the value of our property. Why tamper with success?

There are many, many reasons why Meredith voters should deep six SB-2. I will say more about them in the days and weeks to come. I have only begun to speak.

Peter Miller
Meredith

Laconia Daily Sun, Feb 20, 2008
Letter to the Editor
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As I understand it, the voting on Meredith SB-2 will be held at the Tuesday night, March 11, town meeting, and a 60% majority is needed for SB-2 to be approved.

Hmmmmm....is this letter the start of the 2009 selectman's race between Peter Miller and Richard Juve, when Peter Brothers' three year term is over? What did Miller say...."Shame on Richard Juve...."...what's up with that...why's he targeting Juve in his opening sentence? Let's not forget that Richard Juve, a newcomer, came close to beating Flanders, and lost a close race by 650-625. And, Miller Lovett was on top with 750 votes as the three candidates vied for two open seats in the November 2006 Meredith selectman's election.


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