Driving on New London Turnpike, near the nearly-defunct Norwichtown Mall, I passed signs encouraging me to vote for two members seeking reelection to the Norwich Board of Education. Understandable I suppose, this being the election season and all....
Except, there are nine seats on the Board and there are nine candidates running.
In essence, if you were nominated by your party, you're in.
Why spend money for lawn signs to encourage people to vote for a foregone conclusion, a pre-ordained outcome? And if you must, how about: "Go, Gravity! Don't Fight It!" or "Darkness. Not just for night time anymore" and/or other blinding glimpses of the obvious.
The Board of Education has, almost by default, as its primary job the cost containment and management (on behalf of Norwich taxpayers) of the education budget--a HUGE investment or expenditure (depending on which side of the budget issue you are standing).
And as a taxpayer, I appreciate the care and caution the Board members show when it comes to my money. And yet, in this instance at least two of them seem to have so little regard for their OWN money in terms of buying signs to speed the inevitable that I have to hope, more so than believe, that this year they will still maintain a wary eye in watching the education budget in a city where actual growth, in terms of an expanded grand list is getting more difficult to maintain. My trouble, ultimately, is that hope is NOT a plan.
-bill kenny
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