It's Time You Said Something

I offered the bulk of what follows about the city budget a little more than nine years ago proving either time flies when you're having fun, or we prefer problems that are familiar to solutions that are not. Oftentimes, it's a matter of deciding to be a victor or a victim and for my money too often we choose the latter. 

I find it heartening in a nation with an ever-shrinking attention span, we are willing and able to dedicate ourselves to a serious and lengthy process that we know going into it has no easy answers, simple solutions or universal happy endings (sorry, Bob Kraft).

Actually, the development of our budget of over $137 million is, I think (and I could be in the minority and that wouldn't surprise me), when we are at or near our best as residents and shareholders in this corporate entity, if you will, called Norwich, Connecticut. 

Yeah, that's a lot of money because this is a lot of city with a lot of services and agencies doing the things, we, its residents, expect and require. I think I’m worth it, how about you? Of course, we are.

Many agencies and municipal departments have already weighed in and tomorrow night after the rest of the executive departments have presented their requests, the first of the public hearings will be held allowing us to formally discuss with our  city council (and one another) what  we want in terms of the quality and quantity of municipal services, ranging from public education and public safety to trash removal, through road resurfacing and everything in between, and (as importantly) what we are willing to pay for. 

There are no right and no wrong answers, at least I don't think so when it comes to defining who we wish to be as a city and paying for the ways and means we take to get there. The only way we fail is if we choose to not try and to not engage as a process demanding our involvement and engagement unfolds.

We should each come prepared tomorrow night (and in the days and weeks ahead) to speak as well as be willing to listen to others when they speak because that's how reasonable people develop solutions, not by scapegoating and searching for the guilty. 

I meet people every day who tell they've never attended, or spoken at, a city council (or any public) meeting, I don't recall ever hearing a good reason for why not. And this year would certainly be a good time to consider changing all of that. 

And if you won’t speak out, at least speak up, via email or a phone call, to one or more of the alderpersons and tell them what you think of the budget they are working to develop. 

Democracy is a contact sport. You have to choose to take a chance to make a choice or to remain standing on a sideline and watching while other people make decisions for you and your family about where we all live. And why would any of us choose to do that?

-bill kenny