I have written a fair share of posts railing against the political process and particularly against the republican party in its present day incarnation but I am always blown away at how nasty politics can get even at the local level. My small town government is preparing for its annual town meeting. Essentially, that means every department needs to have their budget ready for review, the finance committee needs to have their reports ready in order to answer any questions from the constituents. This process has spawned so many rude e-mails directed against my hubby, the current chairman of the board. In particular there was one that was written by the school district superintendent, who impolitely told my hubby to cease with the sermons from his exalted position. This rudeness came from my hubby asking the superintendent to recuse himself from being the moderator of the annual town meeting since the school budget and its vote will take place during our town meeting. My hubby felt that him being the superintendent and serving as moderator constituted a conflict of interest since the school budget includes his salary and yearly raise. My hubby asked the superintendent in a brief e-mail, after consulting with town council, to recuse himself because of the conflict of interest. I read what he had written and it wasn’t disrespectful or dismissive. The superintendent apparently chose to take it personally. I find it sad that my hubby, acting in the interests of the town, gets told off by a school official. It makes you wonder how people want to be in politics because this isn’t an isolated incident. My hubby isn’t alone in getting insulted or yelled at, the other selectmen have had their share of unpleasantness. People in political life need to have tough skin.
Small town politics
21 Saturday Apr 2012
Posted in postaday, postaday2012
laurieanichols 