Voting is a Citizen's Duty - DO YOUR DUTY!!! - Granite Grok

Voting is a Citizen’s Duty – DO YOUR DUTY!!!

voting booth

Nashua calls itself the “Gate City.” One thing about gates: they allow admission and they also enforce exclusion. Looking at the current political environment in Nashua, the key seems to be the enforcement of exclusion – but in this case, exclusion of residents – and especially parents – from the political process.

We have an opportunity on November 2nd, 2021.  The opportunity we have is to implement change by how we vote.

Look at the Board of Education, for example. The latest decisions (I’d say “antics,” but I’m feeling charitable) do not lead one to believe that the opinions of residents – and especially parents – are being considered when policies are handed down.

As an example, the “science” on face masks and whether they help to prevent disease transmission is still not sufficiently proven … and please don’t give me that “we follow the science” nonsense. Air-permeable masks permit two-way transmission of “moisture droplets”: if the goal is to prevent “moisture droplet contamination” from lungs and nose, the only way to provide protection would be a hazmat helmet.

We also know that the current BoE has had its own behavioral issues, with some members actually insulting both other members of the BoE and the general public. One even mentioned “bucket of [redacted]” when asked about the opinion of non-BOE members. And if you are going to serve as a member on a public board, you should remember that you serve on the board: indeed, you are a public servant and the members of the public are not your subjects.

Examples of anti-parent behavior by the majority of members on the current BoE abound. I won’t review them all here. It is enough to say that the BoE has permitted – indeed, it has encouraged –teachers to become untrained and unlicensed psychoanalysts of children in their classrooms. Frankly, I’m not ok with a quack shrink teaching SEL to Nashua’s children.

On November 2, 2021, we have the opportunity to reassess who sits on the Board of Education.  We have the opportunity to evaluate whether they have acted in the best interests of the students of Nashua.  And we have the opportunity to make changes if we feel that the BoE has squandered its power to do the right thing.

And then there’s the Board of Aldermen, who apparently have never refused an opportunity to spend money. In fact, the current BoA doesn’t even use its own standards when voting on an expenditure.

Let’s take the PAC for example. Whatever happened to the promise that approval would require a minimum $4,000,000 (million) dollar private-sector funding guarantee before any public expenditure would be approved? Did the members of the BoA lie about that so they could get their names etched on one of the steel construction beams (yes, that really happened) and maybe a brass plaque in the foyer? Did none of the members of the BoA look at the explosion in projected expense and say “Maybe we should rethink this?”

Ok, it’s late in the game to change this. We’re stuck with the PAC.

But what’s next? Can we trust the BoA to stop coming up with new ways to spend Nashua taxpayer revenues on other unnecessary, unneeded, and unwanted construction? I realize that there’s no glory in making sure that roads are paved (on time would be nice, but paving them at all is a requirement). Maybe it’s a hardship on their consciences to ask restaurants on Main Street to pay additional property tax revenue for the sidewalk space they are using at taxpayer expense.

It would be nice to put a halt on the nonsense spending for a year and work on solely the infrastructure. Not buying private properties and selling them at a loss (the list is online if you’re interested). Or playing games with property assessments. Or taking back excess revenues and using them to defray existing expenses rather than building a dog park (the mayor wants it, but the BoA has to approve it).

On November 2, 2021, we have the opportunity to reassess who sits on the Board of Aldermen.  We have the opportunity to evaluate whether they have acted in the best interests of the residents of Nashua.  And we have the opportunity to make changes if we feel that the BoA has squandered its power to do the right thing.

This is 2021. Almost everyone has either a computer, tablet, or smartphone. There is simply no excuse to walk into the polling place without being fully informed on the candidates. Web searches on Nashua political entities isn’t being shielded by anyone. Yes, there may be some candidates (including current members of the BoE or BoA) who “block you on Facebook” – but why would someone currently in political office, or running for political office in Nashua block anyone from seeing their online history and past posts?

I know who I’m going to vote for when I walk into the polling place. I already have a list. I’ve written it down. I’ve checked it twice. I know who’s been naughty and who’s been nice. But unlike Santa, I don’t intend to give anything to those who’ve been naughty. Not even coal.

Do you know who you’re going to vote for? Why not? The election is less than 2 weeks away.

You only have two duties as a citizen: to be on a jury, and to vote.

Do your duty on November 2nd, 2021. You have nothing to lose… except your freedom to do as you wish, to educate your children as you see fit, and to make sure that Nashua’s tax revenues aren’t wasted.

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