The Hartford Courant reports that the West Hartford Taxpayers Association has a new mission that takes it beyond automatic opposition to anything that looks, smells, feels, or tastes like a tax increase:"The local taxpayers' group — known for opposing budgets and confronting officials — wants to attract new members, bulk up on expert advice about how to run a municipality and work more closely and productively with town and school leaders."
"Is this a kinder, gentler West Hartford Taxpayers Association? To a degree, said George Kennedy, president of the group, which was formed in 1933. Spearheading a budget defeat, as it did in referendums in spring 2007 and in June and October "is still our ultimate weapon," said Kennedy, whose family has lived in town for three generations. But the group wants to shed any perception "that it's a bunch of right-wingers," and show that it can do more than say "no" to whatever budget the town's Democratic majority comes up with."
Kennedy explains:
Has a group that now proclaims it can “always” get the vote out for a referendum really turned over a new leaf? And exactly how (and why) does an organization that describes itself (twice) in its new mission statement as “non-partisan” plan to “monitor state and local political activities” (also part of the mission statement)?"Look, our interest, first and foremost, is whether we're getting the bang for the buck from our tax dollars," Kennedy said. "We want to develop into a group whose credibility comes from the fact that we've done our homework, as opposed to that we're just against any tax increase. That would be stupid. We know the town has to move forward."
"We can always get the voteout [for a referendum]," Kennedy added, "but we are more than that."
You be the judge. Upcoming WHTA meetings (at Town Hall):
12/17 at 7:00 p.m. - Rm 400
1/28 at 7:00 p.m. - Rm 217
2/25 at 7:00 p.m. - Rm 400
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I'm taking the WHTA at their word, though I'm hoping that WH FIRST has a place at the table, too (not fair to read them as a proxy for West Hartford Democrats -- almost wrote Emocrats, which has me cracking up).
It's easy to be cynical -- but I think there's too much at stake in the buy-in to support a cynical reading. If the WHTA were in this for partisan reasons, there'd be hell to pay in public opinion.
Here's to the dialog -- and even better, here's to a productive dialog where people actually listen to each other toward a consensus none of the parties are happy with ...
Weird labels, yes?
Yes, we - I - should not be too quick to judge. We'll all know soon enough who is interested in honest, thoughtful dialogue about difficult budget questions - and who isn't.
As for the labels - I listed four of the top five "most googled terms" for that week (the "MOST googled term" was the name of a woman I'd never heard, so I skipped her). I did it as a shameless attempt to snare ususpecting people into visiting my blog -- though in truth, I don't even know if these "label" things are "google-able," and I don't expect success. But it was easier than trying to write a post like: "The death of voluptuous pin-up star Bettie Page, long-rumored godmother of troubled child actor Dakota Culkin, provides Chicago Tribune readers with a welcome distraction from the embarrassing antics of yet another corrupt Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich, who thus far has ignored calls to resign by former West Hartford resident and Connecticut governor John Rowland."
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