From the sublime to the absurd

By Mark Schultz

Yesterday was Election Day in Holliston and for the 4^th time I was re-elected.  I won with 79.97% of the votes cast.  Most politicos would be thrilled with that result.  I never spent a penny on this election but got "overwhelming" support.  However I am very saddened by this result.

Also yesterday the memorial signs went up around town honoring the war dead .  Many say they died fighting for democracy.  If that is the case, the results of the town election and recent town meeting, make those signs even sadder. 

These numbers tell a very sad story.  We all know about the fiscal distress on the federal, state and local levels.   These results raise serious questions about participatory democracy in our town.    There are 9,766 eligible voters in this town of about 14,000. This is a respectable number of voters.  However the vast majority, cannot find the time to even show up to vote. 

At the town meeting on May 4 where the annual budget is set only 208 people saw fit to show up.  That is 2.13% of the voters!  On the docket that night were serious issues that affect every citizen of the town.  Still only 208 people thought it was important enough to miss the ball game or some other activity.  Many departments are taking cuts and their budgets were crafted in a painstaking manner to assure that fee increases and job losses were kept to least possible.   The cuts were designed keep reductions in service and the pain involved to employees to a minimum.  I am grateful that 208 people recognized how important this is.  They exercised their “right to know” and their right to be heard.  That is the basis of our democracy.

Yesterday 286 people made it to the polls.  Granted this was not an exciting election.  There was only one contested race; however 2 boards had a total of 3 open positions (2 for Park Commissioner, 1 on the Planning board).  This astounds me!  No one bothered to even run for these positions.  The rest of us ran unopposed.  This town rises and falls on the shoulders of volunteers who help to run it.  None of us are that special, just people that care deeply about where we live and want to make it better.  I find it very hard to believe that we are the only ones who care this much.

Of these 286 votes cast I got 223 or 79.97%.  Here is an interesting fact to think about.  This election cost the town about $10,000 to run or $ 34.97 per voter.  Looking it this from a strictly financial standpoint, it cost the town $ 7,797.20 to have me sit as an unpaid financial watchdog for the next three years.  I hope to prove that I am worth that investment.

Many people are afraid of service cuts, tax hikes and fee increases.  Some are downright angry about it.  Each has their points, some more educated than others but all are valid and should be heard.  However only 2.9% allocated the five minutes they needed, to express their opinions at the ballot box.  This is tragic.  If you don’t vote you have no right to complain, it’s that simple.

Last November, 79% of the town’s voters jammed the voting booths to join in the national election. We were justifiably proud of ourselves for exercising this most American of rights. Six months later no