The End

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In my 25 + years in Middletown, not once have I seen any organized, funded, and strategic effort to defeat an issue on a levy, school board member, or council seat. While I believe the levy results will narrowly defeat the passage of the school levy by a slim margin, with several ballots being thrown out, even a degree of minor organization and funding would have easily defeated it.

At the present, there are the equivalent of four or five households that made the difference. For the supporters, who used MUM students, Ward 2 residents who gave up the convenience and history of a school downtown mush closer to them for a basketball gym that might land a kid a scholarship, such naivety is mind boggling.

For city hall and its legal leadership to allow signs knowingly to be put in place weeks before it acceptable by its own stated ordinances they wrote, such actions demonstrate a mockery of equitable legal interpretation and implementation, and reflect active participation of dishonoring the fundamental principles of ethical and professionalism as written within the code of conduct.

Nonetheless, for absolutely no organized voice of descent to participate in Middletown elections in greater than two generations is a disgrace and plainly ignorant. A week's effort rounding up MUM, second ward, and residential voting blocks would have easily defeated the levy. And while the school board and system may think they received a vote of confidence, they were given a slightest of victories attributed to the lack of earnest effort to organize, and fund campaigns. Such failure has led to every defeat of fine candidates for local office many times, and passage of tax levies which economically, are simply unjustifiable on a cursory calculation of cost/ benefit. I read one man thought it cheaper to build a new school than put on a new roof on Vail. Ignorance is a human tragedy.

Although I would not bother to report it, it would be wise for the reverend and other figures supporting levies and politics, to avoid the risk of losing their non profit status by harnessing their congregation to campaign for a cause that hurts retailers, and their very own church donations and collections, by becoming politically motivated. It is a violation to be a non profit and participate as actively and aggressively as the Reverend and his members did to support replacing a school near his members, to have it moved. Potential scholarships evidently trump convenience associated with distance.

The end was cast years ago for Middletown for many reasons. Among the many reasons, has been the failure for any group, of any sort, to ever attempt to fund descent, lay out fundamental reasons as to why an issue is wrong, and to organize and mine voting records to defeat an issue disagreed. Such apathy, ignorance, or lack of willingness to engage has contributed to The End, as deeply and profoundly, as the city's utterly preposterous late actions and misguided attempts to alter course.

Naivety----that's the description of a Middletown resident.  

http://youtu.be/1b26BD5KjH0      

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acclaro Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878	Post Options Post Reply Quote acclaro Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: The End Posted: May 08 2014 at 9:05am
	In my 25 + years in Middletown, not once have I seen any organized, funded, and strategic effort to defeat an issue on a levy, school board member, or council seat. While I believe the levy results will narrowly defeat the passage of the school levy by a slim margin, with several ballots being thrown out, even a degree of minor organization and funding would have easily defeated it. At the present, there are the equivalent of four or five households that made the difference. For the supporters, who used MUM students, Ward 2 residents who gave up the convenience and history of a school downtown mush closer to them for a basketball gym that might land a kid a scholarship, such naivety is mind boggling. For city hall and its legal leadership to allow signs knowingly to be put in place weeks before it acceptable by its own stated ordinances they wrote, such actions demonstrate a mockery of equitable legal interpretation and implementation, and reflect active participation of dishonoring the fundamental principles of ethical and professionalism as written within the code of conduct. Nonetheless, for absolutely no organized voice of descent to participate in Middletown elections in greater than two generations is a disgrace and plainly ignorant. A week's effort rounding up MUM, second ward, and residential voting blocks would have easily defeated the levy. And while the school board and system may think they received a vote of confidence, they were given a slightest of victories attributed to the lack of earnest effort to organize, and fund campaigns. Such failure has led to every defeat of fine candidates for local office many times, and passage of tax levies which economically, are simply unjustifiable on a cursory calculation of cost/ benefit. I read one man thought it cheaper to build a new school than put on a new roof on Vail. Ignorance is a human tragedy. Although I would not bother to report it, it would be wise for the reverend and other figures supporting levies and politics, to avoid the risk of losing their non profit status by harnessing their congregation to campaign for a cause that hurts retailers, and their very own church donations and collections, by becoming politically motivated. It is a violation to be a non profit and participate as actively and aggressively as the Reverend and his members did to support replacing a school near his members, to have it moved. Potential scholarships evidently trump convenience associated with distance. The end was cast years ago for Middletown for many reasons. Among the many reasons, has been the failure for any group, of any sort, to ever attempt to fund descent, lay out fundamental reasons as to why an issue is wrong, and to organize and mine voting records to defeat an issue disagreed. Such apathy, ignorance, or lack of willingness to engage has contributed to The End, as deeply and profoundly, as the city's utterly preposterous late actions and misguided attempts to alter course. Naivety----that's the description of a Middletown resident. http://youtu.be/1b26BD5KjH0
	'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill

VietVet Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008	Post Options Post Reply Quote VietVet Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: May 08 2014 at 9:50am
	Opposition has been attempted on several occasions. One meeting was held at the old Montgomery Ward building on University years ago, hosted by a member of this forum. A group of 5-10 individuals attempted to hold opposition meetings at the library. The first meeting drew the largest interest but quickly reduced in size with the same 5-10 individuals attending a few meetings after that. The meetings stopped abruptly. One meeting drew the interest of then council member Tony Marconi and current member Anita Scott-Jones. The discussion topic was financing and the methods used to "conceal things", met with resistance, of course, from the two councilpeople. This may have been spurred by Mike Presta, who was suppose to be on the Finance Committee at that time. Another topic was the information from the street improvement committee, chaired by Bill Becker, with Gilleland and her crowd in attendance. Info from that meeting was brought by one individual and discussed. In the end, even the folks attempting to create interest within the community went the apathy trail. No other choice. Like registering to vote, ya just can't get people to become interested in their town and fight against all that is going on here. .....and no one, to date, seems to have the answers to get people to participate. Know anyone who has the ability to organize a group of people that only seem interested in laying on the couch and could care less about what happens here? Would have to be quite the motivator.
	I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.

VietVet Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008	Post Options Post Reply Quote VietVet Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: May 08 2014 at 10:09am
	By the way, I hope you are correct in your prediction concerning the defeat of the school bond levy. Such a waste of money and a burden for some people here. No real positive results from the newer elementaries. Why assume better results from a new middle school and improvements to the high school when the newer elementaries have given us nothing in return. Still don't understand the thinking of the pro-levy people, having gotten nothing from their tax dollars before. Why would you give them more? Just take your money and throw it down the sewer grate in front of your house if you want to waste your money.
	I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.

over the hill Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 19 2012 Location: middletown Status: Offline Points: 952	Post Options Post Reply Quote over the hill Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: May 08 2014 at 10:11am
	They are out there. They often are working in the back ground and working in the shadows. But in the end they have motivated movements. IMO