A Political Problem

(This article appears in the January 3, 2014 edition of the Monroe Courier as well.)           

      Municipal Election 2013 is behind us and all four of Monroe’s elected boards (Town Council, Board of Education, Board of Finance and Planning & Zoning Commission) have organized.  The First Selectman indicated his number one priority in his third term was to have cooperation and bipartisanship between the boards and also between the parties.  The elected boards have outright rejected this (four votes occurring on party lines, Town Council Vice Chair as well as all BOE leadership positions – Chairman, Vice Chairman and Secretary) call for bipartisanship and, as could have been expected after the election results, Republicans hold all leadership positions on all elected boards.

            Once again, the minority party is shut out of the discussion and the direction of each board.  The sad fact is it does not have to do with qualifications, longevity on the board or quality of opinions or ideas – Monroe’s government operates on the letter at the end of one’s name – if it’s R, you’re in the know and control the agenda, discussion and length of discussion to your desire, if it’s D, you might as well sit down and be quiet.  Why does the letter at the end of one’s name dictate the validity of his or her ideas and opinions?

            The Monroe Courier was gracious enough to offer each party this portion of the newspaper every week rotating between both parties, and still there has not been one post-election “Republican View.”  Republicans get elected in Monroe and that’s it.  They don’t need to answer to their constituents until the next odd-numbered year.

            The voters had their say and it is true that the voters put supermajorities of Republicans on each elected board, but let it not be forgotten that the voters elected Democrats as well.  Monroe’s government is not the US Congress.  Monroe’s government is not even the Connecticut General Assembly.  Monroe’s government consists of neighbors and friends representing other neighbors and friends on boards and commissions.  I believe we are all working towards the same goal – to make Monroe the best Monroe it can be; however, the Republicans add a qualifier to this with their actions – let’s make Monroe the best Monroe it can be, according to us.  I would, unfortunately, not be as surprised at this type of behavior from our state and federal elected officials, but why must the horrid practice of completely shutting the minority party out happen even here in Monroe, Connecticut?  It does not make sense to me? 

            We have a major political problem in Monroe and it has permeated through our government.  I had hope that the Republican majority would include Democrats in leadership – but I was sadly mistaken.  The minority cannot be the first to come to the table seeing as the majority does not need us to run the government.  However, if the Republicans would like to work together, we are more than happy. The ball is in their court.