Oh, man, Susan, do I ever agree with you on that! Why I don't post here much these days (tired of reading the same old whines over and over). I am busy working on other things. LOL- I might even be appointed Justice of the Peace to fill an opening when one resigned in my town. JOP is a position that in VT has no assigned duties other tha…
Oh, man, Susan, do I ever agree with you on that! Why I don't post here much these days (tired of reading the same old whines over and over). I am busy working on other things. LOL- I might even be appointed Justice of the Peace to fill an opening when one resigned in my town. JOP is a position that in VT has no assigned duties other than being present at elections and Town Meeting (used to function as a magistrate, but that was removed a very very long time ago).
BUT I found out that though elected at town level, they are actually a part of the state judiciary system. Which would put me in a wonderful position of working within town government without having to answer to it (my town is just now really moving from dysfunctional to possibly functional after years of screwups and actual illegalities).
I'm not a lawyer but do read law, and startled the "chair" of the town D committee, who thought that because the law required parties to have an "organizing meeting" before election season every two years, that was the only meeting they could have. LOL. I explained that the law meant that any political party is required to hold an organizing meeting, which meant that they then went forward as an independent nonprofit organization that made its own rules, created its own structure, and all of the local committees then communicated through that structure to create platforms and select candidates. OMG. He didn't know that. And even our rep didn't know that JOPs are, under the law, part of the state judiciary, not the town gov.
Sometimes this is fun. Sometimes it is hair-pulling. But we do finally have a woman on the select board, and if I get the JOP position (in Governor's hands now), I'll be in the middle of everything along with the other people who are tired of tearing their hair out. These changes start at the local level, and it is time for the five old farts who are running things let some of the rest of us in. We need to start planning for the future instead of just doing the same thing over and over. Next year I am going to run for the town committee chair and use it to make the party visible here so that new people know where to go.
Haven't heard about the JOP yet- gov is not required to appoint a replacement of our choice, but that is how our law works. If I don't hear, I'll contact gov office to find out.
Thanks, Suz-an. I've been immensely grateful for people like you on this forum. I'm one voice, but not the only one- all our voices add up, if we can just plow through the noise that does nothing but distract from doing.
Oh, man, Susan, do I ever agree with you on that! Why I don't post here much these days (tired of reading the same old whines over and over). I am busy working on other things. LOL- I might even be appointed Justice of the Peace to fill an opening when one resigned in my town. JOP is a position that in VT has no assigned duties other than being present at elections and Town Meeting (used to function as a magistrate, but that was removed a very very long time ago).
BUT I found out that though elected at town level, they are actually a part of the state judiciary system. Which would put me in a wonderful position of working within town government without having to answer to it (my town is just now really moving from dysfunctional to possibly functional after years of screwups and actual illegalities).
I'm not a lawyer but do read law, and startled the "chair" of the town D committee, who thought that because the law required parties to have an "organizing meeting" before election season every two years, that was the only meeting they could have. LOL. I explained that the law meant that any political party is required to hold an organizing meeting, which meant that they then went forward as an independent nonprofit organization that made its own rules, created its own structure, and all of the local committees then communicated through that structure to create platforms and select candidates. OMG. He didn't know that. And even our rep didn't know that JOPs are, under the law, part of the state judiciary, not the town gov.
Sometimes this is fun. Sometimes it is hair-pulling. But we do finally have a woman on the select board, and if I get the JOP position (in Governor's hands now), I'll be in the middle of everything along with the other people who are tired of tearing their hair out. These changes start at the local level, and it is time for the five old farts who are running things let some of the rest of us in. We need to start planning for the future instead of just doing the same thing over and over. Next year I am going to run for the town committee chair and use it to make the party visible here so that new people know where to go.
Haven't heard about the JOP yet- gov is not required to appoint a replacement of our choice, but that is how our law works. If I don't hear, I'll contact gov office to find out.
Sooo productive and constructive, Annie!! Like you, I'm also tired of the same old, same old here. Cheering you on!!
Thanks, Suz-an. I've been immensely grateful for people like you on this forum. I'm one voice, but not the only one- all our voices add up, if we can just plow through the noise that does nothing but distract from doing.