Monopoloy of Power

This was also printed in the Spectrum on 6/15
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Why did we all grow up hating the cable company? Because it was a monopoly sanctioned by the government. The cable company had no competition. Prices continually rose, customer service was always lacking and they certainly did not care what the customer thought.

The same situation exists in New Milford government today. Rather than being a competitive democracy where issues and viewpoints are debated, we have a monopoly of power where there is no debate, the opinions of the people are irrelevant and anyone who does not subscribe to the narrow developer mentality is purged from government and sometimes from the community.

"In every free and deliberating society, there must, from the nature of man, be opposite parties, and violent dissensions and discords;…” Thomas Jefferson

Examples abound of this government monopoly acting with impunity. The Republican controlled Planning Commission has not bothered to update the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development because they don’t care to plan nor follow one. There has not been a word of protest from the Democrats on the Commission. Apolitical commissions such as the Commission on the Arts, the Library Board and the Candlewood Lake Authority have had long-serving members purged and have been stacked with developer cronies whose views, in some cases, are in direct conflict with the purpose of the commission. The monopoly is running out of family members and so has resorted to having the same person serve on two or three boards and commissions.

The most important point, however, is that this monopoly could not exist without the sanction of a government body. What government body sanctions this monopoly? Well, the Democratic Party of course and its leader John Lillis. Mr. Lillis is the enabler of this developer monopoly.

George Washington did not like political parties:
"However combinations or associations of the above description [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people, and to usurp for themselves the reins of government; destroying afterwards the very engines, which have lifted them to unjust dominion."

But political parties is what we have and they have an implicit responsibility as Jefferson says.

Don’t listen to what Mr. Lillis, the Town Council member, says or how he votes. He knows full well that his words and votes on the Republican controlled Town Council are meaningless. Watch what Mr. Lillis, the head of the Democratic Town Committee, does or doesn’t do.

What serious issues have the Democrats championed lately? What debates have they engaged? Why is there no discussion about the POCD? Governments around the world are rethinking their models in order to attract business and jobs. Why is there no discussion about the competitiveness of New Milford’s taxation and regulatory system? Why is there no discussion about priorities in town?

The Democrats ran a Mayoral candidate last election who was not serious about running. He garnered fewer votes than some New Milford First candidates. Clearly the voters saw through this charade. What will Mr. Lillis do this time? Will he simply not bother to run anyone? Will he run another “filler” candidate? Or will he run a developer crony in Democratic clothing? My bet is that we will see no serious competition from the Democrats.

Perhaps Mr. Lillis behaves as he does out of a sense of loyalty to friends and business partners in the Republican Party. A laudable quality in a personal relationship but not so laudable in a competitive democracy. Mr. Lillis is an attorney. He knows that an attorney must argue his client’s viewpoint regardless of his own beliefs. As head of a political party, Mr. Lillis’ client is democracy itself. I call on Mr. Lillis to reflect on his own personal conflicts and step aside as head of the Democratic Party if he feels that he cannot fulfill the responsibilities that our Founding Fathers envisioned. If he feels he is up to the task, then I look forward to a competitive election.

New Milford First is attempting to fill the vacuum created by the inaction of the Democratic Party and the inbreeding of the Republican Party. We are small and uncompetitive at this point. We have taken some baby steps. We are working to create an alternative voice in New Milford. We are working to foster some competition and discussion. We are working to break the monopoly. The results of the 2007 election will tell us if we are making progress.