Town Meeting Members' Individual Roll-Call Votes on the Seasonal Leaf-Blower Ban
Town Meeting members who voted "Yes" were voting for substituting the motion that would have put a repeal of the ban to a vote. Members who voted "No" were voting against substituting the motion and, therefore, were in favor of keeping the ban in place.
For more from Wednesday's Special Town Meeting, see "Town Meeting Upholds Seasonal Leaf-Blower Ban."
The attached results were provided by Town Clerk Stephanie Lucarelli.
Password is Taco
12:13 pm on Thursday, October 11, 2012
You're a newsman, JW! I ever tell you otherwise, you punch me in the face!!!
misty
12:35 pm on Thursday, October 11, 2012
If your precinct voted 2-1 to overturn the ban but your TM memebers vote 2-1 to keep it are they really representing you?
saul glick
1:29 pm on Thursday, October 11, 2012
That is a very good question Misty. But i believe that the TM Members are entitled to vote how they choose, which of course they are.
You want change, be a TM Member. Watching the speechs last night, get ready for some more changes in the way we live in this town.
Misty
2:34 pm on Thursday, October 11, 2012
Do I understand you to say that the Representative town meeting is there to represent their own interest and not necessarily that of their constituents?
Nelly Bly
3:30 pm on Thursday, October 11, 2012
Misty, most people believe a compromise is the only solution to this issue and that is exactly what TM voted for last night.
saul glick
3:30 pm on Thursday, October 11, 2012
Yes i do. Correct. The town meeting member can vote as he or she pleases. just like Scott Brown does, when he has voted with the democrats, and with the rebublicans.
And that was an example, not a plug for Brown
smerls
5:19 pm on Thursday, October 11, 2012
Saul,
That is an incredible statement!! No wonder this town often finds itself in a position like with this leaf blower mess!!
Town Meeting members are free to vote their conscience especially when they don't hear from their constituents one way or the other or their constituents are evenly divided on an issue.
However part of voting their conscience is representing their constituents... hence our Representative form of government... our TMM's are suppose to represent us to the best of their abilities!!
In the July vote in all the precincts but one folks voted to repeal the ban, the repeal on the ban lost on a technicality but folks overwhelmingly wanted it overturned. In the town meeting vote it only passed by 10 votes.
John Maher had it absolutely correct last night about representing his constituents regardless of how he personally felt.
Town Meeting should have repealed the ban which it did not do and then establish a second committee to look at regulations which it did do.
Mark Kaepplein
6:06 pm on Thursday, October 11, 2012
VISION 2020 STANDING COMMITTEE
MINUTES OF MAY 8, 2012 MEETING:
Communication with Town Meeting: Jane suggested that it would help to meet with Town Meeting members to explain the reasons behind some warrant articles in more detail than the limited discussion time during Town Meeting allows. Joey added that better communication is needed in general between Town Meeting members and their constituents: on some matters, Town Meeting votes are out of line with census survey results. Brucie noted that next year’s survey could include some questions about this -- some people don’t even know who their Town Meeting representatives are. The Governance task group could be asked to consider this problem. Josh suggested a meeting with Town Meting members, after the warrant is available, to help them organize their precincts, especially when there is no warrant review, as this year.
saul glick
6:10 pm on Thursday, October 11, 2012
I could have called each of my TM members and asked them to vote against the ban. My neighbor could have called each of our TM members and ask them to vote for the ban. They are not obligated to vote either way, they don't even have to show up, and can vote as he or she pleases.
They don't have to vote the way the precinct voted. That's what is happening in this town now. The left wing crowd is getting TM members galore to push stuff like leaf blowers through, without going to a town-wide vote.
Think about what happened. If the leaf blowers can get banned, there is no stopping what Town Meeting Members can vote on.
Greg
6:31 pm on Thursday, October 11, 2012
What a bunch of nonsense this is. Arlington is full of liberal moonbats who have ruined the once great town.
Mark Kaepplein
10:39 pm on Thursday, October 11, 2012
Some new people will be running for town meeting who are more like most of the population. I suggest voters vote for them and displace those representing Cambridge.
saul glick
5:54 am on Friday, October 12, 2012
That's how it's done Mark. The left wing crowd is voting, and forcing the non-voting crowd to live like they do. Example, no blowers, mandatory recycle, bug zappers, trash restrictions, and on and on. The campaign for the selectmans seat up for grabs next April is underway by the left wing crowd.