by Bob Hiss.
I read of corruption occurring in third world countries or in the Tammany Hall era of old. Imagine the toll such an environment would take on people who had to live in such culture. Imagine the sense of defeat and hopelessness that could pervade the minds of just people when faced with the triumph of access over ability; of institutional power over individual performance. Imagine a place where the well qualified were denied positions in favor of the well connected.
Until recently, I counted my blessings that I live far from those places and time. Actually until the evening of Tuesday November 2, 2010, I counted those blessings. Then I realized that it had become quite possible that I actually lived in one of those places. That the home of the first constitution in the United States, the green of the shot heard 'round the world and the 54th Massachusetts Regiment had been quietly but most definitely corrupted.
Some evidence:
1) Parents in our little of town of Milton recently petitioned the School Committee for the restoration of art classes. A little further back, similar parents petitioned the School Committee for the restoration of full music programs in the elementary schools. Students who play in our school sports programs face annual fees approaching $500. These parents believe that their school budget has been 'cut.' And they are right to believe such a thing when only presented with the facts of reduced services for their children.
2) I stood out at polling places this past Tuesday and noticed things. There were visitors sitting in our polling places who were unaffiliated with the town's administration of the election. They sat there near the desk where voters provide their address and name and receive their ballot. These mysterious visitors had books with similar names of people and were crossing off each voter's name as it was spoken to the election official. Periodically (every 2 hours or so), the lists were collected and a new visitor arrived to staff their shift at the poll. After a little math, I figured that there were probably 75 people performing this function in Milton alone. (13 hour polling day divided by 2 hr shift times 11 polls). Who were these people? Were they volunteers? Were they paid to keep track of voters? Were they taking time off from work? Were they told to staff the polls as part of their work?
3) While standing out with candidate signs and banners, I noticed that there were always, always at least half a dozen people holding signs for one or more Democrat candidates. After a while, you strike up a conversation with your fellow sign holders and find that they belong to a union; that they were told to man that post by their union leadership; that were in fact paid to hold that sign; and in the ultimate irony with a wink they let you know that they were actually voting for your candidate, not theirs.
What does all this have to do with my impending feeling of corruption? I'll let you know in my next post.
