The Secret Place? A Lakewood Insider's Story

[Gary Rice]

Good Friends in Lakewood Land:

As a former regular contributor to the Lakewood Observer, (and other periodicals) at times I like to re-print some of my efforts whenever I feel that my contribution might serve a topical or public interest. In that spirit, this column is reproduced here for your consideration:


The Secret Place? A Lakewood Insider's Story:


These days, it seems that people love to confess. A day seldom seems to pass without one person or another "telling it all" on some talk show.

With all the talk and controversy going on with our upcoming election, there seems to be a feeling in the air among some that perhaps a small group of insiders are really running this city. Indeed some people seem to feel that our government generally, and politics in particular, have been taken from their hands by some "power elite"; secretly making decisions that affect the lives of all of us.

Well, since confessions seem to be the thing to do these days, I too have a confession to make. I confess to having been a member of that "power elite" who run this city year after year. The feeling of power is truly awesome. I confess to having been present often at that secret place where the future of our city is decided. By my presence, I have participated in determining the fate of thousands of people. Yes, I confess that I have indeed personally helped to make those decisions.

That secret place? It's the voting booth. Why not become a member of the "power elite" yourself? Please vote.

Support the candidates and the issues you believe will best serve Lakewood,our state, and our nation!

Back to the banjo!

[Jared Denman]

Negative there Ghostrider...

https://youtu.be/5tu32CCA_Ig

[Brian Essi]

Negative there Ghostrider...

https://youtu.be/5tu32CCA_Ig

Mr. Denham,

Bravo! Awesome video--stark reality.

There is essentially no "secret place" where we are actually "heard" in proportion to our "votes."

The Lakewood Hospital debacle is just one of thousands of examples of this.

[Mark Kindt]

The YouTube clip is facile, glib, superficial, and intellectually dishonest.

The delightfully-executed algebraic depiction begins with an entirely faulty assumption, i.e, that their should be a direct correlation between voter desires and legislative enactment.

James Madison and the founders did not design a democracy; they designed a republic. I recommend "The Federalist Papers" or any history of that monumental summer in Philadelphia.

Yes, the system has certain defects, but it hasn't done too badly since 1789.

Of course, we could always return to "The Articles of Confederation".

I stand with the observations of Mr. Rice.

Voting has consequences. Your vote counts. Please vote on election day.

[Gary Rice]

Thank you Mr. Kindt.

Actually, if we think about this for a moment, (and this is what really brings things all out of proportion...)

...relatively few citizens generally, (and many fewer voters particularly) actually vote.

Some might be disenchanted, some may have opted out, some may even be skulking through life in some sort of passive-aggressive pouting mode...

...but whatever the reasons, (and this is particularly true in primary elections) voter turnout is all too often...

...pitiful.

That means that people like me who DO vote, exercise a virtual power that effectively goes far beyond our one single vote.

In fact, it might be argued that we voters are therefore heard well OVER proportion to our votes.

You can't just give up on the system. Change does happen eventually. So many of the things that the kids of the post-war generation wanted to happen, finally did happen, after all.Things might not have turned out completely the way they should have, (whatever that might mean to each of you) but let's face it, the mandala keeps turning.

And the banjo keeps ringing...

Better get back to that banjo too.

[Brian Essi]

The delightfully-executed algebraic depiction begins with an entirely faulty assumption, i.e, that their should be a direct correlation between voter desires and legislative enactment.

"...and to the Republic for which it stands..."

Mr. Kindt,

The data of the researchers at Princeton cannot be denied.

If we had a pure democracy, we might still have "legal" slavery and their might not be any dissent America---you and I might be in jail right now for expressing our respective views on the Deck.

I'll go to the "not secret place" today, but I totally agree with the basic conclusions that the Princeton chart depicts...the system is broken.

It is corrupt.

[Gary Rice]

Not wanting to disagree with Brian. but the secret place voting booth is still secret, thank goodness!

No matter how much we wish things could be better, y'all know what they say about wishes.

Please vote today. Make a difference.

Back to the banjo.

[Gary Rice]

The temptation to say "See, I told y'all so" is pretty strong today.

Voting DOES count, but a few further opinionated reflections here...

First and foremost, I would like to thank ALL of the candidates who chose to run for office, whether or not I agreed with their particular positions. Running for office is an incredibly selfless act of service to our community and to our nation.

Let's face it, for that matter, even people who offer their opinions in public,particularly in places like this community chat room (Thanks, Jim!) where one's real name is required, exhibit commendable bravery, and deserve our respect. Too many people these days prefer to disengage, turn away, and either keep their heads in the sand, or watch from the sidelines of life. Just look at the pitiful amount of people who voted in this county...Just a little over 23% of elected voters even bothered to vote in this county's primary yesterday, which sadly, is about what usually happens in primaries...

To me, someone who has served the public, whether in elected office, or in the military, or in the civilian public service occupations, (including teaching) deserves our gratitude and respect, whether or not we agree with their particular opinions.

Just a couple of personal "thank you's"on the local level, I'll make here:

To Mike Skindell, Nickie Antonio, Tom Bullock and Dennis Kucinich...Thanks for your smiles! Every time I've seen each of you, you've all always had that ready smile. We need those so much these days.

To Mike and Nickie, my congratulations! We so much need your continued service and especially, those smiles.

To Dennis and Tom, my thanks for running and trying. We never lose until we stop trying in life, and somehow I don't see you guys either stopping trying, or stopping your smiles either, for that matter.

Oh sure, there will be some people who will be tempted at this point to jump in here and take sides and bring up this or that in true Monday-morning quarter-backing fashion, but the fact remains....The four people above, in my honest opinion. have so much more in common than many of the rest of us ever will. They ran, and yes, they have all served the public.

...and of course, a special thanks to all who voted yesterday.

Thanks to you all.

I did not vote for some of the above candidates...

(Nobody's business WHO I voted for, by the way... )

...but I respect and thank each of them for their commitment to public service.

Back to the banjo...