I am a member of the Vernon Taxpayer’s Association and have been out by Acme collecting signatures regarding having a change of government put on the ballot in November. Everyone has an agenda and our agenda is for the voters to have the opportunity to decide whether or not they wish to keep everything the way it is or to change it. If everyone were satisfied with the way our town was running now we wouldn’t be doing this. We are volunteers who are standing out in all kinds of weather for you, the taxpayer, to exercise your freedom of choice. Many of you are new to our community and never had that opportunity.
This is not about hate; this is about caring enough about our community for your voices to be heard so you can decide how you want to move forward in the future. We are fortunate in this country that we still have that right to vote as we believe.
The reason I think this petition should be non-partisan is because as such it reduces polarization, encourages cooperation and focuses more clearly on practical problem solving, there is less incentive to demonize, toe the party line, less political battles, officials often negotiate more freely, coalitions form around issues, not party loyalty and candidates are judged more on experience and character.
As we will soon be celebrating America’s 250th anniversary, we should all always remember that our rights come from God, not the government.
If our rights come from God, the government has the duty to protect them. We should never take our freedoms for granted and not lose sight of the fact that the men who signed the Declaration of Independence sacrificed their lives for us to have this privilege.
Please realize our democracy is strongest when every citizen participates, so I urge you to sign the petition so that we can accomplish our deepest desire to have every Vernon citizen have a say in how our town will be run in the future. Thank you!
Christa Gerry
Vernon