Representative Town Meeting in North Attleboro

[Paul Couturier]

Hey everyone,

I recently returned my papers for my candidacy for Representative Town Meeting from my precinct here in North Attleboro. As of last Thursday there were 6 people who had taken out papers to run for 5 open RTM seats in my precinct, so if all 6 people return their papers and have valid signatures, there will be an actual RTM contest in my precinct for the 5 RTM seats come town election day, April 7th!

I considered running last year, and decided to go for it this year!

Wish me luck everyone :D

[Maureen Gerrish]

Thank you for stepping up and good luck!

[Paul Couturier]

Thanks for your support Maureen!

Sometimes it takes an Open-minded Independent to shake things up in a town where voter apathy runs supreme! I've lived here in North Attleboro for 8 years, and I don't ever remember a town election where more than 20% of the voters turned out for a Town Election! Sad, and THIS is the election that most affects people in this town!

Paul

[MJMoquin]

Paul I grew up next door in Attleboro and spent a considerable amount of time in NA. I agree with you that most don't care about local politics at all. I've watched the same family sit in whatever limited power they hold and no one seems to think that odd. Let me know how I can help. I still have a lot of friends up in that area. Some may even be smart enough not to be liberals, but I can't guarantee it.

MJ

[Paul Couturier]

MJ, if you have any friends in North Attleboro's 3rd Precinct, tell them to vote for me for RTM at the town election in April. (April 7th, I believe)

As of yesterday, 6 people had taken out papers for 5 RTM seats, and 3 had already returned thier papers. Deadline to return papers is this Tuesday, and if all 6 return their papers, and they have enough valid signatures, there will be 6 people running for 5 seats.

[Paul Couturier]

GOOD NEWS EVERYONE!!!!!

The deadline for returning papers for the town election in North Attleboro was Tuesday, and there are 4 people running for 5 Representative Town Meeting seats in my precinct. 6 people had taken out papers, but 2 of them either didn't get their papers back in time, or they didn't have enough valid signatures. Ironically, the other 5 people are all incumbents, which means the 2 people who took out papers but aren't running now, are incumbents as well.

Which means I'm a shoo-in for the RTM in my town in the town election in April! :D

The Town of North Attleboro will NEVER be the same again :D

Here's an article from today's Attleboro Sun-Chronicle

http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2009/02/19/news/4441435.txt

Paul :)

[1stRichard]

Paul Couturier,

You may not like what you are getting in to

Town Meeting form of government, we have had this for over 275 years. Since then we have made new advancement in government such as the Declaration of Independence and The U.S. Constitution.

In my town we have a democracy of some 120 town meeting members, the BOS and some carpetbagger TA with a majority rule. Almost a pure democracy but do not be fooled by those that say this democracy is good, we have known for a long time it is not.

“From this view of the subject it may be concluded that a pure democracy, by which I mean a society consisting of a small number of citizens, who assemble and administer the government in person, can admit of no cure for the mischiefs of faction. A common passion or interest will, in almost every case, be felt by a majority of the whole; a communication and concert result from the form of government itself; and there is nothing to check the inducements to sacrifice the weaker party or an obnoxious individual. Hence it is that such democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths. Theoretic politicians, who have patronized this species of government, have erroneously supposed that by reducing mankind to a perfect equality in their political rights, they would, at the same time, be perfectly equalized and assimilated in their possessions, their opinions, and their passions.”

James Madison

From our state constitution…

Article VII. Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people; and not for the profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men: Therefore the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity and happiness require it.

The protection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people are lost with our town government. It has become a Marxist self serving institution illegally confiscating tax payer funds and has cost many of us our jobs and our future. What we have now is a democracy of part time leaders. Elected, well who in their right mind would want to be on a ship of fools with a majority rule? We can’t give them the boot all at once because they are elected at different times. You should be plenty smart to know the failures of democracy throughout history, from Plato to present day it is well documented.

From our charter commission “In the extent and proper structure we behold a mayoral form of government remedy for the diseases most evident to the town democracy”