For the past six months the citizens of Downey have been a part of preserving and using this most fundamental part of democracy. Several years ago I stood on the green at Concord, MA and felt an overwhelming sense of history and duty to protect, in whatever way I could, the legacy of the Revolution for our children. So Wednesday morning when I walked through City Hall and heard the comment, “Oh, this election doesn’t mean anything,” it crystallized for me what this last six months has been all about. Every inch of freedom we can stake out and hang onto for our kids will help to preserve what our forefathers did for us.
This election was a grass roots rejection of the ever pervasive omnipotent government thinking they know “what’s best for the people.” It was a call for accountablility of those who sit on high. If the message is not heard loud and clear, we will have a dais full of one term Kings.
Let us think carefully and creatively about the activities we would like to have downtown. That vacant land will produce property taxes and sales taxes for our city as soon as a governmental agency no longer owns it if we don’t give the taxes away.
This town has an opportunity for a new beginning in an arena where contribution and cooperation from all parts of the community must be openly solicited and valued. Big brother government is being rejected all across the land and we have just seen it rejected here. It is time to remember we elect city councilmen and women to represent us not to govern us.