This morning I met with the Environmental and Zoning Committee for our local neighborhood. I joined it because of the sad demise of so many elm trees in our neighborhood. I learned the committee covers a much broader spectrum of issues.
But before going into that, I have to reveal Stupid Act #1 in my local politics career. After letting the committee head know that I prefer afternoon meetings to morning meetings, I was told that I was in the minority and the meeting would be at 7:00 a.m-9:00 a.m. anyway. I explained that I was pretty much worthless till about 10:00 but I'd be there. So I show up to the meeting at 7:00 a.m. and no one is there. By 7:25 I'd given up and gone home and shot off a note saying "The only thing I hate more than a 7:00 a.m. meeting is a 7:00 a.m. meeting where I'm the only one that shows up." By 12 noon that same day, I realized that I had shown up on the wrong day. Did I feel stupid or what? Worse yet, I had to get up for the same 7:00 a.m. meeting today.
So back to the meeting. Topics: property taxes, designating the neighborhood as a preservation or conservation district, improving the looks of businesses operating in the neighborhood, allocating money for neighborhood parks vs. walking trails, and the elm trees. Funding and money often came up. I started thinking... politics is a little about sticking your nose in other people's pocketbooks. Well meaning but dangerous. So far all I have to do is write an article for the local neighborhood paper talking about my elm tree experience.
That won't cost anyone anything. Feels safe.
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