My son is home on leave. U. S. Marine. Has been in for almost four years, has another 1 and a half left. Corporal. Great kid! Wants to be in politics when he gets out and finishes college. He is fascinated by all politics, and for years I would tell him about Town Meeting in New England and how it was the purest form of democracy in the Nation. When I told him that people in Wareham were thinking about eliminating the form of government, he was flabbergasted.
"You always told me it was the purest form of democracy in the United States. Why would they do that?"
Good question. It has no good answers, at least not what I have heard.
I can recall the first Town Meeting I ever went to. 1969 Fall Town Meeting. I was a rookie cop.
The cops in those days didn't have a union or even a viable organization to seek benefits. When I went on the Police department the pay was, if I recall correctly, $400.00 per month. That was based on at least a 48 hour week.Most of us worked 7 days a week if we could, because money was tight. Extra shifts, outside special events, whatever it took to make a few bucks. The Selectmen in those days did not want to deal with the Police Department and it's Officers wanting pay raises and benefits.
So, cops talk. All we talked about for months was joining a union. Sergeants and above were excluded. We only had about 20 full time cops. We had at least two votes to pass the union, and finally joined the AFSCME-AFLCIO..I was the first Secretary-Treasurer of the Union. I believe Ralph Forni was the President, and I don't recall any other members.
So..we set up meetings with the Selectmen to negotiate a fair and balanced contract. All we met with was opposition. Our Chief, Fred Besse, was not in favor of a Union Police Department, and to be honest, most of us weren't either, but we had no other choice. It was necessary.
During negotiations with the union and the Selectmen, Town Meeting came up. Fred Besse would not ask for additional funding to his budget to give us a raise. His reasoning was we were in negotiations with the Town and he "wouldn't want to interfere with your union activities."
Of course, he was being facetious.
So, we decided that I would get up at Town Meeting and ask for a raise for the cops. I was talking about running for Selectman then and I had the support of the cops.(Most, anyway).
But, we also knew that I would really be pissing Freddie off if I bucked him on the floor. So, I went to Fred and told him what I was going to do. He said, "Bullshit. You pull that shit and I'll have you walking a beat in Swifts Beach in the Winter time."
I went.
We all went.
In those days, when you walked into the Town Auditorium, there was a huge table with a list of all of the registered voters in the Town. When you walked in and showed ID, one of the ladies behind the table would yell, at the top of her lungs,"O'Connell, Daniel P. Jr."
I thought: cool.
I sat in the back center row on the outside. My good friend, Pete Bourne, always worked the Town Meetings as a Police Officer assigned to the meeting to control the crowd if necessary and to make head counts on close votes. He, and at least one other cop, worked the Town Meeting.
Pete, although he was a Sgt., and not a member of the union, told me when I went into that first Town Meeting,"Learn one thing. Keep your mouth shut. Listen don't talk, unless you absolutely have to. If you do talk, keep it short and to the point. If you don't do this, everyone will think you are a nut case and won't ever listen to you. By the way, Biffy, Freddie will kill you if you get up and speak about his budget."
Yeah...Freddie probably was going to kill me.
I noticed that the hall had certain aspects to it that were subtle.
Certain people sat in certain seats. It was tradition. The Lincolns sat on the left side of the hall, about 6 or 7 rows up, on the outside and next seat.
The Chief always sat in the center section, left side, about 8 rows up.
It was like a play. Watch and learn.
My first meeting, I moved from the center. I sat in the back on the right side.
I was fascinated! Line item veto power, the ability to speak, the ability to sway a crowd and change a budget or concept. The ability to know that your voice, one person, is as good as anyone else's...no rich, no poor, no thought of profession...everyone had the same power.
I waited and waited and was enthralled by the whole process. I watched as certain people spoke and it was like God speaking. People that had earned the respect and admiration of the townspeople, including Mrs. and Dr. Lincoln, and Fred Besse.
Dignity, respect, civility, knowledge, direction, compassion, understanding,brilliance and leadership abounded, and I thought I died and went to Heaven.
Then the Chief's budget came up under the Selectmen's article for Departments.
I didn't know what to do. My heart was pounding out of my chest. I was nervous as hell, and I never get nervous in front of a crowd. I was a professional comedian-impressionist. I worked shows with over 1,000 people in attendance. I did radio and TV.
I was petrified.
I started to rise. As I did, I looked over at Pete Bourne, who was standing in front of the stage on the right hand side. He looked at me, and shook his head no.
I looked over to the left, and saw Freddie Besse standing. He said, in his Chief of Police voice ( very impressive),"Mr. Moderator...I would like to discuss this item."
I looked up at the table where the three Selectmen were seated in front on the left side of the hall, facing the crowd. They looked shocked.
"I would like to ask that the Board of Selectmen add another 3% to my budget so I can give my Police Officers a raise."
Period.
He sat down.
I was floored!
"Buddy" Cleveland stood up (He was Chairman of the Board then). His face was beet red and he walked over to the podium after requesting permission form the moderator.
"Mr. Moderator, ladies and gentlemen. The Chief of Police is well aware we are in union negotiations with the Officers of the Wareham Police department, and this is neither the time nor place to have this discussion. We will have this discussion when the negotiations are finished."
Fred stood up again. I thought, what the hell is he going to do.
He said,"Thank you, Mr. Moderator, Mr. Chairman of the Board of Selectmen and ladies and gentlemen. I will withdraw my request at this time."
Period.He sat down. Issue ended.
He tried to show us, as his cops, that he cared enough about us to go on Town Meeting Floor, buck the Selectmen, and not win. But, he did it for us and I was overwhelmed with pride. That folks, is a Chief of Police!
I told him later I appreciate what he did, and he said, "Bullshit. I didn't do it for you guys."
I envy that you will be attending the greatest show on earth starting this Monday, and I so wish I could be there. See the people, watch democracy in action, and be proud to be a citizen of the great Town of Wareham and proud to be an American.
I learned over the years how to pick and choose my fights on Town Meeting floor. How to negotiate with the opposition. How when to speak and when not to. How to anticipate the opposition's moves and how to overcome them. Like a good game of chess. "Mate" is cool, especially if both sides get to say it often. "Check-Mate" is the ultimate. It's when you know you have won, and something worthwhile and good will come to the Town of Wareham because of your actions and the actions of your brothers and sisters that believed the same way as you and the majority of the Town Meeting.
WOW! I envy you.
Now...who is it that wants to take that away?
Shame on them. Shame on anyone who supports them, and shame if it happens.
I don't think it will. There are too many people like me still left in Wareham. I hear from them all of the time, and I read them on this site.
I have no doubt that you will preserve Town Meeting.
TAKE BACK WAREHAM!
I am DANOHAMATRON1945.