If ever there was a time in the history of Tiverton to look at the function of systems in relation to government and management: that time is now. If ever there was a time for the Tiverton community to come together and vote for the clear choice for change-that time is now. If not, I am afraid Tiverton will fail to work for the best of Tiverton, for the greater good.
For the last two years under the guidelines-albeit, questionable, of the TCC/Town Council- Tiverton has been experiencing a quiet and destructive shift, a divide.
If not melded back together quickly with great care and compassion by new leaders who believe in the essence of community, then I am afraid of what.Tiverton may soon look like: A town lacking in creativity, positive leadership and progressive development.
If the TCC is allowed to continue,"executive meetings" that last until midnight will be the norm, ideals will be challenged, unvetted budgets with "fuzzy math" will get passed, and soon Tiverton will become a community that serves only a select few and leaves the others to fend for themselves. Will Tiverton become town lost under an angry, rigid and manipulative rule? History has shown us this kind of extremist, elitist, mostly patriarchal(sorry, but it's true) rule leads to a painful and slow process of disintegration.
Could Tiverton use a more progressive business model? You bet. Could Tiverton stand to upgrade parks and our waterfront area? Well , of course. Is there a way to achieve this so the balance of who we are as a town and where we need to go as townspeople does not go unchecked? Yes. This will require new leadership. It will demand change. It is time to replace those who have not had the best interest of Tiverton at heart-rather-their own.
The nature of the TCC has been difficult for me to describe to people when they ask what is going on with such an extremist group in town, even more difficult for me to see how either as the person who founded it-or those who join in can claim the TCC is for the good. I have yet to see the benefits of said good. I see a collected group of people who are mostly angry, unhappy and scream. Worse, if you can imagine such a thing, I've seen nothing done! Some of you hide behind a collection of various names-or only speak when told to do so,or if your words have been edited-just so. I see no balance, no compromise, no collaboration,very little truth and even less compassion. I don't see a successful system working-rather one that is more self serving; has contributed to a divide that is threatening what community is really all about-that of a balanced system that thrives-serves and provides. A working community for everyone.
Yes, I am taking this personally. All of us who care about community and preserving Tiverton should take it personally. Much more of us should care what has been going on with certain members of the TCC in the name of Tiverton. I am not willing to allow the behavior of a few to threaten the nature of the town I live. This is our town. OUR town. Many of us are invested in Tiverton for the good of our neighbors, our children, our schools, our community organizations and our goods and services. Tiverton as a whole and not Tiverton broken down in various "part" of North and South. I am willing to be vocal about preserving these things that make our community whole.
So? What do we do? Tiverton, if ever there was a time for us all to ask the questions, and question the answers, it is now. If ever there was a time to look at the facts and the character of those "creating" the facts, it is now. Look carefully at the people the TCC is putting forth in various positions of leadership. Question what they say-better yet, question their intention.
It is my hope, Tiverton takes a new direction and votes into place new people who have stepped forward with the common goal of bringing this town together in a fiscally responsible way, in a way that moves us forward so everyone has an opportunity to thrive and benefit-and not just a select few;So that our schools continue to thrive and compete so students are motivated and getting what they need to become better humans and will want to come back to Tiverton-or anywhere for that matter and contribute. If we don't pay attention in the next month, question scare tactics and bogus TCC selling points and further question TCC math- I am afraid we as a town will continue to slip further into a system that is unforgiving in nature and unable to carry on.
Gloria Crist
Tiverton 1st Coordinating Committee
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