Never underestimate the very real possibility that honesty will cause both sides to react badly for exactly the same reason: Truth hurts.
Anyone who knows me, or has read me will know that I’m seriously flawed by my unwavering honesty at calling things exactly like I see them. Further flawed, I poke the issues we sometimes don’t want to talk about so that we might discuss them.
So, when I step into the middle of a Hudson Hornet’s Nest, I know that I’m near the center of the silent majority when the extreme sides both dislike what I’m saying enough to start talking dirty about me. Sometimes I feel like one of those Middle East peace talk guys, trying to understand unwavering and often irrational discord and sometimes hatred among people who share the same land.
The underlying problem is that there’s silence among the majority and I quietly get words of support that let me believe that what I’m saying resonates with a majority of people. As long as the majority stays silent, we can’t remove power from the extremes and we can’t ever find progress for the consensus of the majority.
I’ve got three options:
Option One: This requires everyone to trust me just a bit in an unscientific but confidential poll. I will delete your email addresses once I’ve tallied the results. I’ll do my best to remove duplicates and will never share any names unless your email asks me specifically to forward a comment to Hudson’s Council in which case I will forward only your comment and not your identity. Please be fair and only reply once if you’re from Hudson and of voting age. If you’re undecided or on the fence then send one and only one email to each side and I’ll only flush duplicates by side and your votes will cancel and represent a 50% support. Please share the link on this blog post as you wish.
The Question: Yes or NO
I support Mayor Prevost and his Hudson Council of our fellow citizens and would like them to know that.
I’ve set up two email addresses on my company server. Yes@rptmotion.com and No@rptmotion.com
Option Two: Tug of War
I thought with the coming storm that a snowball fight on Sandy Beach might work, but that risks injury. So, I’m suggesting a town wide tug of war organized by our Recreation Department and assisted by our Fire Department and judged by me the guy stuck in the middle.
Prevost Council supporters on one side and Detractors on the other.
Proof of Hudson residency and voting age required bring the kids and friends to watch.
Option Three:
Phone or email your Town Councillor and tell them what you really think. Many voices are not being heard, and trust me, I understand why some might be reticent to speak for or against issues.
Like the Middle east, I’d like to see some bridges being built instead of destruction and anger.
So please choose Options One and Three and then we can do Option Two just for fun. And keep lobbing those grenades my way, it motivates the hell out of me to speak my mind more.
thousandlashesdotca 
Who is monitoring this site? I have left two comments a which I thought added to the discussion and neither have appeared.
I would suggest that everyone who really cares about Hudson wants the Mayor & Council to succeed. They do not want the traumatic results of resignations and/or elections which will not resolve anything. What we do want is much better performance. Just like the Habs, we support them but are anguished by their lack of success. Do we fire the coach, do we fire the Captain. We all know that any performance improvement will be temporary if these actions are taken and the only fundamental improvement will be by adding talent. This can not be done in the Habs without letting players go, but in Hudson you certainly can. Our resources are wonderful, we have citizens with expertise in every area. This is my major complaint about the current Mayor & Council. They have failed to tap the resources at their fingertip and beck and call. Like Brian, I have documented examples of this.
We need citizens to step up and help, but The Council needs to accept and welcome these.
LikeLike
Bill I am responsible for moderating the site and backed up where I’m not sure by Jim Duff at his availability. The two posts I held were referred to Jim for specific reasons of questionable content I won’t discuss here. But I have approved this post.
LikeLike
Bill, you make an excellent point of available resources not being tapped.
I’m not sure how a bridge can be built, usually it’s by citizens on committees and naturally leaders turn to those they know and trust. Perhaps we need qualified people to summit an offer of volunteer service with a brief outline of their relevant experience.
Failing that, perhaps a short non-judgmental white paper or action plan on a specific point. Just a suggestion, you’re the turn around expert and I’m sure you’ve had to enter arenas of distrust and earn respect. Make an appointment with the mayor and ask how you can help, I’ll bet he can find a way.
LikeLike
Peter, Immediately after the leak at Pine lake was discovered, I took a Mining Engineer friend to look at the situation and he proposed an immediate solution costing less than $10,000. I then met with Haulard for an hour, then submitted a proposal in writing for a group of engineers that I know to work on the problem – for free ! I never received even a phone call !! I can prove that this administration refused to accept the offer of help.
I have developed Vision, Mission plans for at least 15 world class companies and have developed a 2 day Strategic Planning workshop for the senior managers in Johnson & Johnson European subsidiaries. I let it be known through a councillor that I would be interested in helping the Town on their project. She polled her fellow councillors and I was told that I would be the last person to be asked, her explanation was they “hate me”.
So where is the openness that we were promised.
I love Hudson , although I spent many years working away, and it deserves to be rejuvenated. However, I have severe doubts that this group can do it.
LikeLike
Bill, This is a sad story. We don’t have a traditional party type municipal politics, so after the election we should all find the same side.
The seven second best qualified, interested and informed citizens are those who lost the election.
And there’s no place for “hate” within a community, especially to evaluate an offer of free service or free qualified advice.
I’ll admit, as I’ve listened to both sides on many issues recently, the divide is huge and I’m not sure we’ll ever bridge it.
This is not the first council to develop the airtight bunker mid term, it happens time and time again. The commonality perhaps is we the people.
If council doesn’t move towards some bridge building there will be no significant progress for the next 20 months, then we’ll repeat the cycle with another group of well meaning and hopeful councilors.
LikeLiked by 2 people
This morning’s stats say something:
90 Page views 5 email votes received
LikeLike
90 Page Views may not relate to very many actual people visiting since some (myself included) come back regularly to look for new comments and I believe are counted again in the “View” tally. So, unless I am mistaken about how the counter works, I don’t think we can use this as a stat to assume a large silent majority is even viewing the ongoing discussion.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wayne, I’m aware of that. I do hope you find some more enjoyable ways and places to spend your retirement than checking back on my blog posts.
After 37 years of being one of our best teachers and teaching in your own community, you deserve the best.
LikeLike
I am divided… So I guess I’ll vote for option 2. The problem I see with that option is that I am not sure we still have Parks and recreation in Hudson…
I already nag my district Councillor regularly, so option 3 is already in play for me.
Option 1 is too ”esoteric”, even for me. I’d rather see something like an ”indaba” meeting take place…
”… “indaba” (pronounced IN-DAR-BAH) … is designed to allow every party to voice its opinion, but still arrive at a consensus quickly. It works because opinions and arguments can only be aired in a particular way: Instead of repeating stated positions, each party is encouraged to speak personally and state their “red lines,” which are thresholds that they don’t want to cross. But while telling others their hard limits, they are also asked to provide solutions to find a common ground.”
extract from: http://qz.com/572623/this-simple-negotiation-tactic-brought-195-countries-to-consensus-in-the-paris-climate-talks/
Thanks Peter for trying to mediate a situation which seems to have arrived at an impasse. The forecast for the next 20 months are becoming an unfortunate reality. Not for lack of trying by many good minds and hands.
LikeLike