I attended my town meeting in Greene on March 5. I think it is interesting to notice how town leadership failed to provide any local property tax relief. In fact, the issue was never discussed.

During pre-Palesky discussions, these people promised they understood the need. I guess they didn’t. My town will almost surely see a rise in property taxes as soon as L.D.1 is enacted.

What I am really writing about, however, is the way those of us who would cut budgets are treated. I attempted to make a point during early discussion and was almost immediately chastised by the moderator. In fact, he tried to silence me. These days, if you are not in lockstep with town leadership’s thinking, you are treated that way.

Since when does our society not allow and, in fact, encourage this type of debate? I guess this is trickle-down politics, whereby a dissenting voice is not welcome. Quite similar to the environment in Augusta and Washington, D.C.

Here is the real ironic part. At the outset of our meeting, we thanked our soldiers of the 133rd Engineer Battalion for protecting our rights and freedoms. How strange that just a few minutes later, officials would be trampling the rights that those brave men and women were fighting for.

Ron Gauthier, Greene

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