Oak Bluffs meeting – capsule reviews

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To the Editor:

I learned a new four syllable word: opposeabstain.

How many Power Point presentations are allowed at a one-night, 3.5-hour town meeting? It seems to me that the moderator pulled the plug on the Community Preservation Committee’s presentation. Were there others?

Multiple choice question: Who or what was most responsible for there not being enough time to have the CPC’s Power Point presentation?

Mr. Whritenour spoke too slowly.

Mr. McGrath polled the audience too many times about which slide was better.

The moderator didn’t speak fast enough.

Too many voters came to the meeting.

Mr. Minor made too many short, perspicacious comments.

The voters asked too many questions that were already answered on the town’s state-of-the-art, up-to-date website.

The applause, in appreciation of all the work Priscilla Sylvia has done in her career, was too long.

The moderator, who on at least 10 occasions interrupted his rat-a-tat reading of a warrant article to inhale.

The 10:30 pm town curfew.

All of the above.

What is the application deadline for a Power Point presentation supporting one’s position on a warrant article? I’m pretty certain I could have convinced the town to vote differently on any number of issues with a well-designed presentation of facts interspersed with a bit of humor — especially if I were allowed to hold the floor and speak to any and all comments contrary to my position.

Is it the proper role of the moderator to make certain that the meeting is completed in one night? Is that in the best interest of democracy?

Sometimes one gets a strong sensation that the town meeting is a huge inconvenience for our town officials, that they are terrified of the wild beast known as the people, that they need to direct the town meeting to eliminate the damage democracy might do to their plans.

Brian Hughes

Oak Bluffs