Monthly Archive for October, 2004

Keeping 'common sense' in all our town affairs
By Roberta Altamari
Friday, October 1, 2004
Watertown politics has again captivated my attention, and I can't say it's for good reason. I am surprised by the willingness of some groups to use assumptions to make a statement about something they believe in. Assumptions are unhealthy and destructive to our community. I think it's time to put some “common sense” back into our politics.
Last week, Watertown Citizens for Common Sense Government wrote a letter to the editor cheering the good work of most of our town councilors for rejecting the proposed snow-shoveling ordinance. I had to agree with most of the things they had to say. I, too, appreciate when councilors can listen to thoughtful commentaries from the public and be inspired to change their votes. I, too, like when councilors get creative in addressing some of the problems in town. I applaud all of the town councilors for their hard work on this issue.
The only thing I disagreed with in the letter was their portrayal of Councilor John Portz. Just because Councilor Portz was the only councilor to listen to their presentation and still vote in favor of the ordinance doesn't give them the right to make assumptions about why he voted the way he did. They wrote, “We cannot help but conclude that Councilor Portz could care less about our insurance premiums. He showed no concern about …” Why couldn't they “help but conclude”? Did they ask Councilor Portz why he voted the way he did? If they had, they might have realized that their assumptions were wrong.
I read the TAB a few weeks ago and learned about the Town Council's rejection of the proposed snow-shoveling ordinance in an 8-1 vote. I wondered about the lone vote and read the article to discover it was Councilor Portz. I was very curious to know why this once more evenly divided vote had changed, and why Councilor Portz was still voting in favor. So I did what I thought was common sense. I asked Councilor Portz.
My conversation with Councilor Portz helped me realize just how complex this issue is. He was clearly knowledgeable about the potential complications, and knew many stories from the four neighboring communities who had implemented the ordinance. He spoke about the insurance concerns and the complexity between the distinction of “liability” and the way insurance companies respond to claims. I was surprised to find out that it is clear under case law that homeowners are not more liable because of an ordinance. But the heart of our conversation proved to be the people involved – the constituents who had come to John asking for such an ordinance, particularly the one who was motivated by having to walk his newborn baby down a busy Watertown street because the sidewalk wasn't shoveled.
Like most issues, there are many important aspects of the proposed snow-shoveling ordinance. I have witnessed countless debates on the advantages and disadvantages of having such an ordinance in town. People supporting and opposing the ordinance have made worthwhile contributions to the debate. I don't think it is common sense to assume that one side “doesn't care about” the issues presented by the other side. That would be like supporters assuming that all people opposing the ordinance “couldn't care less” about the Watertown citizens forced to push their baby carriage or wheelchair down a busy street because a sidewalk isn't shoveled. As I learned from my conversation with Councilor Portz, it is more likely that the other side heard what was said and has a different understanding of the issue. Maybe the other side has some interesting ideas about addressing the other's concerns. We will only really know if we use common sense and ask the individuals involved.
The Oxford Desk Dictionary defines common sense as “sound practical sense” with sound being defined as “correct; orthodox; well-founded; judicious; legally valid” and practical being defined as “concerned with practice or use rather than theory” or “inclined to action rather than speculation.” With a definition like this, there doesn't seem to be any room for making assumptions about why people vote the way they do or why they disagree with us.
I understand that assumptions and misunderstandings are a natural part of life. But we need to remember that there are many facets to any situation and be careful to get our stories straight before we speak or act. If Watertown Citizens for Common Sense Government is going to proclaim themselves to be a watchdog monitoring our town politics, they have a big responsibility to the people they write about and to us as a community to make sure their statements are correct.
These lessons learned from town politics can inspire us in our daily lives. In any interaction, we need to be careful not to make assumptions about why others say the things they say or do the things they do. Let's use “common sense” and ask them why before formulating an opinion. It will go a long way towards maintaining healthy relationships.
Roberta Altamari can be reached at Caringvoice@aol.com.