Third McLoud Mandatory Water Hookup
I sent this to the Friday Gazette on 7 Feb 2010
I cannot speak for anyone else, but I moved to the country to get out from under all the rules cities place on the residents—rules that the few (Governing Body) place on the many (The Citizens); rules that in many cases, the family who lives across the street is not subject to because they live in the county outside the city limits. Yes, those few making the rules are supposed to represent those many, but as in any other endeavor where the many fail to constrain the few, the few begin to think the many has no say; consequently, the few get bolder and bolder as they advance their agenda. Too often, too, the bolder members of the few lead the remainder to believe their way is the only way the city can survive.
In a large city, the above scenario is almost impossible to reverse because those many are busy, and by virtue of their circumstances, they do not know how to restrain that few; most may think the power of the few is unlimited, and in a large city, they may be right.
But in a small city or town, while each of the many is an individual, there is more closeness, and there is not nearly as large a number in the many as there is in a large city, but still in the small city, most may not know the power of the few is not unlimited.
Now, let’s speak in specifics: The city of McLoud has around 4500 residents which would equate to around 2500 voter-age residents, yet in the past 35 years that I have lived out here, the most I have ever seen vote in a city election was about 400, and that was a hotly contested election: The Prison. Usually, there are about 100 who vote in a city election. Elections to pick a council member have been almost non-existent.
While the city of McLoud stretches out over about 18 square miles, the nucleus is an area of less than one of those square miles; the remainder is mostly either rural home sites or farms with a stretch of I-40 running through the rural part about three miles south of the nucleus. Four of those five few who make the rules that the many are subject to live within ½ mile of city hall with three of those four living a stones throw from each other maybe three blocks at most from city hall— right smack in the nucleus of the city. While one of those four lives somewhat rural, only one of the people’s representatives lives far enough from the nucleus of the city to be what I would consider to be rural while the rural area being governed by those five individuals comprises about 95 percent of the area being governed.
That is a little background; stay tuned; we have some big decisions to make, and we hope every citizen in and around McLoud will help us make those decisions.