Many people have expressed interest in the process of changing our government. I wonder how many people would be interested in actually engaging the process? In a nutshell here is what would have to happen:

1.) 3500 signatures (that includes a healthy cushion) of registered Saugus voters would have to be collected. 15% of the amount of voters registered in the last election is what is necessary. That number was 17,311. Hence about 2600 "good" signatures are needed. 3500 would be good insurance. People would be signing a petition that would request that a ballot question be placed on the November 2007 ballot. That ballot questions would simply ask the voters Mid June 2007 would be a good target date to have all those signatures collected and ready to hand over to the town clerk. The law actually requires that the signatures be files "100 days before the election" which I believe is November 6th this year.

2.) 42 days before that election any Saugus citizen can turn in a nomination paper with at least 50 signatures requesting that he/she be placed on that same ballot to become a charter commissioner.

3.) At the time of the election Saugus voters will either vote YES or NO as to whether or not they want a Charter Commission. They will also vote for 9 (nine) candidates to serve on that Commission. They can vote NO and still vote for 9. The top 9 will become the Charter Commission as long as a majority of the voters vote YES to form a commission.

4.) Assuming the vote is YES the new Commission has a timeframe to study, hold hearings and issue a final report. Ultimately the voters must again approve a new form of government.

It has been suggested that this "Home Rule" process is cumbersome and time consuming. Essentially the Massachusetts Constitution recognizes communities having a right to exist using this process. Anything that is consitutional in nature will purposely have a longer duration so that deliberation wins out over passion, reason trumps emotion and popular sovereignty is respected. In the end you will have a government that is established by the people and can be amended by the people. This is different that the 'Special Act' Charter Saugus has now which requires that any change be voted on by the legislature and signed by the governor. Now that you are aware of the process would you like to engage it?
Are there 35 people willing to obtain 100 signatures, or 70 people willing to obtain 50, or 100 people willing to obtain 35, or 140 of you willing to obtain 25?

Of course we can sit back and write on these blogs hoping that someone else will do it for us. However, make no mistake about it, one large reason Saugus is in the position it is in because of citizen disengagement, apathy and self imposed political divestment. We have relied on our "groups" to do it for us...the "Tree Huggers," the "Special Interest Council," "Chamber of This," and the "Partnership of That." Yet all of these groups and those they represent deserve a governemnt that is capable of response, adjustment, ability to act with energy and dispatch and most important the ability to check itself. You now have a choice. You can "Bowl (and Blog) Alone" (see http://www.bowlingalone.com ) or you get up and out from behind your monitor to change your community.

E mail me if you are interested in obtaining signatures. I have the petitions.