Tanglewood Comes To Middlebury?

“Gormley too "busy" to appoint volunteer cultural committee

        You know, it's getting harder and harder to write OMP because the actions of the local politicians are dumber than even the satire we intend.

           For example, 6 or 7 Middlebury citizens have formed an ad hoc cultural committee. Now I know that "culture" in Middlebury comes out of the end of a fire hose or police exhaust pipe but SOME  people in this town actually like music, art, literature , etc. As we said some citizens have told Mr. Gormley that they would  work FREE OF CHARGE AND THAT THEY WOULD SOLICIT CONTRIBUTIONS FO CONCERTS, ETC.in order to bring some cultural events to this miserable hamlet.

          All Gormley had to do was officially recognize the group. Big deal. Gormley refused saying, " I am too busy with the budget." Now we assume he meant the Middlebury budget. The budget is finished for this go around, all Gormley has to do is move it to a referendum. What the hell is so "busy" about that?”

If you want a cultural committee, you certainly do not need Tom Gormley, nor the Town of Middlebury.  It is typical liberal thinking.  You can’t do anything on your own unless it involves some sort of government connection, if not eventual funding.

The best cultural venues in the world are not public, but rather private. The Boston Symphony Orchestra does not run to the First Selectman in Lenox Massachusetts when they play Copland’s Symphony #3 at Tanglewood.

I don’t see why you need any intervention from Town government outside granting you the permits to allow performances. It is not government’s role to entertain the public.  Its their role to protect the public.  That includes providing police and fire protection, and keeping the lines of transportation open so police and fire can operate. And because Mr. Gormley is more concerned about those critical elements of our Town and too busy to bestow blessings on your 6 member group, he is somehow characterized as dumb. Now how dumb is that?

Why would Tom Gormley need to appoint anyone?  Why would it be his role to do something like that?  Is that what we pay a First Selectman to do... be a concert organizer?  Why should the Town get involved with something that should be private, and would probably run a lot better if it was private? Do we want to continually grow government to include scores of new committees that are not necessary when private avenues would be more effective?  No we don’t.

If you think Middlebury residents are so culturally empty and deprived that they want to attend your free concerts, then do it yourself. You don’t need Tom Gormley nor the Town of Middlebury.