July 4th: Fun should remain

I have been taking some time to consider the suggestion of Councilor Gamache to cancel the annual July 4th Ward Celebrations.

You can read about the controversy here:
Salem News: Peabody considers suspending July fourth celebrations
Salem News Editorial: Cost no reason to nix 4th of July events in Peabody
Peabody Patriot: July 4th parties... a thing of the past?

While I understand that we are in a fiscally difficult economic situation... and that practically everyone is also facing a similar economic crisis at home and at work... I simply must say that this is the wrong move at the wrong time.

I do not agree with the posters who have been saying that it is from Mayor Bonfanti's lips to Councilor Gamache's ear... Gamache can think and act for himself. However, I think that this was simply one of those times when we all wish he hadn't.

While I would certainly love to see a check for $12,000 show up in my mailbox, the fact is that this is a tiny amount of City funds that goes to making neighborhoods and families feel more connected to each other and the City. I know that the City spends more on paper clips than $12,000 each year.

We really need to get our priorities straight when dealing with this financial crisis.

Many others have suggested that the Council members could simply cut the $150/month stipend that they receive and save more than $19,800 each year. Now I am sure that they have already made plans for these funds (or not, but they get the money in either case) so they don't wish to lose it. The money for the Ward celebrations, however, will not affect them personally in any way.

So I simply think that Councilor Gamache was looking for a way to look good while losing nothing. And frankly, it might have been fine if he were not screwing the little kids of Peabody (which are the ones that these celebrations are for in the first place.)

Now others have postulated that the Councilor(s) are actually hoping to get rid of this event - as it ruins their personal vacation plans and causes them to do lots of work planning, fund raisng and running these events... but I'm not so sure of that. If someone has any evidence of this... let us all know.

So, yet again, The City Peabody looks like a fool in the newspapers and in the hearts of its citizens. All because people do not THINK about the consequences of their actions (or simply proposals in this case).

:::Caveat:::
Now all that being said... IF (and only IF) the City is actually in such DIRE FINANCIAL STRAITS that it really can not fund these 6 celebrations (for $2,000 each) then I am ready to talk about a great many OTHER CUTS that would need to be made before this one.

This amount ($12,000) is 0.0000909% of the budget ($132,000,000)

IF we can't afford this amount for something that is a long-term event that brings kids and families and neighborhoods together... we should really think about what is truly important in this City.

~ps: I fixed the erroneous number of celebrations from 11 to 6!