"A few phone calls?"

At the last Commission meeting, when it came time for the Commission to discuss Sunday Liquor sales Commissioner Keating initiated the topic by stating that he had said publicly at a previous meeting that he really "didn't care one way or the other" and thus prompted some phone calls from some citizens in favor of it, including some of his team mates, so he felt he must do his duty for his constituents and make a motion in favor of allowing Sunday package sales. I was glad to see that he did, but I also wondered how many phone calls he might have gotten. Does anyone else remember when over 100 citizens brought a petition before the Commission requesting that all Commission meetings be held at 7 pm? Commissioner Keating's comments were that he didn't feel that 100 people was a true reflection of the opinions of a community the size of ours. (There wasn't a petition presented by anyone opposed to the change, or in favor of keeping the 8am meeting times.) Anyway, Mayor Billionis seconded the motion of Keating's so that a vote could be held, and without any discussion every other Commissioner defeated the Sunday sales issue without any conversation or discussion as to why. No citizens appeared to speak against Sunday sales. Two citizens spoke in favor of it. Regardless, Commissioner Wood stated after the meeting to a newspaper reporter that if this issue goes to a public vote, she believes the community will stand behind the ban implemented by the Commission. I guess that this Commission truly feels that their constituents are different than citizens of any other Community considering this has been passing in every other town around us. Sort of like the plumbers fee issue. (Which I will save for a later post.)