I can’t see very far without my glasses.

I have had to wear glasses or contacts since the age of 7. I have horrible eyesight. My contacts are never in stock and have to be special ordered. I also pay extra every time I get new glasses so that the lenses aren't Mr. Magoo style. I can't see anything clearly unless it is right in front of my face. Thank goodness for corrective lenses, or I would be a wandering and stumbling idiot. A lot of people suffer from nearsightedness, but not in literal terms. Maybe it's stubbornness, or a refusal to reflect, think through, and analyze, or the inability to see and interpret the big, far picture. Whatever it is, it is not the mark of a good candidate for a Study Commission.

Sounds pretty harsh and judgmental, but after dissecting the following statement from a potential commission member, I hope you can see my perspective and cause of concern.

“Personally, I reject the Home Rule, and think the new council that has just been elected, be given a chance to make needed changes in our government.”

— A candidate for Greenville, PA's Government Study Commission

Let's evaluate this statement. 

1.      Is it possible to stand firmly on such a strong opinion of Home Rule without having gone through a thorough investigation and study, especially when contrasting the options available in this new structure to our current form of government? To reject without investigation is ignorance. 

2.      The new council that was elected voted unanimously to have the Government Study Commission question placed on the ballot. Is it, then, possible that this current council believes that it this might be the change that is needed for our local government, and that it at least should be studied to determine it's viability? The new council that has been elected has the chance to make needed changes in government, and with that chance, it decided Home Rule was worth studying because of the changes that it could bring. I hope you see the irony.

It is important that we all step back, and assess whether or not we should put on our glasses in order to see just beyond what is right in front of us. We will continue to flounder if we don't. Why even write a response? Because it can really hurt Greenville