I post this for awareness of history, and for relevance to current events. Here is playlist of testimonies that I recorded in February of 2023 when the Delta County Commissioners held a hearing for those in opposition to the Land Use Code changes.
Despite many of the community members having detailed and articulate analysis of the changes, and despite specific remedies being asked for, much of what was asked for here was ultimately denied. It took some time, and some semblance of a feedback process was held, mainly with the Delta County Coalition (now defunct). But ultimately this resulted in minor changes to the language while the substance was not altered significantly. Citizens were placated saying that they simply misunderstood. And in February 2023, when another hearing was held, there were far fewer people in the room:
Despite Daniel Kennedy’s fabulous humor, the county commissioners did not follow his lead on public transparency. At the end of the hearing, they voted unanimously to pass the land use code changes. In my estimation, they ascertained that the energy of the movement had died down, and that they could safely proceed now without major pushback.
Where did “We the people” go wrong here? I don’t think that it was apathy. My experience handing out flyers to business owners that first year followed a typical sequence:
- Are you here to sell me something?
- Oh, the commissioners are doing WHAT?
- I will tell all my friends. Let me have that flyer, I’m going to make copies.
I think that what happened was:
- The people in the North Fork were the most active organizers on this issue.
- I sense, but correct me if I’m wrong, that the North Fork is more socially connected than the rest of the county, so coordination is easier here.
- The amount of time and effort that it took to stay connected to the rest of the county became unsustainable, because people have jobs and livelihoods, and this is not the only important issue in their lives.
How can we learn from this? And what can we do better? I think the baseline, default state of Delta county should be one of greater connection, and greater awareness. We shouldn’t do this just to push back on government, we should do this to live deeper, more fulfilling lives. Rather than numbing out to a cycle of distraction and stimulation on social media or TV, let’s talk about what’s really going on in our lives. Let’s look for things to do right here that can improve the lives of our families and our community. If we want to improve our situation, it starts with exercising our First Amendment rights: the right to free speech, and the right to assemble. So many other things will begin to fall into place when we take those first two steps. And that is why the founding fathers considered these so important as to be enshrined in our constitution.
So let’s Get Started! Let’s start building a community for the people, by the people. Let’s remember the roots and the principles that built this great nation, and look forward to the future, to roads that we have not yet traveled.