A 47% voter turnout is a good sign. Still an opportunity as it was only 47%. Where were the others? Wasn't this important enough for them to take a few minutes from their day to cast a vote?
The anonymous town forum was active with a small crowd. Many public officials avoided participation because of the anonymous factor. If folks don't have the decency to identify themselves, they don't deserve an answer. I walked a fine line as I did answer some anonymous comments here. I would much rather have talked or emailed with the individuals but they chose to avoid disclosing who they were. We managed to keep the discussion civil and stick to the arguments. I had also tried to join the town forum but multiple requests for access remain unanswered today.
What helped create passage this time? I think it was two factors:
- The young voters (and students who were not able to vote) utilized MySpace and FaceBook to help spread the word, and equally important, get their parents out to vote.
- There was less unanswered questions about the numbers. There were still questions and there still is a lack of trust amongst a good amount of the population but not enough this time to sway the vote.
- Start early
- Get clarity on the numbers
- Present the case to make it real for the folks to understand
- Create an online forum for open and honest discussion amongst identified Franklin residents
