I was born and grew up in New Hampshire. After graduating high school in '72, I signed up for the mandatory draft but the Vietnam war was winding down and they stopped calling young men. I tried attending UNH (twice) but since I got married at 19, finishing college just wasn't in the cards.
So I went to (a lot of) work and ended up buying a business in Dover that would be my occupation for the next 25 years. During that time we moved to Berwick, Maine where we raised our two kids, eventually home schooling them. I will tell that horror story (about the public school) at another time.
I've always been a musician at heart. I played in the high school band but put it all away until I was 35 when I picked up the guitar just so I could play and sing around the campfire with the kids. I've never stopped. I was in a bluegrass band for many years. We played festivals all over New England. I tried a rock band and ended up with hearing loss. Today I still play and sing every week just for fun at local jam nights.
I've always been interested in technology. I love gadgets, cameras and electronic things. And when the internet came along, well....that just made my day. To have all that knowledge available and be able to share information and ideas with so many people anywhere in the world is mind blowing.
I have always been fascinated by the workings of local government. There's so much to know...and most of the local people who get elected don't have a clue. That in itself is forgivable, but when they start making things up as they go along and digging their heels in when challenged about it, it's our duty to guide them.
When I moved here and retired, I decided to do something about our endless war of control that seems to go on in every small town. I started to go to local meetings and express my ideas on actions as they were being debated. I realized that when more folks get involved, the better we govern ourselves. With a small group of like minded people, I combined my love of gadgets (like cameras) and my passion for government to form a non profit Clearview Community TV Inc. Clearview's video work and web presence helps everyone participate in their local government from any computer at any time.
Over 800 meetings and 5 years later, residents in Town are starting to really come together and express themselves on issues. There is no reason to be uninformed any more. All the facts are available to help you form your own opinions. It is a great feeling to be part of something that will help the people regain some measure of control over what happens in their daily lives.
Politically speaking, I have conservative views on some subjects and liberal views on other subjects. Most importantly, I don't consider you my enemy just because we disagree. I can remember when politicians saw each other similar to opponents in a game where there was good sportsmanship. A great deal was accomplished when each side got most of what they wanted. I don't understand this all or nothing mindset by so many these days.
I still believe that our government works if you give it a chance and work with it. It's slower than we like but there is good reason for that. Quick decisions can result in regrets later. It's OK to make mistakes as long as we are willing to learn from them.
I like to think I've "put my money where my mouth is" where my local community involvement is concerned. This blog is just another extension of that.
Jim Miller