Summer 2006
Poltical Hockey
August 2006
Ahhh…the great game of politics!!!
We are now resuming our coverage of the game. We left it at the beginning of the 9th overtime, with a score of negative two for both teams. During the regular game and subsequent overtime, we left both teams spending most of the game in the neutral zone, with a lot of passing the puck around, and some very violent checks resulting in an incredible amount of penalty time and injuries for both sides. At one point, there were only four players on the ice, chasing each other around.
There have been some wicked defensive moves, with the goalies working really hard, and asking for a raise, and renegotiation of their contracts. But for the most part, coordinated offense has been non-existent bar once in awhile, a long shot from the blue line, or an individual effort from a lone sniper. It seems neither team is ready to take a chance at a move that may lose the game for them…as if not losing was more important than winning.
As we pick up the game, both teams are in full force, going at it as if there was no tomorrow – the checking on the boards has become more vicious and unpredictable…
OH, NO! A loose puck just flew out in the bleachers, hitting Mr. PharmaCo in the left eye and on the rebound grazing Mrs. Education on the shin; good thing she was sitting on the cheap seats, far away from the action. Nevertheless, she is now jumping around on one leg, like a pirate with no wooden leg.
Pandemonium is setting in! Since Mr. PharmaCo is a season-pass holder, both teams are now wondering if he will cancel his seat, and are contemplating if they will remain profitable without his contribution. Even the people that had fallen asleep watching that extra long game are waking up. COMMENTS ARE FLYING! Some blame Mr. PharmaCo, saying that he is soooo big he is taking up three seats by himself. And Mr. Oilman, who is sitting next to him, is taking up the remainder of the front row. They offer a big target, and it is their own fault if they got hit.
The medics are saying they will not rescue and treat anybody until they see valid insurance cards. Good thing that both team managers have already agreed that they will cover the bill if all else fails.
In the commotion, Mr. Nobody has gotten a hold of the loose puck and refuses to give it back. Due to all the overtimes, it is the last one available and we now have a situation. Security is getting ready to move in but the support from the audience for Mr. Nobody is growing strong. After contemplating selling it back to the highest bidder, he decides to keep it, and voice his conditions of its return. He will get to select the next offensive line for both teams. He claims that short of going on the ice himself, this is the least that the teams could do for him. The bleachers erupt in applause and voice their support. We may now see a real game, with goals scored. Who knows? It may get exciting again!
Mr. PharmaCo, who now only sees from one eye (thank heaven it is the right one) is not sure if he wants to stay the remainder of the game. I think he is afraid to get hit again. Mr. Oilman knows in his heart that he is so slippery that nothing could ever get to him. Mrs. Education is wondering if anybody even cares about what happens to her as the medics so far have ignored her plea. So with the help of Ms. Green-Enviro, she is bandaging herself to try to resume her normal walking. The refs that had been waiting patiently, playing high-stakes card games and joking around, are now back in their positions, cameras are rolling. Everybody is awake and anxious to see the new line-up in action.
Let the game resume…
Michel Consejo, Sheldon
Franklin-5 Representative Candidate
Sheldon & Swanton
Getting From There to Here
August 2006
One of the questions I’ve had to answer for the past twenty-five years or so is, “Why on earth did you move from Paris to Vermont?” Simple question, no simple answer. In past letters I tried to explain why I choose Vermont for my home; in this letter I will try to explain why I left FRANCE.
Governments in Eastern Europe have mastered the art of control. It is a well known fact that the more citizens are relying on the government for their basic needs, the easier they are to control. The old saying, “you don’t bite the hand that feeds you” has some of its roots in this equation. They have developed a generation of permanently assisted people.
In my late twenties, I became more and more aware of the direction my life had been chartered. Based on where I was born, my level of education, my marital status, and the fact that I came from a low income family, I was falling into what some call a matrix. This mold was basically the sphere that was deciding what I could and could not do. A couple of examples come to mind.
As a young entrepreneur starting with close to nothing, the progression of my business was warranting a cash infusion in order to expand. Not having the luxury to turn to family or friends for cash, I went to banks. The answer I got over and over again was always the same. I needed collateral, equity, co-signers, age, and a lot more to be considered a fair risk. Having a good business and a solid plan was not enough. In other words, I needed money to get money.
What good is a society and a banking system if they only allow the same circle to grow? Banks in Europe had become depositories. They were a somewhat safe place for the rich and famous to keep their money. They forgot that in order to be a service to their clients, they needed to take chances, to look outside of the matrix, and to support projects, people, and sometimes risky ideas.
It is no accident that the best and brightest of Europe were migrating outside of their countries to put their minds and ideas to work. They could not get the funding they needed in their own countries. Nobody was willing to take a chance on them.
The second example came to me as a teenager. Paris, like New York City, has beautiful parks, luscious grass fields mowed to perfection, trees and flowers planted by expert gardeners, buildings and art everywhere, a feast for the eyes and soul. But as I was taking a walk in one of those oasis of serenity, I began noticing the signs everywhere I turned: “Do not walk or sit on the grass.” Do not walk, enter, turn. It was okay to enjoy all this, but you had to follow the path that was made for you, and at no point in time could you interfere, interact, or change anything even if it was for the better, without fearing the wrath of man. I am asking you, what good is a beautiful lawn if you can not lay on it? What is the point of making things better if you restrict the enjoyment of the people you are supposedly doing it for?
I have countless examples of double standards that went on at that time, and I won’t bore you with them. I have since been back to France a few times, and things have changed, at least on the surface, but from talking to family and friends living there, it is still very much a society of who you are, where you are born, etc. A society that rewards on parameters of the matrix as opposed to encouraging new ideas, supporting innovation and research, and fostering changes for the better. A society where you are allowed to look but not touch, to decide but not participate, a society where you feel your power of decision has been shut down, and you feel you will only be heard if you add to the dissenting voices. A society that I did not want to be a part of any more.
And so the story goes…I looked at different countries, different ways of life. I visited the USA, and fell in love with Vermont. So the short answer to the question I mentioned at the beginning is, Vermont is my home. I know very well why I moved here and even though it is by no means paradise, it is still, in my opinion, one of the best places to be.
Michel Consejo, Sheldon
Franklin 5 Representative Candidate
Sheldon & Swanton
Grassroots Thinking Keeps Politicians Grounded
August 2006
As a few politicians climb higher and higher on the ladder of power, they have a tendency to be less and less in touch with the real people that put them where they are. Grassroots politics keep the connection between power and the reality of everyday life – real problems that we are each facing daily. Grassroots give politicians their reason to be, their motivation to keep on doing the hard work that needs to be done. Grassroots feed the power of ideas and dreams, and receive in return the commitment from their elected officials to work for the improvement of us all.
Ideas and dreams and visions are always greater than the person that has them. If it was not like that, they would disappear at the same time the person goes away. But good ideas, good visions will be carried by others, improved, modified and applied. They will have the power to last for as long as they serve the common good, and some of them will be carried on forever.
We should never forget that we all are a little part of a big picture, no matter how important we become at some point. And that our knowledge, strength and values are only as good as the way we can share them with others.
We all hope to be able to make a difference, to leave behind us our state, our community, our town a little better than we found it. This to me is the ultimate reward, the gold at the end of the rainbow. It is what makes simple people like me want to be involved in politics, and be proud to be a politician. All you need to be a good politician is the ability and willingness to listen, understand, and act upon the real needs of your community. And this starts here, at the grassroots, and goes all the way to the top – not the other way around.
You the people, are what makes it all worth it, you give us want to be leaders the support and courage we need to face the challenges and hard decisions, you are the fuel of all changes and the great motivator of positive thinking, you are all this so we, together can make Vermont and our dear USA, an even better place to be.
Michel Consejo, Sheldon
Franklin 5 Representative Candidate
Sheldon & Swanton
In a BoxAugust 2006
Please…don’t put me in a box. Or if you must, don’t make it square - and make it big, with lots of room for expansion, and doors to easily come in and out, and windows to make it bright and welcoming. Paint it with fun, refreshing colors, and put an American flag on top, and flowers around it.
No, I have not lost my mind yet, in case you are wondering. I am just responding to some comments I have read or heard lately, comments like, “If elected, would you represent both towns with fairness and equality?” The towns we are talking about would be SWANTON and SHELDON. The answer is “Yes, I would.” The fact that SHELDON has not been represented fairly enough in the past few sessions does not mean that I intend to play catch-up and push everything in that direction. SWANTON is a very important economic town in Franklin County and denying it an opportunity to improve on an already very decent record would be the exact opposite of my vision.
Providing citizens of both towns with “A Voice and a Choice” says it all. We can break it down as a voice for Sheldon and a choice for Swanton, if you will, but not one without the other. The stakes of the upcoming election in November are too big, and reach far beyond the scope of our county to be put with me in a box, even if it’s got a nice ribbon around it.
My desire to serve, to the best of my abilities, my fellow Vermonters is sincere and candid. I will not rehash the changes that are needed; we all know that we are standing at the edge of a very big cliff. My position is that when it comes time to vote, we will choose not only ideas, but people. Men and women we think could represent us in a manner that matches our standards. Men and women that can restore the dignity and trust in our government. Men and women that we can be proud of.
So please…don’t put me in a box, and if you do anyway, make it really big. I think a lot of people are going to join me.
Michel Consejo
Franklin 5 Representative Candidate
Sheldon & Swanton
Pointing Fingers is Pointless
August 2006
Isn’t it time to stop finger-pointing? I can find, without thinking too much about it, at least a dozen people or organizations that are somewhat responsible for some of the problems I have to face every morning as I get up. When I fill my gas tank, drink my coffee, plant my garden, read my paper, I can easily identify most of the guilty parties, and in doing so, I should sleep better at night.
The fact is, I have not been sleeping good lately, and I don’t really feel better about my situation and our country’s problems just because I think I know who put us there. For me, the only value in this is to make people or organizations accountable for their decisions and actions, nothing more, nothing less. Unfortunately, they usually dodge their responsibilities by pointing fingers at somebody else, and so the wheel goes around.
Once an issue is identified, it seems that rather than wasting time and energy and money in blaming, we should concentrate those resources in working toward solutions acceptable for all. I don’t believe in one magic bullet fired from one magic gun that will solve most of our problems and issues. I do believe in one step, one brick, one idea, one commitment toward a positive outcome.
I once read that what refrains most of us from commitment is the fear of failure. What happens when you fall? You get up! And walk again! You keep going in the direction you know is right for you, and hope others will follow. And when you are tired and old and can’t do it any more, you find others that could and would. This is the way, in my opinion, the wheel should go around.
Michel Consejo
Franklin 5 Representative Candidate
Sheldon & Swanton
Funny How Things Work
July 2006
It’s funny how things work sometimes. I remember back in the mid 80's when I took a whole summer off to go fishing. First I realize few of us have the luxury to do this, but I was between jobs, and with no particular constraints, had the time, the drive and the means to do this. So, I did. For three straight months all I did was fish. I became really good at it and caught a lot of fish. I gave away, ate and kept a lot of trout. My big freezer got filled and I was very proud and happy, that is until the day, after another very successful trip, I opened the freezer and was shocked by the amount of fish there was inside. I asked myself, “What are you doing? Why do you have so much?, When does it stop?”. From those simple questions came answers that changed me and my vision of things forever.
First was, how much is enough? When does one reach the point where he or she can say, “I have what I need” and stop taking away just because one can. For some it is never. For some it is later, and for some it is now. Money, power, possessions and knowledge, all the things that one can accumulate over the years, are only worth having if they are measured and shared.
I realized that day, looking at my over-filled freezer, that I had become a big part of the problem, that I was the problem. I was complaining that there were less fish that they were getting smaller, harder to catch. The rivers were changing and getting more polluted. But at the same time I was getting as much as I could and keeping it all. I was waiting for the other guy to be mindful of the quality and quantity, to think about the future of the sport, waiting for him to make the right choices for the good of the rest of us.
As you can tell by now, this very same philosophy can be applied to many things in life - including politics. We can certainly all stand on the sidelines, waiting for the other guy to do the right thing, to get involved, to make a difference, to share the knowledge and accumulated wisdom not for their own good, but for the good of their community. We can wait and hope and sometimes pray, for somebody to finely stand up and say, “It is enough.” Nothing will really change, though, until I decide to do my share and switch from being part of the problem to becoming part of the solution.
We all by nature doubt the power of one. We think that numbers add up to power. They sure do, but we as a society that relies on unity to find its strength, still need to not lose the vision of the individual. We all are little streams that contribute to the might of the river. No stream, no river, it is that simple.
So, I come now, twenty years later, to the conclusion that I have the time, the means and the drive to get involved in local politics. My hope is to try to motivate others to do so too, to show that indeed it all starts with each of us getting involved with whatever contributions we can make to the better of our county.
This year I will go on the road in our county and try to relay that message to as many people as I can. The changes are coming fast and we can no longer wait for the other person to do it for us. The time is right now.
Michel Consejo
Candidate for State Representative 2006 Sheldon & Swanton