[fatlazyless]

Here's a very simple solution...everyone, including myself...should all be so fortunate to get themself a job working for the Town of Meredith. Working for the town, either in the pending, 30-employee, dept public works union or in a nonunion job like administration or police, you get paid very well, along wih cost-of-living raises, health insurance and dental insurance with no self co-pays, access to the community center gym and high, artificial rock-climbing wall and some other good stuff that I don't know about.

About the only requirement is that you and your spouse show up to the annual March town meeting so you can vote yourself another annual raise. It's basically like the annual town employees party and get together. There is no problem getting employees to the meeting.

In the November presidential elections, Meredith voted McCain 1857, and Obama 1964, for a total of 3821 votes cast. At the March town meeting, held at the end of the meeting at about 11:30pm the vote for the pay raise was probably something like 165 yea, and 88 nay, for a total of 253 votes cast. And, the town meeting vote is initially done by a show of hands.

And the town already has a fire boat but does not have a helicopter... The fire boat is like a twenty year(?) old fiberglass, 28' cabin-utility equipped w/ a pump and hoses, and water power-spray, powered by two, much newer Suzuki four-stroke outboards, and kept moored and ready to go, close to Bear Island. It has a flashing red light on top. and volunteer firefighters who train and train and train to use it.