ROCKINGHAM — With only 3,000 residents, it's hard to justify a full-time unionized fire department with a budget of $321,775. Many towns with far larger populations are superbly served by volunteers.
Village President Nancy McAuliffe is right in identifying crushing taxes as a key factor in the town's decline. But with union members dominating the meeting and sowing unjustified fear in the few folks who did show up to vote, the excessive municipal budgets will continue.
A classic case of a special-interest group succeeding thanks to lack of citizen participation.