My Democratic Party Town

In my New England town our local Democratic Party runs everything. Some would argue these local celebrities and self-promoting treasures to posterity rather over-run everything, and surely we could find some truth in this way of seeing, but we are learning a spirit of generosity invites more healthy pollinators, honey bees rather than swarms of angry hornets nesting on the sidelines. This Town Democratic Committee decided to invest in a planning retreat and were looking for a Permaculture Designer to facilitate, preferably someone local, and not too obnoxious and holier than thou about ecological wisdom raging against short-term economic realities of elective politics. Which is where I came in to this local municipality as Zero through Regional Four Zone frame. Looking back, it was fortunate I knew no one of these Committee stalwarts or we would never have arrived even as far as the initial client interview. You see, in Permaculture Design, the initial screening interviews work in both directions. First, the Committee's Secretary emailed me to ask if I would be interested and even remotely qualified, and, if so, how much and could I possibly cut whatever that is in half and be flexible on scheduling, especially scheduling of payments for services rendered. Second, if all that goes reasonably bloodless, the Permaculture Designer interviews the client. So I told the Secretary, and thereby everyone who was anyone in town, that I had recently completed a Client interview for the White House, or at least started one, thinking this might suggest qualifying experience, but she was unimpressed, possibly even depressed, probably repressed and feeling suppressed about that particular client, and recommended taking the White House out of future resumes. Anyway, long polycultural outcomes story short, we did get to a Client Interview which began and largely ended their planning retreat. As always, I begin with what purposes they have in mind for the property in question. If a real estate agent or maybe a sharky developer, were also Permaculture Design Certified this would be the highest and best interdependent uses question. The multi-sectoral responses are all about healthy nutrients. One committee member thinks a healthier, more robust, educational system is today's magic button. Another thinks a healthier employment market. Especially a Farmer's Market, adds another, with a wink to subtly let me now she and I are kindred cooperative organic spirits. Their wish list leaves little to not wish for except for fewer homeless and hungry people bumming cigarettes in front of the downtown real estate office and over in the Chamber of Commerce's newly paved and extremely well-lit parking lot. We want healthy, but cheaper, water and more robust waste disposal systems and more energy and heat and gasoline for less cash and of course lower taxes are healthier taxes and vibrant police and fire and medical emergency services and, yes, even healthier food in the cafeterias, again with a wink from the same, now creepy, committee member. I summarize It sounds like you all agree we need more integrated robust systems growing health for all residents of Zones Zero through Four. Except maybe not roosters within town limits. They gratefully agree with obvious relief as it is nearly time for Happy Hour, which becomes something of an understatement unless Happy Hours are, by definition, timeless. We never did get to the second question about what are our unhappy waste streams. Nor the third, about how these might shrink to swell more inclusive Happy Hours for Zones Zero through Four. But, as I recall, I never got that far with the White House either.