Voices of Franklin: Jane Callaway-Tripp "The Cost of Silence: A Town at a Crossroads"

Franklin is more than streets, buildings, and budget line items. It is history, families, and generations woven into a fabric that once felt unbreakable. It is the town where neighbors looked out for each other, where voices carried weight, where integrity mattered. But something has shifted. The foundation is cracking, and the people who call this town home are standing at a crossroads—one that demands hard truths and honest conversations.

Decisions are being made that do not match the words spoken to justify them. A fiscal cliff, they say. Yet raises far beyond the standard cost-of-living adjustment are handed out—without hesitation, without sustainable planning. How does that add up? Strip away the rhetoric, take away the partisan noise, and one question remains: Is this responsible?

Too often, dissent is met not with discussion but with cruelty. Franklin has shown, time and time again, that politics is not just about governance—it is about power. It is about who gets to speak, whose voice is drowned out, who faces ridicule for daring to stand alone. In an ideal world, people would disagree with respect, with a willingness to listen, with an understanding that opposition is not the enemy—it is balance. But that is not what is happening here.

Mockery replaces debate. Personal attacks replace understanding. State representatives endorse a full panel of candidates in a local nonpartisan election—making it clear that the system is anything but neutral. And as people watch this unfold, they wonder: Where do we go from here? I ask you how Can we remove partisanship when it is prevalently clear it is staring us in the face every day?

The Weight of a Dollar

It is easy to say, “It’s only $300 a year.” But to who? Not everyone lives in comfort. Not everyone has an extra $10 a month. There are people—good, hard-working people—who see their bank accounts already at zero, who know the weight of an unpaid bill sitting in the back of their mind. And yet, they are told to tighten their belts once more, told to make sacrifices for decisions they had no hand in making.

And what happens when someone speaks up, when they say no? They are labeled cheap, claims that a NO voter is nothing more than a “Professional Againsters”, would it then be fair to say a YES voters are nothing more than “Professional Yesman”? Neither is a fair statement and quite insulting to either side. They are dismissed as obstacles in the way of progress. But fiscal responsibility is not selfishness—it is survival. It is about trust, and trust cannot exist where accountability is lacking.

The Numbers Do Not Lie

For years, residents have heard the same argument: We need more people, more development, more revenue. They have watched the approval of apartment projects, the bending of zoning regulations, the granting of variances and waivers that reshaped Franklin’s landscape. But there was an opportunity—a rare moment where the town could have stood up for its people. A 40B project that could have been rejected, with legal justification under safe harbor, but instead? Silence. Indifference. A clear message: Your voices do not matter.

Breaking the Pattern

Franklin’s residents are exhausted—not just by taxes and budget concerns, but division has replaced community. It does not have to be this way. It should not be.

Maybe the solution is not another override. Maybe it is not another fight over partisan alliances or social media insults. Maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in listening. In remembering that the town does not belong to politicians and those who run it—it belongs to the people.

We will not all agree. We are not supposed to. But if Franklin is to stand strong, if its future is to be more than just a history written by those in power, then residents must demand better.

Because the Foundation of Franklin is cracked, we as residents are that foundation remember without the people, there is no Town of Franklin.

Independent voter

Jane Callaway-Tripp 

If you have something to say, you can find the guidelines here
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/03/introducing-voices-of-franklin.html

Voices of Franklin:  Jane Callaway-Tripp "The Cost of Silence: A Town at a Crossroads"