De Tocqueville noted that citizens discover their political interests at the local level in America when their self-interest is clearly threatened. Either their trash needs pick up or they need better law enforcement so they go to their local government to protest. They meet with some successes and some failures, but they learn how the process works, they gain skills in advocacy and knowledge of process, and they taste a first victory. Then politics becomes a way of life, and citizens take this experience on to state and national government where they become involved in affairs that affect the nation at large.

I live on a dead-end street near the center of our town. Our block is residential. The big street at the corner, which takes you into town, is mixed. Right now at the end of the street is used car lot. It’s not pretty, but there is no traffic going into it, and it is lodged in an old brick building, which fits in well with the older homes in the area. I don’t love the used car lot, but I’m less happy about what they plan to put in there. They’re planning putting up a bank with three drive-in lanes, which will make a dangerous intersection into a death zone and make way for other drive through businesses. Not to mention that it will do nothing to improve our property value.

This is part of an on-going fight. One side of town bought their homes for $10,000 years ago. They refuse to pay an extra cent in taxes and instead want to junk up the place with Burger Kings and gas stations. The other side of town is younger, bought their homes for a lot more, and plan on living here for a long time. One side of town is connected to the city; the other side is more Rockland County.

For me. the biggest problem with this bank is that it may reduce the desirability of our block, and we’ll lose the investment on our house. I’m also worried that there will be a lot of traffic on my block. and my kids won’t be able to ride their bikes on the street.

My interests are being affected. It’s this selfish motivation, and not more lofty goals, that is driving me down to the Town Council meeting tonight. It drove me to make up leaflets at 7:30 this morning, make copies in bright orange at Staples, and distribute them to the three surrounding blocks.

We’ll see what happens tonight as I bring in a throng of neighbors to their town council meeting tonight. Hopefully, I won’t have to go medieval on their asses.