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In a speech last Thursday reinforcing his bid for re-election as mayor of Rockville, R.I., incumbent Joe Greenberg referred to the many separate people who own and occupy hundreds of different plots of land as a “community,” despite the fact that Rockville residents have little in common other than the roads and utilities system they pay taxes to maintain.
“Our diversity is what makes our community such a wonderful place to live,” said Greenberg to a crowd gathered just off the main road running through the town, disregarding the lack of any significant interaction that any of Rockville’s inhabitants had with each other. “We are all doing our part to make our community a better place to live, work and raise a family.”
With no common industry around which Rockville is based, no state-champion football team, or even a local library book group, Greenberg still insisted on referring to Rockville in a manner that suggests that citizens might indeed know or care about the well-being of their neighbors. Greenberg was either unaware or unwilling to admit that each family in Rockville is truly only concerned with its own income and expenses, and maybe moving to a better school district as soon as money isn’t so tight.
“Our local markets, shops, and parks are cornerstones of this community, places where we can come together,” Greenberg said of the scattered businesses and grass plots where residents sometimes make quick stops on their way home from work.
“I was born in this town, and I’ve lived in this town my whole life. And I intend to do everything in my power to make this amazing place even better,” said Greenberg, with a gesture to the storefronts behind him that consisted of mostly franchises and deserted retail spaces.
Greenberg is currently preparing a speech that addresses Rockville’s uniqueness, praising aspects about the town that can be found in any town in New England.
