[Town Meeting] Substitute Motion Article 70 - Uncle Sam

[IvyEmporiums at aol.com]

Dear Colleagues, 
I offer this amendment to Article 70, Appropriation/Uncle Sam Market Study 
and  Promotion.  We had requested $2,500 but  on closer inspection, Uncle 
Sam cannot disburse over $2,000 a year.  A future article might enlarge the 
scope  and budget of the Committee but that’s another matter.      
Uncle Sam is supported by a revolving fund, hopefully to generate  revenue, 
but Sam’s pockets are empty because after a $1,500 appropriation eight  
years ago, $500 was paid for some forgotten artwork and $700 in ‘06 to wash the 
 statue.  In 2008, there remained  less than $375.00.  Everything since  
has been covered by me personally, but it’s time put some money back in the  
account and start planning.  If  we’re not ready for our “Battle  Road” 
visitors, private enterprise will fill the  vacuum and we’ll end up with 
nothing.  We  may not be as famous, but most of those drawn to Lexington Common or 
the  Concord bridge will come through Arlington, and we have a  national 
monopoly on “The Home of the Real Uncle Sam”.  It’s an untapped natural 
resource and  it’s time to exploit, baby, exploit.   
Globe subscribers will enjoy  Brock Parker’s article in the Globe  West 
section of the Boston Globe today.  If not, cut and paste this to your  search 
bar or enter ”Arlington Uncle  Sam” in Google.   
_http://www.boston.com/yourtown/arlington/articles/2010/05/06/resident_wants
_arlington_to_market_its_famous_native_son_uncle_sam/_ 
(http://www.boston.com/yourtown/arlington/articles/2010/05/06/resident_wants_arlington_to_market_
its_famous_native_son_uncle_sam/)   
This amendment drops the amount we seek to $500.00, well within the  
limits, and reducing it to a vote of confidence, a new start for local patriots.  
Our town spends more in a month to rent a Xerox machine.  In the Globe 
article I grimly suggested we  probably wouldn’t get a penny, but for $500.00 we 
can move forward without fear  of looking dismissive of our icon and our 
efforts.  It will allow us to have items ready for  the eventual Battle  Road 
planning group mentioned by Clarissa Rowe.   However, if you read the 
article, I respectfully disagree with town historian  Richard Duffy.  He wished we 
had  Uncle Sam’s cabin, but I think it’s better this way. We’d have to 
staff a  replica and insure it, but we can put “Arlington, Home of the Real 
Uncle Sam” on decals, sports  gear, t-shirts, decals, collectibles and more.  
Every item promotes the town just as much  as it promotes Uncle Sam, which is 
the idea of course. 
I hear the clatter of clogs.  “The tourist are coming, the tourists are  
coming”.  We stopped the redcoats  once.  Now let’s get the greenbacks before 
they make it to Lexington. 
Sincerely, 
Laurence O. McKinney 
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