A Model City
We all want to live in the best city in the world. A high standard and quality of living is, after all, a very desirable thing. We have hopes and dreams and aspirations for what an ideal city should be. Magazines even routinely publish their own lists of the best cities in the world, so we can all have an idea of just what a great city should constitute. With that in mind, the following constitutes the ultimate model city. The model city is small, as larger cities have larger problems like pollution and crime. Yet it is not so small as to have nothing to offer its residents. The model city covers ten square miles or less and has a population of between 5,000 and 10,000. That makes it large enough to attract certain amenities and small enough that it maintains its "hometown" feel and charm; it is also small enough that most of the residents will have the opportunity to know each other. The model city is a direct democracy. Its citizens all have a direct say in what goes on in the town, thus giving them a true feeling of ownership of the town. The direct democracy is facilitated through regularly scheduled monthly town meetings (with an option to have extra meetings in cases or emergencies or extremely important and ur
gent topics). Town members can go to the meetings personally or appoint a proxy to vote in their place on issues. The town meetings are run by a town chairman, whose main function is organizing, holding, and acting as facilitator at town meetings. This chairman is elected by secret ballot by town citizens once a year to a year-long term with no term limits. Any issue that comes before the town is voted on in town meetings. For certain functions that would require too frequent voting to be practicable, the town elects every other year to terms of two years with no term limits, committee members to oversee functions such as roads and parks, etc. The town has its own Constitution. It is a document drawn up at the founding of the town and amended throughout the years by town citizens as times and needs change. It lays out the rights and responsibilities of being a citizen of the town. The town Constitution gives each citizen all of their basic freedoms found in the U.S. Constitution, plus describes the organization of their system of direct democratic government. The Constitution also guarantees non-discrimination in the town in all areas of town life. This non-discrimination policy extends to all races, genders, nationalities, and sexual orientations (and just to make sure the policy is followed, there is a committee of Equal Opportunity volunteers to look into allegations of discrimination and then report back to the town for votes on resolution). The town Constitution is displayed at the town hall for all to see. The town has an extensive system of parks and open spaces where children, families, and pet-owners can go. These parks are landscaped, well-kept, and rely heavily on natural influences, meaning there are many trails, trees, and streams. Some parks have playground equipment, some have sports equipment, others do not. Each park has a theme, and attracts people who want to indulge in that theme (dog-walking, Frisbee, nature observation, etc.). The town also has attracted several different ethnic restaurants, giving the town a variety of food from which to choose. The town has Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese, Mexican, Ethiopian, Middle Eastern, French, Greek, Italian, and vegetarian restaurants available. There is also a thriving community theater, which actively encourages community participants in its productions, and which has its own playhouse. For those who prefer the
Some common words found in the essay are:
, Revolution Garden, Equal Opportunity, Wal-Mart Target, Red Cross, Greek Italian, town town, town meetings, Management System, model city, town treasurer, town citizens, businesses town, elementary/middle school, phone service, term limits, town residents,
Approximate Word count = 1633
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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