Michael Barone comments today on the manipulation of the little people practiced by the insiders in the Chicago political machinery.

But his commentary is relevant to small towns such as Chatham as well. Consider this paragraph -- and use your imagination.

That's governance, Chicago style. The head of government is friends with the heads of every big business, lobby and union, and together they make decisions on how everyone else will live. Those on the inside get what they want. Those on the outside -- well, they get what the big guys want them to have. That's life in the big city.

In a small Cape Cod town such as Chatham, do insiders work with the town manager or administrator, who really controls the levers of power, to get what they want? Summer residents who pay most of the taxes but don't have the vote, no problem, they're insiders. They want a big sewer, bigger than needed to solve the nitrogen problem in the water? No problem, will the town manager see that they get it? Prominent organizations who benefit from appointments to important town commitees and have their own wish lists play ball in return.

Is there a need to squeeze taxpayer complaints out of air time at selectmen's meetings? No problem, a prominent organization which also wants a sewer and doesn't care about the cost agrees with the town manager/administrator to schedule an hour and 15 minute conversation with the selectmen for one of the other organizations they control that could happen anytime, but it's needed to run the clock against the taxpayers. No problem, they are there to back up the town manager. And the golf or the archery committee is ready to discuss its desire for more power at the drop of a hat. They're good for an hour, too.

So, the biggest decision of the century for Chatham is to be discussed -- a $340 million centralized sewer system. But, what do you know, there's only 20 to 25 minutes left before the hall has to be vacated for another meeting to begin.

Hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer property taxes are at stake. Taxpayers point out opportunities for cutting perhaps as much as half the cost of the big city sewer system the town manager wants to give to the summer residents. They think the selectmen ought to look into it.

Time's up. No, we can't bother looking into that, say the selectmen. We don't care that some other town is doing what we won't do, giving careful consideration to saving $300 million for their taxpayers. Our taxpayers won't mind paying twice what they should. They've almost always done what we've told them to do. Why should this be different just because the possible savings are more than $100 million? They'll still trust us.

Fantasy? Conspiracy?

Mayor Daley must be smiling proudly.

And the little people who live in Chatham? They'll pay.