I guess it’s legal. But it shouldn’t be.
The selectmen in several towns, including my near neighbor of Kingfield, have decided because of the Covid-19 pandemic to postpone their annual town meetings and municipal elections.
That’s their word, “postponed.” My word is “cancelled.”
Kingfield’s town meeting and election were scheduled for June 6. They’re now set for June 2021. So, if any citizens happen to be unhappy with how the town is being managed and had hoped to propose some alternatives, they can spend the next 12 months pounding sand.
The excuse Kingfield selectmen gave for shutting down democracy is public safety. They couldn’t think of a way to protect everyone’s health while conducing vital town business.
The operative word there is “think.”
Rather than stifle any voices calling for change, the Kingfield elders could have held the town meeting in an open-air location suitable for social distancing, of which Kingfield has an abundance. Since the municipal election takes place during the meeting, that would have settled both problems.
But that would have been a lot of work just to maintain that tired, old tradition of government of, by and for the people. And it wasn’t required. “It’s perfectly legal,” said Paul Mills, a Farmington attorney who specializes in municipal law. “The Legislature passed this in March.”
An emergency bill that lawmakers rushed through before fleeing Augusta gave towns the authority to suspend public participation in town government for up to a year. The net result of this decision is that Selectman John Dill, whose term was set to expire in June, will serve until next June, even though no voter authorized that extension. The two candidates who were seeking to replace Dill will have to sit down and shut up until 2021.
Vladimir Putin would be envious. He had to go to all the trouble of amending the Russian constitution to remain in power after his term expired.
As with Putin’s constituents, there wasn’t a whole lot of dissent from local citizens concerning the Kingfield Kommissars’ power grab. No marches in the street. No calls for impeachment. Not even any angry letters to the local newspaper, the Original Irregular. That publication reported the election cancellation in the same matter-of-fact tone it uses to cover everything from bake sales to road repairs to space aliens armed with laser death rays slaughtering half the town’s population. Calling off something as trivial as an election didn’t strike Kingfield’s foremost journalists as anything to get excited about. Worth about two paragraphs. At most.
Kingfield Selectman Raymond Meldrum thinks he knows why there have been so few complaints. “There’s not a whole lot of change to be made this year, anyway,” Meldrum said of axing the election. “It’s not going to do a whole lot of anything.”
That’s usually the case when you cancel the opportunity to do anything.
Meldrum referred all other questions to town administrative assistant Leanna Targett, who told one of her assistants she couldn’t talk to me until she’d discussed my query with the selectmen. And around and around it goes. Targett never did call me back.
Polly MacMichael, one of two candidates seeking to replace Dill, said she was given no advance warning the election might be called off, wasn’t invited to the meeting where that happened and didn’t receive any official notice from the town after the cancellation became final.
That’s standard operating procedure. In North Korea.
“I am disappointed,” MacMichael said in an email. “What I don’t understand is if the town figured out how to hold a democratic primary and vote on the school budget, why isn’t an election for town officials possible?
“A year is a long time to hold back my enthusiasm to actively support outdoor recreation, small businesses, lower taxes, our community schools, and the town’s excellent comprehensive plan,” she added.
I can only hope news of how Kingfield handled this nasty business of canceling an election doesn’t reach a certain orange fungus in the White House. It might give him ideas.
What’s next? Cancelling the minor-league baseball season? What? They did. Condolences may be emailed to aldiamon@herniahill.net.
The Plandemic, greatest scapegoat ever.
Gaslighting the White House, Al’s favorite game. Using victimhood as currency and taking it straight to the bank.
It’s not the orange fungus who is hinting. It’s the bottom-feeders on the other side, encouraged by the bottom-feeder-in-chief HRC or She-who-would-be-Queen. She still has not accepted the ‘16 results, but now insists that DJT won’t accept the ‘20 results.
The sociopath will always accuse you of doing the very thing that they are guilty of themselves. They do this to deflect the attention from them.
~ Goebbels or Alinsky – no difference
But we should cut her some slack. She’s working hard to deflect what Ms. Maxwell might say.
Question for extra credit. What did all the polls say on 7/6/2016?
Hay Al are you a resident in kingfield? Nope, are you a tax payer in kingfield? Nope. Maybe you should stay up in carrabassett and mind your own business. As far as a call back you have no idea as to how busy the AA Miss Targett is and as a resident and tax payer I am glad she didn’t waste her time calling you back for you incoherent ramblings. Time to retire and feel free to take Miss Mac to carrabassett with you as far as the majority of us are concerned.
North Korea? “Nasty business”?
Maybe a touch dramatic, dude. 🙄
MacMichael said all that needed to be said, “What I don’t understand is if the town figured out how to hold a democratic primary and vote on the school budget, why isn’t an election for town officials possible?”
The answer is it was possible, they just chose not to hold one because some numbskulls gave them the authority to skip an election. That’s not what I expect from people who cherish democracy. Times they are a changing.
Frostproof:
What with the 11% national unemployment and 129,000 COVID deaths, I had forgotten that Trump was still running against Clinton. Thanks for the news. Cheers.
Last I heard, Ms Polly wanted the townspeople to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to remove Shiloh Pond from the tax base of Kingfield. And she heads a club that promised not to ask the town of Kingfield for money for at least one full year. But guess what? She broke that promise, and she got a lot of money from the town, led by the very people that she now compares to North Korea? Ha! Ingrate.
Jay didn’t you hear ? Rumor has it if the kung flu gets any worse Trump will be canceling the November election. Just kidding don’t get in a panic.
Luke your comment shows just how blind people like you are. For the past four years the left hasn’t accepted the 16’ election results even the “queen” has been in interviews not accepting them. She even wrote a book about why it was everyone else’s fault but here for losing her title.
It’s going to be a long 8 yrs for you folks just like what we just endured (with much less drama) with emperor O.
The only way this country is going to get better is to outlaw the republican party and lock up in jail all republicans, far right extremists, white supremacists, racists and bigots. They are the ones who are casing problems.
Al your way off base Polly should not of complained to you but that’s what she does. It’s all about her and her business she knew the meetings were important but does not show up even last night but on the other hand Brad the other candidate was there again because he cares about his town.
It was a good read until the last sentence. Al is still in denial from the 2016 election.
In Maine anything that does not learn to bend with the wind usually breaks. It will be all right.
Awww,
I hear you. Not to worry, I’ve seen much worse. Held clearance ahead of 9/11 that afforded me the opportunity to fret over what would happen if the proper security measures weren’t taken in time, then watch it all unfold real time. Surreal is not quite the word for it but you get the picture. Wars in the Middle East followed similar predictions from the defense community that I had no choice but to watch come true one by one. Contrary to popular belief, proper prior planning not morale determine the outcome of these activities.
I haven’t seen the kind of compromise that makes for a functional government since maybe 1991, at least not from a defense perspective. If we had that I’m sure we could have avoided a number of disasters in that realm because we advisors telling Washington exactly what they needed to know to avoid them. You’d think the $7 trillion spent in response would have convinced Washington to alter its behavior, but here we are.
Awe I can never tell if you’re serious or sarcastic! I love the last line considering you express supper for the two biggest drama snowflakes to ever enter public office, lepage and trump both Florida residents. Lol. Hard to know if you are joking in your comments they are so full of whiny kool aid! Thanks for commenting on almost everything you read! It’s entertaining at the least. Lol.
I would just like to commended the bravery of all those attacking Polly MacMicheal while hiding behind fake internet names. How mature and unprejudiced you all seem tearing apart a woman who has put herself out there with the intention to help and was attacked for having committed the grave sin of offering different ideas.
Let’s be real, part of adult life is that sometimes people disagree with you. You don’t have to see opposing views as threatening. Open your mind and try to have a constructive conversation instead of hurling insults from behind your computer screen. Residents inevitably have different ideas regarding what is best for the town but just because someone disagrees with you doesn’t mean they have malicious intent. And the way to deal with a disagreement is not to resort to personal attacks and misinformation about the other person. Grow up.
U too much you’re welcome. I enjoy watching snowflakes melt behind a keyboard, hopefully they are waterproof 😂😂
Karen, you could have used the name Fred Flintstone and it would have worked just fine for me.
Karen I don’t believe these people are hiding behind fake names for any reason other then they know how people in small towns can be. As far as Polly she has chosen to play in politics so she must be ready for all the skeletons to come out of the closet. Doesn’t matter if its president of United states or a town selectman.
For the first time, I am moved to wade into the morass of Daily Bulldog comments.
I do not know Ms Mac Michael, although I know who she is; and her point about some elections being possible, and others not, is well taken.
I think I know Karen – do you have ample space to breathe clean air?
As to the fake names used by many of the regulars, I choose to see them as cartoon names, produced by cartoon minds.
Mind you, I am “From Away”, having lived here only 42 years, so I am sure I have much to learn.
Before moving here, I lived through the Sixties, and yes I do remember part of them.
The part that seems relevant here is “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem”
Well said Mr. Hagarstrom.
Awww, that’s funny. I appreciate that you are able to admit you enjoy causing upset and frustration on the internet with random and made up points. It’s almost like you want to divide people based on your own insecurities and inadequacy of life achievements. Brilliant! I think there’s even a term for that like toll or roll … agent of chaos… but I forget. . . Enjoy your day tiger!
“Too much can you point to which of my statements are “made up” ? I don’t disagree that my points cause hate and discontent but it doesn’t make them false or made up. So please point to which ones are. It’s funny because I use other Dr.s points besides the CNN puppets choice I am automatically labeled to be spreading false info.
Not sure I would have voted for Mrs. MacMichel but I do agree she has a good reason to be upset..
Aww. It’s all fluoride in the water with you so do your own homework because I work for a living with a mask on and breathing problems. In the meantime your intellect is a slimy entertainment spectacle for our enjoyment! Keep believing in the imagination of a domestic political enemy so we can keep up the hate thy neighbor mentality! Love you bud.
It’s good to talk and discuss and debate. If you are unable to do it formally this is a good way.
That’s what I thought Too much. Start with name calling when you can’t prove me wrong. I’m a worker too and an essential one. No time off for us uneducated idiots. Love you too neighbah !!!
Heres the research you didn’t feel like doing. The “queens” book is called What Happened. The other “details” that point to the left not accepting the 16’ election is 1. Failed russia hoax investigation 2. Steel dossier was proven false 3. Impeachment over the President investigation into Burisma and Bidens quid pro quo. Thers more but you get the point and will most likely deny any proofs that I provide. Still love ya neighba !!!!
Aww:
Anyone can find a “Dr.” to support their quack theories. Rand Paul, Ben Carson, and whoever gives Trump a clean bill of mental and physical health come to mind. When you cite youtube as an authority, plan on some pushback.
If you can find a better authority than the New England Journal of Medicine, feel free to let us know.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2020836?query=recirc_curatedRelated_article
P.S. You’re shilling for the most thinskinned extra special “stable genius” snowflake in the country.
Cheers.
Um…just bc you don’t like the Right party/ those affiliated with the Right party and just bc the Drs., Paul & Carson are, labeling them now as quacks or infer they are somehow now incompetent is a stretch at a minimum and reflects more of the mental lacking of the one suggesting…Also, to take psychological advise from pretend journalist hacks posers giving opinions and diagnosis of mental health also not professional and worthless dribble, nor is it ethical or professional to set up a round table of “expert” psychologists to formulate a diagnosis for anyone they have never even met personally. I wouldn’t even send your misbehaved dog to those hacks either. And lastly, as to the infamous wannabe referred to as “the queen” and the most betrayed woman in America, if you ever heard the screeching nurse ratchet shriek she bellows, sound to me that someone may need some psychological help, but I’m not the “expert”
…Nuff Said.
What does all this have to do with the Kingfield Town meeting
As the Left loves to say…”Triggered” and the passive aggressive tone of the article…therefore are justified venting, thanks Al once again, “ I can only hope news of how Kingfield handled this nasty business of canceling an election doesn’t reach a certain orange fungus in the White House. It might give him ideas.”
…Nuff Said.
Oscar… guess it don’t have much to do with the Kingfield Town meeting… Somehow someone on the forum veered off course to disparage the physical and mental health of President Trump… I responded with a comment along the same line regarding the Dems. nominee and it somehow was not acceptable.. Somehow I not surprised it happens all the time with the PPH…
Luke I responded and it didn’t make the cut so I won’t be trying again as I put my first response as nicely as possible. FYI Dr. Scott Jensen isn’t a quack he is also a US Senator neither is Dr. Buttar but they disagree with the liberal shill narrative. Bye Karen