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Evident from the Shenanigans

“Voter suppression” is defined by Wikipedia as “a strategy used to influence the outcome of an election by discouraging or preventing specific groups of people from voting” and goes on to say “Voter suppression attempts to reduce the number of voters who might vote against a candidate or proposition.”

Well, it’s pretty evident from the shenanigans that occurred at the Feb. 24 Board of Selectmen meeting that that is exactly what was intended when the agenda was opened at the last minute to propose a referenda for School Facilities and Academy Community Center for October. The decision to hold a stand-alone referendum date in October rather than during the November general election is obviously a means to engineer the vote to have the smallest number of people make a decision on one of the largest spends in Madison’s history.

During the meeting, Selectman Bruce Wilson (R) stated that he believed the town’s voters were intelligent enough to discern the information about the issues and make an informed decision. But astonishingly, Selectman Scott Murphy (D) answered, “I respectfully disagree.”

Really? If Scott Murphy believes we voters are that stupid, let’s not give him any more reasons to believe it. We must demand that the Board of Selectmen reverse its decision and place the questions on the November ballot, when the largest number of voters are allowed to let their voices be heard.

Eileen Banisch

Madison