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Should Belong to the People

In 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson gave a speech to Congress in which he declared that “government is best which is closest to the people.” In the same speech, he warned against the contemporary tendency of local governments to try to insulate government from popular participation.

I’m reminded of that quote today in the wake of the shameful performance of First Selectman Matthew Hoey at the most recent Board of Selectman (BOS) meeting. The question of whether to build a methadone clinic in our town presents a difficult question without any clear answers. On the one hand, there is plenty of evidence that methadone provides meaningful help to those suffering from addiction, and on the other hand, there is ample evidence that methadone clinics increase local crime rates.

But the question of weighing the pros and cons of this issue should belong to the people of Guilford, with all of the messy and passionate discourse that inevitably goes along with democratic government. Mr. Hoey should have been aware of the democratic drawbacks with the way in which he proceeded with the methadone clinic. He has even less excuse for his behavior at the BOS meeting. People on both sides of the issue deserve to be heard, and yelling and shouting out at concerned citizens is not merely rude; it is bullying of the worst sort because it comes from a position of political authority. I invite Mr. Hoey to apologize for his conduct at the meeting and to promise to behave within well-established democratic norms in the future.

Jeffrey Cash

Guilford