Democracy in Egremont

One expects dirty tricks in national politics, even at the state level. But in Egremont?

Republican or democratic party nominations for town offices aren't important enough to get excited about, but at least the process ought to be fair. That process always involves potential candidates expressing interest in being the nominee in writing to one or both parties, and their names being put on a ballot and then voted on by the few people who show up at the party caucus. The party leaders can exclude an interested person from being on the ballot, but that ought to be done only if there are very valid reasons to do so. Otherwise voters are denied the right to vote for whom they wish whether or not party leaders favor one candidate over others, just as is the case in primary votes for national or state offices.

In the latest town republican caucus, Laura Allen submitted a letter of interest in being the republican nominee for the selectboard four days before the date of the caucus. Recall that she was the republican nominee last year, so there can't be any legitimate reason not to put her on the caucus ballot. But when I showed up to vote at the caucus, her name was missing. I asked why. A republican official whose name I won't reveal right now said (1) he thought the letter she submitted was an advertisement that he threw away (try to make sense of that) and (2) that in any event the ballot had been prepared weeks before.

I can't believe politicos in Egremont could do this sort of thing. We should all condemn it loudly and forcefully. If the town hall denizens and their buddies are so jealous of their power as to play this way and thumb their noses at democracy, isn't it time to throw them all out?