by Ed Naile
Epsom Selectman Joanne Randall thinks Epsom voters are, well, stupid because they don’t know what they are voting against. Here is how she puts it in her well worn argument against secret ballot voting with Senate Bill 2, also known as RSA 40:13.
“The problem is that, once SB-2 is in place, people generally become apathetic about the budget, since they know their vote at Deliberative Session is not a vote on the budget, but just to change it,” said Randall. “They’ll just vote in March. They show up at the polls and look at the bottom line, decide they don’t want to vote for higher taxes, and the budget doesn’t pass. They don’t even know what they have voted against! It might be something they really need.”
But Selectman Randall got a dash of cold water dumped on her argument when Epsom voters kicked her idea to the curb with an electoral rout of 171 for rescinding SB2 to 606 to keep it.
Joanne fell some 341 votes short of her goal of eliminating secret ballots because SB2 takes a 60% majority to adopt as well as rescind. Her infantile excuse of the four previous budgets being voted down was caused by SB2 got a slap down as well when voters approved the 2009 budget – in a recession.
This year liberals all over NH seemed intent on crafting some sort of doomsday scenario regarding SB2 in an effort to stop it becoming the town meeting style in more towns and schools.
I have heard it all; it will cause evil Diebold voting, stupid people will vote, there is no discussion, what about our sacred town meeting, it is too complicated, too many people who don’t “care” will vote.
Enough is enough. Epsom heard most of this nonsense before they adopted SB2 and their message was loud and clear.
When is Selectman Joanne Randall’s term up?