Truest form of democracy

Editor, The Citizen February 23, 2009

A letter writer on Tuesday February 17, 2009 wrote an anti SB2 letter published in your paper. She wrote that "most of these people (those not at town meeting but able to vote under SB2) will not be at the (SB2) deliberative session to give input, usually not bothering to see why the Selectmen voted to recommend certain things".

Here is where I have a problem: Currently very few people bother to attend the many workshops and hearings that the selectmen and school board conduct to construct a budget and warrant. I attended a number of these workshops and hearings this year and they were sparsely attended. Now, these workshops and hearings will occur with or without SB2. The vast majority of town voters at this years Town Meeting will have no idea of all the discussion, strategy and rationale that went into the final articles wording. They will however have to make very quick decisions possibly uninformed on repercussions of amendments that drastically change a warrant article and then … vote on the spot.

Not so with SB2. SB2 will allow about 30 days for the voter to find out more information thru letters to the editor, websites, talking with friends, etc and then SB2 allows registered voters to vote by paper ballot or even by absentee ballot. That will be the truest form of democracy.

Jim Leiterman
Moultonborough