On December 28th a petition was presented to the selectmen of Paris proposing a replacement recall ordinance to repeal the recall ordinance approved by Paris voters 1556 to 537 on November 3.
The proposed ordinance was immediately placed on the next available warrant, a quickly whipped up Jan. 7th open town meeting with a couple of other high priority $$ items that would guarantee attendance by those hoping for favor.
Consider the following verbatim script (check the DVD recorded by NPC-TV, 12-28-09).
GH: I'm asking that you...that the board would afford me and the citizens I've included in my petitions the same opportunity that Bobbie Jewell and the Citizens for Responsible Government received on the last petition that came through.
[Point of fact: The recall ordinance petition (referenced here) presented 7-13-09 by Bob Jewell, with 354 certified signatures, was never placed on any warrant, available or otherwise, to this day.
[The recall ordinance voted on Nov. 3 was the original ordinance prepared at the selectmen's request by the town's Policy & Procedures Committee. When that original ordinance was presented to the selectmen it was immediately tabled. At that point, citizens took that document, a document drafted in public meetings of the P & P Com., (with copies available on the table of the meeting room where the P & P Com. met) and petitioned to have that proposed ordinance put on a warrant for a vote. For weeks there was no clear answer which copy of the ordinance - if any - would come before the voters at all.
[Are you kidding? This wasn't "asking (for the)same opportunity" as the petitioners represented by Bob Jewell; this was expecting - and later receiving - special dispensation. The same opportunity would have been no opportunity whatsoever.]
GH:I'd like to ask that you include this on the next available warrant, which I understand you are putting through tonight, to have this addressed to the voters. I have enough...um...certified signatures - I can give you a copy if you'd like - if you don't, that's fine. I have a copy of the registrar's certification. I also have a copy of the proposed ordinance.
(Ch. Ivey and Sel. Glover exchange procedural comments)
GH: That's all I really ask, that you folks would consider that...I think we've met all the criteria that we're required to have it added to the next agenda...um...and I would just ask that you include it on the next warrant you were speaking about tonight, for, I believe, Jan. 8 [correct date is Jan.7...] at the meeting that we discuss the fire truck and snowmobile bridge....
I: So...'kay...
Sel. Ripley: I have a question
I: Yeah?
R: [to GH] So, what you're saying is that if we add this to that warrant, you're going to be there to represent it the night when it's voted on the floor?
[Wait a minute - anyone hear GH say he was going to be there and do that? Or was something re-scripted by the selectman recapping GH's commentary? Could there possibly have been prior conversation and GH forgot his lines?]
GH: Yes I will.
R: That will be considered the public hearing.
:
[A Public Hearing. Why yes, of course. Hard questions and honest answers.... Not.]
