Rulers rather than representatives

To the Editor;

One of the basic ideas of a democracy is that government is “of the people”; our officials are popularly elected not just to lead but to serve and represent all the people in their constituencies. This means there must be a two-way communication between office holders and the general public. And this is not just an idea but a right protected by law. Meetings cannot be held privately in secret behind closed doors. We can know what our elected officials are discussing, and they can hear our ideas about the policies and programs they plan to implement.

Recently in Piscataquis County, our commissioners have been acting as rulers rather than our representatives, meeting privately and making decisions with no public input. I am especially disturbed by their anti-masking resolution, containing racist language and misinformation. I don’t believe this reflects the views of the majority, but at this point we have no way of knowing. I hope to see this resolution discussed at an open meeting, with citizen input, and ultimately rescinded.

Margaret Pinette

Milo