Recall Elections

Originally I was going to deal with terms limits for my next post. After thinking a bit, I decided recall elections would be the better topic today.

There have been reports in the news that an article may be submitted to Town Meeting to amend the provisions of the Town's recall procedures. It is not an easy task to recall an elected official in Fairhaven. It shouldn't be.

Neither should you be able to force an election to recall any elected official based simply on your ability to obtain the required number of signatures on a petition. 

If you haven't guessed, I am not a supporter of recall elections. I could imagine some circumstances to force a recall (conviction of felony while in office, even certain misdemeanors), but to use as a basis a decision someone made which you do not like, or you don't like the official's overall performance, or simply do not like him or her are not legitimate reasons.

I had a conversation with someone the other day about this topic. The thrust of his argument was people should have a right to recall an elected official if they aren't doing a good job, especially if they were elected in an uncontested race. I asked why should the fact that people who had an opportunity before the election to become involved in the political process but chose not to, now have the right to decide they want to recall someone and get someone else in office. The answer was "If I had known he was going to vote for that, I would have done something then."

If you don't see the flaw in that statement, nothing I can post here will help you out.

People are elected to serve and make decisions. The fact you don't like the decision, or how that elected official turns out in office is a reason not to re-elect, it is not a reason to recall.

Sorry, but no one should be entitled to a mulligan in an election.