It's all over but the voting at this point. Teased you with the title to today's post, didn't I.
This is election is pretty much done. Sure there is last minute campaigning. Sign holding tomorrow. Maybe another shouting match between supporters. Probably some phone calls to make. Not to mention the waiting.
Not many seem willing to call this one at this point in time. I am not willing to put it in "print" at this point. Using my three prong text, I can only get two of the three tines into the meat of the matter. My gut is telling me one thing. My head is in agreement, but the all important heart test, well the heart readings are unstable.
What do they always say on the television shows, "The next 24 hrs. are critical."
I urge everyone going to the polls to please, please exercise care in casting the ballot. I am not talking about your decision here, I mean in filling it out. With a staggering one race to vote for, kindly try to manage to fill in the oval. Bring your glasses with you (something I need to do myself). Do not be afraid to ask for assistance. If you make a mistake, ask for another ballot.
Who you vote for is your right. While during much of this process I heavily leaned toward a write-in option, I won't be doing it. The ramifications for this election are far reaching, even in such an extremely local matter.
There has been a huge shift in the dynamics of this "race" since the contest was first held in April. The most obvious is the formation of the second group in town, supporting the turbines. In the "can you hear me now" category, whether it will have an affect at the polls must wait until about 8:30 or so tomorrow night.
Everyone complains about the tactics of the other side. There have been plenty of sticks and stones thrown by people at each other in this one. Insulting someone with flowery speech or street corner language doesn't change the fact that someone has done it. Claiming the moral high ground doesn't mean you are actually standing on it. Enough on that, seriously. Very seldom do you ever convince anyone they are wrong by telling them they are wrong.
Rightly or wrongly, and I think for too many indifferently, as has been written and written over and over again, it is all about the turbines.
If there were a way to actually prove it, I would bet the farm that less than 2% of the people who vote are going to cast there ballot simply based on the person best qualified for the overall performance of the position. One way or another the turbines are going to be the deciding factor in this race for the other 98%, plus.
Perception and reality usually differ at least in degree. It is perception however that drives the masses.
Do I need to tell you what that perception is? An absolutely rhetorical question, just in case you wanted me to tell you.
It has been a truly mind boggling run over the past five months. We are approaching the finish line and despite the interesting events that have occurred, the constant allegations, and what I am sure will be some more surreal explanations, excuses and chastisements by all involved come Tuesday morning, it is a race soon to be over.
Speaking of being over, that is it for today.
Be safe.
I would like to comment on the WBSM 1420 news story yesterday :"Town Clerk Lowney Ready For Board Of Health Election In Fairhaven "
ReplyDeleteThe Fairhaven Town Clerk said : "admits she made some mistakes in April"
On August 28 S-T news the day before the BOH debate the clerk made this quote: "save the poll workers time because they were tired"
Since the April election there have been a run of stories and excuses of what happened in the April election.
I am not for or against either candidate. The town officials need to stop responding to the news media with different stories than what actually happened. There is only one response and that is the court ordered a new election.
A Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Robert Kane invalidated the April election. This was not the fault of either candidate and the resulting costs were not fault of either candidate. The Massachusetts Superior Court ruled the election process was a public disgrace !
Why not just tell it like it is. The court invalidated the April election and now we are having another election.
I am not sure I agree with your different stories scenario. I suppose it depends on whether you view the statements as an excuse or as a simple explanation. Since the Town Clerk has accepted the responsibility, I view the statement as an explanation. Explaining why is not a bad thing in and of itself, at least not to me.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I don't fault either candidate for the costs. Just as personally I can fault both candidates for certain actions. In the end though you are correct, based on the entire rationale as outlined by the Judge, the court did invalidate the April election and now we are having another one.
DeleteThere is no simple explanation to how the April election was conducted. The election had unsealed ballots,unknown numbers of ballots sent out and sent back to town hall, envelopes marked wrong, ballots left inside machines months after, people walking in back of the clerks office with unsealed envelopes, several recounts before any request for a recount, swearing in people before checking the count,even the TV news people were in the town safe, every count came up with a different number than the previous count and now recently we hear the poll workers were tired and the town clerk says yesterday some mistakes were made ?
This is not the fault of the town clerk or the candidates. The fault is on the system in place at Fairhaven Town Hall. The executive secretary is a full-time professional position that carries out the daily administrative functions of the town. I think the executive secretary was even involved with counting the votes in one of the multiple recounts. You would think that after twenty five years the executive secretary could coordinate administrative activities.
The population of Fairhaven has not grown much in the past twenty years in comparison to other cities and towns but the local government has grown by leaps and bounds. The growth is due to major commercial infrastructure projects in town. The current system of government is failing and everyone knows there is a need for a different type of town government.
You are unfortunately absolutely incorrect in placing the blame on the executive secretary.
DeleteThe position does not entail that authority except as to those matters falling under the jurisdiction and authority of the Board of Selectmen. That Board has very limited and strictly defined involvement in the election process, none of which is even remotely applicable to the events that occurred in April.
Neither the selectmen nor their executive secretary have any authority over any other elected official or board, nor can they dictate direct, or oversee expect where expressly authorized by statute.
I will absolutely agree with the premise that there is a known need for a different type of town government. No everyone unfortunately agrees, and it seems there is a real dispute as to what change is needed.
Even with a change to a strong manager, unless you switch from elected to appointed town clerk, a town manger would have no control over an elected town clerk; and, in even an appointed position, because of applicable law governing the position of town clerk, such oversight would be limited.
Try and take some better aim when you want to take a shot at someone.
One day before the election, and you still won't go there John? I was really hoping you'd go all Russert by now. Oh well. I'll go there. Alone evidently....
ReplyDeleteDeTerra wins.
Windwise will get their vote out solidly, this is a guarantee. But, they've made serious mistakes in fronting some spokespersons----their candidate is relatively unknown by his own voice, so those letters and public statements caused significant alienation.
Friends of Fairhaven Wind have energized the majority voters and have woken some sleepers too.
DeTerra has experience, which provides a town government 'comfort zone' while we will continue to navigate these troubled waters. He represents stability while Wethington represents upheaval, if viewed through the future-of-the-turbine lens.
Many people love the drama, the S-T certainly does, but most of us are exhausted by the infighting, totally embarrassed by the media attention, and angry with litigation we're forced to subsidize. People are tired of town government being hijacked by a special interest, and having, not to mention electing MORE, elected officials who work for those special interests, instead of honoring legal obligations we've committed to by consent of the majority.
Simply put, there are more residents suffering from Wind Turbine Fatigue than those suffering from Wind Turbine Syndrome.
And this is why DeTerra will win. This prediction is from five months of discussions, reading and related research of the issues, along with a controlled sampling of opinion, and both of us agree.
So, c'mon John, spill. Squeak up the charts, crunch the numbers, lay an ear to the ground, a wet finger into the wind, add a toss of salt over the shoulder and look that devil in the eye. What's the prediction?
*Praying to election gods for a definitive margin no matter who it is*
This is as close to Russert as you are going to see me get.
DeleteStrictly from the political pundit perspective, working the charts, crunching the numbers, with an ear to the ground, etc., one would be hard pressed to fault your analysis.
It is a pretty dead on summary of what I am hearing as to the perception of those on the street, not actively invested in the campaigns.
My asterisk if you will: Your outcome is going to be largely driven by how many of those not actively invested in the campaigns go to the polls.
If the turnout is indeed in the low double digits as some believe (say the 10 to 14% range), my opinion is this bodes well for the challenger. As you noted Windwise will get its vote out solidly.
The higher the turnout though, the more likely in my mind the incumbent will win.
With no real polling data, and I mean the real stuff you need, it is still a crap shoot trying to make a guess.
The good weather, the indication of interest based on the number of signs and recent number of sign holders, and again a couple of other factors that make up the basis for my guesses, indict to me the real potential for a turnout of about 23.7%
I also think too much emphasis has been placed on the results in the last two selectmen races as an indication on "public" sentiment and not enough on how tight the B of H races have been. I have my personal opinions on the whys for the difference, but space is limited in replies as is some stuff you just should keep to yourself.
The events that have transpired since April, the battles being waged, & the seemingly "all in" mentality indicate that one side or the other will pull away. Dress it up anyway you want, the perception is there are two distinct choices.
This is why no matter what the result, I think your prayer is one shared by many, no matter who they support.
Quite frankly a definitive win by either candidate, for me at least, brings some significant "guidance" moving forward on the will of the voters.
I don't know if your comment is an attempt to make voters think this election is decided already, but to me and other independent voters, it's not over until the polls close. Whether voters definitively know who they are voting for, or will need tonight to mull over the choices, is known only to themselves. Neither side should be so brazen to assume what they really don't know.
DeleteSorry but the only brazzen [sic] assumption here, be it my reply or the previous commentator I was responding to that made you comment, is your comment. People's opinions are just that. These are predictions. You don't have to agree with them. You don't have to like them; and, as for my own, I am well aware I could be all wrong.
DeleteYou are absolutely correct no one "really" knows. I for one feel there is nothing brazen about making the statement that most voters have made up their minds.
Indeed year in and year out elections play out based on the simple fact that 95% or better of the voters, and I think well better in this one, go to the polls knowing who they will vote for.
Buck up. If it is in fact close again, you and others who are undecided can swing the election.
It was my prediction based on my opinion, is all. I'm also predicting it'll be a boy. Be sure to come back and make me eat crow if I'm wrong on either count. Some may wait for the votes to be counted, (sticklers! and me, with a fifty percent accuracy rate..) but for the others, I offer my apologies. I should've headlined my post with a spoiler alert.
DeleteBut if today, the day before the election-- that is being re-done from a similar election last April, and has been talked to death in every media and mouth in the tri town area, and you haven't made up your mind, I just have to ask:
What are you waiting for?
There's nothing else happening between you and your vote.
Also, I'm not in any way convinced that independents don't make up their mind until the last minute, if that is implied. But if I ruined your mulling, please don't read this. Oh, and by the way, I'm only brazen when I post while wearing a catsuit, which is not suitable for this blog. It's in the rules.
*Prefers "cheeky"*
Ok ,so the incumbent wins . Why have there been no hearings on all the noise complaints ? Is this a failure to act by a public official ? Has he upheld a sworn oath of office ? The mitigation looks like run the turbines 24/7.
ReplyDeleteThe wind noise complaints are a type of air pollution that results from sounds that cause a nuisance. These people have been complaining for over a year. I would think the turbines at high speeds interfere with the comfortable enjoyment of life and property.
The wind contractors got a hearing so can somebody explain why the people who complained never got a hearing . Please