SB-2 may well violate voting rights & the right to due process

To the editor,

After the last defeat of SB-2, one ardent SB-2 supporter proclaimed in a local paper, town meetings are "truly unconstitutional."

To the contrary, SB-2 may violate citizens voting rights and the right of due process. Take the case in the Town of Barrington where two individuals submitted the following petitioned warrant article:

To see if the Town of Barrington will vote that infrastructure and landscape development (i.e. road, streets, water, sewer, storm drains, utilities, etc.) of said town center/village district shall be by means of private investors and private developers and not by there Town of Barrington at taxpayer's expense.

At the deliberative session a small group of voters, in attendance, gutted the whole article and replaced it with two words "TO SEE." When voters went to the polls 30 days later all they saw on the ballot were the words "TO SEE." The petitioners, along with the citizens of Barrington, were deprived of the right to franchise, the right to petition their government and the right to due process and equal protection under the law guaranteed under the constitution.

It should also be noted that in an SB-2 Town, only at the deliberative session, voters may delete a purpose of appropriation or "zero out" the purpose of an appropriation. For example, if the library budget was reduced to "zero", a yes or no vote 30 days later would keep the appropriation at zero. It is only because we have town meeting that several budget committee members were caught "red handed" last year making false statements about the Sanbornton Public Library. Town meeting assures accountability, not SB-2.

It should also be noted that several years ago in the Town of Danbury, only 12 people showed up at the deliberative session which lasted seven hours. Once the warrant and amendments are voted on, they cannot be changed or altered. Thus, you the voter, at the second session (all day voting) are deprived of any meaningful vote.

Finally, Fred Mullen, town moderator, Dunbarton, put it — had it right when he said, "The problem lies with the people who messed up their previous states, came here and brought their ideas with them. They don't have a clue what New Hampshire is all about."

Tom Salatiello

Sanbornton