Vote NO on the Nashua Police Commission Charter Change by Mike Ortolano

For all those people who tend to lean with the Mayor, but are not quite blind followers, you should ask this yourself this question before deciding how to vote on the Police Commission Charter Change:

If the Mayor were a republican, and the Board of Alderman were a republican majority, would you still feel as comfortable putting all your faith in a proposal created by them, and giving control of Police Commission appointments to them?

Politics is a pendulum and whatever your leanings, you can expect the other side will end up with control of the Police Commission at some point in the future. For that and other reasons, a robust process is needed to evaluate proposed changes to ensure they are workable in good times when your side is "on top" and in bad times when the other side is "on top".

It is clear that the process used to develop the Charter Change succumbed to groupthink and failed to adequately seek or listen to feedback from the community or stakeholders. Because of this, the proposed change doesn't represent the best of many options considered. Rather, it represents the position of a small group of zealots who feel like they have all the answers and don't need to transact business in the light of day.

The process used to bring forward the Charter Change regarding the Police Commission was wholly inadequate. I encourage Nashua Voters to vote NO on the proposed Charter Change. If one is necessary, it should be developed out in the open, with ample opportunity for public input and the input of all stakeholders.

Michael Ortolano

41 Berkeley Street Nashua, NH 03064