News and Views

On Tuesday May 12 Selectman Tom Keane will be outside the Bow Community Center hoping every passerby will be casting their vote him and SB2. As a candidate for office Selectman Keane must recuse himself from his role as an election official. In town elections the board of selectman, the town moderator, the town clerk, and the registrars of the checklist serve as election officials. Budget committee members are not election officials. Two other selectmen (Anderson and Crisp) also must recuse themselves from being election officials because they are also running for office and most likely will be soliciting votes outside.

The Town Moderator Peter Imse, created a buzz last week when he identified himself as the Bow Town Moderator in an opinion piece in the Concord Monitor that told voters to defeat SB2. The Town Moderator who is the chief election official raised a lot of eyebrows last week because the state law states: RSA 659:44: No election officer shall electioneer while in the performance of his official duties. For the purposes of this section, “electioneer” shall mean to act in any way specifically designed to influence the vote of a voter on any question or office. Any person who violates this provision shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

Mr. Keane did not challenge the legality of Imse’s opinion piece but his judgment by saying: “It is disheartening to see a well-meaning public servant urging residents to vote to maintain the status quo in which only 1 percent of the voters decide what is good for the remaining 99 percent of Bow residents.” Keane went on and stated; “SB 2 is a voting rights issue and nothing more. In 2007, less then 1 percent of Bow’s registered voters attended and voted on the school district’s $24 million budget. Many of our neighbors have lost their right to vote because they cannot attend a meeting that runs from 7 p.m. to midnight. By passing SB 2, the town will restore that most precious right to their fellow residents. Voters can either vote in person between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. or cast an absentee ballot, something not currently allowed.”

To the BCC Editor:

I think SB2 is the way to go for my fellow seniors in Bow. I went to the Bow School District Meeting in March but had to leave before casting a single vote because my oxygen tank malfunctioned. There is nothing worse than to be deprived your right to vote because of your health and that is exactly what the town meeting did to me. I’m sure the restrictions of town meetings deprived a lot of other Bow seniors their right to vote just like me. It is time Bow had fair elections that are friendly to seniors and move away from the nostalgia of the horse and buggy days to the 21st century by voting for SB2.

Before I was forced to leave the School Meeting I was made uncomfortable by all the students with signs telling me how to vote. I know on Election Day I will be able to vote in private. I hope the town moderator will be watching for, and preventing people from campaigning inside the building like at the school meeting.

I also will be supporting taxpayer friendly candidates like Tom Keane for School Board and Eric Andersen for Selectman on May 12th. On May 13th I will be voting to keep town meeting and elections in May. It is much easier for seniors to attend May meetings. I hope hundreds and hundreds of my fellow seniors get out and vote Election Day May 12th and Town Meeting Day May 13th.

Paul Hammond
19 Bow Center Road
Bow, NH 03304

To the BCC Editor,

As the May 12th Bow School board race between Selectman Tom Keane and School board member Steven Elgert comes into focus it is my hope that the race will be decided on the issues and not decided on a popularity contest. The race pits two public servants whose respective public record is diametrically opposed. These differences in service to the people of Bow couldn’t be more apparent than at the SB2 public hearing. Selectman Keane presented the facts in favor of adopting SB2. One of those facts was that Town Meetings are restrictive and prevent voters, who can’t make it to the meeting, from voting. While SB2 in inclusive and allows everyone who is eligible the opportunity to vote. Mr. Elgert supported the status quo and that status quo impacts a vast majority of Bow voters.

In fact Mr. Elgert’s status quo affected me personally. Two members of my family were restricted from voting for school district warrant articles because they were out of town. My best friend showed up at the meeting but because his oxygen tank malfunctioned he had to leave the meeting and forfeit all his voting rights. Another friend could not make it because his spouse was sick and he would not leave her. All these people wanted to exercise their right to vote but were prevented by Mr. Elgert’s status quo.

Last year Mr. Elgert supported the very unpopular IB program which was targeted to a very small percentage of elite Bow students at a huge cost to the Bow Taxpayer and most Bow Students. While Mr. Elgert was trying to raise Bow taxpayer’s taxes Mr. Keane was successful in lowering Bow’s taxes.

Earlier this year Elgert stated that he was not interested in seeking another term but changed his mind. Every voter in Bow should question whether or not Elgert is really running to serve the people of Bow or just to serve as a place holder for the school board to pick the next school board member.

The School Budget makes up approximately 70% of Bow property taxes please support a candidate who is a friend of the Bow taxpayer. Please mark your calendar for Tuesday May 12th and vote Tom Keane for school board.

Van Mosher, Bow