Checks and balances

Date: 5/24/2011

What is wrong with this picture? Chicopee's mayor has asked the City Council to add a ballot question in November asking voters if they favor officials appointed by the mayor over elected officials.

In one report on this latest attempt at becoming a strong mayor in spite of the city charter wisely having created a check and balance system, the mayor is quoted as saying, "The reality is people have a right to a professionally and competently run city hall, and you don't get that through the political process, where the most liked or the person with the most lawn signs wins." Perhaps he forgot he, too, is an elected official.

Even if the mayor does collect 4,000 plus signatures to put a non-binding question on the ballot, hopefully the City Council and the state legislature will allow the present voting process to continue. I also would hope the council and all other elected Chicopee officials find the preceding comments attributed to the mayor insulting.

Jim Raschilla

Chicopee

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