MEET THE CANDIDATES

Grant Sanders Analysis of Selectmen at Meet the Candidates

The selectman's session was very good. I thought Cliff (Williams) and Carol(Dunton), when they were not able to answer certain questions, showed the crowd that they are really not ready to serve on the BOS. I'm not really certain what they stand for or whether they would make half-decent selectmen.

Cliff appears fixated on infrastructure. He fought the federal government ten years ago and now works for it. He thinks human services runs on a budget of $10,000 (which is completely wrong). He thinks a $6,300 sewer hook-up bill is too much. I really don't see what he brings to the table or how anyone can vote for him over the experience of the three candidates who have already served three year and have a tangible record of service that voters can look at.

Carol is as one-dimensional a candidate as one could be. All she talks about is that the town spends too much money. She is obviously intelligent and well spoken. I think she should spend some time serving on a board or commission before she considers herself ready for the highest office on Nantucket.

Patty (Roggeveen) did well, as she always does. She is a pro, and her public speaking skills are stunning. I was surprised and troubled that she would reverse herself on the human services plan after all of the hard work that many people have put into it. That's a 3-2 vote that will go the other way if she is re-electected. Also, her assertion that sewering the needs areas will bring costs down is only true if the users in the needs areas pay for the hook-ups and then pay more to cover the cost of the system. I'm not certain anyone in the Madaket watershed has the financial wherewithal to do that. We are talking about $100,000+ at least. As we've seen in the past, building more and growing is not always the answer.

Allen (Reinhard) did well, although I would liked to have seen him explain the difference between himself and the other experienced candidates. He had a couple of opportunities to do so and passed on them. As he sometimes does in Selectmen meetings, he re-stated the points of those who went before him instead of adding more insight to the discussion (Granted, following Patty is hard because she talks fast and covers a lot of points in her answers). It also seemed as though he was just getting to his real answer after the bell had rung. the 45-second format is not easy for some. Overall, he did nothing to damage his chances of winning, while holding his own among Patty and Whitey.

Whitey (Willauer) was the real star of meet the candidates. He had a lot more energy and sparkle than the previous year's debate against Kopko and Soverinio. He had some new ideas (Economic development commission, retraining programs for adult workers) and he had a very strong grasp of the issues, past and present. I thought his answer about evaluating the Town Manager was very well stated. Most importantly, he created contrast between himself and the rest of the field.

At least, that's my take on it.

Grant Sanders.