Paris: from silly to ridiculous

At its last meeting, the Paris Board of Selectmen voted to force Selectman Ted Kutrz to abstain from a vote because "he was biased."

What?

While we are not in any way a legal authority, we do think that "technically"  the term bias applies when you cannot make a fair or impartial decision because of prejudice or a family relationship. (This is what the Maine Municipal Association defines as bias in its So You Are Thinking of Running for Local Office … page.) It makes sense.

Every member of the Paris Board of Selectmen is "biased." They all have an opinion. Kurtz' opinion is no different. The difference is in how he expresses those opinions.

He is forceful, often rude, arrogant and disdainful of his constituents and his fellow selectmen. (Perhaps he forgets that his board peers were also elected and in disrespecting them he disrespects those who elected them.) He certainly does not embody what a selectman should be. To once again quote the MMA, a selectman should be:

• A model of civility and cooperation

•  An educator and interpreter of public opinion, and

•  A leader bringing people together and building trust

Kurtz appears to be none of this. The remedy is for the citizens of Paris to vote him out of office. It is not for the Board of Selectmen to attempt to silence him by voting to force him into abstaining. That move is outrageous ... and laughable.

If the board thinks Kurtz has an ax to grind so what? Let him grind away. Ultimately the board has the power of the vote. (And each member votes his or her own "bias.")

And Kurtz has only one vote.