Stuart Shotwell (BDN op-ed, Dec. 30) claims the Legislature should deny the citizens of Cooper the right to vote in the name of democracy. A more Orwellian twisting of logic and language has seldom been presented.

Shotwell spouts about democracy and lays claim to the moral high ground even going as far as comparing the deorganization of Cooper to the war in Iraq. He states that those for deorganization are for big centralized government and have socialist views. I am for deorganization of the town of Cooper and do not consider myself socialist, but rather an entrepreneur and a realist.

Cooper used to boast of three schools, three churches, sawmills and thriving industries. The population of Cooper peaked at 657 in 1840, steadily declined to as low as 88 in 1970 and has risen to approximately 145 today. We are now a bedroom and retirement community. Almost a third of the town residents are retirees on a fixed income. What right will they have to vote when they are forced to sell their homes because they can no longer afford increasing property taxes?

Cooper has 33 school-age children. Most of the remaining residents travel more than 30 miles away to work at decent paying jobs by Washington County standards and do not have the time necessary to devote to local government. The reality is that the demographics of Cooper have shifted and I believe our best option is to regionalize by deorganizing and joining the Unorganized Territories.

The residents of Cooper deserve to keep their taxes low to preserve homesteads that have been in the family for generations. We are not asking for extraordinary tax relief or exemption from the free market, but for a more equitable tax burden.

Neighboring Township 14’s 2005 tax mill rate was 9.19 compared to Cooper’s mill rate of 20.6, which is projected to rise over 25 within five years. If I move my home one mile south, I would be paying less than half the property taxes that I am paying now and have the added bonus of trash pickup service. Some Maine residents may be amused at what they consider low taxes, but the reality is that we do not have the resources and services that they enjoy.

The Legislature delayed our vote and charged us to find alternate means to reduce the cost of governing the town while they would assist us by looking into taking over winter maintenance of Route 191. School choice has already been curtailed to reduce expenditures.We have regionalized treasurer and tax collector services with the neighboring town of Alexander, which almost doubled the cost of those services. The state will not assist us with winter maintenance of Route 191.

Shotwell states that the prospect of losing local control has galvanized a full slate of other Cooper citizens to come forward to ensure the continuation of town government. Those against deorganization claim to be highly educated, but had not come forward because they felt intimidated.

I encourage these citizens to take up the reins of government at our next town meeting in March and assume the mantles of responsibility and accountability until the vote in November. If they competently fulfill their duties, I will be the first to vote against deorganization. As of this date, we still have the position of constable and animal control officer that remain vacant. Why have these “other Cooper citizens” not come forth to fill these positions?

If more than a third of the voters are against deorganization, then why not wish for the Legislature to allow us to vote? The reality is that Cooper has 117 registered voters. I have not seen the petition mentioned in the article and question whether there are more than 39 signatures on it. The citizens of Cooper who are for deorganization are the majority and not just a “faction” in town.

By deorganizing, we do not lose our right to vote as Maine or U.S. citizens. Local control is largely an illusion, or perhaps a delusion. State mandates and liability rules direct town policies more than the selectmen or citizens.

If the Legislature refuses to let Cooper vote, the message will not be that democracy rules, but rather that the minority does. The issue of deorganization will not die; the majority will bring the issue back in short order until we are given a vote.

Is it the position of the Legislature that town government is mandatory even if the majority opposes it? I urge the Legislature to settle this matter once and for all by allowing the citizens of Cooper the right to vote this November.

Kathleen Hull is the town clerk/registrar of voters for the town of Cooper, and is the owner/manager of Cathance Lake Variety.