* The Four Excellent Candidates for Two of Hartford's Seats in the Vermont House of Representatives

Best Wishes 

to all of the Candidates 

on Election Day

L-R: Kevin Christie, Democrat; Paul Keane, Independent;
Sheila Vowinkel, Democrat; Alex DeFelice, Republican, chatting prior to a joint meeting of the Hartford Select Board and the Hartford School Board at the Getaway Cafe at Hartford High School, September 12, 2012

Mr. Martin Frank

Editorial Page Editor

The Valley News

Dear Mr. Frank,

I am reluctant to criticize the Valley News.  It has been very kind to me over the last 27 years, publishing my letters to the editor. It certainly was kind to me earlier this year by putting my bid for the legislature as an Independent candidate on its front page.

Who wouldn’t want to keep in your good graces.

Only a fool would spurn you.

Yet I must say, I was nonplussed yesterday when Mr. Gregg , your news editor, declined my invitation to send a photographer to the combined Hartford School and Select Boards' meeting last night.

I told him that this was probably the ONLY time during the election that all four candidates from Hartford for the legislature  would be in the same room together and  I thought it would make a good photo. He said something like “We will be contacting all the candidates as the campaign gets under way.”

This is an odd point of a view for a newspaper to espouse. 

It amounts to “We will let YOU know when WE are ready to record news about the election campaign. We’ll get back to you.”

Really.

At the risk of incurring your displeasure, let me say that social media will obviate the necessity for news organizations which presume to “make” the news, instead of “reporting” the news. Indeed, they are already in the process of subverting the paper media.

Never discouraged, I  arranged to have the photo taken myself  instead of by the absent Valley News photographer, taken with my own camera by our Town Manager, Hunter Riesberg.

I posted the result on my facebook page Paul Keane, Independent (3776 views during a one week period) and my blog The Cranky Yankee (2889 page views). http://pkvermonter.blogspot.com

I mentioned to Valley News reporter Maggie Cassidy who sat near me  my displeasure at my declined invitation by Mr. Gregg.

She did not seem moved. 

Nor did she seem moved by what was manifestly a lively sparring match  over  the joint boards’ proposed  agenda which I warned  the audience may be a capitulation to city-values  over small town Vermont values.  It was, incidentally,  a sparring match between myself and  the current legislative representative, Mr. Christie, who, as School Board Chair, found it difficult  --- nay inconvenient --- to find time for questions from the public, if the public was the Independent candidate for the same seat he currently holds in the legislature. (I suppose that is not news either. Do please let me know when the Valley News is ready to receive some.)

On my third interruption, he somehow managed to squeeze me in.

I suppose this criticism of the Valley News'  cafeteria style news reporting (or photography, in this case) is unwelcome . 

Who likes to be criticized?

And I suppose it puts in jeopardy the publication of the letter I wrote to the editor three weeks ago in tribute to my departed mother which challenges parents across America to revolt against school boards who damage our children’s self esteem and self image by promoting standardized testing.

You have the power to disregard, delay, or diminish that letter.

I have the power to go my own way  ----- a path I know well.

Yours respectfully,

Paul D. Keane

Independent Candidate

for the Vermont House.