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At a Government Operations Committee meeting on Feb. 2, Bangor City Councilor Carolyn Fish stated that there is no place for politics on the Bangor City Council and that the city is a business rather than a political entity.
I believe the absurdity of that claim should be obvious to anyone who has ever set foot in a voting booth, but it is still stunning to hear it expressed by an elected official. The City Council is a political institution by definition. It is a governing body elected by the people to make policy decisions on budgets, ordinances, and public services. It is not a corporate board whose aim is to turn a profit and represent shareholders.
Her statement reflects an apparent belief that the City Council is not a democratic body accountable to the people of Bangor, but a managerial board accountable only to a narrow and self-selected set of interests.
If Councilor Fish truly believes that politics has no place on the Bangor City Council, then I believe the only honest and consistent course of action is for her to resign and allow someone who believes in democratic governance to serve instead.
Brendan Davison
Bangor