I want to draw attention to the Selectboard's trending towards greater and greater control over town governance, as though it, with the Town Manager, were the only valid decision-makers in town. Democracy is supposed to be self-rule, of the people by the people. Placing more power into the hands of the few violates this principle. A prime example: With the demise of RACDC coming up, the state Designated Downtown Program requires a new, independent-of-municipal-control organization to administer Randolph's participation. The program offers much needed priority access to grants to support local businesses and make our downtown friendlier as well as needed tax breaks that support the kind of downtown development that jives with our town plan. But two candidates for Selectboard want to create a new economic development committee to replace RACDC and that committee would be under the control of the Selectboard. It would not be independent, which would mean an end to our qualifying for the Designated Downtown Program, in which we have participated since 2000. This means that a small group of five people, plus the town manager who works for them, will control not just our Planning Commission by virtue of their being appointees, but also our economic development planning. This is just too much authority in the hands of too few. It mirrors the increased consolidation of power in the Presidency going on today. We have two other candidates--Emery and Dustin--who support an independent economic development entity that complies with the requirements of the Designated Downtown Program. They understand and support that program. They also support community interests long denied in town, such as the repair of town buildings. In addition, Emery and Dustin want the Selectboard to meet twice a month. They say there is simply too much to take care of in just one meeting per month. Bethel, smaller than Randolph, meets twice a month. In this way, say Dustin and Emery, the needs of townspeople can more frequently be heard, there will be more time for all sides to be listened to and more time for the members of the board to carefully--not hastily--consider the issues at hand. Emery and Dustin believe in greater communication with the townspeople, greater transparency in decision-making, working harder for our town than selectboards have often done. Our difficult times call for creativity and new thinking. Come and decide for yourself based on hearing and questioning them at the Herald's Candidates Forum at Chandler's Esther Mesh Room on Sunday, February 22nd from 4:30 to 6pm. And a new Website is in development that will show the names of folks who submitted their names to be counted as supporters, as well as what Emery and Dustin stand for in their own words. It's http://friends.forrandolph.com. It may already be done!