Come on, just debate already
Hamilton voters are really losing out on a chance to know who and what they are voting for.
The League of Women Voters is a great organization and is the latest (and arguably the best) group to offer to host a Hamilton mayoral debate or forum.
And they are the latest to get snubbed by Mayor Kelly Yaede.
They are a non-partisan group that has always done a lot of important and tough work to make sure voters get to the polling place with as much information as possible.
In the interest of full disclosure, a moderator from the League of Women Voters was co-moderator of our Trenton mayoral debate and she did a fantastic job, so we know what they are capable of.
The local LWV also staffed and stocked a table outside of the debate to register new voters because the group’s purpose is not to back any candidate, but to encourage people to get informed and to vote.
If there is any group we could ask to create an election event free of any bias or perception of bias, League of Women Voters is the group.
The mayor has repeatedly declined to do a Trentonian organized debate because of her perception of bias. Martin has declined to do a radio debate hosted by Hamilton employee Joe Fabrizi because his job working for Yaede creates a perception of bias.
We obviously disagree with Yaede’s view that we are biased against her. We have no interest in endorsing a candidate in Hamilton’s election.
Our news coverage has been critical of her administration because that’s the duty of a news outlet, to speak truth to power and hold sitting officials accountable, regardless of who is sitting in that seat. We’ve given voice to her critics and given her and her supporters equal chance to voice support of her administration. She has often declined comment for stories, but is always given the opportunity. We’ve also reported on good things in her tenure, but Yaede and her supporters seem to forget that when claiming we have a bias against her.
Our opinion columnists have had both critical and supportive columns talking about Yaede.
We’ve said it before in this space, but it warrants repeating: it is our job to report the good, bad, and ugly of what happens in our coverage area.
Yeade seems to have just delayed response to LWV, but that has put them in the unfortunate position of having to cancel the plan because there isn’t enough time to plan the event properly.
The Trentonian is still interested in making something work, should Mayor Yaede change her mind, but that’s less likely as the clock ticks down toward November 5.
We’ve got a neutral moderator waiting, we’ve got a couple of options for locations, we can do a private event and livestream it, since it seems like one of Yaede’s problems is having an open event that would allow her critics in the room.
The voters in Hamilton want to hear your plans for the future, not your excuses.