What is the real reason why four of the five members of the Chassell Township Board wants the township to disconnect from the Portage Lake District Library? Because the comments Supervisor Dave Mattson made during a recent public grilling by residents outraged by the board’s nullification of a vote to remain in the district don’t make much sense.

Lame Reason No. 1: The township was misled by the library.

Not only was the library up-front, open and on the record with the township about the reasons behind holding the referendum in August, Library Director Dillon Geshel explained its position to the Daily Mining Gazette after it printed an editorial critical about the timing, laying out the same reasons he gave the township. In effect he defended the Township Board’s plan. So the conspiracy-theory angle doesn’t wash.

Lame Reason No. 2: The low turnout in the primary election subverted the will of the people.

Actually, that was a point made in the editorial. In typical situations, that’s the strategy. However, this was not a typical situation, mainly because the people were informed of a threat to cut off access to knowledge and information, and they put down the threat with a turnout in a primary election about five times larger than usual. The township has about 1,490 registered voters, and 42 percent cast votes – 629 total, with 340 voting for Chassell to remain in the district. The usual primary turnout is about 8 percent.

Lame Reason No. 3: The wording of the referendum was confusing.

In making this case, Mattson is in effect calling Chassell voters stupid. Not only that, but he is calling the voters on his side (and he is obviously on a side, no matter how much he claims otherwise) more stupid, since, according to this logic, had they understood what they were voting on, the result would have been different. Here’s the kicker: By law, the wording is going to be exactly the same on November’s ballot, which makes this reason one giant red herring.

Lame Reason No. 4: The vote result was not decisive.

First, 8 percent vote differential is pretty decisive. Second, why is this even a factor in justifying a nullification of the will of the people? Whether it was by 1 vote or 1,000, the majority rules. That’s the way democracy works. Mattson and his like-minded board members – Ryan Kuntze, Kelly Holmes, Dan Palosaari – had no right to reject the result because it did not go their way.

Chassell voters who rightly feel betrayed by this cabal have a unique opportunity to serve it a double-whammy in November by turning out and voting against the referendum – and throwing the usurpers out of office. Mattson is being challenged by a candidate on the ballot and by Keith Meyers, who is leading a write-in slate of trustee candidates.

In the name of democracy and on the principle of majority rules, this bunch needs to go.

A Daily Mining Gazette editorial