June 23, 2004
About Us / Mission & Goals
President's Message
Who We Are / Contact Us
Local Communities / Clubs
Our Candidates
Archive News & Stories
Detailed Calendar of Events
Get Involved
Candidate School
Political Humor
Links
By RICK COLLINS: The Patriot Ledger
SCITUATE - Town officials improperly stopped a Republican candidate for Congress from distributing campaign material at special town meeting, according to the secretary of state's office.
A state law prohibiting the display and distribution of campaign materials within 150 feet of a polling place does not apply to town meetings, as Scituate officials insisted when they asked Michael J. Jones of Plymouth and his volunteers to leave the meeting, the state ruled.
The town could have barred Jones from handing out leaflets and holding signs if it had a policy addressing the issue. But it doesn't.
‘‘It is not a polling place, and the 150 foot (rule) doesn't apply, but the town can make rules,'' Brian McNiff, a spokesman for Secretary of State William Galvin, said yesterday. ‘‘If the town does make rules and apply them they have to be applied equally.''
Jones is looking to unseat U.S. Rep. William Delahunt this year. The Quincy Democrat is in his fourth term.
Town Clerk Bernice Brown and Selectmen Chairman Richard Lane said they felt justified in asking Jones and his volunteers to move to the other side of the parking lot Monday, and eventually to leave. They said they expect the town will soon adopt a formal policy on campaigning outside town meetings.
Despite the state opinion, both sides continue to spar over the incident.
Conley Ford, a Scituate resident and a Jones volunteer, demanded a formal apology from town officials.
‘‘I think my civil rights were violated big time by the chairman and Bernice Brown,'' he said.
Jones said the town is ‘‘fishing for an excuse'' to rationalize politically motivated behavior.
‘‘They clearly had a partisan agenda and wanted to stop us from meeting voters,'' he said.
Lane's wife, Jane, is the communications director for the Massachusetts Democratic Party.
Richard Lane fired back, saying Jones is a ‘‘poor candidate'' looking for media attention to jump-start a foundering campaign. As evidence, he pointed to Jones' campaign office sending a press release out yesterday to media outlets across the state that contained home phone numbers of Republican volunteers who were at the special town meeting.
‘‘They won't let it die,'' Lane said. ‘‘There was no conspiracy. I don't understand why they don't have anything better to do. ... Apparently, they have such a (bad) candidate this is the only way they can get his name in the press.''
Info@PlymouthCountyGOP.com
