To the Editor:

I do not apologize for being "out of order" at a recent Dalton Select Board meeting, as it is a right and a responsibility for citizens to criticize their government when it makes a bad decision. In this case, I and several other town residents objected to the lack of transparency by our Selectmen regarding the sale of a parcel of town land, deciding to accept a bid $20,000 lower than the highest bid. The public still deserves a satisfactory explanation.

At a subsequent Select Board meeting, Chairman Bishop added to the mistake by threatening to shut down any meeting in which the public is "out of order" and that police would be used for enforcement. Is that what our Police Department is for? Censoring questions? Preventing dissent? Does anyone else think that inappropriate use of police is part of a disturbing national trend?

This action raises some additional serious questions. Who does the board think they are serving? Why is transparency so threatening to them? How many other bad decisions have they made of which we may be unaware? Are they being good stewards of our town resources while our tax rate is among the highest in the Berkshires?

Henry Rose, MD
Dalton, Mass.