You have probably heard the term, “family newspaper.” That simply means that when editors consider what goes into a paper, they try to make it something that is more or less readable by all.
There are certainly stories with adult subject matter, but even there, writers and editors attempt not to cause readers to spew their coffee when partaking.
All that said, it is a difficult task to cover and write about the Jefferson County Election Commission. We know that’s the case when, in writing such a story, asterisks have to be used to fill out the curse words being uttered at the meeting — words that we don’t feel comfortable passing along to our readers out of respect for their sensibilities.
That was true for Thursday night’s commission meeting, where Stu Soffer, a Republican member of the commission, was called out by Ted Davis, a Democratic member, for something disparaging Soffer wrote on a blog about the Pulaski County Clerk. Later, Soffer said Davis was full of it, as in what comes out of a horse.
To which Mike Adam, the other Republican member, said, “Well, I think we just went right down the toilet there.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Actually, these guys are pretty much there nonstop.
We recall Soffer got upset once and resigned briefly. And Davis did the same for about a month. And Soffer took a pistol out of his pocket once and held it to his side when things got testy.
It’s that kind of show almost every time they get together, and we’re just tired of being subjected to it.
The job of the election commission is to organize and operate elections. There are decisions to make, but it can’t be that complicated. And yet, not that long ago, a ballot was produced that had a mistake on it: Someone was left off of a few precincts. We wonder if that mistake would have happened if they were minding their business instead of insulting each other.
We look around at other counties where one really never hears of dust-ups from their election commission and wonder — if only. How can there be peace everywhere but here?
Obviously, there is a clash of personalities. Adam is fairly quiet, but Soffer and Davis are, indeed, the oil and water of appointed officials.
We think it’s past time to erase all of their names from the commission and start over with a new three, with the reason being that conditions have just become too toxic for any of them to continue.
It’s a shame because in the length of time they’ve been on the commission, they are probably pretty adept at understanding election laws and operations. But there is no reason on earth the rest of civilized society in Pine Bluff has to cringe to read about grown-ups acting like feuding kids on a playground.
Our disgust with them would be present at any given moment, but there’s a big election coming in the middle of a viral pandemic. People are going to be casting absentee ballots in what will likely be record numbers. We have people in high places casting doubt on the veracity of the upcoming elections, and the head of the U.S. Postal Service being accused of acting in a way that would hurt rather than help mail delivery, which has placed further doubt on people’s trust in having their votes counted.
For heaven’s sake, men, act like what you’re doing is important, put your petty differences aside and park your potty mouths. This is not the time to be giving the public additional reasons to be unsure of what’s taking place on the first Tuesday in November and the weeks before, which are just around the corner.
And once we get that date behind us, please, Republican and Democratic parties, give us some relief down here. Pick new members for the election commission. Members who act and work as professionals. This act is wearing very thin.