The voting machines in Gloucester do exactly what they are supposed to do - they count votes accurately.
But that is apparently not good enough for the federal government. The city - along with several dozen other communities in Massachusetts and thousands across the nation - has been informed by the manufacturer that it will have to replace them. In Gloucester, the bill is estimated to be around $80,000.
The mandate, from the dubiously named federal Election Assistance Commission, calls to mind one of the more famous quotes of former President Ronald Reagan: "The most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help."
Relatively speaking, this is not a major fiscal problem - $80,000 is one-tenth of 1 percent of an $80 million budget. And Mayor Carolyn Kirk will have much bigger things to complain about when she travels to Washington to testify about unfunded federal mandates - she estimates the city is on the hook for $150 million in unfunded, mandated improvements to its sewer system.
But the principle is far more significant. There is a credible argument to be made that a sewer system that pollutes the harbor must be fixed, to protect the environment. There is no credible argument for spending $80,000 to replace equipment that does its job well.
U.S. Sen. John Kerry, who met with Kirk last week, said he will push for the city to receive a waiver, so it can continue to use the machines.
Here's hoping he pushes hard. There is a reason to replace infrastructure that is not working. There is no good reason to replace equipment that works well.
But that is apparently not good enough for the federal government. The city - along with several dozen other communities in Massachusetts and thousands across the nation - has been informed by the manufacturer that it will have to replace them. In Gloucester, the bill is estimated to be around $80,000.
The mandate, from the dubiously named federal Election Assistance Commission, calls to mind one of the more famous quotes of former President Ronald Reagan: "The most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help."
Relatively speaking, this is not a major fiscal problem - $80,000 is one-tenth of 1 percent of an $80 million budget. And Mayor Carolyn Kirk will have much bigger things to complain about when she travels to Washington to testify about unfunded federal mandates - she estimates the city is on the hook for $150 million in unfunded, mandated improvements to its sewer system.
But the principle is far more significant. There is a credible argument to be made that a sewer system that pollutes the harbor must be fixed, to protect the environment. There is no credible argument for spending $80,000 to replace equipment that does its job well.
U.S. Sen. John Kerry, who met with Kirk last week, said he will push for the city to receive a waiver, so it can continue to use the machines.
Here's hoping he pushes hard. There is a reason to replace infrastructure that is not working. There is no good reason to replace equipment that works well.
