It was good to see the candidates for the Nashua Board of Aldermen gather last week at an event sponsored by the Nashua Republican City Committee to discuss the issues of the day.

Some candidates talked about the perceived lack of transparency within city government and the belief by some that the current board has abdicated much of its responsibility.

Candidates for the Board of Education were questioned about class sizes and whether some residents are getting favorable treatment by being allowed to send their children across boundaries to attend schools outside the zones in which they live.

It’s good when issues that might make some uncomfortable get public airings. It makes for a more informed electorate.

Speaking of discomfort, we were struck by the comments of NRCC Chairman Andrew Cernota, who noted that most of the candidates who showed up were either members of the committee or friends of members.

That did not include current Ward 3 Alderman Diane Sheehan, who said she was not invited.

That’s not exactly true, as Cernota said no formal invitations were sent out. But whether she was welcome is another question. Said Cernota of Sheehan, “I make no apologies for not (reaching out to) someone who’s been critical of this committee in the past.”

The NRCC should be bigger than that.

In fact, one of the things that can be said about the Republican Party in general is that, if its members sometimes appear hard-hearted, they also are blessed with thick skin to a degree that their critics find maddening. It’s unfortunate if some on the committee felt that whatever barbs Sheehan has aimed at committee members in the past warranted her exclusion.

A better rule of thumb in this instance would be, if a candidate is on the ballot, they ought to be on the stage.

Newsletter