To the editor:

“The time has come,” the Walrus said, “to talk of many things: Of shoes — of ships — and sealing wax — of cabbages — and kings.” When I think of those lines from Lewis Carroll’s “Alice is Wonderland,” I think of the recent decision made by the Shelby County Board of Elections when they decided to go after Mayor Mike Barhorst — the four of them deciding to take away the right of the voters to elect the candidate we best think represents our interests.

The election is over. The voters have spoken. If I add right, about seven out of every 10 of us voted for him in the recent election.

From the well field to aggregation to homelessness to the downtown, he has not been afraid to tackle the tough issues. He gets things done, and the voters know that he gets things done.

What the Board of Elections did to Mike and his family is unconscionable. If the community needed a sign that he truly loves Sidney, simply understanding the sacrifice he and his family have made should be proof enough. His legal fees alone — just to get on the ballot — will negate his salary for nearly his entire four-year term.

While I might forgive the Board of Elections their initial decision when they decided to throw out his petitions, they should have listened when Judge Stevenson issued his ruling. Instead, they waited almost an entire month (29 days) before appealing the decision and driving his legal bill thousands of dollars higher.

So, now that I have addressed “cabbage,” it is time to address those who think they are “kings” — the Board of Elections. It is simply time for the “kings” to go. It is time to replace them with folks who can make common-sense decisions and not try to run the entire county as though it were their version of “Wonderland.”

Judy Thaman

Sidney