“Letters with negative content are not accepted for the two issues preceding the elections to allow for candidate rebuttal.” - Expanded Guidelines for Election Season Letters to the Editor Last Updated 3:08 p.m., Oct. 11, 2017 at Zip06.com.

Harbor News Editor Brian Boyd’s new letters policy asks writers to self-censor negative comments on politicians, our self-selected leadership class. This makes Editor Boyd’s job easier, while denying the electorate a view of the self-selected under the minor pressure of public criticism.

The Republican Party throws up candidates more interested in preserving their privileges than serving the public. Any entity that refuses to tax itself for the things that it wants is on its way out.

Old Saybrook voted by referendum to pay for septic upgrades. That didn’t happen under the leadership of First Selectman Carl P. Fortuna, Jr., who decided differently.

The will of the people doesn’t rule. This ain’t no democracy, if it ever was.

Joel Anderson

Old Saybrook

Editor’s note: The Harbor News policy regarding election season letters has been printed in each issue of the paper since Aug. 18, 2005. While the policy substantially complicates the already-challenging job of refereeing the letters forum, it allows candidates an opportunity to respond to issues raised by readers speaking up in any of the 102 issues following the previous election.