Former councilman Dan Meckes announced in early March he was running for the Democratic nomination for borough council in the May 17 primary.
In a release submitted to the Herald, Meckes offered his thoughts about comments during a March 7 council meeting made about him and The Daily Herald’s coverage of his original announcement of his candidacy.
At the council meeting, Mayor Patricia Stoner and some other members of council commented on statements made by Meckes in the March 7 article and the coverage by the Herald given to his announcement.
He said, “I was amused and amazed that the mayor and council took so much time from borough business to attack a private citizen’s right to announce his candidacy for office.”
Meckes said, “It’s too bad I was otherwise occupied that evening to be there.”
He added, “It was also sad that the public wasn’t there to watch that scene. It must have been quite a show.”
He further stated, “…I was astonished that mayor and council would so blatantly reveal their contempt and dissent. Democracy survives only with freedom to dissent and by the ability of an educated electorate to distinguish a discussion’s wheat from chaff.”
Meckes’ release also included quotes made by Mayor Stoner in a March 9 Daily Herald article which detailed borough council’s 25-minute discussion at the March 7 meeting about Meckes and the newspaper’s coverage.
After each quote cited, Meckes responded with questions about the comments made by the mayor.
For example, in response to the mayor’s comment, “There is no one who has to be this mean,” Meckes asked, “Mean? A citizen announcing his candidacy and why he is running is mean?”
In another reference, The Herald said, “The mayor said the newspaper could deny coverage to anyone.”
Meckes said in response, “Oops, she said it, censorship. Shut up opposing candidates? Citizens with problems?”
Meckes served on Tyrone Borough council in 1984 and 1985. His background includes the newspaper industry, public relations and teaching. He is also former editor of The Daily Herald.
Meckes will be seeking a four-year term on council.
