In his October 27 letter to the editor, Belfast City Councilor Mike Hurley attacks opponents of the proposed Nordic Aquafarms fish factory for not running for Belfast City Council. Hurley suggests that laziness may account for the absence of anti-Nordic candidates. 

But there may be other reasons. 

Maybe no citizen of Belfast not currently on the city council wants to spend any part of their short time on this earth wallowing in the vitriol that pervades Mr. Hurley's letter and the self-congratulation and mutual backslapping that plague the meetings of Mr. Hurley's city council.

Maybe no one wants to be associated with a council that meets in the dark, behind closed doors, to approve the taking by eminent domain of land belonging to their Belfast neighbors, and the taking of a conservation area without court approval - in violation of Maine law.

Maybe no one wants to be part of a body that has City of Belfast Attorney William Kelly write a mumbo jumbo letter to Maine Assistant Attorney General Lauren Parker asking whether the Attorney General will turn a blind eye to this violation of Maine law, an invitation Parker declined.

Maybe no one wants to be party to violating Maine rules of civil procedure by not telling Waldo County Superior Court about the city's acquisition of property in dispute before that same court.

Or maybe no one wants to be part of a body that rushes to do the bidding of a multinational corporation while completely ignoring public comment that runs overwhelmingly against such action, as the city council has done repeatedly.

Never mind one's position on Nordic, for three and a half years the city council has refused to give any consideration to the legitimate and substantial problems, issues and concerns raised about Nordic's highly questionable competence or the considerable environmental threat posed by the Nordic project. Any way you slice it, that is a failure of leadership. It is a failure to represent the citizens, all the citizens, of Belfast, and no court ruling can or will change that.

And I don't blame anyone for not wanting any part of that whole charade.

Lawrence Reichard lives in Belfast