As chairperson of Citizens for Open Government (CFOG), I am disappointed that Supervisor Hoeper has declined the invitation to our May 9 Meet the Candidates for Shohola Supervisor event. His rejection, submitted in the form of a letter to the editor in last week’s TRR, was clearly crafted more to vilify and defame our organization than to offer a cordial, “No thank you.”

Mr. Hoeper alleged that our membership’s sole purpose is to reinstate the Walls to the positions they held prior to his appointment. He is incorrect. We recognize that reinstatement would exacerbate the open wound that has torn at the fiber of our township.

Mr. Hoeper argued that the evening’s facilitator is an acquaintance of mine. He is not. He was chosen for his background in community work and, as a non-Shohola resident, is less given to Mr. Hoeper’s charge of bias and partiality.

Contrary to Mr. Hoeper’s belief, Ms. Masuo and Mr. Dellert are not CFOG-endorsed and are not, and never have been, members of our organization.

Mr. Hoeper asserted that our Meet the Candidates event was “arranged to prohibit reasonable objectivity.” He omitted that his invitation outlined procedures to ensure decorum and objectivity. The “antics” he referred to would be an embarrassment for our members, our candidates, and most of all Shohola.

Every point made by Mr. Hoeper is arguable, but in the limited space of this rebuttal, suffice to say that CFOG can think of no better way to support the democratic process than by providing Shohola’s citizens an opportunity to meet, hear and question each candidate before casting their ballots on May 17. I hope that Mr. Hoeper will have reconsidered and joined his constituents and fellow candidates for a pleasant and informative Meet the Candidates evening by the time you read this letter.

Glyn Eisenhauer

Citizens for Open Government Chair

Shohola, PA