Upham gets defensive

I’m surprised nobody picked up on Andy’s lengthy self-defense on the op-ed pages of government media last week. Is it because it was virtually unreadable?

A summary: recall is an attempt by power-crazed library boosters to regain control of the Town of Gray. Yes, that’s really what Andy thinks, or at least that’s what he wants us to think. Unfortunately, his argument is positively Nixonian in its rambling incoherence and wandering paranoia. I wonder who wrote it?

On a positive note, the fact that Upham refuses to acknowledge the truth about why he’s in the hot seat is very encouraging. Denial will be his downfall.

A few examples of the awesome intellectual rigor our famously precise vice-chairman brings to his defense. Andy's claims in bold italics:

Control of Pennell was shifting from the town to the GPLA in January 2005 - GPLA did not exist until May 2005.

The town was recklessly “deeding” Pennell to GPLA in June 2005 - SAD15, not Gray, “owns” Pennell; and nobody was deeding anything to anybody in June – discussions had barely begun.

GPLA was to blame for the withdrawal of a $100,000 challenge grant - The anonymous donor explicitly blamed the town council.

GPLA prematurely withdrew from Pennell lease negotiations - GPLA withdrew only after Andy & Co. restarted the Pennell lawsuit. Tough to negotiate a lease if you don’t own the property, especially if your only prospective tenant is suing for ownership.

Title and ownership of Pennell is uncertain - Not according to real lawyers, which Andy isn’t. As far as the AG and the courts are concerned, SAD15 controls Pennell’s assets - period. It is the applicability of the Pennell Trust that is in dispute - something easily resolved if the Town had the will. Legal resolution was one of the main features of the GPLA plan.

The Pennell lawsuit is part of a strategic plan for both Pennell and the library. - There is no plan for Pennell, despite repeated requests from the public for even a hint. The strategic plan for the library consists of an incomplete basement renovation based on a fiscally dubious proposal personally developed by amateur architect Andy Upham and rejected by everyone else, including library staff.

As they say, if you can't make the story fit the facts, make the facts fit the story.

Paul