As the dust settles after the latest meeting of the board of directors of HEPL [FN1], we see a lot of money was wasted & nothing was gained. In May w/o public notice or listing on the agenda, the Hamilton County Council placed Micah Beckwith [FN2] on the HEPL board. 1/7

During the summer Beckwith was joined by three other board members of the far right for a 4-3 temporary [FN3] majority that instituted a new policy. Books were pulled from the teen section to be reviewed for, well, smut. The policy: (1) heaped ridicule on HEPL (& Fishers); and 2/7

2) wasted $$$, in the range of six figures (eight w/numerals after the decimal point). The Acme [FN4] came w/a board member reading excerpts from an award-winning teen novel initially set as inappropriate for teens. The temporal nature of the policy was revealed when one 3/7

member’s term of office expired and another quit. At the latest HEPL meeting, the now-former president attempted to call a person to speak about childhood development. A majority voted to pass on that opportunity. Beckwith is yelling “censorship.” No one denied that person 4/7

opportunity to speak. No one explained why a statement from an individual w/o expertise on this subject was germane. Beckwith can act indignant. Beckwith can push policies that waste a ton of money. That is what voters face if Beckwith ever - ever - wins elective office. 5/7

Footnotes: FN1. Hamilton East Public Library. FN2. Beckwith is a Hamilton County preacher who lost in the 2020 GOP primary for INCD5 and has announced he seeks the GOP nomination for Lt Gov in 2024. FN3. American College Dictionary, 1962, p. 1246. 6/7

Footnotes: FN4. Not the fictional & inept corporation in Road Runner cartoons, as the reading was even more inept. 7/7