Little Compton's Republican Town Committee chairman declined Saturday to condemn a mailer sent out late this week by a private political organization, which encourages residents to vote a straight party Republican ticket in the Tuesday, Nov. 8 election, and warns that "Little Compton's fabric and character are fading away with the influx of 'Woke' people and their radical ideas."

"The citizens of our town have received a mailer from the Little  Compton Taxpayers Association, an organization with which we have no affiliation," wrote GOP chairman Mike Rocha. "The LC Democrat Town Committee has asked us to join them in condemning the contents of the mailer as 'hateful.' Our reason for being is to promote candidates and values we espouse, not to condemn the opinions or writings of others. We decline to join in (the Democrats') condemnation."

The mailer, which contains a mockup of the Little Compton ballot with Republican candidates selected and also gives examples of societal issues allegedly caused by President Joe Biden, Congress and Democratic voters, was produced by the Little Compton Taxpayers Association, which has a listed address of PO Box 455 in Adamsville.

It was chaired until at least recently by Joseph M. Quinn of 30 Indian Road, a retired educator who previously served on the Little Compton School Committee. Though he passed away on Sunday, Oct. 2 at age 77, he is still listed as the chairman on the association's website. No working phone number could be found for listed vice chairman Robert Hayden or secretary/treasurer Roger Lord. An e-mail to the organization's website drew no response Saturday morning.

While imploring residents to vote a straight Republican ticket, the flyer blames Democrats, President Joe Biden and Congress for a host of societal problems, crime and economic issues, among them human trafficking, Fentanyl deaths, high taxes, gas and food prices, abortion, globalism, racial division and "unprecedented riots and crime."

It also criticizes Democratic members of the school committee for the rising cost of education in Little Compton and the sex education that is "poisoning the town," and calls out the town council's Democratic members for the flying of the Pride flag.

Swift condemnation

The mailer began arriving in mailboxes Friday and drew a quick response from the Democratic Town Committee, which condemned its "hateful and untrue rhetoric" Saturday morning and called on the town's Republican town committee to condemn it as well.

After reviewing the mailer, Republican committee chairman Mike Rocha said later Saturday morning that while the committee is not affiliated with the taxpayers' group, it is not the GOP's place to condemn the private views of citizens.

"Our reason for being is to promote candidates and values we espouse, not to condemn the opinions or writings of others," Rocha wrote. "We decline to join in their condemnation."

The flyer/newsletter appears to be the first sent out by the association in six years, according to archives listed on its website, and the most recent post on the association's website, posted June 5, 2020, refers to that year's Financial Town Meeting.

Democrats' full response

This press release was sent out Saturday morning by Travis Auty, chairman of the Little Compton Democratic Town Committee:

This week, the Democratic and Independent candidates for Little Compton School Committee and Town Council participated in two non-partisan forums presented and moderated by The Sakonnet Times. All candidates addressed the real issues facing our community — housing and affordability, senior care, coastal access and climate change, and educating our children.

By contrast; on Friday, October 28, a town-wide mailer was received from the Little Compton Taxpayers Association (LCTA). The LCTA used talking points from fringe Q-Anon groups to implore the community to vote for the entire Republican slate in this years’ elections. They point to the “LGBTQ crowd” targeting the Council because the Republican Council-members refused to fly the “Gay” Flag in 2022. They claim that this LGBTQ influence is “poisoning the town.” The LCTA uses fringe factitious ideas like “Critical Race Theory” and “Sex education starting in Kindergarten” to scare our community.

The Little Compton Democratic Town Committee firmly condemns this hateful mailer because it does not represent the values of our community.

The Little Compton Democratic Town Committee asks the Little Compton Republican Town Committee to join us in condemning the LC Taxpayers Association for disseminating such hateful and untrue rhetoric across our community.

Republicans' full response

The following statement was e-mailed to the Sakonnet Times Saturday morning by Mike Rocha, chairman of the Little Compton Republican Town Committee:

The citizens of our town have received a mailer from the Little  Compton Taxpayers Association, an organization with which we have no affiliation.

The LC Democrat Town Committee has asked us to join them in condemning the contents of the mailer as “hateful.”

Our reason for being is to promote candidates and values we espouse, not to condemn the opinions or writings of others.

We decline to join in their condemnation.