Letter: Disruptive Katz/Colter agenda wrong for Tiverton

Posted 10/8/19

To the editor:

This recall is not about Mr. McLaughlin and his disputes with the town, in spite of obfuscations in last week’s letters column.  It is about Mr. Coulter and Mr. Katz and whether …

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Letter: Disruptive Katz/Colter agenda wrong for Tiverton

Posted

To the editor:

This recall is not about Mr. McLaughlin and his disputes with the town, in spite of obfuscations in last week’s letters column.  It is about Mr. Coulter and Mr. Katz and whether they should be removed from office, and nothing else.

 Make no mistake, we don’t recall a person from public office merely for not doing a good job.  We remove them when they misuse their office.  The charges against the two are well-known and well-published in letters here. 

For me, the head-banger came when TTA, led by Coulter and Katz, consummated their arrogance by voting a political crony to a position on the Library Board, passing over one eminently qualified candidate.  Not only was the appointee utterly without library experience, but he boasted hostility to the library’s work and was a known trouble maker to its staff.  Voting as a bloc, the TTA pushed it through.

Mr. Katz’s urgings “don’t vote” and “sit this one out” are disingenuous, even joke-worthy.

He knows his seat is on the line only when citizens show up and vote “yes.” Only “yes” votes count for recall.  Staying home means you’re voting to let Katz and Coulter remain.

We might never have the disruptive Coulter/Katz TTA majority but for the signage blitz that preceded the election.  I was immediately suspicious:  “Who is paying for all these TTA signs?”  We soon learned that Justin Katz is employed by the RI Center for Freedom and Prosperity, part of the State Policy Network, an umbrella group to advance right-wing agendas in cities and towns.  Once voted in, TTA wasted no time in installing their attorney, heretofore inexperienced in municipal matters, as town solicitor.

Enabled by well-financed campaign advertising, Coulter and Katz and the TTA have strong-armed their majority control in order to install a conservative ideology that is alien and uncomfortable to most of our citizens.

Voters who were duped by the glitz of TTA’s election campaign have no excuse.  But they do have recourse.  They can show up today and vote “yes” to recall Coulter and Katz. 

Ron Marsh

Tiverton

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