To the editor:

As a former chair of the Tiverton Republican Town Committee (TRTC), I can no longer stay quiet on the current political climate in our community. Most of the folks that I served with are into their 80’s now and are no longer as active as we all once were. But, we certainly don’t support the current crowd that is running the TRTC or their efforts to stymie the voting process.

I don’t see the Republican Party I once championed. We stood for our morals but always worked in the best interest of the middle ground for all of our community.  The new group is mostly made up of TTA PAC supporters who call themselves “the Republicans” and seek only to divide our beautiful town. 
I was also Little League president for over 30 years. Recreation has always been near and dear to me and my family, and I still follow it today. I find it fascinating that the playground project for Town Farm seems to have suddenly found the urgent attention of Justin Katz. I watch council meetings and listened to our town administrator report on the Recreation Commission working for grant funding to get the project underway. I find it so disheartening to see Mr. Katz brushing aside the dedicated group of volunteers. After all it was a community volunteers that built the last one!

At one time our recreation facilities were a priority for this community, but over that past seven years of budgets the funding has been cut under petitions by TTA/Katz. I have watched it be put on the back burner and see this new urgency as suspicious in the face of the recall. It takes proper funding to maintain our facilities and TTA has failed to do that. 
Let’s get back to a place where compromise and values are important. A place where volunteers are applauded and budgets represent our priorities.

I urge all of my friends, community members, and my fellow Republicans, to support this recall on October 10. Thank you.


Claudia Linhares

Former chairwoman, Tiverton Republican Town Committee