To the editor:

Here is quote from a person who designed fair and ethical debate in politics, especially for government bodies:

 “The greatest lesson for democracies to learn is for the majority to give to the minority a full, free opportunity to present their side of the case, and then for the minority, having failed to win a majority to their views, gracefully to submit and to recognize the action as that of the entire organization, and cheerfully to assist in carrying it out until they can secure its repeal.”

― Henry Martyn Robert, Parliamentary Law

Please do the right thing, as this logical quote says to. Rob and Justin are part of a creative and caring group of Tiverton residents, many of whom have to keep their feelings private so certain others won’t make it unpleasant for them – and it’s not right that they have to hide. 

Recall is not for people who got a small number of votes and lost in their bid for Town Council, like Billy McLaughlin, or for other town councilors who for no logical reason are using the recall to try to get power back (notice it’s nothing to do with the performance of the current council). 

Many lies were told, and how unethical is it to do that? How low is our society going when people lie all the time? One of the lies told was that they didn't allow other attorney resume submissions - however, other councilors had three long weeks to submit attorney resumes, but didn’t do a thing, no due diligence. Every Town Council picks an attorney.  The prior attorney stated he wanted to leave. 

Another was the library appointee – please remember the TTA was never against the library, this was an appointee who represents many town voters. A recall should be for anyone who violates laws, local, state or federal – and they did not do that! And it’s just a two-year term, very short.

You wouldn’t want your elected official who got 2,000 votes to be taken out of office with a smaller number of votes, would you? Fight this kind of political nastiness.   Stay home with your families instead of going to this wrong and unethical use of a recall. Choose to reject this recall that is based on lies. Instead let’s high-five each other, all together, and celebrate that we have casino revenue to help with urgent town needs. Eeven if we shouldn't increase our budget with this revenue, as it may go away and then we would be left high and dry - it's still a great thing!

Ruth Hollenbach

Tiverton