To the editor:

 Recently in individual letters to the editor, Mr. Katz and Mr. Garvey lashed out in frustration regarding my character. I could spend time responding to statements designed to mislead, but I will not waste my time or yours.

First, I will agree with Mr. Garvey, “It had nothing to do with (my) military service.” Then again, never have I associated my service with Tiverton politics. TTA groupies dug into my personal life, presumably searching for information about me and hoping to find something nefarious to use to tarnish my credibility. 

The best they could find was that I served in the US Navy. I am so mundane that the juiciest items from my past were discovered on a website designed for professional networking. If only they knew what I did once, when I was in third grade.

I do have to question Justin Katz, stalking me so carefully that he noticed within minutes of me blocking him from viewing my LinkedIn profile. That is a little creepy, right?

Second, Mr. Katz seems to be confused about my rights as a citizen in Tiverton. Yes, there are rules and regulations that Sailors must follow on political matters; in fact, the official guidance was updated not all that long ago. Some actions were not taken, by me, to ensure compliance. It is ignorant to think that the military would strip away the rights of their members to participate in the democratic process. Mr. Garvey, I would feel better of you if you had thought to point this out to your friend who likely would rely on someone with your past for information.

Finally, I am not the person Mr. Katz and his cronies have portrayed, but it does seem to keep them entertained. Speaking of entertainment, the TTA seems perfectly willing to overlook Budget Committee member Joseph Sousa’s numerous and crude statements or “art” depicting his neighbors as “Demo-Rats” or “Lib-tards” to include attacking a special needs child, among other actions of ill repute. I can only conclude that this is what Katz sees when he speaks about “who we in the Tiverton community are.”

 Make no mistake, there is no love lost between those in the TTA and myself. This type of tabloid back and forth serves no purpose for anything tangible in what it takes to make good government in Tiverton or even basic human decency. Maybe it is time for Tiverton to move away from the narrow-minded politics the TTA would like us all to endure? 

The TTA majority last year quickly demonstrated how out of touch and ineffective they are in attempting to “run” a town council. If stalking residents and being a tattletale is the 2020 strategy that Justin Katz and company are focused on, voting for anyone TTA would only prove to be a disaster moving forward.

Thomas R. Buchanan

Tiverton