Letter: Resident Says Candidates Using Billboard Issue, Reminds of Costly History
The following letter was submitted by Charles Vaillancourt of 10 Wyndham Hill Road
In a recent press release, several candidates for Middletown Town Council challenged the current Council’s decision to remove billboards on East Main Road. The challengers are lead by former council members Paul Rodrigues and Robert Sylvia.
Apparently they have not garnered much enthusiasm from their campaigns, so they had to resort to hiring a lawyer and sending out press releases to increase their exposure. The problem is, all they have succeeded in doing is reminding us of the costly trouble they have created in the past.
The premise of their argument is to save money. But threatening to put taxpayers in the middle of a costly legal battle, all to promote their own campaigns, does not save the taxpayers money. They would like you to believe that if elected, they would be fiscally conservative. But their records show just the opposite.
Let us not forget the hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal expenses and settlement terms that Paul Rodrigues cost the town as the result of his reckless removal of former town manager Gerry Kempen. From my experience as a council member and public records, the behind the scenes bullying and personal directions that Paul Rodrigues gave to Mr. Kempen were often to the benefit of the Rodrigues Family.
Candidate Robert Sylvia was given an opportunity to serve our council in 2008 and also failed. At his last official council meeting, knowing he was not running for re-election and therefore not accountable to the taxpayers, he proposed large bonuses and salaries for town department heads not previously accounted for in the budget. That is not fiscal conservatism.
So, for either Paul Rodrigues or Robert Sylvia to suggest they are challenging the town in order to save the taxpayer money is insincere at best. If they back off their plan to sue the town, then they were just looking for free press. Either way, that is not how a candidate should conduct a campaign or represent his constituents.
My grandfather always said, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” The present council has not been embroiled in the controversy of the past, they have keep our taxes down and managed our town respectfully. We do not need corrupt, back room politics running our town again.
Charles Vaillancourt
B.D.
6:52 am on Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Mr. Vallincourt, I couldn't agree with you more that Middletown needs less of the typical RI political corruption and less costly legal battles. This is why I'm I'm surprised your backing THIS council. They have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on legal consultation, via Dan Kinder and Associates, not including court room costs. THEY have allowed a legal firm to bypass our appointed charter review committee to make his own changes to OUR Town Charter(and he isn't even a resident). This exact corruptness was argued by a current council member to the Attourney General that bypassing a review committee was illegal, but I guess when you finally get elected your morals get thrown out the window. This councils argument has always been fiscal responsibility. They have cried poverty since day one. Well, every penny counts. Beauty comes second. I suggest all voters do their research this election year on what's best for Middletown. But the majority of this current council isn't!
Michael E. Whitty
1:09 am on Saturday, October 27, 2012
Charlie, what am I missing here. You praise the current Middletown Town Council for preserving the beauty of our town by taking down the billboard that has been there forever and losing 45,000 dollars in the process. Yet, is it not Bruce Long, Art Weber, and Antone Viveiros the same people who have littered our entire town with their political signs? You seem to have a personal agenda against certain people and that was the reason for the letter, not the preserving of Middletown's natural beauty. Next time you choose to write a letter, please be more truthful as to the real purpose of the letter.
charlie vaillancourt
6:57 pm on Monday, November 5, 2012
Michael, You’ve somehow missed the point of my letter. I clearly do not take a position on the billboard. Other than to suggest it is simply a pawn in this election. I due however, point out the accurate record of two candidates for office. I also take offense to your suggestion of a personal agenda. Contrary to your comments, I have not made any personal attacks at all. My letter speaks to facts. It’s your choice to ignore them or not. Sincerely, Charlie