Tuesday, November 20, 2012
After reading Lisa Sussman's Rant & Rave column Saturday in which she asks just what a town moderator is or does, EG Town Moderator Jim Patti speaks up.
Imagine my surprise when I poured my morning coffee last Saturday at dawn, swiped on my iPad, checked the national news, the Rhode Island news and of course the local news from our beloved EG Patch, only to find an article about ... ME. I read Lisa Sussman's witty rant with interest as she raised several questions about the Town Moderator position and the rationale for my own desire to serve the Town in this capacity. Basically her main concern seemed to be: why would anyone want to be the Moderator, a position with limited power and authority in our local system of government? Fair question. I ran for the office in 2010 – and filed again this year for reelection – out of a genuine sense of civic responsibility and a belief that …
Saturday, November 17, 2012
What to love and hate about living in East Greenwich this week.
RANT: One question – who knows what the Town Moderator does? Hopefully, about 7,319 of you will be able to answer because you voted last Tuesday (I’ll let the other 3,414 registered voters who did not show up at the ballots on November 6 off the hook). I have to admit, I had no idea. But I did know that I didn’t like the fact that he was running unopposed. (Apparently, one of his opponents was unable to scare up the required 50 signatures to get on the ballot and the other withdrew.) So I didn’t vote for him. The “him,” in case you’re wondering, is Mr. James W. Patti (Republican), who won by a landslide with 98.3% of the vote. Apologies, Mr. Patti. I have now done a little research and realize yours is a thankless task. The Town Moderator…
Monday, July 16, 2012
Paul Martin says he needs to overcome health problems, doesn’t count out a run for town office in two years.
Town Canvasser Elaine Vespia confirmed Monday morning two candidates for local office – Paul Martin (School Committee) and Tony Jones (Town Moderator) did not submit signatures to get on the ballot in November. A third candidate, Bill Wray (School Committee) has withdrawn. A story posted here yesterday had initially relied on information the R.I. Secretary of State's website, which had not been updated to reflect signatures received beyond Wednesday. Friday was the deadline for candidates to submit signatures. Martin, a Republican, said Monday he is dropping out of the race because of ongoing health problems. He suffered a stroke two years ago and said he’s gained weight since then and had other health issues. Republican Bill Wray did …
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Republicans field a full slate for Council and School Committee; Democrats offer no candidates for Council, four for School Committee.
The Democrats cup runneth over for School Committee, with four candidates for three seats, while they failed to field a single candidate for Town Council's five available seats. Republicans, meanwhile, have a full slate of five candidates for council, two candidates for School Committee and one candidate for Town Moderator. By 4 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, a total of 15 people had filed to run for town offices – 8 Republicans, 4 Democrats, 1 Libertarian, 1 Moderate, and 1 independent. There are 6 candidates for Town Council, 7 for School Committee, and 2 for Town Moderator. Former School Committee Chair Jean Ann Guliano is making a run for Town Council. If she wins, she would be the first woman councilor in 10 years. Guliano is running as a…
Bill Pett
5:04 pm on Tuesday, November 20, 2012
It would indeed be worth continuing the discussion. I think the FTM (Financial Town Meeting) is far past its time. A century or two ago, town meetings may well have been examples of democracy at its best, but they have degenerated into a system that puts potential power into a pitifully small portion of the population. As I recall, the number necessary for a quorum has been reduced in recent … more ›