There was an incredibly articulate and thought-provoking Letter to the Editor by Jared Kupiec today in the Journal Inquirer. He brings into stark contrast the vicious, serious nature of Cheri Pelletier’s attacks of Minority Leader Kevin Zingler during the past month.
Her behavior is slanderous, libelous, and quite frankly unbecoming of a human being. Vicious attacks like hers are exactly the reason this Board has become so dysfunctional. Many citizens have demanded a return to civility from our Board members. It is clear that without the leadership of the Democrats at the helm, the Republicans are quickly sinking the ship of dignity their office demands. Make no mistake, this is not a new turn in behavior for the Republicans or for Cheri Pelletier: they are merely continuing the political attacks, smear campaigns, and character assassination they have perpetuated for years. This divisive, disrespectful, and irreprehensible behavior is nothing new to these Three. Their lies and attacks are only now more noticeable because they are in the majority.
It needs to stop.
As the majority, they have failed to maintain a minimum of decorum and honorability as Board of Director members. They have failed to show any respect to their Democratic colleagues; they have lied again and again to the voters of Manchester; and they have been odious towards Democratic speakers during public comment across the board.
It is time to return to the decency and respect that Democratic leadership brought to Manchester. These Republicans are failing Manchester, and we should be just ashamed of them as is former Republican Town Committee Chairman Wally Irish.
Mayor Spadaccini should unquestionably ask for Cheri Pelletier’s resignation. Former Republican Town Committee Chairman Wally Irish already did.
She stayed. He left.
Rather than breathe the same air as this slanderous, unethical person, he resigned as Chairman of the Manchester GOP. Now Wally and I have our differences, but as much as we have those differences, his actions should be lauded. His act was a stoic attempt to bring back dignity to politics and the GOP. He said, “No more.” Either she goes, or I go.
He is right. Her continued presence on the Board of Directors is a continued slap in the face of reason, human dignity, and common sense.
Cheri Pelletier’s lack of ethics has been astonishing during the course of her tenure on the Board of Directors. Her lack of accountability is appalling; her attacks, disgusting. It is high time she step down. We all deserve better, and both Democrats and Republicans should indeed call for her resignation.
Jared Kupiec is unquestionably correct.
March 22, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Pelletier’s latest bit of political thuggery is a snide remark – made in a public meeting – about how Robert and Susan Shanbaum “live in a mansion” and therefore have no standing to comment on issues relating to the Spruce Street neighborhood. At least she has one thing going for her – Pelletier is an equal opportunity character assassin. All that is required is that you say something, anything, critical of a Republican position and she gets out the verbal blackjack and the brass knuckles vocabulary and begins to work you over. It is outrageous that an elected official would publicly and personally denigrate a resident because he or she has the audacity to come to “public comment” and say something critical of the Republicans or – even worse – Pelletier herself. The motto of the Republicans during the 2007 election was “let the people speak.” The motto of the Screw You Republicans after the election is “let the people speak, provided they only say nice things about the Republicans, otherwise we’d just as soon they stayed home, but if you do come down and speak, you’ll have to deal with Cheri PitBull-etier, and it won’t be pretty.”