Claim of Tea Party Tactics Without Evidence Seems a Tea Party Tactic
To the Editor:
I like to be an informed voter, but the letters to the editor about the Princeton Council election have left me not only confused about the realities behind the coded terms and innuendos but also disheartened. Two candidates teaming up against one (who happens to be one of the two incumbents) initially bothered me, as it is divisive; but recently, the claim of “Tea Party tactics” put me over the edge. A loaded phrase with no supporting factual evidence seems to me like a Tea Party tactic itself.
There is a rift in the Democratic Party that is playing out in a troublesome way, including a whispering campaign by one side with allegations against an incumbent that can easily be explained. Some of the terms “whispered” are polarization, obstruction, and dysfunction, but the facts are that Jo Butler has voted with the majority 97% of the time, though granted, others have voted much closer to 100 percent. The fact that Jo asks questions is something I value in the one-party Princeton Council.
Others as baffled as I am could watch the Council’s meetings online to form their own judgments. After hearing the allegations of dysfunction and obstruction, I expected something much more entertaining than what I saw. People were respectful, and no one diverted the meeting with power plays or irrelevant questions. Differences of opinion were handled with civility. It would be more helpful if letter writers could refer to specific meetings showing support for their allegations so the rest of us can watch and judge for ourselves.
In addition, it would be most democratic if the choice of candidates could be made solely through a primary election instead of the closed-door PCDO endorsement meeting; but given the current process, I am supporting Jo Butler, not because of my dislike for the campaign being run against her, but because I believe she is smart, thorough, and dedicated and has proven her worth as a Council member. She is a good listener with strong analytic skills, and her positions are those of the majority — a strong supporter of public schools and environmental protection as well as of fiscal responsibility.
Ann Summer
Cedar Lane