Another week of letters critical of newly elected Town Council members, especially Alan Skillicorn, although the letter from Alan Magazine raised valid points about street repair funding.

The vitriol in several of the letters is alarming. I’m guessing that it can be traced back to the losses of the Liberal Ladies club candidates to the new Council members in the last election. That ended the Democrat control of our Town Council, but for how long? One thing we learned from the Clintons is the politics of personal destruction, where media allies are directed to release a steady stream of hit pieces on a political enemy.

That is what seems to be going on here because every week it seems there are several letters accusing Skillicorn, Toth or Kalivianakis of bad behavior in some sort of kerfuffle. Mr. Skillicorn has drawn the most recent wrath over the ethics complaint filed by Dianne Price. At this point, it looks like there is a coordinated campaign of character assassination directed at these Council members. I think The Times should read its letters policy, which states: Those that are judged as personal attacks or complaints about neighbors, businesses or other letter writers will not be considered.

In The Times, we read about matters that our Town Council members were elected to resolve for the benefit of all residents. Many of these matters are complex, with implications for the future, so it is important that Council be allowed to focus directly on them instead of on politically-motivated petty grievances.

Editor’s note: The Times has always allowed more leeway with letters when it comes to addressing concerns involving governance, as we feel it is the duty of a local paper, if possible, to allow its readers to use such a forum as a place to hold elected leaders, Town practices, etc. accountable. While this allows for criticism, it still does not allow for personal attacks.