A candidates’ debate is a unique event in our political culture. It is the only opportunity for the voters to see the candidates in an unscripted, head to head setting. Debates can make or break a candidate and often are the lore of legend, such as the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the Kennedy-Nixon debates. On the local level, we recall one candidate for selectman who extolled his “credentials†to such a degree that it prompted our reporter to check into them and to discover that everything he claimed about himself was phony.
Winthrop voters have a very important date on their political calendar on Thursday, October 8, when the three candidates for president of the Winthrop Town Council, Susan Bolster, Barbara Survilas, and Jeffrey Turco, will debate the issues in an event to be televised live on Winthrop Community Access Television.
The Sun-Transcript is proud to be a part of this debate, along with the Winthrop Chamber of Commerce, which has done a great job of organizing the event. Winthrop residents will no doubt be watching as they decide whom they want to lead the town as its council president for the next four years.
We expect it will be exciting, interesting, and informative, as most political debates are, and we urge every voter to tune in and watch.
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
In response to your editorial entitled "OUT OF LINE", which took exemption to our constitutional right of free assembly and free speech, simply because we “don’t live here†in the beautiful town of Winthrop. If the editorial board of this newspaper truly feels it is “highly unusual or unfair†as Americans to exercise our constitutional rights, perhaps they should re-examine their thought process.
In fact, a large number of those union members who attended this event have or are currently serving in the armed services of the United States. They fought and sacrificed their lives, their careers and their families so every American has the right to free speech, free assembly and yes - even freedom of the press.
The mere fact that we do not live in this community does not preclude us from expressing our opinion or to enlighten the townspeople of Winthrop about a potential council candidate. A candidate who we believe lacks the leadership and the common decency that our members and other public employees deserve.
As a candidate for town council president, Mr. Turco will be involved in issues such as hiring and firing of public employees employed by the Town of Winthrop. He will have direct oversight on the budget of the Police Department, the Fire Department, the School Department and all other departments which employ public employees. We believe we have not only a duty, but an obligation to inform the general public and the Winthrop public employees’ that a vote for Jeff Turco as president of the Winthrop Town Council is a vote against organized labor.
As a public official, Mr. Turco gave up the right to ambiguity and his life became an open book the day he signed his papers to become a candidate for elected office. He is also a big man with broad shoulders and he is more than capable to sticking up for himself; but he certainly doesn’t need to have the Winthrop Independent Newspaper do his bidding for him!
However, the public employees who DO live in Winthrop could sure use your help right now!
Sincerely,
Jerry Flynn, Executive Director
New England PBA, I.U.P.A., AFL-CIO