Readers ask what they can do now that the CCA has “Killed Bill”
By Will Collette
The vicious character assassination by the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA) that led to Thursday night’s resignation by Town Administrator William DiLibero is still sending shock waves through Charlestown .
Town staff don’t know whether the CCA attack on town workers will stop at DiLibero or whether other town employees will also be pushed out.
Fortunately for town staff, they are all protected by some form of collective bargaining agreement.
That includes town department heads, who have organized themselves into a professionals’ association.
Fortunately for town staff, they are all protected by some form of collective bargaining agreement.
That includes town department heads, who have organized themselves into a professionals’ association.
Whereas DiLibero’s contract with the town boiled down to him serving at the pleasure of the Town Council, the contracts protecting other town staff do not, as Deputy Dan Slattery would put it, “legally, morally or ethically” permit the CCA Council majority to fire staff without a process, including due process, and cause.
So, to respond to readers’ questions, here is what I suggest you all consider doing. Please pick and choose from this list, or if you really feel motivated, do them all. Here goes:
- Make sure you are registered to vote AND vote. Starting with the Tuesday, April 24 Presidential Primary, voters will be required to show a government-issued photo ID.
- Educate yourself. When we write articles here on Progressive Charlestown, we include lots of links to original documents and to earlier pieces that put current acts in historical context. It will be hard to talk about our complex little political culture unless you do some homework. Whether you start by reading our stuff and go to the linked records and files, or use some other method, be informed so you can make informed decisions.
- Go to Town Council and Planning Commission meetings. These are the two key places where the CCA is doing the most damage. They also do considerable mischief within the Budget Commission and the Charter Revision Advisory Committee (CRAC).
- Speak out at those meetings.
- Write letters to the editor of the Westerly Sun and the Chariho Times.
- Run. If you’re ready to make the substantial commitment of time and energy, consider running for town office. All five Council seats and four Planning Commission seats will be up for grabs. If you intend to run under a particular party label, you should contact that party’s Town Committee.
- Work on candidates’ campaigns. The CCA slate will present voters with a record they will have to defend. The choices for town voters in 2012 should be pretty clear. When you know where YOU stand and see that there are candidates who believe the same, give them a hand.
- Also give them money. While it’s too early in the election season to give to specific candidates’ campaign funds, you can donate to party organizations. For example, if you want to help the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee to Make
- Think about your own unique skills and talents. Besides the generic list I’ve just given, think about what you are good at and are willing to do to help make Charlestown a better place. To win against the anticipated influx of out-of-state millionaire money CCA will probably receive, it will take money, so if your unique talents lend themselves to helping to either raise campaign cash or get the word out around
- Be a complainer or a whistleblower. We know that some of you are in a position to know much more about what goes on behind the scenes in the many CCA-related stories we’ve covered on Progressive Charlestown. Contact us in strictest confidence if you have information or evidence of wrongdoing at progressivecharlestown@gmail.com. We will conduct our own investigation to independently verify what we are told. Similarly, law enforcement agencies, such as the State Attorney General or the RI Ethics Commission ethics@ethics.ri.gov, are responsible for going after lawbreakers
So don’t despair and don’t just get angry. There must be at least one thing on the list above that you can do to help restore sanity to our beautiful town. Start now. Start today.
I would like to add this is not just about party affiliation folks. There are crossings of party lines here. There are Republicans that agree with what Will, Tom and Linda have been reporting in this Blog. There are Republicans that agree with Frank Glista. There are Republicans and Democrats that make up the CCA.
ReplyDeleteAnd there are those that have their own personal agendas that will sit the fence.
Your vote counts, especially on the local level and is a precious right that many have fought and died for to protect.
So educate yourselves on people and issues and get out and vote.
Will, I think that you do the town, as well as yourself, a disservice by trying to tie all this into the Democratic party. The chance of myself or other lifelong Republicans switching to "Vote Democratic" to clean up this mess is quite slim.
ReplyDeleteOn a national scale, I blame the democrats for as many of the country's problems as you blame the Republicans. On a local basis the drummers we march to are very similar. And in that lays the rub. Do I/we have to become Democrats to help clean up the politics in Charlestown?
Is it possible for a Republican to agree with you about the CCA? As an every once in a while, but not to often Independent, I still face the same dilemma. Can I join with you while not becoming a democrat?
I read most of what the CCA has to say about whats' going on in Charlestown. I don't hear or see them waiving the banner of the Republicans. They do not ask me to be a Republican to agree with them. They also don't require me to be a democrat to oppose them.
The happenings in this town are not a national issue. This is tiny little Charlestown. On the ballot here I don't see party affiliation. I don't think you should make it so either.
Let your bride hoist the Democratic banner. I know She can't be all bad because she goes to church. I'd even donate to her if she runs for local office, but I'll not donate to her party.
Please, keep this a neutral political issue. Democrat, Republican, horse pucky. We need to clean this town up on election day.
Davespop
Hi Davespop,
DeleteWill is away today. Usually each author handles most comments for their articles but I didn't want to leave non-anonymous ones sitting around for a long time.
My perspective, after reading this article, is that Will tried hard to make the advice party-neutral (other than the Vote Democratic image). The main shortfall in his advice is that we do not know of a currently-active Republican Town Committee. I feel certain he would have included contact information for that if it existed.
Speaking for myself, I fully agree that the local issues do not sort according to the party dogma seen nationally. The regular authors here each have some passion for specific national issues. I have part-jokingly suggested that we create a separate venue (website) to vent those opinions to keep them from cluttering up the Charlestown conversation.
Actually, that led to the Just Charlestown link in the top menu bar, hopefully separating out most of the national issue topics.
Thanks for your continued constructive criticism and comments. Tom
I sent off a missive to the CCA asking could they stop with the politicizing of issues; they do love to blame the 'democrats.' I sometimes agree with a CCA position;I often times agree with Will but the closest I ever get to declaring a formal affiliation with any party is to use the information on issues provided by the Coffee Party as a jumping off place to doing my own research. My conclusion after eyes wide open observation about Charlestown politikin' is that it has it's own form, but unfortunately, not adequate function. Do we actually need to write into the Town Charter that decisions will be made and action taken After And Only After, the Town Council offers publicly (via All methods of communication with citizens as is available) a complete presentation of all current, pertinent verified facts And verifiable sources of those facts to the citizens of Charlestown for comment over a workable, reasonable period of time which may allow citizens to offer further facts. I would have expected that this would be the model of conducting the people's business but it seems not to be the case. Perhaps the people of Charlestown need to individually and collectively speak up to let our council and administrator know what we expect of them. There are enough of us now who are now fully awake and watching and will vote and will encourage others to do the same. What could be wrong with the townspeople of Charlestown expecting intelligent, considerate, thoughtful and dare I type, insightful, decision making?
DeleteI sign my name but seem to have to choose Anonymous to publish since I don't use/have any options listed on the profile except my name. Thanks to Will and all for your contributions. I read and consider them all. Judi Howell
Don't forget:
ReplyDelete#11. Volunteer for the Town Administrator Search Committee, and/or insist on the appointment of a diverse group of unbiased volunteers dedicated to finding an applicant that is:
PRINCIPLED: With an unblemished record of personal and professional integrity, and an unwavering commitment to due process and the rule of law
SELF-ASSURED: Having confidence in his/her ability to make sound judgments and decisions, not craving power or acclamation, but rather seeking the opportunity to serve, leaving ego at the door
KNOWLEDGEABLE: With broad-based educational and experiential foundation in municipal affairs, able to comprehend, communicate and evaluate the work of subordinate departments
LEADERSHIP SKILLS: With a disposition that is neither overly assertive nor overly submissive, but rather respectful of divergent opinions and capable of finding and building consensus for constructive compromise
ORGANIZED: With effective personal time-management practices and the ability to implement workplace procedures that respect employees while maximizing output and eliminating wasted work effort
PROFESSIONAL: Committed to getting the job done - on time and without error - and inspires subordinates to do the same
Seems to me we've already got a TA that fits that bill, and he was just forced to resign.
DeleteThese characteristics would not include Slathering Slattery nor Lala Nahnah.....
ReplyDeleteHere is an outside guess-from DEEP leftfield.......Denise Rose
Perhaps Ruth Platner should apply for the job of secretary to the Town Administrator, so she can keep tabs on all his correspondence and report on it to the CCA.
ReplyDeleteTo Davespop and others - I don't try to disguise or fuzz over who I am or what I am. I grant you that at the local level, the party label distinctions matter a lot less.
ReplyDeleteFor example, in Charlestown, it's the Dems who want a broad-based tax cut, want to help small businesses to form and thrive and believe in eliminating unnecessary and unenforceable regulations.
In Charlestown, the CCA has become the governing party, though it has not officially given itself a party label. It has pushed into the political niche that in other towns would have been filled by Republicans, Ken Block's Moderate Party or the Tea Party. Because the CCA occupies the niche those groups would normally fill, they are pretty low profile.
My point is that political labels do serve a useful purpose since individuals who operate outside of a political base can rarely get much done (e.g. Governor Chafee). So while it is important to judge a candidate on his or her own merits, I think we also have to look at that candidate in context.
And Judi, the issues are, as much as we might wish them to be otherwise, inherently political. That's not the same as partisan, though. It doesn't bother me when the CCA tags an issue as a Democratic issue - e.g. the Homestead Tax Credit - but they should try to get it right.