Letter: Linda Finn can’t effectively represent Portsmouth

Posted 8/10/16

To the editor:

The undeserved pity party for Linda Finn is in full swing. Recently, the Rhode Island Democratic Party endorsed political first-timer, moderate Democrat James Cawley, over far-left …

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Letter: Linda Finn can’t effectively represent Portsmouth

Posted

To the editor:

The undeserved pity party for Linda Finn is in full swing. Recently, the Rhode Island Democratic Party endorsed political first-timer, moderate Democrat James Cawley, over far-left Finn, who served one term (2012 to 2014) in the Rhode Island House of Representatives from District 72, which consists of large parts of Middletown and Portsmouth.

Since then, much of the state’s press and leftwing media are complaining she got a raw deal. But the much more important concern is that if she gets back into office, we in the 72nd district will surely get the short end of the stick. 

In early 2014, Finn was one of a few representatives who voted unsuccessfully against Nicholas Mattiello for speaker of the House, which of course did not endear her to him. She squandered much of her two years in the House on her pet obsession, pushing bill after bill attacking the state’s 300,000 law-abiding firearms owners. This annoyed the mostly moderate Democratic majority, who saw her strident campaign as a nonsensical waste of everyone’s time and made her one of the least popular members of the House. 

So why wouldn’t the Democratic Party jump at the chance to be rid of her?

The important issue for Portsmouth voters to consider is not how she was treated but how well she can represent us at the State House. Political effectiveness on behalf of constituents has a lot to do with respect and relationships. By endorsing her opponent, the powerful speaker of the House and the leadership of her party have made it clear they don’t want anything to do with her. How, then, can she possibly get things done for us in the district? Electing Finn would in effect leave us without real representation in the House. 

Bill Welch

180 Mitchell’s Lane

Portsmouth

Linda Finn, District 72

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