To the editor:

I'm writing in response to Frazier Bell's letter last week in which he writes, "The Barrington Democratic Committee would like you to believe we [independents] are MAGA in disguise." I have been a member of the Barrington Democratic Town Committee for nearly a decade and currently serve as the vice-chair. This is not a message that the Barrington Democratic Town Committee has ever expressed.

In these polarized times, truth-telling and accountability have never been more important. I'm not sure where Mr. Bell gets his information about the positions of the Barrington Town Democratic Committee--but it clearly isn't from us directly.

As a Committee, we made an active decision to stick to positive messaging--to highlight and outline the dozens of "wins" our elected officials have been a part of in recent years. Our aim has been to utilize our political platform (based on four pillars of responsible governance, support for social justice, economic stewardship and environmental stewardship) to elevate the discourse and have constructive conversations. We have lots to be proud of, from our Democrat-led School Committee coordinating with BPS Administration to keep schools open, keep kids and teachers safe, and make sure students received high quality education during the COVID pandemic; to the Democrat-led Town Council's commitment to making public meetings more accessible to increase civic engagement and their support of small businesses with liquor and entertainment licenses; to the Democrats in the General Assembly who have led on common sense gun legislation, reproductive freedom, and regulating toxic "forever" chemicals. And this is just the beginning of our many achievements.

Mr. Bell's disingenuous distortion distracts from the real issues at stake. At a time when we are grappling with real and pressing challenges, we MUST foster a dialogue focused on solutions, rather than scapegoating and blaming others. When political figures such as Mr. Bell engage in this kind of finger-pointing, they trivialize the very real concerns that affect the people of Barrington. This shifts the conversation away from policy, governance and experience, and instead reduces it to a schoolyard squabble that does little to inspire confidence.

I will be supporting the Democratic candidates for office in this year's election, as I believe in their commitment to our platform, to constructive dialogue and to real solutions to the problems facing our town. Liana Cassar, Jordan Jancosek and Kerry O'Neill for Town Council and Tim McNamara, Megan Douglas and Lisa Nelson for School Committee are committed to furthering the work of the Democratic party.

Nicole Jellinek

Barrington