Letter: Brewer and Boxler have earned support for Westport BOS

Posted 4/7/21

To the editor:

I hope you will join me in supporting our two incumbent Select Board members at the April 13 town election.  Dick Brewer and Ann Boxler have well represented Westporters …

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Letter: Brewer and Boxler have earned support for Westport BOS

Posted

To the editor:

I hope you will join me in supporting our two incumbent Select Board members at the April 13 town election.  Dick Brewer and Ann Boxler have well represented Westporters over the past three years but deserve particular praise for guiding the town through this last year made very difficult by the pandemic.  They and the rest of the current board have had to make tough choices to accommodate restrictions and budgetary issues brought on by COVID-19, a job I do not envy.    

I have another reason to support Dick and Ann’s reelection campaigns; they have both expressed their respect for decisions that the town has made again and again.  In particular, the rejection of recreational marijuana outlets.  

Over the next eight weeks, the voters will, again, have to make a series of decisions to codify the overwhelming support they have previously expressed to prohibit recreational stores here in Westport.  The first opportunity will be this upcoming election where Select Board challenger Walter Moniz has made his support for pot stores clear.  At a recent candidates forum, when asked about marijuana stores in Westport, Mr. Moniz stated it would be a good source of revenue.  

Kudos to Mr. Moniz for his honesty and openness about where he stands on this issue.  Most politicians obfuscate or otherwise avoid stating their true opinions on controversial topics but Mr. Moniz is clear about his views as well as having the support of the owners of the proposed pot store on Route 6.

Pot proponents will argue that some of us will never accept marijuana outlets in Westport and we are to be ignored.  OK but to be clear, what I feel more strongly about is respecting the will of the people, one in this case that has been expressed four times at three town meetings and one general election ballot initiative.  It may be legal but it is just plain wrong to torture the voters by relentlessly pushing for a commercial, profit-based outcome which they have repeatedly rejected.  

As a prior Select Board member who insisted that the prohibition question be put to the voters, and not decided upon by a few BOS members, I care less about the outcome than I do about making sure we have a fair, open and inclusive process. 

We elect Select Board members to make a thousand decisions for us over the course of three years.  Please join me in voting for Ann Boxler and Dick Brewer, two folks who will work hard and make those decisions while respecting our opinions.

R. Michael Sullivan

Former Board of Selectmen member and chairman

Westport

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