Last modified: Saturday, March 29, 2008 1:39 AM EDT Letters to the Editor Selectman owes officer a televised apology To the editor: Recently, an attempt was made to soil the reputations of officers within the Rehoboth Police Department. Legitimate and lawful police practices were distorted and some of you were led to believe that illegal background checks were conducted on your selectman, Christopher Morra. On Aug. 17, 2007, Officer James Casey was disciplined for running a single follow-up license check on Mr. Morra. I’ve always contended the discipline by the town was unjust, in so far as there are no policies, procedures or training prohibiting officers from running license checks. To date, no other officer in the history of the department has ever been subject to such a complaint or discipline. Immediately, personnel documents relative to this investigation and its discipline were placed on a political website, in the media and became discussion at the landfill during political campaigning. On Jan. 9, arbitrator Richard G. Boulanger collected over eight hours of testimony during Casey’s arbitration. Recently, he ruled “the town did not have just cause to suspend Officer Casey.” He confirmed that “on June 29, 2006, he [Casey] was conducting a follow-up inquiry to his original November 2005 request to Mr. Morra that he obtain a Massachusetts motor vehicle operator’s license pursuant to MGL c. 90 s3.” “Ironically, it was Mr. Morra’s request for a meeting with the grievant in June of 2006 that prompted the grievant on June 29, 2006 to check on the status of his license because the grievant reasonably expected it to be, and it was, a subject of the one-on-one meeting with Mr. Morra in July, 2006.” “Disciplining the grievant for running a license plate check of Mr.. Morra on June 29, 2006 amounts to disparate treatment when other officers similarly situated have not been disciplined for engaging in the same type of police conduct.” Mr. Morra, as selectman and police liaison, should be familiar with departmental policies and procedures and was reckless at all of our expenses when he led the offensive against Casey. I’m formally requesting a televised apology to my husband. If you share my sentiment, please join me in petitioning him to do so. Melissa M. Casey Seekonk Candidate’s judgment key issue in controversy To the editor: Instead of interviewing “activists” who obviously have an agenda (“Local activists praise Obama’s speech on race,” March 20), perhaps The Sun Chronicle should have talked with those on the street or in coffee shops for a more balanced opinion of Sen. Barack Obama’s speech. You would have found many people who saw the speech for what it was — a smokescreen. The issue the senator should have been addressing was not one of race — most don’t care what race he is. The issue is his questionable judgment in choosing a church with a hate-spewing, America-hating, racist pastor. He attended that church and listened to that hate speech for 20 years, along with his wife and two little girls. Sen. Obama could have addressed that in a few words. He could have said “I was wrong.” Let’s judge him by the content of his character. Note to activist Ken Cabral: No, Sen Obama didn’t throw his pastor under the bus. He threw Geraldine Ferraro and his grandmother under the bus.  Loretta Cathcart Attleboro Resignation an option for Wrentham board ALTo the editor: This is an open letter to the Wrentham Board of Selectman: As someone raised in Wrentham; educated in the Wrentham public schools; a graduate of King Philip Regional High School; and having served the town as a call firefighter, dispatcher and DPW employee, I would be remiss not to comment about your recent decision not to appoint Deputy Chief Jay McMorrow as chief of the Wrentham Fire Department. Your reprehensible vote is vindictive, self-serving, and not in the best interest of the town. Chairman Mary Dunn, your lame comment regarding saving the town money for training and that your selection would be a “good fit” shows how little you know about a fire department. All you have accomplished is mix “big city” and “small town” while adding Wrentham to another resume. Jay McMorrow, like me, grew up in Wrentham. Our family names are known and respected. Jay was mentored in the fire service by Chief McNamara; one of the finest fire chiefs ever to serve the town. Many nights Jay and I left the warmth and comfort of our homes to answer an emergency call, sometimes in freezing temperatures on the back of an open fire engine. Jay’s service to the town has been exemplary and recently heroic. How some tumbleweeds on the board (people who blow in, never take root and blow out) could make such a biased decision and publicly state their bias is beyond comprehension. You cannot remember that this experiment of hiring outside the department has been tried before. How successful was that? Will history be repeated with this selection? Commentary had been made suggesting the voters remember your names and vote negatively should you seek re-election. I say, why wait? Recall is an option but so is resignation. Whatever is chosen, let it be soon. Certainly, if our dads, Fran McMorrow or Jim Dow were alive today, their comments to you would be much stronger and more direct. Mine is softer: “way to go, ladies.” Gary Dow Merrimack, N.H. Pot calls kettle black in override controversy To the editor: We are seeing all kinds of letters to the editor about Rep. Jay Barrows voting against senior citizens with the Proposition 2½ vote to give the seniors some control of the voting in a 2½ override thing that lets them out of the game when they do not have to pay the bill for voting for a Proposition 2½ override. I knew this would come up because the people with children in the schools seem to not mind if the seniors without school-aged children are made to pay the taxes for new schools and so forth. These same people pack the town meetings and after the things for the school are passed they walk out of the meeting. I am assuming this is permissible? This is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Charles W. Jones Norfolk Rehoboth board needs another reformer To the editor: The Rehoboth election on April 7 offers us a rare opportunity to influence the character of our town for the foreseeable future. We are presented with two independent candidates for the board of selectmen: Gerald Schwall, a member of the finance committee, and Ken Foley, a member of both the conservation commission and the gravel committee. Despite assertions to the contrary, Mr. Schwall strongly supported an increase in our property taxes with an override of Proposition 2½ at the 2006 town meeting. While he says he favors open government, he stated that the finance committee videotapes would not be shown to the public. Ken Foley, on the other hand, has “micromanaged” the rebuilding of Francis Farm. He is not an impotent middle manager, but a “hands on” problem-solver running his own companies. As a member of the conservation commission and gravel committee, he has acted to preserve the rural character of our town and to prevent abuse of our land by developers. I have frequently watched him successfully debate issues with both lawyers and engineers in his “big ol’ country boy” style. The issues that the Town of Rehoboth is dealing with cannot be solved by the same people that created them. We need another strong reformer on the board of selectmen. That’s why I support Ken Foley for Selectman. Ed Schagrin Rehoboth Give your vote to hard worker To the editor: It is rare and refreshing when someone like Ken Foley decides to run for office. He is a highly accomplished man whose talents, business acumen and work ethic will serve the town of Rehoboth well. Indeed, success itself seems to follow Ken Foley. But this is no accident. He is among the hardest working people I’ve ever met — and one of the nicest as well. In addition to his formidable business accomplishments, Ken also enjoys a reputation for being one of the most generous professionals in the community. Be it his time or his treasure, Ken always seems to be the first to raise his hand. It is also no accident that, along with his lovely wife Linda and their fine family, he has literally transformed Francis Farm into a magical place for friends and family to gather. To those who cynically feel there are no good people in politics I am proud to say: Consider the formidable Ken Foley. Daniel F. Harrington Rehoboth Rep favors business over average people To the editor: Here’s a revealing story about Rep. Jay Barrows that I hope will further educate people in his district about his voting pattern. The press reported last November on House Bill 4387, which addressed the growing epidemic of mortgage foreclosures. The bill proposed to do the following: (1) Require thousands of unlicensed, non-bank loan originators to pay an annual $500 licensing fee and undergo criminal background checks (2) Require in-person counseling for first-time home buyers before purchasing variable sub-prime loans. (3) Give homeowners 90 days to make any overdue mortgage payments and stay in their homes instead of allowing the lender to demand the payoff of the entire mortgage all at once if the borrower falls behind in payments. The House passed this bill by a vote of 150-3 and the Senate by 36-0 in an effort to improve loan practices in the commonwealth. Rep. Jay Barrows was one of only three members of the entire Legislature to vote against this bill. Why does Barrows behave this way? It might simply be his view of the world. His biography shows long-standing and close ties to business interests. Maybe he is too close to that view to think about the average person. Or is it something else? A look at the contributors to the Barrows campaign on the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance website provides further insight. Here’s one example. On Nov. 30, 2007, Barrows received the maximum cash donation ($500) allowed by law from Vincent O’Neill, CEO of VINCO. VINCO is the overall developer of the Chestnut Green complex in Foxboro. That complex, on the old Foxboro State Hospital grounds, includes both residential and commercial properties. Residences require mortgages. Among the commercial properties are establishments planning to serve alcohol. Those additional liquor licenses, though issued by the town, first require approval by the Legislature.  In any case, we have yet another example of how Jay Barrows has voted for big-business interests, and decidedly against those of the average person. Dennis J. Naughton Foxboro THIS WRITER is the husband of Claire Naughton, Barrows’ opponent in last year’s race for state representative. Media should hold Big Oil’s feet to fire ALTo the editor: It is disgusting to see your paper or any other news media provide free advertising to filthy rich oil companies. It seems all the news media tell us and propose oil price increases and say nothing about ways to fight the oil companies or shame them into lowering their prices. When was the last time your paper or any other news media wrote any article against oil price increases? Tough to find isn’t it? Probably can’t find any, can you? As long as the news medias propose increases, the oil companies probably sit back and grin without saying a word. Over the past years the media tells us we may experience price increases. First it was a dollar a gallon months before it happened. Then two dollars a gallon, then three bucks a gallon. Now we are hearing five bucks a gallon and we haven’t even reached four bucks a gallon. How about a little negative news about oil companies? Why does Congress give additional funding to big oil companies to create alternative fuels? Isn’t that like letting the fox into the chicken coop. With the oil companies making money hand over fist, I think spending money on alternative fuel is on their back burner with the abundance of oil in the ground. It might cut into their profits. How about shaming Congress into nuclear energy or drilling in Alaska or off shore. We have the best technology in the world and are much more energy-conscious than any third world country. The United States does have vast resources of our own, let’s start using some. I think it is time the news media started fighting and helping the citizens instead of kowtowing to the oil companies and providing cover towards our politically correct Congress. How about putting up a fight for the little guy? Ed Morrison South Attleboro Jab inappropriate at scout meeting To the editor: I just finished watching the Boy Scouts awards on Channel 15 to Betty Poirier and John Lepper, who are very deserving. What an honor for both of them. I have known them for many years and have very high regards for them as good people. However, I was quite disturbed by one speaker who chose to be stupid and bring politics into his address with comments of Hillary/Billary. This was quite inappropiate for this type of program. I don’t think I need to name the person. If the shoe fits, wear it. Shame on him for using those comments at such a distinguished award ceremony. William Gallant Attleboro