Andy Caldwell’s call for Sarah Christie’s ouster from the planning commission (“Remove Sarah Christie from the planning commission,” July 23) is full of holes. It displays a conveniently myopic view of the role of the planning commission and is a gratuitously ad hominem attack. He overlooks the fact that the vast majority of the citizenry, who deserve fair consideration by the commission, is not composed of economically motivated activists seeking to alter the environment.
Whom shall we call an activist in the pejorative sense: someone who serves the public trust for no financial gain, or someone who represents a coalition of environmental agitators whose financial interests and activism float in the same stream?
I can agree only with one of Mr. Caldwell’s points, which is that two grand juries have investigated, and found unimpeachable, Ms. Christie. To this point I suggest there needs to be some inquiry into how the grand jury process has been allowed to be activated by malfeasance, ignorance, and gullibility.
This article appears in Jul 30 – Aug 6, 2009.