#1 2010-03-14 00:29:45
LETTER: Donahue an impartial, knowledgeable moderator
March 14, 2010 12:00 AM
Donahue an impartial, knowledgeable moderator
As a Wareham Town Meeting member, I have witnessed Town Moderator John Donahue's deft handling of many issues, ranging from simple inquiries regarding the rules of order to the outright unruly behavior of his detractors and their recent attempts to taint voting procedures at Town Meeting.
Donahue has always maintained a calm, focused attitude, and his clear sense of neutrality and impartiality has steadily grown for the past decade that he has served as our town moderator.
Because of his excellent interpersonal skills and his considerable parliamentary and legal expertise, his guidance of the deliberative legislative body that is our Town Meeting has oftentimes looked easy. It isn't. Making rulings and decisions on his feet while maintaining decorum at the same time requires great concentration and a unique ability to remain undistracted.
Any unbiased observer of Town Meeting would have to agree that Donahue has demonstrated the patience of Job, and at other times he has displayed the wisdom of Solomon in dealing with the multiple challenges of being an even-handed moderator.
Clearly in the last three years our town has become more politically charged and economically challenged. Rulings by the moderator need to be legal, rational, and always impartial, even if unpopular with Town Meeting members.
Donahue has been the consummate professional and a tactful, amiable voice of moderation. Now more than ever, we need a truly independent, knowledgeable, and experienced moderator to assist us with our deliberations, one who will always act in the best interests of the town. The job is so much more than a popularity contest.
Tom Monaghan
Wareham
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#2 2010-03-14 00:32:34
"ranging from simple inquiries regarding the rules of order to the outright unruly behavior of his detractors and their recent attempts to taint voting procedures at Town Meeting." Is he talking about Brenda?
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#3 2010-03-14 03:40:46
I attended the last town meeting and I saw things a little different from your opinion. I felt that Mr. Donahue was not focused. He let time run over and the members of the town meeting had to shout out his error of timing speakers. I watched him walk over and speak to people on stage as ignoring the speaker at the microphone. He was busy talking when the count was taken and again, someone had to bring to attention that the count was wrong. He constantly reminded us of the young high school counters and that they need not hear our groans and some outbursts. Do you not see that the members of the audience were not being rude. They were correcting your impartial, knowledgeable, focused, undistracted, professional, tactful and indepentdent moderator.
Yes, our last three years have been more politically charged and economically challenged. Our selectmen have put us in this position by assinine decisions they made.
You are correct stating that more now than ever we need a truly independent, knowledgeable and experienced moderator who will always act in the best interest of the town. This is why my vote is going to Claire Smith. She is NOT running for a popularity contest, her interest is to be the best possible moderator for the town of Wareham. I truly believe that she will take over and lead our town meeting members in the most civil manner.
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#4 2010-03-14 08:13:51
TOM MONOGHAN IS A MEMBER OF THE LOCAL DEMPCRAT COMMITEE AND A FREIND OFJOHN DONAHUE, HE IS ANTI LIBRARY, HE AND HIS WIFE PASSING OUT ANTI LIBRARY T SHIRTS AT A PAST TOWN MEETING AND WEARING THEM AT A PAST TOWN MEETING , TOM IS UP JOHNS BUTT BY A MILE AND THATS WHY I AM VOTING AGAINST MR DONAHUE , HE CANT RUN TOWN MEETING , FLUNKED OUT OF LAW SCHOOL AND HAS BEEN FIRED FROM EVERY JOB HE HAS EVER HAD, I USED TO LIKE TO GO TO TOWN MEETING WHEN HIS PREDESOR WAS THE MODERATOR JACK TABOR , MR DONAHUE YOUR NO JACK TABOR.
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#5 2010-03-14 09:12:11
Jack Tabor would be very proud to know that Claire Smith is the Town Moderator.
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#6 2010-03-14 10:06:45
This letter is an exact copy of what Curly mass e-mailed to his dwindling supporters a couple of weeks ago..Janey reached out to Ronnie Robinson and Kenny Fontes and asked them to help the guy she supports(financially)..the braintrust worked overtime on this trying to show people how smart they were with words the Moderator can't pronounce let alone spell!!..the "peaceful protest" will haunt the Joe Kennedy Wanna-be, he should be ashamed of himself for being a race-baiter along with his good frien d Bobo the Assclown!!..
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