This letter was published in the Wakefield Item on 4.25.14

On April 1st, 4640 Wakefield residents went to the polls to vote on the parking garage proposal. The proposal and its associated larger version of an assisted living complex were defeated. But there’s a new glitch. The winning majority, the 2527 people who voted ‘NO’, didn’t vote correctly because they were not smart enough to make their own decision.  In other words, 54% of the people who showed up at the polls didn’t vote properly because they were not able to figure things out for themselves despite copious information on both sides of the issue. This is the conclusion drawn by those who signed the latest citizen petition, heretofore referred to as the “Your Vote Doesn’t Count” Petition. (YVDC)

The YVDC Petition seeks to overturn the April 1st town-wide vote so that the town can give away the land behind the Coop bank to Brightview/Shelter Group Corporation to build a parking garage. I know, I know…we just voted on that and it was defeated. But the YVDC petition voids that town-wide vote and forces another vote on exactly the same issue at the May 5th Town Meeting.

At the April 14th Selectmen’s meeting, pro-garage ‘Your Vote doesn’t count’ petition signers were permitted by the Selectmen to speak at length, reading from pre-approved scripts which stated that voters were deliberately misled with “twisted information”. This was an outlandish display of poor loser-ship which stepped over the line into a libelous attempt at character assassination.  These signers believe that all ‘NO’ voters need to be deprogrammed - and their votes ‘corrected’ in time for the May 5th Town Meeting.

 But wait – didn’t everyone have access to the same information, including all the pro-garage propaganda? Yes, everyone had access to the same information, which is something the YVDC petition signers have conveniently forgotten about.  All voters attended and watched the same Town Meeting garage PowerPoint presentation that everyone else did. They saw the same Selectmen’s ‘Forum”, which re- ran in a continuous loop 24/7 on WCAT. They read the same letters and articles in the paper, got the same postcards in the mail, placed calls to town officials, got official documents, did the math, research and thinking and saw the same red ‘yes’ signs and the same blue ‘no’ signs – and yet, they were still not smart enough to come to the ‘right’ decision.  So say those who signed and support the ‘Your Vote Doesn’t Count’ petition.

The YVDC petition may be the same tool that was used to put the garage issue to a town-wide poll vote on April 1st, but there are distinct differences between the two actions. At the February 6th town meeting, town residents learned the details of the garage deal for the very first time.  Less than 200 voters heard virtually one side of the garage issue, the pro side. Despite several requests from residents to postpone the vote to provide everyone more time to consider the information, TM attendees were pressed by town officials to vote right then or the deal would disappear forever. (Here we are nearly 3 months later and the ‘deal’ is still very much alive. So, I ask who is misleading whom?)

However, on April 1st, something quite different happened. Nearly 5,000 people cast their votes at the polls on the referendum after hearing and considering both sides of the garage issue. Which scenario seems like a healthier representation of what the town wants?

The ‘Your Vote Doesn’t Count’ petition signers and the Selectmen want their garage no matter WHAT the voters decided on April 1st and they will attempt to negate a town-wide vote to get it. Our Selectmen are touting their support of the parking garage as if nothing ever happened on April 1st. This is an outrage, sets a very dangerous precedent and is a show of arrogant disregard for the voters of Wakefield and the democratic process.

I trust you will join me and many other Wakefield residents in voting ANOTHER resounding ‘NO!’ at the May 5th Town meeting – ‘NO’ to the garage on Article 2 and a symbolic ’no’ to those who believe that Wakefield voters are not capable of making an intelligent decision based on all the information presented on both sides of the issue.

Very sincerely,

Bronwyn Della-Volpe