Anthony Simonetti, the chairman of the Shelton Republican Town Committee, sent the Valley Indy the following letter, which the RTC sent to the Shelton Voters Network Oct. 20.
I read on your website candidate responses to the Shelton Voter Network (SVN) survey questions and observed that you did not print my letter in its entirety wherein I explained why the Shelton Republican Town Committee (SRTC) decided to advise its candidates not to participate in your candidate survey.
This is yet another reason in support of our decision since it illustrates the SVN lack of objectivity and transparency. It kept from your reader’s full disclosure of our position and created yet another doubt about the SVN motives.
Again, allow me to restate here that the SVN was founded on the principles of the very credible League of Woman Voters by a relatively new citizen of Shelton who professed her impartiality and that of the SVN organization more than once. Then, that founding member left the SVN to become a very partisan campaign manager for one of the Mayoral candidates. In our view, those moves destroyed any semblance of credibility, impartiality and trust that the SVN may have had.
Upon further examination, it was learned that there was no participation by the candidates or their representatives in the question development process, a process that could have ensured all parties objectivity and fairness.
Consequently, the SRTC decided not to participate in your candidate survey. However we did provide your organization with candidate biographies as this information is available to the electorate.
The views expressed in guest columns do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Valley Indy staff.
