To the editor:
At at time in our history when there is so much brazen negligence and dereliction on display in the behavior of politicians at just about every level of government, it seems especially important to shine a light on any instance when an elected official steps up and does the right thing for the people who elected him or her. Here in the Berkshires we have a example of this playing out in real time.
One week ago I attended the Special Town Meeting in Great Barrington and participated in the vote to appeal for Home Rule for Great Barrington on the issue of whether or not horse racing should return to the Fairgrounds race track. In the wake of that meeting I felt compelled to draft a letter that I disseminated to the local print and online media because I believed that many voters had left that meeting with the incorrect understanding of what had been accomplished.
After sending my letter to the various media editors at around midnight on the 11th, I wrote to both Sen. Adam Hinds and state Rep. Smitty Pignatelli the following morning referencing my letter, which I attached to the e-mails I sent them, and strongly requesting that they respect the will of the participating voters of our town, and our democratic process, by taking every appropriate and immediate action necessary to forward, and clearly support, a bill to the State Legislature requesting that they grant Great Barrington Home Rule, or self-determination, on this issue.
To his great credit, Smitty Pignatelli called me within 20 minutes of his receipt of my e-mail- at roughly 8:30 Wednesday morning. Smitty was eager to assure me that he was prepared to do everything necessary to comply with the will of the Great Barrington voters and to champion their cause. He told me that he would need to review the language of the article that was passed at the Town Meeting first, and that, as long as everything in the bill was properly drafted, he would begin the process. Further, he assured me that he would contact the clerk of Great Barrington at nine o’clock that morning and ask for a draft of the article so that he could review it right away.
Since my conversation with Smitty on the morning of December 12th there have been a number of dispatches posted locally that have confirmed the progress that is being made to bring our appeal to the Legislature. I have been given personal assurances that this should be a routine and swift process and that Great Barrington will be granted the right to vote on the fate of horse racing in its own local forum.
I want to recognize Smitty for his exemplary response to the concerns of the voters in Great Barrington. He has shown, once again, that he is accountable, and that he fully supports the people who have elected him to represent them.
Thank you, Smitty.
Stephen Donaldson
Great Barrington
