TCC Announces 2012 Candidate Endorsements

The following arrived via e-mail earlier this afternoon. Yes, one of TCC's endorsed candidates for school committee is THE Justin Katz, Anchor Rising contributor extraordinaire and Managing Editor of the Ocean State Current.

Check out Tiverton Citizens for Change's website here.

Tiverton Citizens for Change are pleased to announce our candidate endorsements for the 2012 election. We followed a similar approach as in years past, beginning with letters sent to every candidate running for local office, and for State Assembly, District 70 (the only contested state seat). We considered responses to those requests as well as public service experience, voting record and public statements, skills and strengths, and commitment to personal integrity and respect. TCC remains independent and non-partisan, endorsing Democrats, Republicans, and Independents that demonstrate visible commitment to the town’s residents. For endorsement selection we focus on principles of transparency, taxpayers’ rights to good government, and reform.

We are proud of our endorsement record (over 90% elected) because it means voters have come to trust our message and our leadership team. It is important to note that TCC encourages all citizens to participate in local government, elected or volunteer, of any political party, because it makes us all stronger to have a healthy, professional debate about Tiverton’s future.

For Town Council, we endorse Jay Lambert, Joan Chabot, Nancy Driggs, David Nelson and Robert Coulter. These candidates have a clearly demonstrated track record of public service to Tiverton’s residents, and they will continue efforts to drive reform, hold down property taxes, bring sensible business development to the Industrial Park, and insure continued support for the FTR.

For School Committee, we endorse Justin Katz, Ruth Hollenbach, and Susan Anderson. These candidates represent Tiverton’s best chance to achieve excellence in education through reform, while promising never to cancel extracurricular activity as a means of meeting a budget.

For the Budget Committee, TCC backs Robert Gaw, Madeline O’Dell, Robert Hayden, John Martin and Jeffrey Sroczynski. This is a talented team focused on ensuring Tiverton’s budget process supports good government practices in an open, transparent approach.

John Perkins earns the endorsement for State Assembly District 70, as we believe he will best represent Tiverton against ever-growing state mandates imposed upon us all. We also welcome and support Tiverton’s new and third state senator, Chris Ottiano (District 11).

TCC’s core principles of good government focused on transparency and fiscal responsibility have not changed. These candidates running for election or re-election are highly talented and skilled members of our community genuinely dedicated to improving Tiverton’s future for all Tivertonians. We are committed to making our government work for you, and not the other way around.