Dear Editor:

Southport Selectmen have sent yet another flyer – this time via email – to a select list of taxpayers and voters about the Town Owned Broadband Project and the “unprecedented challenge(s)” it faces.

They accuse the opponents on this project of “spreading misinformation.” They threaten the voters with a “loss of the moneys already spent” (to the tune of some $640k). Moneys spent by the Selectmen without authorization as required by law.

And yet, in our meetings, many citizens have stood up to counter what the Selectmen have said. Questions including the fact that insurance policies can be cancelled, and equipment, if it truly has been purchased (there is no evidence), sold in a market tight on demand and short on supply are lost on deaf ears.

Abandoning all neutrality, our Selectmen sound more like salesman for Axiom than they do town leadership. This should come as no surprise to voters and taxpayers who have been told that Selectmen never engaged counsel or independent advisors on this $2.4m redundant government owned network.

There is certainly a plausibility issue going on and the Selectmen seem aware of it. Given the fact that they, together with the salesman, are trying to divide the town and demonize anyone that dares to ask question and actually get real answers instead of innuendo and sales pitches.

This debate should have been about the facts – and that is what the petitioners were asking for. In return, all we’ve gotten is emails like this, full of accusations that are more personal in nature than about the issue itself.

The voters should not be fooled.

Tom Myette

Southport