The editorial in the Grunter this week is telling in it’s almost knee jerk defense of the town dogma regarding the RIB lawsuit. 

But that’s not the point.  My letter doesn’t question the merits of the lawsuit, who’s to blame, or whether there was an alternative course of action.  It simply lays out the current status, because the town has neglected to inform us of these important developments.  Nowhere does the editorial refute any of those developments.

I’m not going to get bogged down in arguing who’s right or wrong in the lawsuit.  The blog has plenty of opinion about that and more importantly, plenty of documents that you can read for yourself.  I’ve got my opinion, the town has theirs, and at the end of the day people hear what they want to hear.

After 5 years of telling us nothing about the problems, negotiating with Wright-Pierce in secrecy, and prosecuting a lawsuit, here’s what we have:

• A $1.4 million legal bill.
• A Rib site that continues to deteriorate and according to the town cannot handle our current needs.
• A lawsuit that has been suspended and may be dismissed.
• A potential judgement that the defendant probably cannot pay.

At what point do citizens get concerned that there may have been better choices?  Everyone at the Deliberative session this year got a good look at the emotion that underlies this dispute.  Based on that performance, do you think it’s possible that some objectivity may have been lost?

My letter just says that after five years and poor results, it’s time to bring this mess out of the closet.  If these really are the best options, if we have to pay the bill, then lets get it out in the open and talk about it.  Let’s argue about it.

The Grunter says that they are “puzzled” that Wright-Pierce hasn’t found a solution after five years.  I’m puzzled how the Grunter missed that Wright-Pierce presented a remediation plan to NHDES who subsequently recommended it be implemented.  Wolfeboro’s own expert, Mr. Cullen offered a qualified opinion that it could work.  After NHDES gave their nod, Wolfeboro halted the plan in its tracks by refusing to allow Wright-Pierce on site to do a follow-up wetland study and by petitioning the court to prohibit presentation of the plan at trial.

Heck, when I tried to get a copy of the plan back in November of last year, one of the Selectmen, the Town Manager, and the Town attorney showed up in Superior Court to object to my right-to-know request.  I found out later from another right to know email that the town attorney actually saw no reason to withhold it from me.  It became clear later that the objection was to my telling people there was a plan at all.  I guess it worked.  The Grunter is still perpetuating that myth.