Vendetta Redux

Kevin Zurrin received the following letter from town hall:

"March 20, 2013

Kevin Zurrin

10 Town House Hill Road
Egremont MA 01230

Mr. Zurrin:

The Finance Committee appointing Committee, consisting of Michael Bandzierz, Jonathan

Beattie, Tom Gage, Charles Flynn and Mary Brazie, will be holding a hearing on Monday,
March 25, 2013 at 6:30pm at the Town Hall. Please confirm that you will be present, if not the
Committee will issue a subpoena for your presence.

The reason for this hearing is to examine the possible removal of you from the Finance

Committee based on the following:

1. In an e-mail dated Thursday, February 7, 2013 5:50 PM, you appear to accuse town

employees of possible theft. Publishing of defamatory statements via email regarding town
employees and agents. Specifically, in particular your unfounded accusations that between town
employees “much of the money disappears”

2. Your comments in regards to our incoming auditor, such as reference to a “very

questionable past” and his being in the “Attorney General’s crosshairs”, calling into question the
integrity of the Town Auditor Firm of Scanlon and Associates.

3. The appearance of possible harassment of Water Department employees.

4. It appears that you have stepped outside of the authority vested in the Town Finance

committee and decided to conduct your own investigation.

Respectfully,

Mary Brazie,
Office Administrator"

The selectboard wants to remove Zurrin because he has the audacity to criticize the performance of a department of government and, of course indirectly, the selectboard.  I thought Egremont was still part of the United States of America but the selectmen must think it's some banana republic and they are the dictators.

Words escape me.   I can only hope sane, rational people - and the press - will express their outrage at this frontal attack on the First Amendment.