It’s no coincidence and certainly no surprise that just days before an election, the Plymouth Independent suddenly publishes a list of recycled accusations, anonymous claims, and old political gossip targeting me.
If any of these allegations had a basis in truth, why are they showing up now? Why wait until voters are heading to the polls? I’ll tell you why: because this was never about journalism. It was about politics, pure and simple.
For years, I have been a fighter for the people of this town. I challenged the status quo, asked the hard questions the insiders didn’t want to answer, and refused to be a rubber stamp for the same old ways of doing things. I’ve always believed that government should answer to the people who pay the bills, not the other way around. That doesn’t make me popular with everyone, but I didn’t get into this to be popular with the insiders. I got into this to work for my neighbors.
We see this same tired playbook used at the national level all the time. It is sad to see these toxic games trickling down to our local elections. Our town doesn’t need the divisive tactics they use in Washington. We need to focus on what actually matters to the people living here.
Here are the facts: After years of investigations, rumors, and whisper campaigns by my detractors, there were no charges, no findings, and zero official determinations of wrongdoing against me. None.
What did happen during my six years of service? I stood up for the taxpayers, balanced the budgets, negotiated major labor agreements, and helped save this town millions in healthcare costs. Even this article was forced to acknowledge that.
The timing is no accident. The Plymouth Independent can call this “journalism,” but the residents of Plymouth know a political play when they see one. This is a desperate, eleventh-hour attempt to influence the election and support the Independent’s favored candidate.
I trust the voters of Plymouth. I trust my friends and neighbors to see right through this noise. This town belongs to the people who live here, work here, and raise their families here. It does not belong to a handful of insiders and their last-minute narratives.
On May 16, the power goes back where it belongs: in the hands of the people.
Vote on May 16.
– Betty Cavacco
Cavacco is a candidate for Select Board