South County Independent, 10/16/14
A few days ago, I was surprised to find out that a close friend is considering voting for Stephen Tetzner, a Republican contender for the House District 34 seat representing Narragansett, Peace Dale and Wakefield, against Teresa Tanzi. My friend, like me, is a small business owner concerned about taxes, schools, our families and our safety. I was surprised my friend forgot about Tetzner’s auction of an assault rifle, with a donation of $1,200 in ammunition, in a 2013 raffle to finance Republican candidates in 2014. Not a gift basket, but an assault rifle. We talked about the fact the Republican seems to be conspicuously missing from Tetzner’s signs around the district.
Tonight, I discovered that Tetzner funneled $84,500 of his own money into his campaign. That is insane for a local political race. Why does a candidate need $84,500 of his own money to reach a local community? Can’t they get support by the community?
I understand that candidates and representatives cannot be all things for all people. We have only one representative to send to the State House. But it seems Tetzner’s actions represent his values loud and clear. Does Tetzner really represent the vision and values of our district, or does he seek to represent to a broader political party? There is a difference between buying into and engaging a community.
Robert Cagnetta
Wakefield
