Editor, The Smithfield Times:

Isn’t it interesting that the leadership of our local newspaper has finally acknowledged that a $6 million gift to the town is something good and not the basis for a full-page assault on the town mayor’s character.  

Surely, the paper’s editor knows or should know that getting a 50% discount on expenditures for improvements for the town’s historic district is a pretty good deal. Who knows? With this discount on historic district improvements, more money will be available for needed improvements in the rest of Smithfield. Yes, believe it or not, there is a Smithfield beyond just the historic district!

If the benefactor of the gift has some recommendations for a couple of preferred improvements and they are in line with the goals of the town’s governing authority, likely to have been done even without the gift money, why not accept the gift and do them? And if there isn’t a time limit imposed on these and other uses of the gift monies, what’s wrong with earning interest on those unspent monies until needed?

But then a simple thank you doesn’t sell papers.

 

Dick Grice

Smithfield

Editor’s note: The Times has not endorsed acceptance or rejection of Joseph Luter III’s offer of $6 million, which is conditioned on the town matching it dollar for dollar and moving its farmers market to the for-profit Grange at 10Main development. In our commentary, we have repeatedly praised Luter’s generosity to Smithfield, pointed out some pros and cons of the town’s accepting the $6 million, and critiqued Mayor Steve Bowman’s communication of the offer to Town Council colleagues and taxpayers. Like other prudent taxpayers, we await a detailed report from the Town Council on how the money would be spent and where the town’s $6 million match would come from. We will take a final position when that information is available and, as always, publish the opinions of those who disagree with us.