Shelby voters want independent voices, not puppets for GOP leaders

Editor:

What started as an honest attempt to support good people getting involved in things that actually affect our community has devolved into a classic political attack. There was no mudslinging or personal attacks, just support for three brave residents who want to invest in the community and commit to public service.

The crux to the matter is that any challenge to the status quo is taken as a personal affront by the establishment figures, who reveal their true colors by resorting to divisive tactics rather than constructive dialogue. They cannot help but show their true colors because they’re too fragile to engage in positive discourse. That’s the root of the problem.

Shelby’s Republican chairman should take a lesson in fact checking before launching into unhinged tirades. Allow me to quickly address some of his attacks.

Back on March 16, 2018, Dale Root wrote a letter criticizing the process of filling a Town Board vacancy, alleging bias due to family ties, saying the Shelby Republican committee didn’t give him an interview because “… my daughter is married to a member of the Zelazny family.”

Mr. Root would even chastise the committee for transparency and ethical concerns. Click here to see “Resident feels Shelby did not have fair process for filling vacancy on Town Board.”

Now that Mr. Root leads the committee, these issues still persist unchanged, revealing a flip-flop among those now beholden to support the establishment. If only this were the end to the story, but the root causes persist.

In a 2016 public commentary, the current Shelby Republican chairman supported the quarry project he criticized in this publication just days ago. Mr. Root stated, “There is no evidence showing that there will be wildlife destruction. The experts show there will be no problems with the proposal so why can’t it go forward?” Click here to see “Many residents praise Shelby for pushing to protect refuge with overlay district.”

The only change since these statements is that Mr. Root, once a private citizen, now holds elected office and chairs the same party that endorsed him – a textbook example of entrenched establishment politics.

Mr. Root knows better than anyone that I did not receive the party’s endorsement, yet I secured the election with the highest vote count against two incumbents. Voters want a voice, not a puppet, and demand tangible results over maintaining the status quo. I’m not bought and paid for.

Despite personal attacks against me and my family, I remain committed to the people of Shelby, rooting out corruption, and fighting for what is right.

Always respectfully,

Eddie Zelazny

Shelby Town Councilman