Frank Penwell
October 11, 2015
Response to Tom Munsey Letter to the Editor in the San Juan Islander and San Juan Update.
Dear Editor,
Manager of Public Access TV Channel 19, Tom Munsey, is proudly displaying his biases, character assassination by associations, and false statements. I guess I now understand why Public access TV has not posted the videos of both candidates’ forums – the first forum showed how comfortable two of the candidates were with bringing partisan politics and personal agendas to the Hospital Board election.
To give the public a better picture of Tom’s biases:
- The first Hospital District Forum was sponsored by Friday Harbor Grange #225, not by the “Extreme Right…”, and unlike the League of Women’s Voters Candidate Forum, the Grange chose an independent moderator.
- Friday Harbor Grange has been organizing public forums for years, and this year Friday Harbor Grange’s Community Service Notebook took 1st at the Washington State Grange Convention. Friday Harbor Grange will represent Washington State at the National Grange Convention.
- Many islanders belong to the organizations that Tom finds outrageous and disqualifying. Tom’s comments speak accurately to his condition and desires, but are offensive to the views and rights of others.
- My relationships with Jack Cory and Minnie Knych are not what Tom wants his readers to believe. I do not even know where Jack Cory lives, let alone have a social relationship with him. I do socialize with Minnie either, but we are involved in community service work together, including both of us being past Presidents of the San Juan Lions Club and Dollars For Scholars.
Citizens should be interested in the issues, and they should take note that 4 of the Hospital Board candidates publicly stated it was a bad idea to bring personal agendas and politics to the Hospital Board.
Respectfully,
Frank M Penwell