GilfordGrok

Regular readers, having read Terry's post below responding to the whining demand in a letter published in Saturday's Daily Sun (page 4) by poor Phyllis Corrigan seeking an apology from him for "being sexist," should know that her plight doesn't end there. And by "plight," I mean the thin-ness of her skin.

One of the tasks required of a Budget Committee member doing his/her job responsibly on behalf of Gilford taxpayers is the ability to say "no" when it is warranted. Up until recent years, most members of this important committee lacked the fortitude to do such a thing. Much like when dealing with children, it is always easier to say "yes" at times, rather than face a fight. Oh sure, some, like John O'Brien and Phyllis Corrigan, talk a conservative game in the hallways and away from view, but their voting record belies a different picture: big spenders. Simply put, in these economic times, these are the LAST people we need in charge of our local property tax dollars.

Yesterday on MTNP radio, we discussed the local races, and I stated that Phyllis Corrigan should stick to the Garden Club circuit and leave the tax oversight to others more up to the job. Having served with Phyllis once on the Budcomm, I agree with Terry that, while she's a nice person, she was never up to the real task at hand. We have enough people in life making emotion-driven decisions, and I don't want such an approach to spending MY money. Tough times demand tough people, and now, we have plenty of evidence that if there's one thing Mrs. Corrigan is NOT, it's tough. Let me explain...

This morning on my way out of Sacred Heart Church-- directly in front of the altar, in fact-- I was rudely accosted by Phyllis' husband Dennis, who got in my face demanding I apologize to his wife, accusing me of "being sexist," much like Terry was in yesterday's letter. Dennis did this in front of my son, my wife, and several friends and fellow Churchgoers. As I explained to my son after, this is the equivalent of being accused of being a "racist" for opposing the Magic Obama or being "homophobic" because one is against gay marriage-- people with no argument to make often resort to name calling. Rather than engage in a discussion of the issues, such folks create a straw man, seeking to knock it-- and the offender-- down with some righteous demand for an apology for the perceived aggrievance. Sorry Dennis, not this guy.

Oh, and lest anyone think this to be a one-time happening, with the emotion of the race nearing its climax, think again because in fact, the Corrigans have shown this to be the standard operating procedure of their political "careers"... being aggrieved and demanding apologies from those who "dare" take them on.

Of course, Exhibit A is yesterday's letter seeking an apology from Terry. Exhibit B is the event today in Church as I described above. Exhibit C-- the "clincher," if you will, is an e-mail sent to me LAST year during the political season when BOTH Dennis and his wife Phyllis were candidates- him for Selectman, and she (again) for Budget Committee (they both, thankfully, lost). And once again, Mr. Corrigan was upset with what he heard on the radio, or, more specifically, what he DIDN'T hear, which was a desire on his part for us to somehow acknowledge his poor wife...

----- Original Message -----
From: Dennis Corrigan
To: doug@granitegrok.com
Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 8:41 PM
Subject: Radio Show

Listened today while you fawned over Terry Stewart who agrees with nothing you stand for in this town.  Then you had the nerve to say: vote for folks who have been on he Budget Committee and you mention Brent and Sue and TERRY – ONE YEAR- and you don’t mention Phyllis (six years)! I think you are intimated by her. You are an evil man and a right wing NUT! You better hope I win or I will spend my time on every level of media to show the person you are. Don’t you dare take your disagreement with me out on my wife. I demand you call her and apologize for not mentioned her. Then call me and apologize. Then at 9:00am next Saturday tell your listeners that you screwed up and forgot to mention her 6 years of service. Have the courage to answer at least one of my communications.  You are messing with the wrong guy.

 Dennis M. Corrigan

346 Liberty Hill Road, Gilford NH 03249

After that, he had the good sense to offer an apology which I graciously accepted, knowing that sometimes people hit the "send" button on the e-mail without thinking things through. That was then. Fast-forwarding to the present, I find myself experiencing deja-vue all over again. Obviously, last year's incident wasn't an isolated thing-- for Mr. & Mrs. Corrigan, feeling offended and demanding apologies is, for them, business as usual. Sorry folks, I'm not buying it, and I'm NOT apologizing for speaking my mind... and the truth.