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Dear CoreyMSmith,

I will respond to you because you deserve the respect of an answer.

First, I sincerely apologize to you and your wife. I didn't know she was your wife when I was confronted by her (she never identified herself) at the debate. I stood up to leave and she stepped in front of me and fired about nine questions at me without taking a breath. She didn't give me a split-second to answer ANY of them and just kept asking more. One of her questions was "Just because Nathan Cornell attends all those City Council meetings and School Committee meetings; does that make him more qualified?" I tried to say "Yes!" as she was half-way into her next question. I finally interrupted her and said "You don't really want me to answer any of these questions, do you?!" She loudly said "YES!" so I responded "Then please just shut up so I can."

She then went on to ask several more questions which I will only describe as "going up my left side and down my right" so I ended the conversation with "Have a nice night!" and walked away.

Corey, I was wrong to speak to her that way. I sincerely apologize. As far as my endorsement of your opponent, I believe being a member of the School Committee requires a huge commitment. At the time and date of the debate you made teaching that one class a higher priority. I get that. But it tells me where your priorities stand. Nathan made the time to get to the forum...and the City Council meetings...and the School Committee meetings...and hundreds of hours talking to all parties involved with the Warwick School system. Therefore, his priorities seem to me to be more focused on the benefit of the students, teachers, and taxpayers. Yours seem, by your own absence, to be more focused on teaching. There is nothing wrong with that. It just makes Nathan a better candidate for School Committee, in my opinion. I feel the same way about Judy Cobden for the same reasons. No one stopped her opponent from attending. She made the same decision as you did, with the same effect. It all comes down to a matter of priorities. That's just the way it is.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Rick Corrente

The Taxpayers Mayor