Dear Publisher,
I am gravely concerned about false allegations made in your publication on page 14 of the May 14, 2007 edition of the Tradewinds.
What is even more egregious is that you allowed these allegations to be printed anonymously and the person making these false statements was not required to stand by nor account for their assertions.
I was not present at the meeting referenced in this letter and certainly did not make any special deal in regard to personal property as alluded to in this letter. These are outright lies and serious allegations that can not simply be ignored.
A meeting of property owners was held to discuss surrounding infrastructure, but as DPW Director Ira Wade will attest, I was not present.
The allegations in this letter are detrimental and verging on libelous as your willingness to print this letter represents a reckless disregard for the truth. The Tradewinds apparently made no effort to verify the veracity of the claims made in this letter, nor did you insist that the author stand by his or her story.
Was there malicious intent in your failure to engage in the basic practices of good journalism? Was this latest letter published in order to purposefully mischaracterize my actions or is your publication simply negligent?
At this time I am requesting that an open apology for publication of these falsehoods be printed prominently within the next edition of the Tradewinds.
Finally, I suggest that your editorial staff review and or discontinue your practice of publishing anonymous letters in the Tradewinds. Most publications of good standing reject anonymous submissions, even when the source of the letter is known to the editorial staff. As the Tradewinds elected to publish this letter anonymously, you are ultimately and fully accountability for its content. The claims made in this letter were easily verifiable and no apparent effort was made ascertain the truth before publication.
I await your immediate response.
Carmen Wesselhoft, Senator-at-Large
