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I had the opportunity to watch the Select Board candidates present their positions on the RCTV Forum. I am not sure what the contributors to the “Reading Post” who have written in support of Tara Gregory saw on February 22, 2024, but their viewpoints are not based on reality. Candidate Gregory’s responses to each question were not responses at all, but rather talking points that lacked both substance and detail.
Each of Candidate Gregory’s replies to the panel’s questions were remarkably shallow and PowerPoint deep at best. The brevity of the responses showed a lack of preparation and direct knowledge of the issues that face the Town of Reading. Candidate Gregory’s long pauses and shuffling of papers before answering many of the questions demonstrated the candidate’s ill preparation and inability to speak outside of the prepared talking points. The abrupt and incomplete endings of Candidate Gregory’s responses were noteworthy as they revealed a candidate who is not ready for primetime. When responding to the question about the development of South Main Street, Candidate Gregory prattled on about walkability, more public transportation options, decreased reliance on cars, and other unrelated ideas which had nothing to do with the question that was asked by Catherine Robertson.
The summation of Candidate Gregory’s performance on the RCTV Candidates Forum can be likened to a high school or college student who is completely unprepared to take an exam and tries to bluff their way through the exam. Before going to the polls, I urge the voters of Reading to view the RCTV Candidates Forum at Select Board 2024 Candidate Forum – RCTV.org so that you may decide who is the best candidate for the contested Select Board member seat.
For the reasons and observations as stated above, I will not be voting for Tara Gregory.
William J. Hughes III
Pearl Street
