Dear John,
My name is Elijah LeDuc, I live on Woonsocket Hill Road and I’ve lived in North Smithfield for over 17 years. I have had strong feelings about you and your candidacy for the last two years. Something you should know about the young people of North Smithfield is that we have immense spirit and unity. It is one of the best parts about coming from a small town. You grow up and see the same faces grow up with you. The sense of togetherness and pride is sometimes immeasurable. We are so proud and grateful to come from this town.
But sometimes, bad things happen, and your pride comes into question. I had to explain to strangers online that our town council made a bad decision that did not represent the attitudes of the townsfolk, especially the young people. I had to tell people I had never met before that John Beauregard was just one man on our town council, and that we didn’t deserve to be judged for his decisions, and that at the first opportunity, we would vote him out.
You are running for town council again, but you already had your chance to make decisions on our behalf, and totally blew it. Your decisions, actions, and words were disrespectful to our town and the position we entrusted you with.
Your campaign discusses proven commitment and proven leadership. But I couldn’t disagree more. You proved to your constituents that you were unworthy of your position. You proved to us that you cared more about your own opinions than the beliefs of your constituents. After a town meeting where 18 people spoke adamantly against what you were trying to put forward, you did it anyway, in direct defiance of them. You proved that you knew the nike referendum was against almost everyone’s wishes, and you didn’t care. You proved that making decisions that benefit us was not your priority. You can never prove that you wouldn’t do something like that again.
Based on everything I know about you, I believe you are not right for this town. I believe that this town can do better. We deserve to move forward and learn from our mistakes, not return to a vulnerable position. Many people in our town now see you as a liability. North Smithfielders will see your name on the ballot and feel a pit of dread, hoping no one forgot about the disaster from two years ago. You were ultimately problematic and destructive as a town councilman. Because of that, I will not support you, endorse you, or vote for you.
Elijah LeDuc
Elijah LeDuc is a 2018 graduate of North Smithfield High School.
