Barnstable County officials call for Beaty to step down
By Geoff SpillanePosted Feb 20, 2019
Assembly member seeks vote on censure over tweet on gay politicians.
BARNSTABLE — Calls for the censure or removal of Barnstable County Commissioner Ronald Beaty Jr. continued Wednesday at a meeting of his fellow elected county officials.
Four members of the county Assembly of Delegates — John Ohman of Dennis, Brian O’Malley of Provincetown, Lilli-Ann Green of Wellfleet and Elizabeth Harder of Harwich — demanded he step down because of his tweet Tuesday inquiring whether gay politicians were “too self-absorbed and self-centered” to represent all constituents.
“Commissioner Ronald Beaty Jr. has crossed another line, this one his most egregious attempt at self-importance,” Ohman told his assembly colleagues during their meeting. “His continuous outrageous behavior has no place as an elected official of Barnstable County. He is a constant embarrassment to the citizens of this historic county.”
During the meeting of the 15-member legislative branch of the regional government, O’Malley went a step further, introducing a resolution for the assembly to censure Beaty.
The resolution could be debated and voted on at the assembly’s next meeting March 6. A resolution represents an “opinion” of the assembly.
“The Assembly of Delegates resolves to affirm its policy of non-discrimination, especially with regard to county services, and strongly condemns and censures any form of hate speech, especially from persons employed by Barnstable County,” O’Malley’s resolution states.
There currently is no mechanism in the county charter to recall an elected county official from office. Efforts last year to amend the charter to allow that hit legal and bureaucratic snags.
“Mr. O’Malley is entitled to his ‘opinion’ just like the other members of the Assembly are, and just like I am as well,” Beaty wrote in an email message to the Times on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, Beaty issued a statement saying his comments were protected as free speech under the First Amendment, and he would not consider resignation since he had done nothing wrong and had no reason to apologize.
Not all of the assembly delegates were angered about Beaty’s tweet.
“I think it’s a witch hunt for Ron Beaty,” said Linda Zuern, the delegate from Bourne. “People have a right to free speech. If you don’t like someone in office, then don’t vote to re-elect them next time.”
More than 20 people attended the meeting to express concern about Beaty’s social media posts, and nearly a dozen addressed the assembly.
Ross Berry, a gay man from Brewster, was one of them.
“I’ve followed Beaty since he’s been in office and I’ve been really appalled by his contribution to the public discussion,” he said. “His virulent homophobia has no place in representing the people of Cape Cod.”
Ronald Bergstrom, chairman of the Barnstable County Board of Regional Commissioners, the three-member body on which Beaty serves, issued his own statement Wednesday afternoon.
“Barnstable County Regional Government would like to apologize to the residents on Cape Cod for the offensive and discriminatory questions posed online by Barnstable County Commissioner Ronald Beaty,” it states. “Commissioner Beaty’s sentiments do not represent the views of Barnstable County, and we strongly oppose this kind of divisive behavior. We are proud to serve Cape Cod, a unique region of collaboration and partnership that embraces diversity and inclusion.”
In a voicemail message, Beaty said Bergstrom does not have the legal authority to speak for Barnstable County government, since neither of its two branches voted to let him, so, in effect, he delivered only a partisan political statement.
Since taking office in 2017, Beaty, a Republican, has repeatedly drawn fire from both sides of the aisle for his social media posts. On Tuesday, state Rep. Timothy Whelan, R-Brewster, called for him to resign. Whelan serves on the Cape and Islands legislative delegation with state Rep. Sarah Peake, D-Provincetown, and state Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro, who are both openly gay.
Although Beaty said his tweet about gay politicians was not directed at anyone in particular, it came just days after Cyr and Peake were named to leadership posts in the Legislature.
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https://www.capecodtimes.com/news/20190220/barnstable-county-officials-call-for-beaty-to-step-down
Cape legislative delegation to Ronald Beaty: ‘Enough is enough’
By Geoff SpillanePosted Feb 21, 2019
State lawmakers call for county commissioner to resign.
BARNSTABLE — Six of the eight members of the Cape and Islands legislative delegation issued a statement Thursday asking Barnstable County Commissioner Ronald Beaty Jr. to “stop besmirching the reputation of everyone in county government” by resigning immediately.
“Enough is enough,” the statement says.
The lawmakers said they were coming to the defense of two colleagues — Rep. Sarah Peake, D-Provincetown, and Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro — in the wake of a tweet Beaty posted Tuesday asking whether gay politicians were too “self-absorbed and self-centered” to fairly represent all constituents.
Peake and Cyr are both openly gay. Although Beaty said his tweet was not directed at anyone in particular, it came just days after the two were appointed to leadership posts in the Legislature.
“Two from our group were singled out by inference in a completely inappropriate tweet by a Barnstable County commissioner who continues to spread hurtful, bigoted and juvenile commentary,” the statement says.
The lawmakers said Beaty “engages in this boorish behavior to elicit reactions for his own amusement.”
Ron Beaty Reprimand Letter by on Scribd
″... We would prefer to simply ignore this latest example of his tone deaf rhetoric and have the press and social media do the same,” they wrote. “However, our silence could be interpreted to imply indifference, and that would be a gross misinterpretation of how we feel about the situation.”
The statement was signed by Sen. Viriato “Vinny” deMacedo, R-Plymouth; Rep. William Crocker, R-Centerville; Rep. Dylan Fernandes, D-Woods Hole; Rep. Randy Hunt, R-Sandwich; Rep. Timothy Whelan, R-Brewster; and Rep. David Vieira, R-East Falmouth.
Cyr and Peake were the only members of the delegation not to sign the statement.
“I’m humbled by their support of not only me and Julian, but of all LGBTQ elected officials,” Peake said. “Their letter is evidence of how closely we work together and our joint commitment to represent the Cape and Islands in the most effective way possible. I love them for standing up.”
Cyr declined to comment Thursday, saying he thought the statement from his colleagues spoke for itself.
Whelan was the first elected official to demand Beaty’s resignation, hours after the tweet was posted. Four members of the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates also called for his resignation at a meeting Wednesday.
In a call with the Times, Beaty referred to the joint statement by the lawmakers as “no biggie,” saying he was not surprised because none of the six men supported him when he ran for office.
Beaty contends his comments are protected under the First Amendment right to freedom of speech and says he has no intention of apologizing or stepping down. He retweeted the original post about gay politicians at around 5 p.m. Thursday.
“Regarding a rumored letter calling for my resignation recently issued by some members of the Cape Cod legislative delegation, Legislative Delegation members did not put me into office as a Barnstable County Commissioner, the voters of Cape Cod did,” Beaty said via email . “It will also be the same voters who will decide whether or not I stay in office in 2020, not a group of apparently elitist politicians.”
The current controversy is not the first time Beaty’s social media commentary has led to calls for his recall or resignation since he took office two years ago. He also has come under fire for comments disparaging the #MeToo women’s movement and a survivor of the Parkland, Florida, school massacre.
The county charter still has no mechanism to remove an elected county official from office, although five members of the Assembly of Delegates introduced an ordinance in 2017 to amend the document to include a recall.
“It’s more complicated than people would think,” Ronald Bergstrom, chairman of the Barnstable County Board of Regional Commissioners, said. “It has to go on a ballot during a statewide election cycle.”
Suzanne McAuliffe, speaker of the Assembly of Delegates, said a charter review is planned for the spring, after the county’s fiscal 2020 budget is finalized.
A recall provision and term limits are among the amendments the assembly will likely propose to a charter review committee, according to McAuliffe. Any amendments the committee supports would be on the November 2020 ballot in all Cape towns, a ballot that Beaty also would be on if he chooses to run for re-election. If the proposed amendments are passed by voters, they would then require ratification by the Legislature.
Hunt’s office was asked by a constituent about five years ago to investigate why there was no recall provision in the charter. Hunt said when the county charter was sent to Beacon Hill for approval in the 1980s, it did contain a recall provision, but that was stripped out of the document.
According to Hunt, the provision was eliminated because recall processes were not included in other county charters in Massachusetts, and the state likely did not want to absorb the expense — over $100,000 — to pay for a recall election that occurred between even-year elections.
The constituent who requested that Hunt’s office look into the matter? Ronald Beaty Jr.
https://www.capecodtimes.com/news/20190221/cape-legislative-delegation-to-ronald-beaty-enough-is-enough
FROM:
POLITICO MASSACHUSETTS PLAYBOOK
- "Barnstable County officials call for Beaty to step down," by Geoff Spillane, Cape Cod Times: Calls for the censure or removal of Barnstable County Commissioner Ronald Beaty Jr. continued Wednesday at a meeting of his fellow elected county officials. Four members of the county Assembly of Delegates — John Ohman of Dennis, Brian O'Malley of Provincetown, Lilli-Ann Green of Wellfleet and Elizabeth Harder of Harwich — demanded he step down because of his tweet Tuesday inquiring whether gay politicians were "too self-absorbed and self-centered" to represent all constituents."
FROM
POLITICO MASSACHUSETTS PLAYBOOK
- "Beaty's comments about gays spark outrage," by Geoff Spillane, Cape Cod Times: "A controversial elected Cape Cod representative's comments about gay people has sparked an angry backlash throughout the community and on Beacon Hill. 'I'm calling for Commissioner (Ron) Beaty to resign, I'm that upset,' said state Rep. Timothy Whelan, R-Brewster. 'I don't even know what else to say.' Beaty has made a reputation for himself for inflammatory and controversial comments. On Tuesday, he posed a question on Twitter that many believed to be homophobic. 'Generally speaking, are gay politicians too self-absorbed and self-centered to adequately represent ALL of their constituents in a fair and equitable manner?' Beaty tweeted. The post comes less than a week after two openly gay elected officials who represent the Cape and Islands — state Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro, and state Rep. Sarah Peake, D-Provincetown — were named to leadership positions on Beacon Hill."
Democrats back in charge of Barnstable County board
“Though a Democratic Party majority now controls the Board of Barnstable County Commissioners, as the lone Republican, I shall make sure that the voice of fiscal restraint, transparency and public accountability will continue to be heard within our Cape Cod Regional Government,” Beaty wrote in a Twitter post shortly after the meeting.
FROM
- "Barnstable County officials offer to facilitate shark talks," by Geoff Spillane, Cape Cod Times: "The workshop discussion was placed on the meeting agenda at the request of Commissioner Ronald Beaty Jr., who is no stranger to addressing head-on the danger of sharks in Cape waters. He created a national stir in 2017 when he advocated the use of baited drum lines to catch and kill great white sharks."
BELOW ARE JUST A FEW ARTICLES POSTED IN RESPONSE TO SHOOT FROM THE LIP RON BEATY'S IRRATIONAL RANTS AND GIBBERISH.
THERE ARE SURELY MORE RECENT RANTS....FRANKLY, MR. BEATY GETS TIRING AND WHO NEEDS TO FOLLOW HIS ANTICS?
PLEASE DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
MR. BEATY POSTS INACCURATE AND FALSE INFORMATION, FREQUENTLY WITH SPELLING ERRORS.
TEMPER TANTRUMS ARE DISCOURAGED IN CHILDREN....TEMPER TANTRUMS ARE INAPPROPRIATE IN ELECTED OFFICIALS
Shoot From the Lip Ron Beaty has a rather pathetic history that only gets more embarrassing....his supporters seem too lazy to question his criticism.
Folks, You're better than that! Please do your homework before continuing to support an uninformed flamethrower who can't even fund a campaign.
Supporting Uninformed Tea Bagger Candidates will destroy the Massachusetts Republican Party.....what little is left after Willard's Fiasco!
http://www.capecodtimes.com/news/20180415/opponents-of-barnstable-county-official-press-for-recall
By Geoff Spillane
Posted Aug 28, 2018
Challenger Beaty heaps criticism as incumbent Hunt laments polarized electorate.
HYANNIS — The most intriguing race on Cape Cod in next week’s primary election is arguably the Republican contest for state representative in the 5th Barnstable District.
Four-term state Rep. Randy Hunt, R-Sandwich, the only Republican incumbent in the House facing a primary challenge, will compete against Barnstable County Commissioner and frequent political candidate Ronald Beaty Jr.
The district includes the town of Sandwich, three precincts in Bourne, two precincts in Barnstable and one district in Plymouth.
Tension between two men began to simmer last summer when Hunt parked in Beaty’s designated space at the county complex. Beaty has since unleashed an almost daily barrage of criticism against Hunt on social media.
THERE ARE SURELY MORE RECENT RANTS....FRANKLY, MR. BEATY GETS TIRING AND WHO NEEDS TO FOLLOW HIS ANTICS?
PLEASE DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
MR. BEATY POSTS INACCURATE AND FALSE INFORMATION, FREQUENTLY WITH SPELLING ERRORS.
TEMPER TANTRUMS ARE DISCOURAGED IN CHILDREN....TEMPER TANTRUMS ARE INAPPROPRIATE IN ELECTED OFFICIALS
Massachusetts isn't ready for Angry Clown Tea Party Wackos!
Shoot From the Lip Ron Beaty has a rather pathetic history that only gets more embarrassing....his supporters seem too lazy to question his criticism.
Folks, You're better than that! Please do your homework before continuing to support an uninformed flamethrower who can't even fund a campaign.
Supporting Uninformed Tea Bagger Candidates will destroy the Massachusetts Republican Party.....what little is left after Willard's Fiasco!
Ron Beaty and The Sheep!
Ronald Beaty Jr.
http://www.capecodtimes.com/news/20180415/opponents-of-barnstable-county-official-press-for-recall
MASSACHUSETTS DOESN'T NEED AN ANGRY, EXPLOSIVE OFFICE HOLDER IN ANY POSITION!
JUST SOME OF THE HISTORY:Massachusetts isn't ready for Angry Clown Tea Party Wackos!
Ron Beaty and The Sheep!
Reading H4065 is the extent of my time commitment to disprove Mr. Beaty's Fairy Tale....if this is your candidate, maybe you should conduct your own FACT CHECK before you blindly follow.
Here's the CCT exchange:
AMENDED ATTACK COMMENT FROM MR. BEATY ADDING THE INCORRECT BILL NUMBER [LAST YEAR'S AND CORRECTING HIS SPELLING ERROR IN RESPONSE TO MY CRITICISM]:
Poor man can't even spell Middleboro or Middleborough:
middlebororemembers
Who needs another uninformed Tea Bagger?
Here's the CCT exchange:
AMENDED ATTACK COMMENT FROM MR. BEATY ADDING THE INCORRECT BILL NUMBER [LAST YEAR'S AND CORRECTING HIS SPELLING ERROR IN RESPONSE TO MY CRITICISM]:
Poor man can't even spell Middleboro or Middleborough:
middlebororemembers
Who needs another uninformed Tea Bagger?
Who needs another uninformed Tea Bagger?
A nation eschews Ron Beaty's HATE!
5th Barnstable District primary race heats up
By Geoff Spillane
Posted Aug 28, 2018
Challenger Beaty heaps criticism as incumbent Hunt laments polarized electorate.
HYANNIS — The most intriguing race on Cape Cod in next week’s primary election is arguably the Republican contest for state representative in the 5th Barnstable District.
Four-term state Rep. Randy Hunt, R-Sandwich, the only Republican incumbent in the House facing a primary challenge, will compete against Barnstable County Commissioner and frequent political candidate Ronald Beaty Jr.
The district includes the town of Sandwich, three precincts in Bourne, two precincts in Barnstable and one district in Plymouth.
Tension between two men began to simmer last summer when Hunt parked in Beaty’s designated space at the county complex. Beaty has since unleashed an almost daily barrage of criticism against Hunt on social media.
Beaty, 57, is a real estate manager who served a 14-month term in federal prison for threatening to kill President George H.W. Bush and other politicians in the early 1990s. His constant tweets — in which he has called a survivor of the Parkland, Florida, school shootings an “opportunistic rat,” dismissed the #MeToo movement as “nonsense” and called for the killing of sharks with baited drum lines — led to a petition to remove him from office, although the county has no recall provision.
Hunt, 61, a certified public accountant, maintains there are many reasons voters should return him to Beacon Hill for another two years, including strong working relationships with Gov. Charlie Baker and his administration.
He specifically cited accomplishments in school safety funding, addressing the opioid crisis and returning money to the district.
A strong advocate for school safety since 2006 after a one-room schoolhouse shooting in Pennsylvania that claimed seven lives, Hunt, who was chairman of the Sandwich Board of Selectmen at the time, created the Sandwich School Safety Committee. Most recently he was instrumental in securing $72 million in funding for school building safety in the 2018 state supplemental budget, which the governor announced last week.
Hunt contends he began to address the opioid crisis as early as 2010, predicting there was an addiction crisis looming.
“At this time, I’m saddened that I was right about that,” he said, noting he has been involved in efforts to create diversion programs, including the use of Vivitrol at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility.
With increased use of the powerful and deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl, Hunt is also calling for strengthened criminal penalties for those who sell it.
“I think it’s time to look at the supply side and have substantially stiffer penalties for people selling this poison,” he said. “I’d like to see manslaughter charges for the seller and anyone in the supply chain to that point.”
He said he is also proud of the millions of dollars he has brought back to the district for issues ranging from beach erosion to new sidewalks to public safety.
Hunt declined to comment or say anything negative about his opponent.
Beaty did not hesitate to do so.
“Randy just sent out another mailer, but he doesn’t list accomplishments,” he said. “Apparently he has no solid accomplishments in eight years in office, so perhaps it’s time to move on.”
Beaty has hit Hunt particularly hard on taxes, gun owners’ rights and infrastructure issues in the district.
Hunt signed pledges to oppose new taxes, including one from Americans for Tax Reform, in the past, but did not meet the obligation, according to Beaty.
He specifically cited Hunt’s support of a proposed short-term rental tax and the state’s recent “grand bargain” legislation, which increased the minimum wage and created paid family and medical leave. He also said Hunt’s proposed legislation to add bottle deposits to miniature liquor bottles, or “nips,” was nothing more than a tax in disguise.
“He takes money out of people’s pockets,” Beaty said.
He argues Hunt is also weak on supporting Second Amendment rights, highlighting his support of the state’s “red flag” gun control bill and its ban on bump stock devices. Beaty also jabbed Hunt for his support of the transgender rights “bathroom bill” and opposition to legislation that would allow state and local law enforcement agencies to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“If he (Hunt) loses, he has nothing to worry about,” Beaty said. “He will likely be picked up by (Gov. Charlie) Baker and get a cushy job in the administration.”
If elected, Beaty says he would pursue solutions to the region’s traffic problems, including reinstatement of passenger rail service to Boston and retrofitting the canal bridges to have “double decker” traffic lanes similar to the Tobin Bridge in Boston.
Tuesday’s election will be Hunt’s first primary, but he says it is already unlike any he has ever experienced.
“This year, people are polarized beyond belief,” he said. “It saddens me that some groups on the extreme right and extreme left will accept nothing other than someone who is an ideological DNA match.”
The winner of the primary will face Democrat Jack Stanton, of Sandwich, in the November general election.
http://www.capecodtimes.com/news/20180828/5th-barnstable-district-primary-race-heats-up
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