EDITORIAL: Smithfield Little League Winners and Town Council Losers

EDITORIAL: Smithfield Little League Winners and Town Council Losers

The discussion of Little League funding begins at the 1:15 mark

For the first time in more than 50 years, the Smithfield Little League All-Stars are playing in the regionals for a chance to go to the Little League World Series.

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The Smithfield team is playing in Friday’s championship game at 7 PM on ESPN.

Needless to say, the Little Leaguers are winners.

The losers are two members of the Town Council.

The Grinch who stole Christmas has nothing on the two members of Smithfield Town Council who voted against $2,500 to support the Little League trip and offset the cost for the parents.

Council members Rachel Toppi and Mike Iannotti voted against a grant motion by John Tassoni on Tuesday night at the Town’s Council Meeting to support the cost of the trip with a $2,500 grant.

Thankfully Council members Sean Kilduff and Mike Lawton voted for the grant to help the families.

It is pretty amazing that Toppi and Iannotti are against the local kids of summer.

In the discussion, Toppi led the opposition claiming “it is not appropriate.” What would be appropriate in Smithfield?

In an era of the political divide, Toppi and Iannotti decided to push for political infighting over a tiny bit of funding for one of the best stories to come out of the town in decades.

The town has in the past supported science teams and other youth success stories, but for what appears to be very petty local political reasons, Toppi and Iannotti voted against baseball, apple pie, and hotdogs.

Thankfully, the motion passed 3-2 to help the kids despite the efforts of the Grinches.

Good luck to the Little Leaguers, but at least they have skills.

And Toppi and Iannotti need more than luck. They need their hearts to grow a little.