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Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce should not be supporting candidates for the Village council
It is inappropriate for someone who is or was a member, employee, or officer of any group, company, or organization to sign his or her (current or former) title under a letter expressing a strictly personal opinion, especially a political one. Readers can’t be expected to know that the organization is not being officially represented. The letter had the desired effect: to make some people think the Chamber supports a specific candidate.
Our local paper ought to refuse to include such sign-offs unless it confirms that the organization supports the letter. If the letter in question had been signed only by the letter writer’s name, which he had every right to do, nobody would be upset.
I have worked for companies and written letters to the editor on various topics unrelated to my job. I did NOT place my employer’s name at the bottom (or I might appropriately have been reprimanded).
The Chamber of Commerce might consider warning its members and officers that this behavior is not acceptable and will not be tolerated, and should ask the newspaper to run an explanation/sort-of-retraction. What d’you think, Chamber. of Commerce.?