(The following was sent to members of the Republican Towwn Committee recently, apparently by one of its members who didn't sign the letter)

"Fellow Republican Town Committee Members, "As a Republican Town Committee member, I thought I had seen it all, but I guess not? Joe Kronon has got to be kidding when he says, 'We need Susan Kniep. Yet,there it was on page 19 of today's Journal Inquirer under the headline, 'Kniep considering another campaign for mayor' and it was no joke. When will this committee's love afair with that woman end?

It didn't end in the 80s when, as the story is told, she showed up at the dump in a blond wig and sun glasseslooking for wrong doing!It didn't end when the town was forced to pay over one million dollars to Art Mulligan compliments of Susan and her dirt-digging It didn't end when she won the mayor's office and promptly reneged on her promise to give Republicans Wanda Franek and now deceased Dick Madore positions in her administration It didn't end when she gave the firefighters a quid pro quo sweetheart deal as payback for helping her get elected! It didn't end when she halted revaluation costing the town grand list growth as businesses realized how unfriendly and unfair she was and simply moved out! It didn't end when she tried to remove long time Republican John Grotolle from his P&Z Commission because she felt he has served long enough! It didn't end when she abruptly fired Republican Mort Hickey! It didn't end when she threatened to run as an independent in the middle of her losing campaign for mayor! It didn't end when she ran as an independent costing the Republican Party a Town Council seat! It didn't end when she actively worked the telephones against Republican Dick Veltri when he successfully ran for state Representative! It didn't end when she went after Republican Dominic Fulco, asking for his resignation from EDC for representing his client! It didn't end when she ruthlessly after Republican Bob Fortier's business license, implying he lied on his state application! It didn't end when Bob received a DUI ticket and she suggested in the newspapers that there should be repercussions which probably cost him that election! It didn't end when she ruthlessly attacked Republican Dave Holmes for doing business with the town. It didn't end when she attacked Republicans George Franek and Dominic Fulco's votes on redevelopment!

"If Susan is the answer, the question for our committee has got to be how do we guaarantee no chance of recovering the mayor's office in November? Her platform, at least according to the JI article, 'Is burdensome taxes'. Does she even remember that she ran on a ZERO tax increase in 1993 and lost by a landslide? East Hartford just doesn't like her an we are the ones who don't know it! One of my neighbors tells me she's a regular centerpiece of conversation at the local church group and the reports are all bad. Another neighbor with young children in school is afraid of school funding under Susan and plans to organize PTA/PTO parents against her. Another neighbor is in the men's club at the golf course and they can't stand her. My bridge club regularly takes her to task for her needlessly running this town into the mud. But yet there's good old Joe telling her, 'We need her'

"Left leaning liberal Gary LeBeau beats her in each and every voting district in each and every one of the four towns in last year's Senate race. Former confident and editor Chris Powell of the JI even called Susan nasty for the Vietnam related issues about Gary! How embarrassed Republicans should be on just how dirty Susan ran that campaign!

When she was mayor, how many of her own directors quit her or were fired? Ten? Fifteen? Twenty? More? She couldn't even get along with her own handpicked staff! The Democrats are loving this for sure as her selection as the standard bearer is a guaranteed win for them. Why do we as a party do nothing all year, inject no new blood into the party, fai to raise money, and the beg Susan to run for us and lose? She's not even on the committee! Her antics have reflected poorly on every Republican in town. Voters are flocking away from us because of her. I'm calling for a secret ballot on July 24 with the results made public so everyone knows how split this Town Committee is.