Corey: Phongsavanh Should Resign, Appointed School Committee Welcome

It's been about two years since Lorraine Corey launched Mywoonsocket.com in the late fall of 2010. 

The information site for local government information includes links to agendas for various upcoming government meetings, the city charter, and recent top news stories.

One thing the site hasn't provided is editorials, a self-imposed rule, as Corey describes it. Last week, Corey broke that rule to speak her mind on a recent op/ed piece by School Committee Chair Vimala Phongsavanh wrote that was posted on the Woonsocket Call's website Nov. 18.

Corey took issue with Phongsavanh's statement, "Without children of their own or a deep connection to the community, many senior citizens are unwilling to support our local school system, especially if it involves paying a dollar more in property taxes."

"Ms. Phongsavanh, you need to visit the Museum of Work and Culture to get a bit of a history lesson about the connection to the community our seniors have with Woonsocket," Corey respsonded, "Learn how many have worked in mills to build this community, and pay taxes, and build churches, and build schools."

Corey also noted an apparent contradiction in Phongsavanh's views on school department finances. "Did you not appoint a school committee member to the finance sub-committee who agreed with you that too much time was spent on the budget? Did you not devote most of your commentary on financing the school department?," Corey wrote.

Finally, Corey called for the School Committee Chair's resignation. "Madam Chair, as a registered voter, and a taxpayer of Woonsocket…a senior citizen taxpayer of Woonsocket, I am asking you to resign as chairperson of the Woonsocket School Committee."