HYANNIS – There are growing calls from local officials for Barnstable County Commissioner Ron Beatty to resign following his latest controversial social media post.
Beaty is under fire for a Tuesday Twitter post:
“Generally speaking, are gay politicians too self-absorbed and self-centered to adequately represent ALL of their constituents in a fair and equitable manner?”
Four members of the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates called for Beaty’s resignation this week, including John Ohman, who represents Dennis.
Ohman said Beaty has crossed another line and attacked the moral compass that Cape Codders hold dear.
“His continuous outrageous behavior has no place as an elected official in Barnstable County,” Ohman said.
“He is a constant embarrassment to the citizens of this historic county. Commissioner Beaty needs to resign immediately.”
Ohman said Beaty has denigrated the hard work of public officials, sitting and former governors, state legislators, local select boards and now all of the elected LGBTQ community.
Provincetown Delegate Brian O’Malley said he is offended by Beaty’s comments.
“I think they cast a very dark light on the workings of county government and put us all to shame, and I therefore call for Commissioner Ron Beaty to resign,” O’Malley said.
Lilli-Ann Green, the delegate from Wellfleet, and Harwich delegate Elizabeth Harder also called for Beaty to step down immediately.
Harder also drew attention to other tweets that she believes can be taken as threats.
One recent tweet praised the act by a supporter of President Donald Trump who faces charges for allegedly pushing snow and water into a group of protesters Monday in Falmouth.
“He also retweeted in apparent support of the editor of an Alabama newspaper who wrote an editorial saying that the Ku Klux Klan should night ride again in Washington D.C.,” Harder said.
Harder said Beaty’s tweets are beyond vile and called for his resignation.
O’Malley also introduced a resolution that would censure any form of hate speech by county employees, including Beaty.
“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,” the resolution states.
The Assembly of Delegates is expected to discuss and possibly take a vote on the resolution at its next meeting on March 6.
Efforts last year by the Assembly to amend the county charter to include a recall provision for an elected county official stalled amid legal and other issues.
Beaty said the voters put him into office and it will be up to them to decide if they want me to stay in 2020.
“It most certainly is not the decision of four ultra-liberal local pinheads,” Beaty said.
Beaty also released a statement to the CapeCod.com NewsCenter stating that he has no plans to resign.
“The four petty local politicians who happen to be members of the County Assembly and calling for my resignation are all very liberal Democratic Party operatives!
Mr. O’Malley, the Provincetown Delegate, is entitled to his “opinion” just like the other members of the Assembly are, and just like I am as well.
As for the proposed resolution that was mentioned at the Assembly Meeting, as described in the County Charter, that once again would only by “the opinion” of the Assembly if it passes and nothing more. It pretty much would carry little of no weight at all.
Other than that, I want to reiterate that in this country, we have something called the United States Constitution, which includes our First Amendment Right to Freedom of Speech!
I happen to be an elected public official who frequently asks questions, and chooses to exercise that God given Right from time to time.
Moreover, in speaking my mind, I am not politically correct and hope others will speak their minds in an equally candid fashion as well.
Since I have done nothing wrong, then I have absolutely nothing to apologize for, and most assuredly will not consider resigning from my position as Barnstable County Commissioner
The resolution will be discussed March 6. In a statement to Cape Cod dot com, Beaty says he has done nothing wrong, has nothing to apologize for and will not consider resigning.”
On Thursday afternoon six members of the Cape and Islands legislative delegation called for Beaty to resign following the Twitter post.
A letter released from the delegation on Thursday said his comments were “hurtful, bigoted, and juvenile.”
While Beaty does not name any politician in the post, it came just days after Provincetown State Representative Sarah Peake and Cape and Islands State Senator Julian Cyr were named to leadership posts on Beacon Hill. Both are openly gay.
The letter from the delegation said that while they would prefer to ignore Beaty’s “latest example of his tone deaf rhetoric,” they don’t want their silence to be seen as implying indifference.
“…That would be a gross misinterpretation of how we feel about the situation. Instead, we defend our colleagues who were attacked and encourage Mr. Beaty to stop besmirching the reputation of everyone in county government, both elected and appointed, by resigning his office immediately. Enough is enough.”
Beaty responded to the call for his resignation by saying it was the voters who put him in office in 2016 and will be the voters who will decide if he should be re-elected in 2020.
“Once again, I reiterate that in this country, we have something called the United States Constitution, which includes our First Amendment Right to Freedom of Speech!” he said in a statement.
“I happen to be an elected public official who frequently asks questions, and chooses to exercise that God given Right from time to time.”
Below is a text of the entire letter from the legislative delegation:
“The Cape & Islands delegation of Massachusetts state senators and representatives is a group of eight individuals of varied backgrounds, experiences, ages, and political perspectives. 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. Recognizing that Ronald Beaty engages in this boorish behavior to elicit reactions for his own amusement, we would prefer to simply ignore this latest example of his tone deaf rhetoric and have the press and social media do the same. However, our silence could be interpreted to imply indifference and that would be a gross misinterpretation of how we feel about the situation. Instead, we defend our colleagues who were attacked and encourage Mr. Beaty to stop besmirching the reputation of everyone in county government, both elected and appointed, by resigning his office immediately. Enough is enough.”
It was signed by Plymouth/Barnstable State Senator Vinny deMacedo (R), Brewster State Representative Tim Whelan (R), Centerville State Representative Will Crocker (R), Falmouth State Representative David Vieira (R), Barnstable/Dukes Nantucket State Representative Dylan Fernandes (D), and Sandwich State Representative Randy Hunt (R).
County Commissioner Rob Beaty submitted the following response to the CapeCod.com NewsCenter.
“Regarding a rumored letter calling for my resignation recently issued by the Cape Cod legislative delegation, said Cape Cod Legislative Delegation did not put me into office as a Barnstable County Commissioner, the voters of Cape Cod did.
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.
Once again, I reiterate that in this country, we have something called the United States Constitution, which includes our First Amendment Right to Freedom of Speech!
I happen to be an elected public official who frequently asks questions, and chooses to exercise that God given Right from time to time.
Moreover, in speaking my mind, I am not politically correct and hope others will speak their minds in an equally candid fashion as as well.
Since I have done nothing wrong, then I have absolutely nothing to apologize for, and most assuredly will not consider resigning from my position as Barnstable County Commissioner!
Thank you.
Ron Beaty”
Beaty is no stranger to creating controversy. In the past, he has criticized the #MeToo movement, called for the killing of sharks and mocked fellow Republican Gov. Charlie Baker for not being conservative enough.
And he was active on Twitter early Wednesday morning, commenting on whether it’s an American’s duty to question authority, First Amendment rights and asking people whether or not they had God in their life.
Beaty has a prior criminal record, serving time in federal prison for threatening to kill politicians in the 1990’s.
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