To the Editor:

The other evening I had the privilege to participate in a meeting of the Ward 17 committee where I began to have concerns about how Councillor Maureen Feeney’s privacy is being treated.

I know she is a public official and so to some extent has forfeited some of her privacy privileges to privacy, but where do we draw the line? At this meeting, someone asked her about a better paying job and her possible departure from office. The councillor has made no public statements as to what she is planning. Do we not owe her the respect after two decades of service to allow her to take the time privately to decide her wishes?

Who among us has not questioned their present job status? The councillor is in the unique position of having to evaluate hers every two years. I do not know what she is thinking, but I do know that for two decades she has raised two great kids, maintained a great family life, and never let her constituents down.

So let’s stop the whispering to co-workers, the fake stories to friends in the press, and whatever else is being thrown against the wall to see what sticks, and give Councillor Feeney the time and privacy to make her own decisions. I believe she has more than earned that opportunity. And if we are lucky, she may just decide to serve a few more years.

Michael B. Mackan
Dorchester