The Bristol woman who kicked off the pink shirt controversy, Regina von Gootkin, said she's glad she "started a great debate."
Von Gootkin, who wrote a letter last Friday castigating Mayor Art Ward's refusal to let firefighters wear pink t-shirts once a week to raise awareness about breast cancer, said that if nothing else the escalating media attention is shining a spotlight on the disease.
"It is bringing awareness to this very serious issue," she said tonight.
Von Gootkin said, though, she is concerned that Ward is trying to portray this as a management problem rather than "a political issue" caused solely by his dislike of the fire department.
"It's clearly a political vendetta" by Ward, she said, adding that "the fact that he can use his power like this is atrocious.
She said he is basically acting like "a dictator."
Von Gootkin said she hopes Bristol voters won't forget the mayor's politicization of breast cancer when next year's municipal election rolls around.
"I hope they vote him right out of office," von Gootkin said.
Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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