To the editor:

I, for one am dismayed, and distraught that civic volunteers are being labeled “cronies.”

I went to my old Webster’s Dictionary to look up the word crony and found the following, 1.) crony, a close friendship, especially of long standing; 2.) cronyism — partiality to cronies, especially as evidenced in the appointment of political hangers on without regard to their qualifications.

Mr. Anthony, I don’t think I would bestow that label on any Crestwood resident, whether that person was appointed by this administration or any previous administration. I am certainly not aware of Mayor Robinson appointing any of his longtime friends to any board or commission. Nor am I aware of any political hangers on or unqualified appointment’s to any board or commission.

It would appear that you have insulted the entire community of Crestwood in that you have accused every mayor, Board of Alderman and city employee of “cronyism” for appointing anyone to anything.

Now you can do that if you wish, but I would hope you would work with all of us to find a better way. After all, the city of Crestwood is part of the reason your paper exists. Look at it this way, there is no room in Crestwood now for divisiveness. We all need to work together to ensure that the Crestwood community will be here for our children and grand children.

For my part, I will not look to the past, as it’s a bit to late for that. We are in interesting times here in Crestwood and we need to all band behind our mayor, Board of Aldermen, committees and whomever else will provide the answers we need to guarantee success.

I, for one, hope, and pray that your paper will be a voice for fiscal responsibility in Crestwood, and not take on the mantra of divisive politics, as we have enough of that on a national level.

Thomas C. Ford

Crestwood

Editor’s note: Mr. Ford is listed as a member of Crestwood Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility in a handout distributed at the July 12 Crestwood Board of Aldermen meeting by the citizens’ group. In addition, Mr. Ford recently was appointed to Crest-wood’s Planning and Zoning Commission by Mayor Roy Robinson.