A New Zealand mayor has seen a surge in support after his savage response to a persistent conspiracy theory constituent who had been directing threats at council staff for years.
In an email exchange last year, the mayor of the Thames-Coromandel district on New Zealand’s North Island, Len Salt, concluded his message with a heartfelt suggestion to the individual: “Fuck you.”
The correspondence originated from the conspiracy theorist, accusing Salt and the council of engaging in “extremely illegal actions,” portraying them as a “fictitious entity” with the “intent to coerce, deceive and enslave” the individual and others.
Salt told local media he viewed the request for private information about staff members as an alarming escalation of ongoing threats.
Len Salt made a heartfelt suggestion to a constituent. Mayor Len Salt/Facebook
Describing the individual as part of the sovereign citizen movement, a group that rejects government laws and regulations, Salt expressed concern about the growing hostility faced by council members and staff.
“This is happening on multiple levels. Social media, emails, face-to-face contact at customer service desks, at council and community board meetings, at public information sessions hosted by council staff, on the streets and in supermarkets,” he said.
Following the public disclosure of the email chain, initially brought to light on social media by a political rival of Salt, the mayor said the majority of responses supported his candor.
He claims to have received endorsements from other mayors, elected members, residents and taxpayers across the country.
“I have received a lot of positive responses, including from many mayors and elected members, past and present, as well as residents and taxpayers across the country,” he told AAP.
Salt is the mayor of the Thames-Coromandel district on the North Island of New Zealand. nazar_ab
“The real problem is not that a mayor dropped an F-bomb, but the amount of aggression that council staff and elected members are subjected to on a daily basis.
“So let’s move the discussion to how we can counter that behavior and build stronger, kinder, more tolerant and more collaborative communities.
“I promise to stop swearing if we can all make that happen.”
He added that local governments in New Zealand had recently been forced to take various security measures, such as calling the police or providing panic alarms to councillors.
“I was surprised to see that even places like the local (conservation) office had bulletproof glass,” Salt said.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn