Connecticut Mayor Learns That Not All Scandals Are Media-Manufactured
An immigration group sent East Haven, Conn. Mayor Joseph Maturo 500 tacos to protest his now infamous comment that he might "eat tacos" to reach out to Latinos in the community. As a refresher: A reporter asked Maturo what he'd do that very night after the FBI arrested four East Haven police for abusing and harassing Latinos, and he replied, "I might have tacos when I go home, I'm not quite sure yet." Vocal protest followed, and Maturo initially balked but eventually apologized. Not enthusiastically enough, it appears, because Reform Immigration for America, an advocacy group, asked people to text them to have a taco sent to the mayor on their behalf, reports WFSB in Connecticut, and they delivered the resulting 500 tacos to his office Thursday.
We have to say, this is a funny prank but kind of a weak protest. Did the French send Marie Antoinette 500 cakes? Okay, so they didn't have 500 cakes, and that was kind of the point. But still, no! They chopped off her head! (We're not endorsing that method.) Anyway, Maturo must have grown some good sense or hired some crisis management consultants, because he responded kind of gracefully. He had the tacos donated to soup kitchens and food pantries and issued this statement:
The events of the past few days have focused our Town, and my administration, on the need to deal sensitively and compassionately with the challenges currently facing our Town. We will continue to address those challenges while also striving to provide the services our residents have come to expect.
Given his strident resistance to apologizing in the first place, we're surprised at his sort of broken down acceptance that boxes of tacos are likely to wind up at his door for the rest of his time in office. Still, it looks like someone learned his lesson. And maybe got a free lunch, too.
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