Spend Our Scarce Dollars Wisely

To the Editor:

A lot has been written on the deer debate in The Bee recently. Much has been going on behind the scenes at the meetings of the Tick-Borne Disease Action Committee (TBDAC). The TBDAC has been appointed by the town to provide well researched, unbiased, effective suggestions to combat Lyme disease. Is this committee in fact conducting itself towards achieving those goals?

The TBDAC has invested a good deal of time investigating the merits of a town-sanctioned deer cull. How much time are they devoting to the study of nonlethal solutions? We have heard from several experts that a direct correlation between deer reduction and decreased rates of disease cannot be drawn. Moreover, the TBDAC recently heard from speaker Dr Anthony DeNicola that a deer cull would cost the town hundreds of thousands of dollars and would need to be repeated annually. He went on to say that it would be unlikely for the town to get down to the desired ten deer per square mile threshold.

So, if there is no data to support the effectiveness of a deer cull in fighting Lyme disease and other towns are spending small fortunes pursuing this elusive goal, why are we barking up this tree? Who will get shortchanged to pay for this; our schools, our seniors, our town services?

With record unemployment and foreclosures, is this really the best use of our town resources? I think not.

The TBDAC has a responsibility to produce well-researched, proven methods, not recommendations that will appease a small special interest group. As educated, taxpaying citizens, we expect nothing less.

Jodi Bialik

Briarwood Lane, Newtown                                         February 3, 2010