Your Vote Is Your Only Defense

To the Editor:

It pleases me that there is now two or three people in Newtown that are willing to question the Board of Education (BOE). It is the opening of a Pandora’s Box.

The House in Hartford is controlled by the democrats who allow the BOE a free hand. (They supposedly practice social equality.) They allow the BOE to do whatever they wish and say whatever they want without any accountability. Information is scarce and difficult to come by. The reason is Binding Arbitration. There are very few selectman who are willing to challenge this ruling especially ours. People continue to be intimidated by the BOE and vote yes on huge budgets. How would you like to vote on the BOE and town budget separately? There is no accountability to the taxpayer. No proof that teachers are getting a 2¼ percent raise this year, since its always around 4 percent. Your standard of living continues to erode while theirs continues to increase. Seniors and veterans are completely ignored.

Your vote is your only defense for two referendums and then the inevitable town meeting, which is an insult to Newtown’s intelligence. We are now in the beginning phase of corruption scandals in Connecticut. Hopefully Newtown is clean.

Paul J. Fortugno

44 Philo Curtis Road, Sandy Hook                          February 2, 2004