Two Separate Missions In DC—

Officials Hope To Bring Local Priorities To The National Agenda

By John Voket

Like two ships that passed in the night, First Selectman Herb Rosenthal and Newtown PTA Council Chair Sarah Beier both found themselves in Washington, D.C., around the same time earlier this month, but the two local officials never had the opportunity to cross paths.

Mr Rosenthal was in the nation’s capital in his capacity as president of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities attending the National League of Cities annual conference there, while Ms Beier was invited as one of two state PTA Council representatives to gain a better understanding of how the National PTA Council supports initiatives and lobbying processes for its state and local members across the country.

While the two Newtown officials made their way around the Beltway, they had an opportunity to bring some grassroots perspective to the top-down initiatives that begin in Washington, but end up affecting individual taxpayers and schools throughout Connecticut and locally.

“Our statewide VP of legislation for the Connecticut PTA Council knew I was interested in legislative issues and training, so she asked me to attend,” Ms Beier said during a posttrip interview. “The state council wanted me to create a stronger link between Newtown and our collective state and national advocacy for education and community issues.”

Ms Beier believes that in order for Newtown to enjoy greater benefits in its education arena, the individual PTA members need to both better understand the way legislation is administered at the top, and to feel a sense of ownership and influence on federal initiatives here at home.

“I think it is a missing link in our work at the local level,” Ms Beier said.

During her Washington visit, the local PTA Council chair discussed basic concepts that included the importance of parent involvement, working with and as volunteers in the classroom, being available to join children at home for a good dinner, and helping with homework.

“It’s also so critical that parents get involved voting — getting responsive at the local, state, and federal levels,” she said. “I saw firsthand the trickledown effect on local boards of education budgets because of cuts that go from federal, to state, to local budgets. The only way to make a difference is with a unified voice, supporting increased or maintaining funding. We’re at the point where schools are putting Band-Aids on broken bones.”

In addition to issues of advocacy, Ms Beier participated in discussions related to the importance of physical fitness and physical education in terms of addressing the national epidemic of childhood obesity and improving children’s overall health.

“Our group has already successfully lobbied to get the USDA to change nutritional guidelines,” she said. “But we’re fighting an uphill battle.”

Taking the fight to Capitol Hill literally, Ms Beier participated there during one of two days of intensive training.

“I attended a workshop on the federal budget process, and learned how to bring effective advocacy on behalf of state and community members,” she said. “I also participated in a media roundtable on local wellness policies.”

Above all, Ms Beier said she was impressed with the incredible diversity the PTA Councils drew to Washington.

“We have 56,000 dues-paying PTA members right here in Connecticut, and more than six million nationwide” she said. “And the group is so diverse, a real chorus of voices focusing on educational issues.”

The trip infused the local PTA leader with a desire to inspire Newtown PTAs to rise above getting mired in a “pattern of fundraising.”

“Somewhere along the way, so many PTAs lose touch with the roots of what the PTA movement is all about,” Ms Beier said. “We can’t afford to let ourselves be satisfied being just a bunch of moms planning cookie sales. We need to reevaluate our strengths and create a much bigger impact.”

Fighting Budget Cuts

While the DC junket was a first for Ms Beier, it was one of several visits the first selectman has made during his tenure here, and as a member and current leader for the CCM. Besides attending several speeches and workshops, Mr Rosenthal had the opportunity to make contact with all but one of the Connecticut Congressional delegation.

Ironically, Mr Rosenthal noted, it was Newtown’s Congressional Representative Nancy Johnson who was conspicuously absent from the meeting that was otherwise attended by Christopher Shays, Rosa DeLauro, John Larson, and Rob Simmons. The meeting was also attended by Senators Christopher Dodd and Joseph Lieberman.

“It was to a great extent, like preaching to the choir,” Mr Rosenthal said of the delegation gathering. “It was actually Congressman Shays who is fighting to restore Community Development Block Grants.”

The first selectman said President Bush’s current budget cut funds by more than 25 percent to programs in Newtown that enhance benefits for the elderly and handicapped, as well as for low- and moderate-income residents. He said recent Block Grants had helped fund the extension of a town water line to the Meadowbrook Mobile Home Park when the neighborhood was having serious issues tapping wells, and another grant helped fund handicapped access and a new elevator in Edmond Town Hall.

Mr Rosenthal also took the opportunity to ask the delegation to fight for increased IDEA school funds to help offset underfunding of special education programs at the state level.

“The original legislation going back to 1975 promised to fund up to 40 percent of special ed programs, but as far as I can recall, that level never got to more than 20 percent,” Mr Rosenthal said.

During his Washington trip, the first selectman took advantage of attending a talk by First Lady Laura Bush on early childhood education.

“She talked a lot about reading to children, and the importance of preschool and after-school programs. Mrs Bush was really quite charming,” Mr Rosenthal observed.

He also attended a talk on water issues and the dwindling available of drinking water and water pollution control funds.

“In the next 20 years, our country will need to develop a half-trillion dollars to bring water and sewer infrastructure up to standard,” Mr Rosenthal said.

The first selectman rubbed elbows with Colorado Senator Ken Salazar during a talk on energy policies, which also featured Ohio Senator George Voinovich.

“It was interesting hearing about what we need to do as a country to sustain our future energy needs,” Mr Rosenthal said. “In looking at alternate energy, I didn’t realize that while 80 percent of the world’s petroleum supplies are in the Mideast, the United States has 80 percent of the world’s coal. And development of clean-coal initiatives, as well as things like biodiesel and crop-based fuel sources is pretty interesting.”

He said it was particularly important in relation to the burdens local and state taxpayers are facing in helping to pay for rising municipal energy costs.

Mr Rosenthal attended other talks with Senator Kent Conrad on the federal budget process, Homeland Security Chief Michael Chartoff and David Gergen, who served as a political aid to Presidents Regan, George H.W. Bush. and Clinton.

“Mr Gergen talked about a unique initiative to bring top notch students into inner-city school systems to teach for several years before they move into the workforce pursuing jobs in their field of study,” Mr Rosenthal said.