Speak Up For Education

To the Editor:

Over the past few months, I have listened to board members, other elected officials, and town employees talk about the school budget, and how we need to be economically minded when deciding what bottom line amount to send to the voters. I must say, however, how appalled I am at the way, overall, many of these people have worked to undermine each other and attempt to “fix the past” by continuously second guessing the efforts laid out. Countless times, statements such as “we [BOF] warned you [BOE] that this situation would happen and you did nothing to prepare for it” have been used. It is clear that some board and council members have formed personal and mini-group agendas that impede the decisionmaking process.

Now the elected officials are faced with a very difficult challenge: what budget amount should be sent to the voters? But wait, before we can vote, a budget amount has to be approved by the council. What level will be approved? At the Education Subcommittee meeting on 3/29/10, with less than ten minutes of discussion, Chris LaRocque proposed a motion (that was later approved) to recommend to the rest of the council to move ahead with the BOF’s recommended $2.5 million reduced budget.

How can that be when the LC has received over 140 requests to reinstate all or part of the $2.5 million? Some LC members said that they have also received phone calls (how many was not documented) requesting no increase at all, but obviously these LC members are putting more weight on an untracked number of phone calls versus a definitive number of emails in favor of reinstating all or part of the money (these were submitted for the record by Kevin Fitzgerald). Isn’t it the elected officials’ responsibility to listen to all of the requests and especially act on the majority? Isn’t it the taxpayers’ right to vote on a budget amount that reflects the majority and determine what they, as individuals, can and cannot afford? Apparently not this year.

I call upon all of the people of Newtown — whatever your budget point of view — to voice a request to allow the taxpayers to vote on a budget amount that reflects the majority’s point of view. My recommendation is an amount before any reductions or at least a partially reinstated amount (i.e., the balance of the dollars after the “commodities”/”infrastructure” savings of about $1.2 million) so that the integrity of our education system’s core curriculum is not jeopardized. It is a shame that the kids are the ones who have to suffer for the hidden agendas of some of the elected officials.

We are lucky to live in a town that allows the citizens to have an impact on the final decision of the budget. Embrace that right. Use it and make your self heard. And don’t complain that you don’t like the outcome if you did nothing to prevent it.

Thank you,

Kinga Walsh

21 Horseshoe Ridge Road, Sandy Hook                     March 30, 2010