Some Debate

To the Editor:

The great public budget “debate” of 2010 appears to be over. The Legislative Council placed their rubber stamp on a finance board recommended budget on April 7. Some debate. The dictionary defines debate as: “To consider something; deliberate. To engage in argument by discussing opposing points.”

After attending the Board of Finance meetings and Legislative Council, I can assure you there was no debate. Speaker after speaker voiced their opinion in a matter as one-sided as the current UConn Women’s basketball streak. And it changed nothing. No matter how eloquent the speaker, no matter how rational the argument for restoring the money to the school board budget, the decision was made to take the recommendation of the Board of Finance over the Board of Education. Indeed, the lone voice on Wednesday night for keeping the $2.5 million reductions in the School Board Budget argued that because he “hasn’t had a raise in three years no one else should.” Maybe the Legislative Council is in agreement with that kind of thinking. Indeed, even though the Newtown school system is blessed with many extraordinary teachers why should they be rewarded for a job well done? Never mind that they have had no pay increase this year — let’s take some of their teaching tools away. So much for the great capitalistic society preached by the Republican Party. Apparently this message of Socialism (If I can’t have a raise, neither can you) will be the new platform for the Republican Party in Newtown, which has its tight-fisted grip around the town’s throat.

Apparently, the elected officials do have a sense of entitlement. They were elected by a majority of voters who chose to go to the polls in the last election. But I found it very disturbing that some other elected officials felt the need to speak publicly on Wednesday night, questioning the inequalities with cuts in the respective budgets. I left the meeting concerned that somehow our First Selectman, Pat Llodra, may have deceived the public with regard to the “miniscule” $58,000 increase in the town budget she has been championing. Maybe this was done with “smoke and mirrors?”

After reading the comments of Mrs Llodra in The Bee she appears to be attempting to convince voters that “status quo” is okay as long as it’s the side with which you agree. I do agree wholeheartedly with one of her statements: “If they don’t do their job, the voters get to make a decision to replace them on Election Day.”

Well said, Pat.

So where does leave this voter? Well I can either vote for a budget I do not agree with, or vote against it, which will certainly result in further cuts.

Some choice

If there is a “Silent Majority” of voters out there that is vehemently opposed to any school budget increase maybe we’ll hear from them next time. Then it would really be a debate.

Mark Mockovak

3 Nelson Lane, Newtown                                                   April 9, 2010