Fuzzy Math

To the Editor:

What’s the phrase; fuzzy math?

I find in incredulous that this would not only be suggested but actually be put to print

To lessen the load on the Board of Education, council member Patricia Llodra proposed that the town bond $342,000 of the $542,000 in the education budget earmarked to pay for updating computers at some schools from PCs to Macs. This way the Board of Education would only need to reduce its budget by $200,000.

Step right up for The Newtown Shuffle... get out your pencils! Slide $342,000 from pocket “A” to pocket “B” and we’ll call it a reduction You folks really didn’t expect us to swallow that one did ya?

The budget has only been reduced $350,000. Should the extra $58k from the state be considered part of the reduction? Debatable perhaps. Last time I checked, a bond is a debt and as such, part of the budget. We sure do have lots of bonds. Budget increase is actually ten-plus percent. Somehow the mega millions in bonding is hushed up at budget time.

So, the reduction was built on deception once again. Deception breeds distrust. So, now factor in another cost of a referendum, because our town officials like to play three-card Monty...Shhhh, maybe the taxpayers won’t know the difference.                    

                                                             Sam Mihailoff

54 Lakeview Terrace, Sandy Hook                                April 30, 2007