Beware Of The

Fear Mongers

To the Editor:

Now that the town budget has been defeated, it is time for the fear mongers to come out of hiding and declare that a defeat of this budget means the end of our school system as we know it. First of all, let me say that I do not believe that there should be any cuts in the school budget. I have two children attending Newtown schools, and I firmly believe that the major duty of a civilized society is the education of its children.

That being said, I would like to echo the eloquent comments of Eric Steinkraus in last week’s Bee calling for a change in the way our town prepares its budget. After presenting a ridiculous budget of $96.3 million, a 6.5 percent increase, the Legislative Council has the nerve to come back to the taxpayers with a $295,000 cut in the budget. How absurd is this proposal? Imagine you child asking you for a $20 allowance on April 25 and you saying no. Then on May 9, your child comes back to you and asks for a $19.94 allowance. This is exactly the magnitude of the council’s newly proposed budget.

Now is the time for the Legislative Council to do its job, sharpen its pencils, and go line by line through the budget separating the council’s “needs” from its “wants.” We have citizens in this town on fixed budgets and with the ever-increasing price of gasoline, this is exactly what they have been forced to do.

In addition, now is also the time for our first selectman to do something about increasing revenues to our town, rather than relying on increased taxes each year. Bringing in businesses to Fairfield Hills, the former Grand Union site, and to the corner of Church Hill and Boulevard would be a great start in improving our town’s tax base.

I implore our elected officials to do the job they were hired for or to resign. With our existing budget process, there is absolutely no motivation for Newtown’s residents to come out to vote, whether they are for or against the budget. If our Legislative Council continues as it has in the past, we can expect reductions of 3/1000 each budget vote until they have beaten all of us into submission.

Phil Dinielli

9 Copper Creek Circle, Newtown                                       May 3, 2006