The Secret Is Out!

By MELISSA MASON

Published: May 30, 2001 12:00 am

The Secret Is Out!

To the Editor:

From the first time a year ago when our First Selectman Herbert Rosenthal entered into negotiations to buy Fairfield Hills for Newtown, people all over town wanted to know what was happening. When the question was asked, the answer always came back that Herb couldnât disclose any information as it would give away his negotiating position.

Then later in the fall of last year when Herb was fighting with the Legislative Council over who was in charge of taking the credit for Fairfield Hills, they would go into âexecutive sessionâ so we, the little people, couldnât hear what they were arguing about. More secrets from us the taxpayers.

Now we have the big meeting last week and Herb and the council are all happy about buying Fairfield Hills for $3.9 million. There in the audience is Mr Richard Nuclo, the State of Connecticut negotiator who came to answer any questions from the council members.

Gee, someone asked a âgoodâ question. It was, what would happen if the Newtown voters decided that they didnât want to give Herb a blank check for $21 million based on nothing more than the equivalent of some numbers scratched on the back of a paper napkin.

That we, the little people of Newtown, would really like to see a plausible, fully developed, debated and approved plan of development for Fairfield Hills. Something which we could vote in favor of, before Herb goes out and spends our heard earned $21 million in tax money on wrecking half of those nice old buildings. I feel we the people have the right to know where our money is going. Just like Humpty Dumpty, once you knock them down, it will be too late to discover we could have found a good use for them.

Meanwhile, Mr Nuclo also said that he tried and tried to find any State of Connecticut department head, agency, commission, bureau, anybody in state government who would want to take over Fairfield Hills for free, just in case Newtown didnât want to buy it. And guess what? Nobody wanted it!

I thought hard about all the secret negotiations and now I have finally figured it out.

The state wanted to give Newtown the property for nothing and Herb refused the gift! This way he could ask for $21 million when he only needs $3.9 million. All this, just to test the intelligence of Newtownâs taxpayers.

Herb really knows how to make us feel good about giving him our trust and greater responsibility.

Christine Jawoisz Wheway

34 Underhill Road, Sandy HookÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â May 30, 2001

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The editorial took no position on the budget going up or down so you're reading things into the editorial that simply aren't there. The turnout is tied to the lack of passage, in that people who came out to vote last time did not this time, indicating a lack of support on their part. Perhaps it wasn't spelled out clearly enough, but that's what the editorial was driving at, people showing lack of support by not casting a vote. The editorial did address likely concerns among voters that may have led to lack of support and lack of turnout. This lower turnout also follows increasing turnout over the past four referendums in three years (meaning it is an aberration from that), and increased turnout is something that I do push for regularly in editorials. Any disappointment you might be seeing is at the break in that trend, not at whether the budget passed or not. I'd rather see more people come out and vote "no" then not vote at all.

Lower Turnout Results In Two Budget Defeats

Clearly, property owners no longer want to bear the burden of expenses while the state does not meet it’s responsibilities. Rising costs must be addressed by actions that do not include yearly increases of property owners’ taxes. The state of CT must meet its share of the educational costs, and other costs.

Town And School Budgets Fail At Referendum

This feels like an oddly misleading headline and narrative, particularly coming from the Editorial Board. The headline "Lower Turnout Results in Two Budget Defeats" pushes a misleading narrative regarding voter turnout, and then seeks to tie the outcome of the referendum to that misleading narrative. Sure, voter turn out for this year's referendum, 18%, was lower than last year's. However, last year's turnout, 25.4%, represented the highest turnout in the most recent 10 budget referendums. If you take the time to examine turnout percentages between 2017 and 2026 (2017: 19.9, 2018: 15.7, 2019: 17, 2020: 0, 2021: 8.98, 2022: 7.7, 2023: 8.8, 2024: 15.1/17.49, 2025: 25.4, 2026: 18), this year's turnout was actually the third highest in the past 10 cycles. Perhaps the headline of this article should say "Lower Voter Turnout Than Last Year", which is more accurate, rather than creating an impression that this year's turnout is some type of aberration - a narrative that the turnout numbers, in all their binary glory, simply do not support. Further, the headline of this article appears to tie the "lower turnout" to the defeated budgets. Sure, that could be true. But, perhaps, its more likely that Newtown residents are feeling the squeeze of multiple economic influences. In Newtown, we've experienced property revaluations and increased municipal spending. Eversource continues to raise rates. The state legislature gives PURA the authority to impose Public Benefit charges that benefit a tiny percentage of the public (and subsequently burdening the rest of us). At the national level, inflation has run rampant for years and many of those costs remain high to this day. In short, the data tells a far less dramatic—and far more honest—story than the headline suggests. This wasn’t an electorate vanishing in apathy; it was a fairly typical turnout delivering an verdict that, perhaps, some at the Editorial Board didn't like. At some point, it’s worth considering that residents aren’t confused, disengaged, or misled by turnout; they’re simply doing math at their kitchen tables and concluding that “no” is the only responsible answer left.

Enjoyed the forum which only confirmed my support for Brandon Moore as the Democratic candidate to run for the state representative position. Brandon Moore did not waiver about his duty to all the people, if elected, when an issue presents itself that requires that he voice a difference of opinion for the wellbeing of Newtown residents. If Michelle Ku’s 16 years have led to her loyalty being to other elected officials, as she implied, then Newtown is going to continue to witness actions that do not protect its residents. She could not unseat republican, Mitch Bolinsky, during a Blue Wave, and once again, will not do it now. Winning that seat is critical for all. That explains why her previous campaign committee now campaigns for Brandon Moore. It explains all the endorsements he has received from local elected democratic officials. It’s why we need Brandon Moore to be the democratic candidate to run for state representative.

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Appreciated the opportunity to hear from both candidates as we were present for the College Dems forum but only heard from Brandon Moore. It was an opportunity to see who can unseat the Republican incumbent and there is no doubt that Brandon Moore should be the Democratic candidate. One concerned parent posed a question about discrimination unaddressed by the school district and interestingly enough, Michelle Ku, who proudly speaks of her Board membership years, said little, while Brandon Moore passionately addressed the issue along with his experience as an Apache Helicopter Commander. This family is supporting Brandon Moore. We need change and someone who is not afraid to disagree, especially about the rising costs of living in Newtown.

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The Secret Is Out!

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