Voting Is Essential

To the Editor:

According to a study published by Carleton Kendruck EdM, LCSW, the United States ranks 35th in voter turnout when compared to the world’s prominent democracies. This statistic would make our founders shudder.

Newtown, however, is turning things around. According to demographics regarding voter turnout in the region, voter turnout in the 2005 Newtown election was 23.9 percent. In 2007, the same year IPN entered the political arena, Newtown voter turnout was 39.7 percent. Then, in 2008’s Presidential Election, Newtown received the Democracy Cup from Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz for a voter turnout of 88.97 percent!

In 2009, we do not face a national election of the historic proportions of 2008; yet, this election has strong ramifications for our community and continued strong voter turnout is critical to our growth socially and economically.

According to the 2008 Comprehensive Survey of Newtown Residents by the Paul Lundquist Group: “The top problem facing Newtown is the public’s perception that the town government lacks a clear vision for the future (76 percent rate as “a most urgent/major problem” for Newtown). Many residents find the town government’s structure very complicated, and can’t figure out who’s responsible for what (65 percent).”

This finding verifies the need for IPN’s ACT platform (www.ipn2009.org/our-act-pledge) developed in 2007 by co-founders Gary Davis, Po Murray, and a group of like-minded individuals of varied political backgrounds, that addresses concerns regarding accountability, a system of checks and balances, and transparency that would help us all better understand and monitor the inner workings of our local government.

You said it yourselves in the survey: “In a small town like Newtown, it’s irrelevant whether our elected officials are Republican or Democrat; as long as they have the best interest of our town in mind (87 percent agree strongly or agree).”

And that holds true as we include a third party, the IPN on our list of candidates up for election this year.

Whether Democrat, Republican, Independent, or Unaffiliated, your vote is essential.

Bring a friend, bring your significant other, bring your children, but most of all, let your voice be heard.

Vote!

Respectfully,

Karen C. Pierce

IPN Candidate for

Board of Managers

 Edmond Town Hall

10 Chestnut Hill, Sandy Hook                            September 29, 2009