Voters Exercise

Fiscal Responsibility

To the Editor:

Thank you voters

I just came back from the mailbox with this week’s copy of The Bee. As a retiree, the first article I looked for was the report on the vote for the high school additional funding. It was comforting to see that a rational thought process may be returning to our town. The defeat of the proposal shows that more people are realizing that as taxpayers, our money is not to be used indiscriminately to satisfy the desires of those who believe they can legislatively cram through everything they want.

As a parent of seven former Newtown High School students, I understand the desire to provide our children with every one of the creature comforts we can afford. Our children did not suffer from any lack of education, and they did not have artificial fields, tracks, a vaulted roof gymnasium, and other such luxury features that have been proposed or are incorporated into our present high school. All are productive citizens in their own communities of choice, and have not suffered from exposure to “just normal” facilities.

As a former youth coach in the various sports activities in the town, I understand a parent’s desire to provide the best facilities possible for their children to compete in. I have no argument with any parent who wants the safest environment possible for their children, I do, however, take issue with any parent who wants premium facilities because it provides the best chance for their child to “make the pros.” An interesting statistic to remember is that only one in 16,000 high school athletes who compete ever make it to professional sports.

Also, in reading the accompanying article “School Board Weighs Its Options,” I am at a loss to understand Dr Robinson’s comment about “every space in the addition corresponds with the education specifications.” Am I naïve to speculate that she used the word specification instead of requirement for a reason? In another paragraph, Joe Costa of Fletcher Thompson mentioned that the project would now have to be reduced by one-third to bring it in on budget. Either my math is faulty; as I count, one-third of $39 million is $13 million, or does he know something we don’t.

Again, I thank the voters for recognizing that in these trying times there are probably more families leaving Newtown because of the high taxes and cost of living than are moving in, and more than ever, we need to exercise fiscal responsibility.

Respectfully submitted,

Kenneth Adams

6 Arrowhead Lane, Sandy Hook October 15, 2008