Significant And Needed Changes

By MARY KENNEDY

Published: Oct 30, 2001 12:00 am

To the Editor:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Charter Review Commission for their year-long, very focused, and diligent work effort. That effort produced significant recommended changes in how Newtown governs. I am not a member of the Charter Review Committee, but I did assist in circulating the successful petition to put the proposed changes on the November 6 ballot.

I will vote âyesâ for the charter revision and I enthusiastically encourage other Newtowners to do the same.

There has been much discussion about not approving the proposed chances because they will have to be implemented in 30 days after the election. If you believe these changes represent significant improvement in how Newtown is governed, then you should vote âyesâ on November 6 and approve these changes now. There are no insurmountable problems associated with implementing the approved changes in a timely fashion.

Having attended many public meetings on this subject, it is clear to me that the most controversial issue is having a finance board that functions independently from the Legislative Council. If you agree with the concept of an independent finance board, then the 30-day timing issue should not stand in your way. If approved, an interim finance board would be appointed by the newly-elected first selectman and serve until an appropriate election date can be set. This interim step is very workable because the finance board has no voting powers. The ultimate approval of appropriations is decided by the Legislative Council â just as it is now.

The second major area of concern is the creation of a single selectman, with additional executive powers, in place of the current Board of Selectmen. At present the first selectman is the only paid position â the other two selectmen serve voluntarily. The first selectman clearly absorbs the task of managing the town and its respective departments. Why not officially recognize how the town works now? Approve the proposed change and hold the incumbent responsible and accountable for managing the townâs business. The 30-day time period would not impede this transition.

The other three recommended changes â referendum vs town meeting, long-term strategic plan, and a consistent dismissal policy for employees not represented by a collective bargaining agreement â are not affected by the 30-day time limit.

The Board of Education has come out against the proposed revisions because the board will have to adjust its budget planning timetable. That is not a good reason to reject a significantly improved process to govern the town. I have seen the board in the budget process â it is an aggressive, well-prepared, well-oiled fighting machine when it comes to budget appropriations. The Board will not only survive but will continue to prosper through the proposed charter revisions.

Itâs disappointing to see the political establishment and The Bee encouraging voters to postpone these changes. There is no guarantee that these revisions will be presented again.

If you believe the charter revisions represent an improved governing process for Newtown, then vote âyesâ for their approval now! Donât let the boo-birds scare you away!

The events of September 11 have redefined the importance of liberty and freedom in our lives. Our right to vote is the very foundation for continued independence. Great sacrifices, both past and present, continue to give us that right. Please vote on November 6.

Sincerely,

Dennis Dougherty

23 Pocono Road, NewtownÂ 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 Â Â Â Â Â Â October 30, 2001

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Unfortunately, I think this is likely to get worse, not better... Based on both public comments and private conversations, I’m increasingly concerned that our newly elected First Selectman intends not just to install these cameras, but to expand their use for full-blown enforcement and fines. Try getting a straight answer out of him about the long-term plan and you quickly realize how vague the responses become. Tyler is absolutely right to raise the privacy issue. These systems don’t just “catch speeders” — they quietly build a database of where we drive, when we drive, and who is in our vehicles. Once that infrastructure is in place, it becomes very easy to justify expanding its scope: more cameras, more locations, more uses, and eventually more automated enforcement. If Newtown is going down this road, residents deserve clear, written answers to some basic questions before anything is expanded: What limits will be placed on how and where cameras are used? Will footage and plate data be used only for speed enforcement, or for other investigations too? How long will data be stored, and who can access it? What safeguards will prevent vendors and individuals from abusing this information? Without firm, enforceable rules in place, “just a few cameras to slow traffic” can turn into something very different over time. I support safe roads — but not at the cost of unchecked surveillance and vague promises from our leaders. You try getting straight answers out of our First Selectman, myself and others have not been able to...

Discusses Traffic Cameras

I had to hold back a laugh at the idea that 7:30 pm is apparently such a late-night hardship that we’re already talking about moving meetings earlier. For a lot of residents, 7:30 is the earliest they can realistically get to Town Hall after work, family obligations, and the rest of real life. Shifting BOS meetings to 7:00 might make the calendar look tidier for those in the building, but it makes participation harder for the people who pay for the building. If the new First Selectman’s week is already booked solid and evening meetings feel like a strain, that’s not a reason to move the goalposts on public access—it's a reminder that the job is supposed to be demanding. Public service means accommodating the public, even when it’s inconvenient.

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Real people were just in a frightening car accident. To immediately frame their misfortune as rhetorical ammunition against new housing — affordable housing included — feels less like concern for “health and safety” and more like opportunistically using a scary moment to support a pre-existing position. If we’re going to debate this proposal, we should do it honestly: with data on traffic volume, accident history, engineering recommendations, and the town’s housing needs, not by seizing on a single crash as proof that 300 apartments are inherently unsafe. Newtown deserves a thoughtful, fact-based conversation about growth, safety, and affordability — one that doesn’t turn other people’s bad day into a political talking point.

How Many Accidents Will It Take?

To add context that did not occur at the meeting would not be an accurate representation of the meeting and would, in fact, be editorializing to shape public opinion. The editorial staff here do not consider ourselves to be final arbiters of what the truth is (and if we did, it would make us partisan and biased), and we would need to provide a source for any dissenting information (sourcing all information in an article is literally Journalism 101). There were no such sources present at the meeting in question, and so it would not be appropriate to include such information in an article about the meeting. Dissenting voices appear in meeting stories when there were active participants with dissenting opinions, such as during public participation or the words of a council member who disagreed. It should be noted that the Interfaith Council, like many local boards and commissions, conduct meetings that are open to the public. This was not an article on the actions of the Greater Danbury Area Unites for Immigrants, or on immigrants, or on ICE's actions in the community, where including other voices or perspectives would be appropriate. We appreciate your opinion, but we stand by our meeting coverage and consider this discussion closed.

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Propaganda is the systematic dissemination of information, often biased or misleading, to shape public perception and behavior toward a specific political cause or point of view. I'm not asking for Newtown Bee to editorialize, but providing context, where appropriate, to provide the reader with a more holistic view of the facts seems like a reasonable practice, particularly when encouraging the reader to decide what to believe/not to believe. Absent that context, this feels biased and misleading and intended to shape public perception.

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Significant And Needed Changes

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