Join The Uphill Battle

To the Editor:

I would like to congratulate every candidate elected to office on Election Day. Kudos to Newtown Republicans who came out in force to elect their candidates on the ballot. All other candidates deserve a big thank you for participating in the democratic process. It was extremely rewarding to see candidates from all parties working harder to earn a seat in town government.

It was an honor to work with the Independent Party of Newtown to participate in a historic election where a two-year-old minor party was able to successfully elect eight additional IPN candidates to Newtown government (surpassing the Democratic Party). We now have a total of ten representatives who will serve Newtown well. I am confident that these ten IPN-elected town officials will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that town government is more accountable to its people, create a better system of checks and balances, and work to improve transparency. The IPN-elected officials may not have the majority vote on the Board of Selectmen or the Legislative Council to make the sea change many of us desire, however, they will fight hard to be true to our platform.

I am deeply saddened that Ben Roberts and Bill McNerney were not elected due to the Republican and Democratic Board of Finance candidates being on the ballot twice to receive both the Republican and Democratic party-line votes. It was an uphill battle worth fighting to challenge this board for the first time ever.

I am hoping that the non-IPN elected officials will work collaboratively with the IPN-elected officials to fulfill the campaign promises made to Newtown voters to create a long-term plan for our growing community, to reassess the Fairfield Hills Master Plan, to improve communication and to honor the desire of the community to see value for the money invested in our hard-earned tax dollars.

I would like to thank Bruce Walczak, IPN candidate for first selectman and IPN chairman, for being brave enough to take on the challenge of leading the IPN campaign. Despite what was written, Bruce has no trouble building consensus. He is a successful police commissioner and he was able to build consensus by facilitating debate and discussion among a group of concerned citizens, who were Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and unaffiliateds with varied opinions. Bruce’s commitment to Newtown is admirable.

Special thanks to every member of IPN for stepping up to make Newtown better. I have never met a more dedicated, hardworking, generous, compassionate, energetic, and intelligent group of people.

And lastly, I would like to thank each and every person who gave me the opportunity to represent you on the Legislative Council for the last two years and giving me your vote on Tuesday. It has been an amazing journey and a character-building experience.

Please join me in continuing to support the IPN-elected town leaders. They need our support to ensure that the town does not revert back to the old ways of doing business. They must fight an uphill battle without a majority vote.

Po Murray

38 Charter Ridge, Sandy Hook                            November 4, 2009