How Things Change

Before Election Day

To the Editor:

In February 2007, 400 concerned Newtown citizens attended a Legislative Council meeting to protest expending millions of dollars to construct a new town hall at Fairfield Hills rather than on more pressing community priorities, like our deteriorating schools and recreational infrastructure.

At that meeting, the Legislative Council, with the exception of Joe Borst, currently running for first selectman, and Keith Jacobs, threw up its collective hands and said it could do nothing. Our current first selectman, Herb Rosenthal, downplayed the reaction from the crowd, and stated that he would build this new town hall even if it cost him the election.

Our request for answers, in the form of a series of 81 questions, went unanswered. Our proposals to accelerate school repairs and focus the Fairfield Hills bond money on recreation rather than a town hall fell on deaf ears.

How things change a few weeks away from Election Day.

The Rosenthal-appointed Fairfield Hills Authority suddenly has the approval of recreational facilities on warp speed, rushing through the generous proposal by Peter D’Amico, who at his own expense is constructing a new athletic facility, the Newtown Youth Academy. This is similar to a project Mr D’Amico first offered to undertake in our community in 2003. Why now? You guessed it.

Ironically, we will likely see the academy break ground before the new town hall. Expect to hear all about it before the voters go to the polls in November!

Don’t be fooled by this election-year window dressing. The bottom line is that Mr Rosenthal and his Fairfield Hills Authority have squandered our $21 million for Fairfield Hills. Under their leadership, that money gets us a new town hall few want, a baseball field without lights, some nature trails, and a few demolished buildings — not the bang for the dollar most of us expected. Our Legislative Council, led by Will Rodgers, has done nothing about it.

You will hear about other wonderful plans for Fairfield Hills before November 6, such as a new pool and multipurpose community center. There may be talk of more playing fields, which we direly need. Our $21 million bond issue will pay for none of these. We will need a new bond issue to pay for them.

The candidates of the Independent Party of Newtown are dedicated to creating an ongoing long-range planning process, making fixing our schools and upgrading our recreational facilities a top priority, and making town government more accountable to the people, both in the way it spends our money and in the way it communicates with its citizens. No sleight of hand, just hard work and a deep, abiding respect for taxpayer dollars.

To learn about the IPN Declaration of Independents and our candidates, please visit independentpartyofnewtown.com. Newtown voters do have a choice in this election.

Gary Davis

Candidate, Legislative Council, District 2

Independent Party of Newtown

Charter Ridge Drive, Sandy Hook                        September 19, 2007