Newtown Needs A Better Flow Of Facts

To the Editor:

I thought we lived in the “information age.” Why, then, is it so hard to get information in this town?

I have joined the ranks of “concerned citizens” this year. Besides the lack of accountability for excessive residential development, our town also has a lack of accountability in providing accessible town budget information.

I have had great difficulty in obtaining a copy of the detailed town budget proposal, since it has not been available on the web nor at our library. Only after this was brought to the attention of our selectman did a proposed town budget summary miraculously appear on the town website April 2 (albeit unintelligible due to the size of print). I am saddened and angered that information is so closely guarded in this town. But then again, information is power, isn’t it? Citizens are literally begging for funding for our schools, our library, and our police yet access to detailed accounts of town spending continue to be top secret. Should it be so difficult to participate in our local government?

I am also disappointed and discouraged by the coverage of the budget process in The Bee. Important details are omitted or occasionally wrong. I have wondered if the meeting I attended was the same as the one being reported on. Instead of encouraging participation in the budget process and the exchange of important facts, I think that readers are left with a sense of foreboding regarding the passing of the budget.

I also struggle with the anonymity that The Bee condones in the unsigned front page Editorial Inkdrops and the Town Talk area of the website. This anonymity perpetuates the lack of open discourse, and thus trust, in this town. These are among the few, and thus powerful, avenues for communication in our growing town, yet Editorial Inkdrops seems written to the few in our town that are in the know. I am likewise puzzled that The Bee would encourage the exchange of misinformation, hostility, and the occasional infantile remark that are the hallmarks of their website. What service is being provided here?

Informing readers of how to get involved, how and when to vote (including absentee information), and personal interviews with the selectman and superintendent would be a welcome stroke of the pen. Given the critical juncture we face these days, I would like to see The Bee rise to this opportunity. If one regularly reads the paper, it would be nice if that person could consider him/herself informed. That is not currently the case.

I do recognize that some of these experiences I am complaining about are partially my and our own fault. Apathy in Newtown has brought us way down. It has been years since citizens looked at budgets, attended public hearings, or had strong showings at the polls on any issue. The times, though, they are a-changin’, and we need a strong and accessible flow of facts from our town officials and reporters. In return, citizens can rise to a higher and more active level. I believe we are all up to the task...let’s turn apathy into action! Oh, and one last thing: please remember to vote!

Respectfully submitted,

Sarah M. Beier

7 Yogananda Street, Sandy Hook                                  April 6, 2004