Letters of

Endorsement

To the Editor:

To a few people the issue of this coming election is question of what comes first, the chicken or the egg. The people for the chicken cry to have the last revised revision of the second revised revision, revised — then scrapped. The people for the egg promote progress, not continued circuitous revisionism. Of course I’m talking about Fairfield Hills. Herb Rosenthal, Joe Bojnowski (and Bill Brimmer) assert that the egg comes first, that is in order to secure a financial base for Fairfield Hills the town hall needs to go forward. Since the bonding and approval, commercial development has not only seen the interest of businesses like Danbury Hospital but Pete D’Amico has commenced plans for development of an indoor sports complex that will include an indoor track, multiple basketball courts, tennis courts, and a turf field for soccer and lacrosse. Without the new municipal offices it wouldn’t be happening.

Others think that the chicken should go first, that is Fairfield Hills money should be diverted to more school spending above the $63 million annual budget and above the school’s 75 percent of all capital spending the town is obligated for already. They feel Fairfield Hills can then be addressed later after more spending.

Herb Rosenthal and Joe Bojnowski strongly support education. Mr Rosenthal was on the Board of Education for more than ten years. But they recognize a town cannot be one dimensional, it should not be so discriminatory in its programs so as to shut out everyone else. Suggestions were made by the chicken supporters that the bonding should not be paid — in other words the town could default on the bonding, or call it within months after its issuance. Such suggestions are financial suicide: it would destroy our bond rating and cost the town tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars over the years. Forget future capital projects, school or town, if that were the case. Truly, this is not smart leadership! Another suggestion was to take the planned Senior Center already in the Capital Improvement Plan and set for design and divert it to the Fairfield Hills plan. Another proposed revised revision. The difficulty? It likely sets back the Senior Center program three to five years and does nothing to help support a tax base for Fairfield Hills. Thank goodness Herb and Joe stand fast and won’t let the seniors down or the Senior Center postponed. Thank goodness for that Board of Finance and Legislative Council that keeps the Senior Center in the Capital Improvement Plan, too.

Finally, it should not be missed that Herb Rosenthal and Joe Bojnowski want limited commercial development at Fairfield Hills. When all is completed and the majority of decaying buildings are razed there will be even more open space than exists now. No doubt we all want a beautiful, well-preserved Fairfield Hills. That’s why we bought it.

So, at this election, when it comes to the chicken or the egg, I’m voting for the nest egg. I’m voting for Herb and Joe.

Ross Carley

66 Currituck Road, Newtown                              September 25, 2007