The Budget Is Not The Problem

To the Editor,

We have been reading with interest all the letters about the budget. However, the budget is not the problem. Actually, two letters in the past weeks alluded to the problem. The problem lies with the person/people in charge of approving all the residential building without any foresight to the impact on town resources. There seems to be a lack of checks and balances in place to monitor the normal growth of Newtown and the amount of new development it can handle.

The problem is poor planning and lack of foresight, which has resulted in overcrowded schools, lack of town parks/ball fields, and a skyrocketing budget. We seem to have people on our legislative boards and in our town offices that cannot see past “the here and now” and have no interest in preserving the future of Newtown. And no one seems to be held accountable. Increasing the budget and our taxes is not going to fix the problem; it’s just a Band-Aid solution for the moment. There needs to be a cap on residential development and more emphasis on bringing new commercial business into town to help offset increasing taxes.

Respectfully yours,

Dan & Karen Pierce

11 Nettleton Avenue, Newtown                                  May 1, 2000