To the Editor:

I was surprised to read in the First Selectman’s letter in last week’s issue of The Bee titled “Responds to Rosenthal” that he says he fully supports efforts to increase participation in recycling in our community.

I believe it was the First Selectman himself that completely deleted the curbside recycling program from his budget, without any replacement to that program, when he first presented his budget to the Board of Selectmen. Michelle Embree Ku and Dan Cruson objected to completely removing the program from the budget. While they recognized that the program is very expensive ($800,000 per year), they know there is an Ad Hoc Recycling Committee studying this issue.

They also recognized that the curbside recycling program is very popular with the townspeople. They encouraged the Ad Hoc Committee to work on finding a compromise that would reduce the cost, while continuing to benefit the people of Newtown and complying with the Connecticut law that mandates recycling.

If it had been up to the First Selectman, the curbside recycling program would have been deleted completely then and there and there would have been no way to fund whatever compromise the Ad Hoc Committee recommends.

Yes, recycling is “a critical component of Newtown’s responsible waste management.” We must find a way to have a recycling program that works within our budget. I, for one, am grateful that Dan Cruson and Michelle Embree Ku recognized the importance of making well-informed and thoughtful decisions regarding the budget.

Unlike the impulsive budget cuts proposed by the First Selectman, which he later backpedaled on while attempting to portray himself as a strong advocate for recycling, their approach demonstrates careful consideration, responsibility and a true understanding of what the people of Newtown want.

Lynn Hungaski

Newtown