Sending A Clear Message

To the Editor:

The Newtown voters sent a clear message to the Legislative Council Tuesday by defeating the budget. They proclaimed that they will not vote out of fear nor be bullied into accepting inadequate funding for education. The voters’ decision must have been difficult in view of the constant threats by elected officials that their dissatisfaction with the education funding would lead to more cuts. The repeated threat is “vote Yes or else we’ll cut more.”

Just before the last referendum vote, our First Selectman Pat Llodra was quoted in the Voices Weekender dated May 16 on page 3, as saying that repeated budget failures might have a negative impact on our bond rating and thus jeopardize our capacity to fix the heating system in the elementary schools and renovations to the middle school. Now they are telling us that if we are dissatisfied with the budget and vote No that they will not only cut education, but that a No vote will also jeopardize repairing our schools. I’m proud of the voters who refused to be treated this way and voted No on Tuesday.

We can no longer be held hostage by these threats.

The Legislative Council has been and is in a position to stop this madness. Simply restore adequate funding to the education system and let the people vote. If a more balanced budget still gets voted down then the taxpayers have spoken. I do, however, have every confidence that the voters will readily switch their No vote to a Yes vote when education is funded adequate to meet the needs of Newtown. Reducing the budget or cutting education is going in the wrong direction and is simply going to alienate an even larger portion of the voters and ensure that the budget will be defeated again.

Let’s hope the Legislative Council decides to give the voters a fair opportunity to approve a budget which meets the educational needs of Newtown. If they do the budget will pass with flying colors, if they don’t we may very well see another failed referendum and the madness continue.

Bruce Walczak

12 Glover Avenue, Newtown                                             May 19, 2010