Putting It On The Line

Following a public hearing Wednesday evening, the Legislative Council completed the final chapter of the transitional phase of Fairfield Hills and started the first chapter in the new life of the 186-acre campus as a municipal place. The transformation from state to town facility did not have a happy ending, however, for a vocal band of critics.

The self-described Friends of Fairfield Hills have suggested in recent months that the Fairfield Hill’s master plan and the newly minted authority that will administer it represents a power play by the first selectman, or the Legislative Council, or both, to create their own little fiefdom off Mile Hill Road and Wasserman Way where corporate concerns will always trump the public preferences for the use of the facilities there. They paint a picture of an electorate that is being victimized by its elected representatives. We think this portrayal of the first selectman and the council is a little harsh.

Fortunately, there is a way to put to the test this assertion that our elected representatives are pursuing not the people’s interests, but their own. That would be for those who espouse these views to run for office — to seek to become the first selectman or the council members who are so all-powerful over the fate of Fairfield Hills and so many other aspects of community life.

As we pointed out in this space last week, it is a fairly simple matter to get your name on the ballot, even without the support of the established political parties. Just 63 valid signatures on a petition — or about half that many for a council seat — will put your name, your ideas, and your assertions before the public for an up or down vote on November 8. Any group that claims to represent the real voice of the 26,000 people of Newtown should have no trouble producing a petition with 63 names on it. The election campaign would be a great forum for the Friends of Fairfield Hills to present their vision for the campus and to seek a mandate to change the master plan to reflect that vision.

So far, no one has stepped up. This may be because those who argue that the first selectman and the council operate beyond the reach of public influence already understand the irony their own candidacy would bring to that point of view. Their election would disprove their own assertions about the insularity of our local elected officials, and their failure to win election would discredit their claim that the Fairfield Hills master plan does not reflect the will of the public. The best way to save face in a situation like this is to merely criticize from the sidelines those who actually do put their names, ideas, and assertions on the line.

Different points of view are essential for a town with important decisions to make — and there will be many important decisions to make at Fairfield Hills and throughout Newtown in the coming years. So this is a good time to share a tip for assessing points of view and the people who hold them: Always pay close attention to who is stepping up and who is sitting down when the discussion ends.