A Different View

Of The Town Meeting

To the Editor:

In his letter of July 7th, Mr Higham refers to “a growing disconnect between the needs of town people and the wants of our rulers.” He claims to have seen this disconnect at the recent town meeting on FFH. Perhaps I was at a different meeting. Like Mr Higham, I was troubled by that meeting, but my concern was with the attitude of the public rather than with that of its leaders. Far from seeing a disconnect I saw a group that could not wait to endorse the proposal put before it by the Board of Selectmen and the Legislative Council. Despite what seemed to me a cogent plea for prudence, from Mr Piesner.

Indeed the lady who “moved the question” did not want to bother even with the formality of a vote on Mr Piesner’s amendment. She would have ignored the fact that there was an amendment on the floor and moved directly to a vote on the main motion. She had to be coached by the moderator to call for a cut-off of debate on the amendment. This was overwhelmingly agreed to and the amendment overwhelmingly defeated. Without further discussion the main motion was then overwhelmingly carried. There was no disconnect. Having been told, as Mr Higham puts it, “not to worry about the open ended nature of the approval” the town meeting agreed and approved the recommendation of the Board of Selectmen and the Legislative Council.

Cordially

Brian Gibney

10 Checkerberry Lane, Sandy Hook       July 17, 2001