Why Use A Headline

That You Know Is Not True?

To the Editor:

I find it surprising that you would choose to use a quote from the first selectman as the headline for a story when both you and your reporter knew the statement he made was not true. [“First Selectman: Taxpayer Costs For Fairfield Hills Complaints ‘Close To $1 Million,’” Bee, 7/10/09] Why would The Bee, our town newspaper, want to mislead its readers in that way?

Once again, I had to read between the lines to understand that our selectmen and the Fairfield Hills Authority are now scrambling to blame the taxpayers and each other because their new town hall is running way over budget. This was to be expected and I am sure it will only intensify as the costs continue to escalate. My estimate shows it will cost the taxpayers $6 million more than was budgeted for a 30 percent smaller town hall. The FHA and town leaders have exhausted all of the funding for the FFH Master Plan and just last year resorted to back-door financing for another $3 million to circumvent the taxpayer approval process.

Yet, your coverage of the FFH development project overlooks these serious issues time and time again. Instead, The Bee seems to serve as the mouthpiece for others, regardless of what they say and whether or not it’s true.

Another example is your coverage of Po Murray and the members of the Independent Party of Newtown. I think most of your readers have figured out by now that Po and the IPN are not the enemy. Maybe some past and present town leaders and the other political parties perceive them that way, but most taxpayers do not.

Despite your reporting, the frequent and “bad” press that Po and the IPN receive only proves they are in the thick of these important issues and as promised, they are shaking things up for the better. I continue to be impressed with what the Independent, Democratic and Republican members of the IPN have accomplished for Newtown’s taxpayers over the past 18 months and that’s why I intend to join their slate of candidates for election this November.  

As a subscriber of your newspaper and an otherwise satisfied customer, I hope that in the future your coverage will reflect a more balanced, accurate, and in-depth picture of how Newtown’s taxpayers are impacted by the decisions and actions of our town leaders.

Kevin Fitzgerald

24 Old Farm Hill Road, Newtown                                  July 15, 2009