Room For Improvement

(The following letter to Anna Wiedemann has been received for publication. It references a letter written by Ms Wiedemann that ran in the 8/14/09 edition of The Bee.)

To Ms Wiedemann:

You and I have never met, however I am told by many of my associates that your letter “Of Platforms and Platitudes” is uncharacteristic of you, that you are a hardworking volunteer, contributing much to our town. That’s why it is difficult for me to believe that you could write such a pejorative letter attacking a platform whose goal is improving government. It is our obligation, as citizens, to continue to strive to improve government, regardless of party affiliation. I’m sure you are not suggesting that our government is perfect with no room for improvement. The definitions you provide are interesting, but limited in their application. Your label, “Sugar Me Sweet,” is a clear example of a platitude, in and of itself, and of course, you must be aware that the Fabian Society wanted to bring about socialism without revolution. Hardly utopian.

It is confusing to me why IPN’s platform gained your attention when two years ago your own party chairman said that “platforms” are useless. I encourage you to talk with any of our members and learn that IPN has identified several areas requiring improvement, with which we might work collaboratively, such as an accounting system that would allow the director of finance to tell us the expenditures of any project, in detail, at any time, or to be able to control costs by individual CIP project and cost category. Ask the Fairfield Hills (FFH) chairman how much money has been spent at Fairfield Hills and he refers you to another department, that refers you back to the FFH chairman, and around we go. I don’t attribute this to the chairman not wanting to give us information, but rather that the system does not readily allow it. You might also have found out that the current CIP procedure is antiquated and requires revision, both in policy and procedure. You would have found out that our government has allowed a third party to collect and control the expenditures at Fairfield Hills. You would have found out that we have been supporting a strategic/long-range planning committee, which will provide better forecasting of expenses and our future needs. These are just a few of the “Sugar Me Sweet” proposals that we think important to Newtown.

You infer the whole of our platform is: increase school spending, repeal the Fairfield Hills Authority, and increase taxes so only the upper middle class can afford to live here. If you believe that, you have been misinformed. IPN intends to work with anyone and everyone who is willing to recognize that there is room for improvement and will contribute to that effort. The Democratic and Republican parties, here in Newtown, have become a homogenous group, whether by design or happenstance. IPN, in its simplest form is giving people a choice. You are not obligated to vote for any of us. Although, you may think we are a “Sugar Me Sweet” party, we really do want to contribute to improved government.

Sincerely,

Al Roznicki

169 Hanover Road, Newtown                                     August 17, 2009