Don’t Blame The Budget

For The Buses

To the Editor:

This letter is written in response to Joeline Wruck’s letter blaming the recent busing problems on the voters’ rejection of the budget earlier this year. Others have tried to assert the same idea in other forums as well.

When Board of Education members Elaine McClure and Andrew Buzzi attended a Home and School Association meeting at St Rose on September 4, 2003, they stated that the busing problems were not a budget issue. This fact was reported in The Bee on September 12, on page A-8.

The Board of Education asserted at its September 9 meeting that they had expected the new busing schedule to work as well as the old one, based on the advice of their transportation administrators. It did not. In my mind that is a result of faulty planning coupled with some circumstances beyond the control of any one entity: lack of applicants for crossing guard positions, poorly timed traffic lights, road closings, and last minute enrollments to name a few.

Statement’s like Ms Wruck’s serve to make citizens afraid to demand fiscal responsibility of their public servants. There is nothing wrong with voting down a budget. When the voters ask the town to tighten its belt, the town must respond in a responsible manner. Priorities must be established, choices made, and the will of the people adhered to without creating dangerous and stressful situations for citizens –– especially the children.

It would be dirty politics for public officials to use a service like school buses to “punish” voters for requiring them to make hard choices. I don’t think that’s what happened here. Poor planning and poor choices about the allocation of resources perhaps –– but that can be rectified. There is no need to intimidate voters into approving a less than acceptable fiscal plan based on these incidents.

Sincerely,

Theresa Ludanyi

40 Old Bethel Road, Newtown                            September 12, 2003