To the Editor:

While I prefer the high road, the relentless publication of disparaging letters about some candidates for office makes it difficult to stay up there. In the recent letter, “Unhappy With Incumbent,” [The Newtown Bee, October 9, 2020] the author has clearly not taken the time to look at his preferred candidate’s record.

The opposing candidate, Ms Harriman-Stites, said during her comments in The Bee forum that she is a leader who takes responsibility for her actions. Within a few breaths, she then says her self professed failure around matters of equality on the Board of Education is caused by things not bubbling up to the Board of Education through the school system’s chain of command. Seems like a deflection of responsibility to me. Her own letter to The Bee [The Newtown Bee, June 26, 2020] in which she cites her personal failures is nothing more than a transparent attempt at self-aggrandizement.

Ms Harriman-Stites talks about fiscal responsibility, yet voted to spend $400,000 of taxpayer money to prepay a camera lease — bringing no financial benefit to the town — at a time when that money clearly needed to be held in reserve for potential COVID expenses in our schools. Board of Education meeting minutes show she was surprised that anyone would question the decision on this matter. Board of Finance minutes reveal that financially astute individuals called it one of the worst decisions ever made in our town. That’s not reflective of the kind of financial thinking I want to turn over much larger decisions to.

So, you can go on calling out Mr Bolinsky for things he actually did take responsibility and apologize for. Those of us paying attention know what the opposition candidate has done and said.

Thomas L. Catalina

59 Butterfield Road, Newtown October 14, 2020