To the Editor:

By the time you are reading this, it will be less than a week until Election Day. I urge all Newtowners to go to the polls and vote. It is true that there are no national or statewide races this year. However, too many critical issues face our town at the end of 1999 for any citizen to sit at home and not vote. The effects of the decisions, right or wrong, our elected officials will soon make will resonate for years to come, not only in the “bottom line” but also in our quality of life as a town. For example, we need a new 5/6 school to continue to meet our obligation to educate an ever-expanding number of pupils. In addition, we must resolve the Fairfield Hills issue once and for all. All politics is local, and I believe the effect of these local issues will have a far more direct impact on your lives than next year’s presidential race.

Some of your fellow citizens choose to take a more active role in town governance, as I did by way of serving on the Legislative Council. These unpaid volunteers generally try to advance what they believe to be the best interests of the town. One must not overlook, however, the fundamental philosophical difference between the two political parties that animates this decision making process. Since the days of the first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, the Republican party has consistently advocated individual initiative, free enterprise and fiscal responsibility, qualities which are needed in the governance of Newtown now more than ever.

Voting is the least of your obligations as a citizen. It is easier (and less painful) than paying your taxes. People who do not vote should not be heard to complain about the current state of affairs, lest they be accused of hypocrisy. Therefore, if you wish to minimize the impact of these far-reaching issues on your mill rate, vote Republican. The Bee is calling this election a sleeper. Show by your vote for the Republican Legislative Council candidates that you all are paying attention.

Sincerely,

Karen Blawie

42 Walnut Tree Hill, Sandy Hook    October 26, 1999