New Families Are Assets,

Not Liabilities

To the Editor:

I was just reading your editorial about “Open Space and the Money We Do Not Spend,” and was struck by how much money we could save by not building nine houses. I got out my calculator, and figured that if we didn’t build 100 homes, we could save (let me check this again...) yes: $14 million.

Now, anywhere but in the Newtown budget, that would be a lot of money! But why stop at 100 houses? A thousand houses sounds even better. I know what you’re thinking — how could we do this? — there’s not enough land to deny to the developers. Well here’s my plan. We stop issuing building permits. It’s that easy. We don’t have to buy any overpriced tracts of land. The important people of the town will get to preserve their lovely vistas. We could save so much we could never have to pay taxes again! But, in thinking about it, maybe those houses would employ some of the builders who are struggling right now. Maybe the residents would shop at the local stores, volunteer for the many organizations that Newtown benefits from, or just enrich the life of the town with new blood. I don’t look at new families and see liabilities — I see assets.

Jim Barber

33 Zoar Road, Sandy Hook                                    November 19, 2010