Naughty Or Nice?

To the Editor:

I love Newtown. For nine years, my family and I have experienced much of what this town offers and can say with conviction that this community is the best place we have ever lived. This place has physical charm, spiritual character, great schools and caring teachers. I am proud to call some of the nicest people I have ever known more than just friends, but neighbors. It also doesn’t hurt to be a stone’s throw away from the best ice cream in Connecticut! This is home.

Yet, as wonderful as Newtown is, it’s not perfect. There’s never enough money to do everything we need or want as a community. Unlike the state and federal governments, we are bound by charter to live within our means. Every year brings a continuing set of difficult decisions about our collective priorities.

As individuals and taxpayers, we often differ on some pretty fundamental issues. But, unlike the big cities, we have a 300-year history of democracy in action focused on respectful consensus building. While 49 percent may not agree with the 51 percent, we’ve always been able to keep things “Nicer in Newtown,” deal with contentious issues, wipe the slate clean and tackle our next challenges.

Until now. We now have a negative presence in town. One that, when it fails to get its way, lowers the bar on civility, preferring to stymie honest, respectful discussion of the issues. If one does not see it their way, one risks becoming the next target of public attack and accusation.

You may have already guessed that the presence about which I write is the IPN. If you feel like I that personal attacks on the integrity of others are distasteful and unprofessional, please make yourself heard. If you are offended to see people of good character performing public service subjected to false accusations, make a mental note of the source each time you see venomous misrepresentation from its members and vote accordingly in November.

Contrast last week’s Letter Hive, in which there was an admirable call for civility from Jan Brookes, a Legislative Council Member from District 3, and a letter about the values of community and volunteerism from Sarah Hemingway, written in discussing her father’s campaign for selectman. Then there were three pointed, angry, negative pieces from members of IPN in which the finger of scorn and inaccuracy was again packaged as personal attacks on Pat Llodra, Will Rodgers, Herb Rosenthal, and John Kortze. All of these good people have devoted years of their lives to the betterment of Newtown. I doubt any one of them would profess to have made the perfect decision about every issue. However, each of them possesses a significant record of accomplishment and service to our community. Each has my gratitude and has earned my respect, if not complete agreement on all issues.

Every two years, we go to the polls to choose our local leaders. Ultimately, it comes down to those we believe can best bring the divergent parties of our town together in a civil, collaborative way. This year, Newtown voters will decide what kind of leaders they want — those who attack others as a means to cloud the issues or those who have a history and desire to forward the issues for the overall benefit of Newtown. I will choose those who have worked to build Newtown over those who seek to tear it apart.

You choose. Naughty or nice? Argumentative or collaborative? For all Newtown or “their way or the highway”?

Sincerely,

Mitch Bolinsky

Republican Candidate for Legislative Council-District 3

3 Wiley Lane, Newtown                                         September 9, 2009