Open The Process

To Everyone

To the Editor:

I have read The Newtown Bee online article concerning the Newtown Town Committee of the Independent Party of Connecticut and feel that a few points need to be cleared up. I’m an agent of The Independent Party State Central, and I have been working with the members of the Newtown Town Committee since 2007 when they first formed and placed candidates on the local ballot. I have reviewed and accepted their town committee bylaws on the behalf of the Independent Party State Central Committee. The Independent Party State Central Committee has not had a meeting yet that I’m aware of, so that I can bring the Newtown Town Committee bylaws to them to be formally accepted. I should have asked to have a meeting before this became an issue, but I was also working with several other towns in Connecticut that are also forming local town committees of the Independent Party and was going to bring them all at the same time.

Contrary to what was reported, the Newtown Town Committee Bylaws of the Independent Party did in fact include acceptable nomination procedures for town committee members and for Independent candidates for local office, and they followed the guidelines that I gave them.

Connecticut State Statues allows for both State Central bylaws and local Town Committee bylaws within the same party and local rules are what is followed in local elections. All local electors within a town are members of both the local town and state party that they join, just like the major parties (Republicans and Democrats).

I believe that citizens should have control of local policies and I strongly support local control of access to the ballot nominations by local town committees. We trust that citizens will act in the best interest of their community as they see fit. As long as the process is open to everybody and all who join a party has the chance to be heard, let the debate begin and let the best argument win without any preconditions. That’s what being an Independent is all about.

Mike Telesca

Co-agent

Independent Party of Connecticut

154 Bunker Hill Avenue, Waterbury                          March 24, 2009