The March Of Folly

To the Editor:

A French writer once said, “It is the height of folly to want to be the only wise one.” That quote succinctly describes Herb Rosenthal’s quest to develop Fairfield Hills. Forget that the voters never approved the master plan. Forget that hundreds of taxpayers have, at various town meetings this year, expressed their displeasure about the construction of a new town hall. Forget that every dollar borrowed and spent on Fairfield Hills reduces our ability to effectively manage our taxes and allocate funds for more important projects. Herb Rosenthal has already decided that his vision for Fairfield Hills is the only wise and true one.

But Mr Rosenthal would never have been able to advance his agenda for Fairfield Hills without the complete and unequivocal support of the chairman of the Legislative Council, Will Rodgers. Mr Rodger’s control of the Legislative Council (a council that, as a whole, has never, despite the public outcry, expressed any significant reservations about Mr Rosenthal’s plans for Fairfield Hills) has enabled Mr Rosenthal to have almost unfettered control over the way money is spent and allocated at Fairfield Hills. Make no mistake, if Herb Rosenthal and Will Rodgers are reelected, they will not only be asking the taxpayers for more money for Fairfield Hills, but will continue to explore ways to gain even more control over this unique and valuable town asset, further removing the public from any participation in its development.

Ask yourself a simple question: Why was Fairfield Hills Authority created? The Legislative Council and a town-designated Board of Managers could just as easily have managed the site and such a structure would have allowed for more public participation in its design and development. Fairfield Hills Authority was created for one simple reason; to allow Mr Rosenthal to do things his way, without interference from the lowly citizens who are paying his salary.

Fairfield Hills is just one example of the arrogance of public officials who, year after year, face no real opposition on Election Day. But now the voters of Newtown have a choice; the Independent Party of Newtown. Our candidates believe that Fairfield Hills Authority should be disbanded, that any master plan should have the support of the taxpayers and that no new money should be allocated to Fairfield Hills until we have addressed our town’s more pressing needs.

So if you are tired of being ignored, of having your tax dollars mismanaged and misspent, of wanting a Legislative Council to be an effective check on the first selectman’s agenda rather than a “rubber stamp,” and if you are disillusioned by public officials who spend more time behind closed doors than in educating the public about the true cost of their decisions, I would ask you to consider voting for the slate of candidates representing the Independent Party of Newtown on Election Day. We promise that, if elected, we will provide the kind of open, fiscally responsible, and innovative leadership that Newtown deserves.

Robert Murray

Independent Party of Newtown

Candidate for Legislative Council/District 3

19 Farm Meadow Road, Newtown                    September 4, 2007