More Budget Savings

Are Possible

To the Editor:

The Legislative Council and the first selectman should do a lot more work and reduce the budget further. I am amused at how quickly a million dollars were removed. Perhaps with more thought they can find additional savings. I suggest a freeze in hiring townwide, and deferring any town projects not absolutely necessary. The school superintendent can increase the minimum number of students needed to offer elective courses and the class size of required subjects should be allowed to increase for a few years until the financial climate recovers.

Please stop reporting the fact that Newtown education spending is well below average statewide, this is not a reason to increase spending. Inner city schools must deal with a much more diverse range of students with more remedial needs. The majority of families in Newtown are financially secure, and therefore their children in general have advantages that inner city children probably do not have, like a computer.

I am not anti-education. My wife was a teacher at Danbury High. She, like most teachers I know, was dedicated, caring, and involved in the development of her students. I am sure teachers in Newtown will accept the fact that the uncertainty of the tax burden requires all public employees to share in the effort to restrain the cost of local services including the cost of education.

I am dismayed to read that funds for open space are being considered. Does anybody in town government have any sense? These programs have little impact on restraining growth and often end up as a source of “favors” to cronies of those making the decisions of which properties to acquire. We would probably buy a lot of swamps and rocky unbuildable land. Why not discourage more people from moving to Newtown by passing an ordinance requiring men to take a vow of celibacy. This would have a grandfather clause. I am a grandfather.

Richard G. DiPaola

5 Reservoir Road, Newtown                                            April 30, 2003