Believe In A

Better Way

To the Editor:

The Democratic Town Committee (DTC) and the Republican Town Committee (RTC) have spent majority of their time calling IPN efforts during this campaign “uncivil” and “doom and gloom.” 

The DTC and the RTC have mischaracterized our campaign strategies while using half-truths to tell their story. The IPN has made a concerted effort to present the most important issues the voters should be aware of during this election. We have strategically outlined the comprehensive details of how we plan to manage Newtown’s $100 million enterprise. We have identified the differences between the old method and the new method of governing so that the voters could make an informed choice on Election Day.

Many DTC/RTC candidates have recently embraced IPN’s longstanding positions on Fairfield Hills and long-term planning. This may cloud the difference between the IPN and the DTC/RTC, however if the voters reviewed the past voting records and past actions/inactions of the incumbent candidates, there is a different story being told. I urge the voters to spend some time reviewing the meeting minutes (www.newtown-ct.gov) as these documents will dispel the half-truths being told by the RTC/DTC in the Letter Hive.

We have learned from the 2007 elections that campaign promises can be broken very easily. The promise of a review of the FFH master plan did not occur. The hope of earning lease dollars from the proposed lease arrangements on FFH (materializing just before the last election) faded quickly. Despite the campaign mailings that touted support of education, the high school expansion project was continually sabotaged.

Before voting, please determine if the candidates: supported building an inadequate new town hall with an old roof, without permanent utilities infrastructure, too small to store school files or house the Park and Recreation offices; supported the money being diverted to build a new town hall rather than providing the community with the seven playing fields planned in the master plan and to demolish the dilapidated buildings; supported the HS expansion project; supported voter’s right to decide the fate of capital expenditures; supported the Fairfield Hills Authority ordinance to be reviewed to provide increased oversight of the millions being spent on FFH; supported $3 million being spent for parking lot construction without voter approval; became concerned that the public works money is being diverted to make FFH a priority rather than other road maintenance projects (or ensuring adequate funding for education); supported allowing the voters to answer ballot questions to determine how their tax dollars should be spent.

I wholeheartedly agree with the RTC that things are not “doom and gloom” in Newtown and I agree with the DTC that things could be much better. So why would we take the extraordinary measure of creating a third political party and running 17 concerned citizens (Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Unaffiliateds) for office? Because we believe there is a better way and that business as usual will not get us there. Please choose IPN if you believe that things could be better. We are ready and willing to serve.

Po Murray

Incumbent LC candidate District 2

Independent Party of Newtown

38 Charter Ridge Drive, Sandy Hook                       October 13, 2009