Council Chairman

Takes Issue With Bee Editorial

To the Editor:

Once again, your editorial (July 6th) showcases your inability to accurately report facts, as well as your total lack of responsibility as a journalist. You have made accusations without ever having spoken to the people you accuse, and you didn’t even extend the professional courtesy of verifying your information. What is most appalling is that your information is second hand, and is as incorrect as your assumptions.

Correcting The Bee does get tiresome, but this community deserves to know the truth. For example, in your last editorial you accuse Vice Chairperson Melissa Pilchard of trying to nullify the Charter Revision Commission’s work, presumably, as you stated, because she does not agree with the bulk of recommendations. Instead of vilifying her, you should have praised her for having caught the apparently illegal procedure. Had it turned out that the council vote was illegal, as our town attorney thought it might be, the whole charter revision process would have been jeopardized. That the vice chairperson brought the matter to my attention, and that I called the first selectman’s office for clarification by our town attorney was acting to protect the process – not undermine it. (You really ought to get your facts straight. Perhaps attending a meeting might help. When was the last time you actually attended a meeting?)

In your erroneous editorial, you said, “Mr Rochman suggested that town people don’t really care about the charter…” What do you mean by “I suggested?” Did you ever hear me say that? Did someone record that? No. No. No. I would never say that. I believe so much in the system that I volunteered for 14 years to serve this community. Your accusation is not only insulting, but teeters on libelous.

Since I must set the facts straight, I also did not say that the complexity of the proposed charter changes was an acceptable excuse for the council to miss its deadline. What I said was that the complexity of the proposed charter changes might force the process past the proposed target date.

You then accused the council of “preparing to protect its turf…” based on comments of its leadership. You presume to know this, when you have contacted neither the leadership, nor the individual council members.

In conclusion, you add insult to injury by “suggesting” that Melissa Pilchard and I are engaging in a campaign of prejudicial comments whereas the rest of the council is not. On what basis, do you make these accusations? From what sources are you collecting your misinformation? I feel it is my duty to keep the people of this town informed as to the issues we are actually dealing with at the council. Yes, I do have some opinions on the proposed charter changes. Am I not supposed to think for myself?

On June 1, the Charter Revision Commission filed the proposed new charter with the town clerk’s office. State statutes call for the council to hold at least one public hearing on the proposal before making recommendations back to the commission. This hearing took place July 11, at 7:30 at the Senior Center. Between the hearing and July 26, the council will consider the Commission’s suggestions, consider the input from the public hearing, and provide the commission with the council’s suggestions and comments for the commission’s consideration. The commission will have 30 days to file the final draft of the proposed changes. It will then be the council’s duty to recommend to the voters the council’s proposed changes. Any Newtown voter will have an opportunity to petition changes not incorporated in the council’s final proposal. The time frames for these various events are mandated by state statues. The time required for the petitioning process and the preparation of the questions for inclusion on the ballot by an attorney may force the vote beyond November 6. What part of this process would you eliminate, Mr Editor, to ensure a vote by November 6?

I do have a suggestion for a change that is not charter related. A most welcomed change would be to find our local newspaper editors and reporters accountable for errors, omissions and assumptions based on second hand unsubstantiated information. Your last editorial was an embarrassment to all those who know what is actually going on.

Use the protection of the First Amendment, but do not abuse it.

Pierre Rochman

Chairman of the Legislative Council

82 Taunton Hill Road                                                       July 10, 2001