Open letter to the Greenwich Representative Town Meeting, submitted by Barrett Burns, Greenwich resident
Congratulations are in order for overruling the Republican BET Members by cutting their two pet project items by $4.5 Million. It’s a shame the RTM can’t allocate that to the senseless slashing of the proposed BOE budget.
I’m quite confident that the reason for the Republican BET arbitrary reduction of the BOE’s well thought out proposed budget has NOTHING to do with saving taxes. After all, approval of the proposed budget would only cost Greenwich homeowners’ a few cents per day per household.
The Republican BET vote was NOT based on a matter of fiscal prudence. There is a bigger issue here. I have no doubt that the tiebreaker vote was based on being in alignment with the leader of the Republican party (Trump) in his continuing and deepening attack on education. To reinforce this Trumpian direction, simply look at the defense letter written by BET Chair Mr. Harry Fisher, published by the Greenwich Free Press on May 22, 2025. (FISHER: Clarifying the Matter of School Start Time and Bussing)
Mr. Fisher’s letter is rubbish, balderdash. It ignores the facts and was based on alternative facts. How Trumpian is that? This Trumpian direction is right out in the open.
Do the voters in Greenwich want to continue in this direction?
I am not suggesting the Republican BET members roll over and play dead with respect to BOE budget proposals. To the contrary, I fully support their asking probing, challenging, intelligent, thoughtful questions in their due diligence so that they would be well informed. The bigger picture is that the Republican BET has a track record of squeezing the investment in Greenwich public education for years…..witness the delays in proper funding of the school buildings, for example.
Education is NOT a “cost center” as characterized by a Republican BET member. It’s an investment center by way of sensibly investing in our youth.
The voters have an important election rapidly approaching us in November. Do we want to continue this rapid movement to the Trumpian right or do we want balanced leadership?
Respectfully submitted,
Barrett Burns
Town of Greenwich resident