Submitted by George Hritz Esq, Greenwich
I was a lifelong “Kennedy Democrat“ and now like many others, I am a Republican. In a recent email blast and letter to the editor, Greenwich Democrats state that they are fiscally conservative and claim “we are committed to keeping our mill rate low…We are committed to maintaining Greenwich’s strong financial position and AAA rating for the long term”. Fellow friends, neighbors and residents, Republicans in Greenwich have been spending responsibly to keep our mill rate low and protect Greenwich’s strong financial position for close to 100 years. We thank Democrats for sharing with the community how important it is to be fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars. Shortly after switching parties, I was happy to learn that I agreed with all 11 principles of the party as explained to me. I only wish they included free speech and academic freedom, which I’m know they also support.
Excessive spending is the Democrats’ mantra. Democrats decided to put highest priced school buildings on their agenda and fired up some PTAs and parents to garner support for residents to pay these outrageous bills. Ballooned budget for an over-sized CMS building with declining enrollment is fiscally irresponsible simply because overspending has consequences: increase in taxes or taking on debt. Someone has to pay – us or our children.
First, the Democrat controlled BOE proposed an excessive plan to accommodate twice as many students as are currently enrolled at CMS. Having slightly fewer kids per classroom can be good, and we can all agree to that. But two times the capacity? The construction is no better. The Building Committee Chair, Tony Turner, wants to move forward with the largest school building project in CT, yet he does not have approved plans nor Municipal Improvement approval. Without that, our town’s charter does not allow us to fund such projects. Procedures and due process are in place to bring common sense, experience and expertise to build right not to circumvent them at will.
Most galling is Democrats’ repeated calls for more taxes in Greenwich. Our annual budget is already over $400 million for a town of 60,000. Yet somehow, this is not nearly enough to satisfy their urge to spend at will. They have called for dramatically HIGHER taxes and increased use of debt financing. They claim that if only Republicans did not stand in their way, we could have all the things most coveted by the Democrats –so tax and spend.
It is clear why Democrats wish to rebrand themselves and claim to realign with Republican values. Saying anything voters want to hear to win elections is in poor taste when Republicans have a 100-year track record of responsible spending of taxpayer dollars.
On November 7, let’s re-elect Republicans to run the BET.
George Hritz, Esq
Greenwich