Letter to the editor from Laura Kostin
Greenwich Republican Party Chair, Dan Quigley wants to have it both ways.
Mr. Quigley says in his (second) Letter to the Editor this week (Quigley: Stick to the Facts on BOE Budget) that there is “a lot of hyperbole” related to the public outrage surrounding the BET Republicans vote on a “walked back” Board of Education budget.
But he assures us that he “respects everyone’s opinions.”
If that rings hollow, have no fear, he wants us to “focus on the facts.”
Quigley wants us to remember/believe that none of this money is real, it’s all a “proposed” budget sent to the BET with no real world implications.
Mr. Quigley is sure to remind us— as if we don’t know— “Thirty million Americans have lost their jobs. Economic data is reflecting realities not seen since the depths of the Great Depression.”
Perhaps he is lucky and has not lost a loved one. Perhaps the human toll isn’t real yet for him. But for the rest of us mere humans, we are living these “realities” in a profoundly real way. More than 60,000 people have lost their lives. They are our family members, loved ones, coaches, teachers, healthcare providers, co-workers and mentors.
But putting that all aside… Quigley also says “residents will get the same services in our schools that we have had this year. This is an important fact.”
This is where the rubber meets the road for those of us living in reality and not partisan Fantasyland.
Because let’s face it, this is an RTC in full damage control mode. Two letters to the editor by the Republican Chair in the span of a couple days should tell you something about true desperation.
The RTC Chair doesn’t get to have it both ways.
Either he’s calling parents the perpetrators of “hyperbole” or he’s “respecting everyone’s opinions.”
The quote below should tell you all you need to know about how the GOP in Greenwich views our schools. Republican Chair Quigley says, there are “a lot of considerations to achieve the best result. Inevitably, there will be some people who are unhappy.”
“Best” is definitely not what your children will be getting and the “some people who are unhappy” will be parents who are watching their kids pay the price.
But by all means, ignore the fact that one party voted to “walk back” the school budget and refrain from any inconvenient “hyperbole.”