Letter submitted by Mary Flynn
The acrimony of national politics is alive and well here in Greenwich.
Having recently been publicly accused of being fiscally irresponsible, I have spent a bit of time considering the question ‘what is fiscal responsibility?’
Is it allowing the fields at Western Middle School to sit closed for 3 years due to toxicity, with still no plan in place? I think not.
Is it allowing our schools to deteriorate to the point where a chunk of the ceiling in the high school cafeteria fell and injured someone? I think not.
Is it allowing our high school stands to deteriorate to the point where a fan put their foot through the bleachers? I think not.
Is it our town hall overriding the recommendations of the Nathaniel Witherell and accepting the lowest bid for 13 boilers, manufactured in China, all of which proceeded to break down in the first year, be replaced under warranty, and again break down in the second year? I think not.
Is it allowing the town to cede control of the Nathanial Witherell to a non-profit or a for-profit entity, where the level of care given will be far inferior to what we have now? I think not.
Is it allowing the town to hire two part-time people to fill one full time job so we don’t have to pay benefits? I think not. (See FBI and Billy Reilly.)
Is it having inferior work done which resulted in numerous leaks, including one that closed down the Cos Cob School last year? I think not.
Is it having Special Education parents sign nondisclosure agreements before their child can receive services? I think not.
Is fiscal responsibility reflected in the cherry-picked issues that an amateur group has chosen in an attempt to inject partisan politics into town government, using a “scorecard” that purports to measure the fiscal responsibility of RTM members? I think not.
Aside from the concerns a public policy expert would raise about the groups methodology, the result, where just 12% of those deemed fiscally responsible are Democrats, is being treated as if it has merit. It does not. This truly is fake news. It is opinion disguised as fact.
And there is the question of what purpose is served by injecting this kind of rancor into our discussion of town matters.
We are better than this. There is long neglected work to be done. We need to look after our aging population while upgrading neglected schools. Clean those toxic fields, and ensure adequate fire coverage for all. Take care of our assets, including the Greenwich train station.
I urge everyone to get involved. Our ‘American experiment’ is showing tremendous signs of distress. Get involved and inform yourselves so that you know things are being done well and fairly.
This is Greenwich, Connecticut. We have an amazing wealth of very talented people. We can move forward while being fiscally responsible.
Where is the soul of Greenwich going? Does this reflect the society we want to promote? That’s what we are deciding on November 5th.
Please join me, get out and vote, and vote the Democratic ticket. Put that scorecard in the trash where it belongs, or perhaps just reverse the order.
Mary Connolly Flynn
RTM District 12 member for 0.5 terms
Speaking out on my own behalf