Submitted by Al Shehadi, Greenwich
To The Editor,
I was appalled by Karen Fassuliotis’ statement at last week’s BET debate justifying the Republican’s ongoing refusal to adequately fund Greenwich schools: “I and my Republican colleagues on this dais will continue to represent everyone in Greenwich, not just the 30% with kids in our schools.*”
Who does she think the 70% of Greenwich residents are who currently don’t have kids in school and why does she think they don’t support funding top quality public schools in Greenwich?
I’m one of the 70%. I don’t have kids. So I don’t have kids in our schools. But I grew up in Greenwich in the 1960’s and 1970’s. I went to the then new New Lebanon, the then newly-expanded Western and the then new Greenwich High. The quality of the schools and the quality of the education I got in Greenwich helped me get into a top college. It made a huge difference in my life.
Those schools were paid for by the individuals and families who lived in Greenwich in the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s. I can’t repay them for their generosity and foresight in building top quality schools and funding a top quality school system that I benefited from. But I can pay it forward. I can meet their generosity by being willing to pay to build or renovate top quality schools that will serve the kids of this town for the next 50 years. What kind of miserable, selfish scrooge would I be to do otherwise?
I’m tired of the selfish, petty and divisive tactics the Republican Party has used to refuse to adequately fund a new Central Middle School and renovate the Old Greenwich School. I’m voting for the Democratic BET slate this fall and I would encourage any Town resident who cares about their schools, cares about their neighbors or cares about the future of this Town to do so as well.
Sincerely,
Al Shehadi
*https://greenwichfreepress.com/news/government/heated-finance-board-debate-zingers-accusations-
and-raised-voices-208448/
The deadline to submit LTEs for the Nov 7 election is noon on October 30, 2023.