Opinion
10| Friday, April 17, 2015
NEWINGTON TOWN CRIER
Letter: Response to twin Letters to the Editor by the Borjesons To the Editor: It is understandable that Majority Leader Terry Borjeson and his dutiful wife would like to set the record straight, but regrettably, they wrote letters to the editor like they actually knew what they were talking about. First and foremost, Cece Borjeson would do well to stay informed about the facts before she publicly embarrasses herself in the newspapers, but because she didn’t, I write in response to her letter accusing me of having a letter in the Courant that contained “many factual errors.” The very first question every reader should ask themselves is why did concerned citizens get so upset in the first place about House Bill 6851? Simple: The
original incarnation of H.B. 6851 allowed a new state agency called the Connecticut Transit Corridor Development Agency (CTCDA) to be created with sweeping powers that would include: 1. Half-mile radius (300 acres) areas within bus and train stations statewide to be all at risk; 2. Gives CTCDA the authority to use/change that area as they see fit; 3. Towns wouldn’t be able to stop them; 4. The goal of the CTCDA is to build housing corridors (three to five-story apartment buildings with stores below). Without so much as a word of warning to any of the town residents, there was a very deliberate and determined effort by the pro-
ponents of the original bill to push this legislation through quietly. The original proposal allowed the transit authority to use eminent domain to seize property within a half mile of a train station, sell bonds to finance a project, enter into agreements for management and work to create new office and retail space, parking garages and cultural attractions. Under a fire storm of outrage and pressure from a variety of sources, the governor’s architects of the original H.B. 6851 collectively backed away from the offensive language of the first bill and substituted the new language. There was no “memorandum of understanding” language, nor was there any talk of giving the town any vote in whatever the new CTCDA was
planning. Sadly though, Cece Borjeson, in an effort to protect her husband’s interests, took the language of the new version of the bill, (which removed the eminent domain language and gave the towns an opt-out clause), and opined that CTCDA can’t perform any work not requested by a town or city. In essence, she conveniently ignored the original poorly written bill, which ignited the controversy about H.B. 6851, and criticizes me for many factual errors regarding the concerns I raised about the original bill. Even Mayor Woods told the newspapers that he couldn’t support the bill “as written.” I shudder to think what would have happened if the original
bill did “fly under the radar” and became state law because no one was watching. And as for Terry Borjeson trying to take the “high road” regarding H.B. 6851? He stoops pretty low from that high road by personally attacking Dan DiNunzio. Moreover, there is enough evidence that Terry Borjeson has been less than honest and blatantly hypocritical in admonishing fellow town councilors. Therefore, I find him less than credible, and his word can’t be trusted. When a politician finds himself drenched with the distrust of the people, his greatest achievement at that point would be to resign. Gary Bolles Newington
Letter: Expand participation in ‘Open Choice’ Letter: Frustrated by impact of ‘Open Choice’
To the Editor: Thank you to Mr. Lindberg for the detailed information on the negative impact “Open Choice” has on Newington. I, too, have been very frustrated at the millions of dollars of our taxpayers money we spend as we’re FORCED to take in Hartford students. Unfortunately, at least one reader chooses to live in fantasy land when he says he does not believe we spend that much and that “Open Choice” is voluntary. HA! A quick phone call to the Board of Education and basic math skills will separate fact
from fiction. The reader also goes on about how it’s OUR job to give Hartford families their shot at the American Dream. Really? My husband and I work very hard every week at our full-time jobs to live in a better town with better schools, as I’m sure many other families in the surrounding suburbs of Hartford have to! Since when has the American Dream become something we expect should be given to us instead of something that is our reward through hard work and determination! Cynthia Brunell Newington
NewingtonTownCrier.com
Ray’s
I am writing to respond to the recent letter from Mr. William Lindberg about the “Open Choice” program in Newington. “Open Choice” is a terrific program that sends Hartford resident students to 22 suburban school districts in the Hartford region, as part of the state’s efforts to reduce racial and economic segregation in response to the Sheff v. O’Neill decision. Mr. Lindberg appears to claim that the “Open Choice” program costs the town of Newington $2 million (equivalent to about 3 percent of the Newington school budget). If this is what Mr. Lindberg meant to say, this claim is grossly overstated. Newington participates in the “Open Choice” program at one of the lowest rates in the region — only 2.33 percent of Newington’s total enrollment. These additional
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students have a minimal impact on Newington’s budget, since they do not add any additional teachers or classrooms to the overall school budget, and Newington receives $384,000 from the state ($4,000 per student) in funding for these “Open Choice” students. If Newington increases its participation to a modest 3 percent level, as the state has suggested, Newington would actually receive a total of $756,000 from the state ($6,000 per student). In any event, these students are part of the Newington Public Schools now, and part of the Newington family. We are many years past the kind of “us vs. them” thinking that is reflected in Mr.
Lindberg’s letter. Newington has been delegated responsibility for zoning, education and local taxation by the state, and with that power comes responsibility for the general welfare of all our children. Newington needs to take responsibility as a full member of this region and expand its participation in the “Open Choice” programs like other towns have done.
Phil Tegeler West Hartford (The author is staff director for the Sheff Movement coalition, which supports expansion of integrated schools in the Hartford region — sheffmovement.org)
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