Letter to the Editor: Bethel’s Local Republican Legislators Have ‘Frequent and Transparent Communication’ on the State Budget Debacle, They Support Education, and Are Not Responsible for ‘Connecticut’s Financial Mess’

Report by Paula Antoini
September 22, 2017 10:10AM EDT

Letter to the Editor: Bethel’s Local Republican Legislators Have ‘Frequent and Transparent Communication’ on the State Budget Debacle, They Support Education, and Are Not Responsible for ‘Connecticut’s Financial Mess’

(This editorial, shown below, written by Scott Clayton, is a response to an article entitled “Bethel’s representatives must stand up for public education“ that was published in The Danbury News Times on August 31, 2017, and written by Bethel Democrat Raghib Allie-Brennan.)

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Editorial below is written by Scott Clayton:

I would like to thank state Reps. Duff and Harding and state Sens. Boucher and McLachlan for the frequent and transparent communication they’ve displayed on many legislative matters, but especially on the state budget debacle.

Over the last several months their communication has been honest and forthright. Each has availed themselves at meetings, public forums and electronically. As a school principal and Board of Education member, I have been privy to a multitude of communications from our legislators when it comes to what I consider a government failure. In some cases, communication on how best to support our schools has been daily.

I noticed recently an inference made in The Danbury News Times that public education isn’t a priority to our representatives. The record of communications and public statements proves this to be absolutely false.

In my opinion, the Democratic leadership and their lock on state government has failed the taxpayers. If “playtime” was over, the Speaker of the House would’ve called the legislature back into session weeks earlier. “Gamesmanship” was the speaker’s refusal to entertain a Republican budget before last weekend. To me, the speaker’s behavior and the behavior of his colleagues is the true definition of “partisan loyalty” in Hartford. As a union leader making $100k a year, the speaker has made it clear that “bipartisan cooperation” doesn’t interest him.

In my opinion, false criticism of our legislators lacks intellectual honesty and is the true definition of “disingenuous political posturing.”

Furthermore, it’s a “grave disservice” that Governor Malloy enacted such mandates in his executive order, especially with the possible shift in teacher retirement costs. These actions don’t serve the best interests of families anywhere. Connecticut’s financial mess and potential harm in education funding was not created by four local Republicans. Our delegation is trying to fix the problem, not make it worse.

Scott Clayton

Bethel, CT

(Scott Clayton is a member of the Bethel Board of Education.)

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Bethel Advocate

BETHEL ADVOCATE / N E W S T R A C K E R

Letter to the Editor: Bethel’s Local Republican Legislators Have ‘Frequent and Transparent Communication’ on the State Budget Debacle, They Support Education, and Are Not Responsible for ‘Connecticut’s Financial Mess’

Letter to the Editor: Bethel’s Local Republican Legislators Have ‘Frequent and Transparent Communication’ on the State Budget Debacle, They Support Education, and Are Not Responsible for ‘Connecticut’s Financial Mess’

(This editorial, shown below, written by Scott Clayton, is a response to an article entitled “Bethel’s representatives must stand up for public education“ that was published in The Danbury News Times on August 31, 2017, and written by Bethel Democrat Raghib Allie-Brennan.)

(Scott Clayton is a member of the Bethel Board of Education.)

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