Letter: Find ways to fairly provide for all

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To the editor,

When will it end or will it ever end? Once again we hear the cry of “Let’s balance the budget.” How do we think of going about this? Let’s see, close the VNA, close the golf course (always a favorite), cut or don’t improve the library budget year after year, etc. etc.

According to Mr. Katra the town pays $100,000 to supplement the golf course. As has become the way with politicians and many people trying to get their point across, let’s exaggerate the amount. By the way a deliberate exaggeration is a lie, pure and simple. Can Mr. Katra prove that the town spends $100,000 to maintain the golf course? Probably not. How much money does it cost to maintain parks, soccer fields, baseball fields, softball fields, etc in Naugatuck? Oh wait a minute, I’m not thinking clearly and certainly not correctly (because as we all hear so often) this is for the children. It is perfectly OK for taxpayers of all ages to pay for these amenities but heaven forbid that we should spend any of the taxpayers’ money to go toward something that taxpayers use and pay still more to use when they do use it. Pay attention people — not everything in life is revenue neutral or profitable.

While on the subject of how money is spent, let’s look at the $80 plus million spent to restore and rehabilitate Naugatuck High School. I am sure people would be surprised to walk into this building and see what all the non-children parts of this facility look like. Really can the children get a good education if the administrative offices, teachers lounge and now the Board of Education offices aren’t plush and large?

Oh lest I forget, it may cost the taxpayers (according to Mr. Katra) $100,000 to supplement the golf course revenues, but let us pay 27 teachers $675,000 ($25,000 per teacher) to please be nice and retire, and oh by the way let us add a few years on to your service as well as all the other perks that go toward your retirement.

Before anyone reading this gets on their high horse that I have anything against helping the children, or that I have anything against good professional teachers, they are sadly mistaken. My wife and I spent multi tens of thousands of dollars over and above our taxes to educate our three children and for them to play athletics; and we have seven grandchildren to whom we have contributed in small amounts.

In conclusion town leaders need to look at ways to fairly provide for all of their citizenry and not conclude that the only way to provide a balanced budget is by taking things away from parts of the population. As we have seen with the income tax, the lotteries and the casinos, to only mention a few, the people in charge will never have enough revenue.

Harold Hebb

Naugatuck