Letter: Regionalizing not in the people’s best interests

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To the editor,

VNA has, for a long time, provided the people of this town outstanding professional nursing services when they needed it most, service that is individual, responsive and timely. But the administration apparently doesn’t want them in the budget so they can save a few bucks and get out of the health care business. The regionalizing solution serves their interests, but probably not the best interests of the people who need VNA’s services. That’s us. All of us. Any regionalized service results in reduced individual delivery since they must serve many masters. Over time the fine service our VNA now provides will be history. But they will have their savings.

Our Public Works Department provides reliable, efficient and — this is important — flexible refuse and recycling collection. Whether the private contractor will maintain the same level of service remains to be seen. Bear in mind that these companies operate on their own schedules and serve many different clients. Unless the town structures and enforces a stringent contract that holds the contractor to providing the levels of service we require, with appropriate penalties, service can and will degrade.

This administration makes much of the cost savings of these two actions which they purport will save town dollars. Unfortunately they may also add to the impression that Naugatuck is not the same place to live that it has been. And it does seem ludicrous that the town can spend over $80 million rebuilding the high school on the same swampland and shovel some $60 million into the education budget every year but choose to nickel and dime two small services that affect every family.

Perhaps the current administration needs to be reminded that while saving is reasonable, prudent spending is also necessary to protect and improve both the quality of life in Naugatuck and its image as a desirable place to live. Whether private trash collecting is feasible we will find out. Eliminating the VNA is shortsighted and outright foolish.

Joe Tampellini

Naugatuck