The following Letter to the Editor was submitted by Jo-Ann Thornton in response to this Letter to the Editor that was recently submitted by Barbara A. VonVillas, Middletown Town Councilor.
This is the second time that Councilor VonVillas has scolded the residents/taxpayers of Middletown, like we were naughty children, misbehaved students, or underperforming employees.
In direct response to her recent letter to the editor I would like to offer the following:
1. Every project has advocates and strength of advocacy – as opposed to the noise of the opposition. That funding comes from taxes. True, funding comes from taxes paid by the advocates, as well as the NOISE.
2. Consider the challenges of developing a budget where expenses increase every year. DUH! That is exactly what every Middletowner faces daily. How insulting can you be? There are families living here that work very hard to make ends meet.
3. Support the tax base or even add to it. How about a real budget scrub like so many locals here are required to do daily. How about working to reduce expenses instead of constantly looking for new revenue streams, i.e., taxes? When was the last time the Middletown Budget was kept at a level funding or even submitted a zero-based budget?
4. West Side. It is not as you say resistance to change, but resistance to THIS proposal. The people have clearly spoken and do not want THIS plan. They do not want any more hotels and banks. They do not want Pottsy Field moved. Since you clearly appear to be in favor of this plan, I must assume it is OK with you to desecrate a young man’s memorial on land that was gifted in perpetuity and to be maintained for recreational uses for the sake of tax revenue. SHAME ON YOU!
5. Consider leaving the Commons “as is” would mean NO improvement of 2 empty and deteriorating buildings. Why have these buildings been systematically been allowed to deteriorate? Would open area require more expenditure (i.e., mowing the grass) than paying for a new library? I doubt it.
6. Affordable Housing on that site – 10% possibly 12% of 150 luxury units (that is how the developer describes them in their call for investors) – how is that affordable to the struggling Middletown working class families who, daily are doing their best to balance their budgets and make ends meet?
7. So, for you – you have completely missed the point to the NOISE of the opposition. It is time to pull your head out of the sand and LISTEN to the voters that put you that lofty seat on the Council and who EXPECT YOU to represent THEM. If you are unable to do what the people elected you for, it might be time to consider your options.
Remember you work for us. We do not work for you.
Jo-Ann Thornton, Middletown