To the Editor:

Many letters on this website indicate that Marty Klein is far from gracious, and he does not have the skills or temperament to be First Selectman of Killingworth. Too many people noticed his "Reign of Terror" that abused the town charter.  His response bears warning to all voters: He called his constituents "selfish spoiled brats," and he called his fellow Selectmen "do nothings." Marty's slogan, "Keep the Progress," is ridiculous after he has done precious little except to make enemies.

The Democrats have attempted to define the issues, albeit backwards. They seek more "open space," but we already have abundant open space with little money to improve the tracts of land. We also have restrictive zoning that hinders sensible commercial taxpayers. We are forced to shop outside of our town, resulting in commercial taxes that benefit other towns. What we need in Killingworth is an examination of our zoning restrictions in light of our taxes that increase at a higher rate than inflation. I'm quite certain that the Democrats are nice folks, but they need a class in basic economics.

The Republicans see what is needed.  They will formulate a long-term capital budget plan to maintain our town's rural charm with necessary commerce. They recognize that Killingworth taxpayers can not keep spending or borrowing on an ad-hoc basis. They recognize that haywire property tax increases are hurting our town. They recognize a basic economic law, "opportunity cost:" for every tax dollar spent or borrowed, we give up the opportunity for other projects.  The other candidates debate whether to spend out-of-pocket or to borrow money by floating a bond. We should do neither without a comprehensive capital plan for our town. We should sit down and formulate a prioritized budget before spending taxpayers' hard-earned money or ratcheting up debt.  

Fred Dudek, our honorable Selectman, first came to me with the notion of long-term planning.  He is right. I will vote for Cabral and Dudek, the Republican candidates, and I encourage our voters to do the same.  They are certainly "The Intelligent Choice."

Lynne Baron