Kate Daniello is the co-founder of We the People of Fairfield, a taxpayers advocacy group. She submitted this letter to the editor regarding the townwide vote to add $800,000 to the Board of Educations spending for 2011-2012 on June 14.
We the People purposely waited one week to put up our green vote NO signs in order to put distance between both sides of the Referendum issue. However, that may have been a mistake. Over the weekend almost 100 of the 200 green signs placed by our supporters had been stolen. The signs had slogans such as the following:
Keep Fairfield Affordable - Vote "NO" to the Referendum;
Break the Endless Tax Increases - Vote "NO" on June 14th;
Support Your RTM Decision - Vote "NO" to the Referendum;
At noon on Saturday, I went out to put up 19 signs only to return a half hour later and find four stolen. I immediately called the police, who responded promptly to me at the four-way intersection of Burr and Congress Streets. In utter dismay and disbelief, I asked Officer Wells, What kind of people would steal these signs? and his reply was, Youre asking me that question?
WTP subsequently learned that signs cannot be placed unattended in public spaces; however, our signs were put in places where other signs advertising tag sales or the Discovery Garden Tour had already been placed AND it should be noted that only our GREEN signs were stolen. I showed Officer Wells a list of the spots where are signs were being placed and he said that the police would keep an eye out for them.
During the one week in which ONLY the red signs were posted not even one sign was reported to police as being taken, damaged or moved in any way. These kind of tactics are indefensible and fly in the face of fairness and the Democratic process, not to mention the cost of the signs and manpower involved in this effort. As a co-founder of We the People, I am asking that those involved in removing the signs turn them in to Betsy Browne at the town clerks office so that they can be put up again. It is a sad day for our town when two views of an issue cannot be fairly expressed. The police are now watching; please do not remove any more of our Vote NO signs. The residents of this town have the right to be aware of BOTH sides of the Referendum issue.
I urge all registered voters who care about this town to go to your polling place and vote your feelings on June 14.
Kate Daniello
We the People of Fairfield
203-255-3960
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