Letter: Time to re-read Federalist Papers, Bill of Rights

Posted 3/20/19

To the editor:

Thank you, Councilor Jacob Brier, for responding to my recent letter. I appreciate your referencing me as “that gentleman.” My wife may take exception. Upon reflection, …

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Letter: Time to re-read Federalist Papers, Bill of Rights

Posted

To the editor:

Thank you, Councilor Jacob Brier, for responding to my recent letter. I appreciate your referencing me as “that gentleman.” My wife may take exception. Upon reflection, a few thoughts on your “cards on the table” response.

Shall we start with “My name really is Jacob Nathan Brier. However, on Feb. 4, I do hope that my name will become Jacob Nathan Sahner Brier. I have an appointment at Probate Court …” #OMG.TMI. I’m happy for you and your wife with this new-age name thingy you’ve latched onto. You certainly have your toxic masculinity well under control. Congratulations, I think.

For me there was a glimmer of hope though. “I agree that a less-than-2.5 percent increase in the tax levy would be a good benchmark. I think even lower would be great …” We’ll sit back and see if your actions match your words. I wish you all the best in this endeavor. I’m counting on you sticking to this promise. Good luck with it. You’ll have my full support in this endeavor.

I doubt the rest of the school committee, committee on appropriations and town council share your sentiments — especially when the school committee just proposed a 4.5 percent increase.

Your claim that there was bullying in my letter was, well, silly. It’s simply free speech. Apparently you disagreed with my characterization of the last school committee when I used the, “we have what it takes to take what you have,” slogan to describe its recent profligate spending.

I’ve been in education for more than 30 years, and this doesn’t come close to bullying. Progressives like Mr. Brier seem to love free speech if and only if they agree with it.

Your most revealing statement to me though, “If that means we need to cut services or diminish our ability to remain leaders in education, emergency services, administration, and financial standing, I’ll take a hard pass” reveals much and is an important “tell.”

The “hard pass” tripe tells me one thing. You don’t have the backbone to make tough decisions. One man’s “school start time” dream is another taxpayer’s nightmare. Your statement is one that suggests all government services are good, equal in importance and always implemented for altruistic reasons. Did you live in town when the “Trash Removal Program” was debated (and outsourced)? Common sense says otherwise. Leadership isn’t easy, but spending other’s tax dollars certainly is.

Finally, the ideal of a “limited government” is no catchy slogan. It’s part of the American D.N.A. Perhaps you need to re-read the Federalist Papers and the Bill of Rights. This country wasn’t founded as an experiment on how government can serve the public. Rather, it was founded on freedom from government and with the emphasis on God-given individual rights.

Unfortunately, the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness is often infringed at the expense of an ever-larger government, and at all levels. And it is for this that I fight.

Scott Fuller

Barrington

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