To the editor:

Responding to your editorial (“Journalists needed now more than ever,” August 23, 2018), the role of the press should be defined along with fake news. Is it all about money and influencing public opinion, sometimes only reiterating press releases, so that voters will be swayed toward a predetermined outcome?

When Westport appropriated and authorized the Town to borrow $96.8 million on January 23, why did the press report “Voters were asked to finance a bond for the town’s approximate $59 million share for a new school building and project” (SouthCoast Today, January 23, 2018)?

Why did the press report that the chairwoman of Westport’s School Building Committee proposed “a debt exclusion of over $50 million to voters reluctant to invest in education" (SouthCoast Today, July 20, 2018) when she made the motion to approve $96.8 million on January 23? And isn’t student programming (language in her motion) a far cry from education?

Why are we told the (quasi) state will reimburse 40 pecent of the cost when voters were asked to exempt interest and principal from Proposition 2½ as two separate entities of the February 27th referendum? Why didn't the press explain why the quasi state required no dollar amount to be printed on the ballot question? 

Why didn’t the press explain to voters the “non-entitlement, discretionary, based on need as determined by the Massachusetts School Building Authority” details of the MSBA grant for eligible reimbursements? What are the strings attached and hoops the town must jump through in compliance with the MSBA Scope and Funding agreement?

Why did new school advocates use local newspaper/websites as their means for attempting to discredit the Westport Taxpayers Association, myself, or anyone else that didn’t agree with their Consensus Club?

Finally, when are taxpayers going to realize we are being used for political cash cows and the press seems to be a facilitator in achieving that goal?

Marilyn Pease

Westport