RTM meeting Monday, October 23, 2017
Submitted by Berrin Snyder on October 30, 2017. Ms. Snyder is an incumbent RTM member in District 7 where there are 25 candidates for 20 spots.
In response to the Greenwich Free Press article, “Who is the Bully? Are RTM Contests Pitting Men Against Women?”, published October 29th, the same day hundreds of RTM members turned out in the pouring rain to meet their constituents to discuss the issues, answer questions, and make themselves better known, I would submit that there are much more important things to concern ourselves with in Greenwich besides an instance of one man’s ill-conceived behavior.
Of course, we should not condone inappropriate behavior of any kind and a public figure is held to a higher standard and must rise to it.
However, Greenwich faces more important issues like maintaining a balanced budget; scarcity of water; infrastructure maintenance; parking, growth and development; town compensation package negotiations, and so much more. March On Greenwich is turning the task of running a town into a fight for women’s rights. Indivisible
Greenwich is turning the task of running a town into a fight to take down the Trump agenda. Greenwich town government is not a national or state forum for either liberal or conservative politics.
Greenwich town government is about running the town – things like building schools or not, maintaining our waterfront and islands, maintaining the health and safety of its residents and the beauty of this town.
This should be a non-partisan effort, especially in the RTM – and so far it has been.
However, this may change with the introduction of March On Greenwich and Indivisible Greenwich. How can Indivisible Greenwich and March On Greenwich call themselves nonpartisan? Go to their websites and read what they are all about and with whom they are affiliated.
Greenwich has maintained a healthy level of home rule and should continue to do so. Local people know best what is good for their local communities. We don’t need state and federal agendas influencing and regulating every local decision we need to make. I have been on the RTM for 2 years and, as a woman, have always been treated with respect. We often have differing opinions on the issues and that is what makes the discussions so enriching. But March On Greenwich is guilty of reverse discrimination when they attack RTM members for being old and male. Young blood is vital in any group (and by the way we do have it), but younger members would do well to consider the wisdom of the older members too.
Seeing to the needs of an entire town is much bigger than any one issue, and the RTM has been and is, in my experience, a place where good people come together to hash out solutions to important local issues. I hope the good people of this town will be able to continue their locally focused, nonpartisan representation of our unique, charming, and wonderful community.
Berrin Snyder
D7 RTM
Editor’s note: Letters to the editor for candidates for the Nov 7 election must be submitted by Oct 31, 2017