Harsh words in West Haven Voice editorial

The August 2 West Haven Voice editorial entitled "Civic Lesson Needed" has some harsh words for those who are upset by the taxes in West Haven; in short the message is "If you are unhappy with the West Haven taxes, you should propose a new budget solution and show complete understanding of how taxes are calculated". Ok, that's overstated, but the title of piece lent an arrogant tone to some very good points.

The editorial raises the point that West Haven taxpayers don't understand that the fire district taxes are not governed by the City of West Haven, but are entirely autonomous organizations, and that the rally speakers requested lower tax rates and a restored educational and public safety budget, but did not propose how to find that money.

In my opinion, I see that the petition and the rally was really a method (without litigation) to bring attention to the fact that taxpayers of West Haven feel that not enough was done to keep taxes increases at a minimum, and to gather support for supporters to sit down with the mayor and find solutions.

This was complicated by the invitation of Brent Coscia to the rally, unfortunately; as the piece points out, Brent was elevated to the heights of "ersatz spokesperson" of the West Haven Taxpayers Initiative (WHTI) by the media, and that he threatened to petition for a recall (which is not a recourse in Connecticut statutes) should the WHTI requests fail.

The fire district issue is also discussed at length; the problem, however, is that West Haven taxpayers receive one bill. They see West Haven taxes come to them as a whole, and that the City of West Haven collects the full amount. It's not surprising that many do not understand that the City cannot influence the fire districting.... after all, the City is the the collection agent for fire district taxes!

The article goes on to say:

We know the tax issue is an emotional one, and the taxpayers have a right to voice their concerns. What we’ve seen, however, is more emotion and an ignorance of the way things are done. This lack of understanding will do nothing to quell the frustration; in fact, it might exacerbate the problem.

I actually disagree in this case... with more involvement by the taxpayers, a responsible media can help to educate the masses. Taxpayers of West Haven, often known for their apathy towards understanding the problems of the city government, really seem to want to learn and get involved with the solutions.

While people have responded emotionally, SOMEWHERE, the facts have to be sorted out... which is why this blog was started. To find solutions, to find out what was emotion, and what was reality. A large source of information has been the media -- and as we find out, too often the media prints stories that do not just contain the facts (such as the Brent Coscia connection to the WHTI).