To the editor:
We’ve all sought out new activities during the pandemic as we’ve all had so much more free time at home. For me, I spent more time paying attention to our local government.
Two-cent U.S. postage stamp. You, too can put in your two cents’ worth with a letter to the editor published by Darienite.com. Email it to dave@darienite.com. Election letters will be accepted up to 11:59 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021.
Zoom enabled viewing town council and school board meetings with an ease that didn’t exist before. Mostly, I was interested in how the pandemic was affecting Darien, and especially how town officials were managing and planning school activities.
I’m not a particularly political person, and when we moved to town a decade ago I was impressed by the moderate pragmatism that defined both the Democratic and Republican politicians in town.
There was little distance between the two sides, and both seemed isolated from national agendas so they could focus on problem solving issues together here in Darien.
I’ve honestly been stunned by how much that dynamic has changed as I’ve watched these meetings. Darien’s Republicans have shifted their positions significantly to align with national political agendas and often speak from talking points that seem crafted from watching cable news.
To me this shift is troubling. It makes local problem solving and planning more difficult, and the entire process less and less constructive. Personally, I’m not much interested in the national culture wars and would rather have my local leadership focus on the issues facing Darien.
That said, I’m worried about the upcoming school board election. Darien’s schools are the reason most of us moved here and are the local institution than touches our children the most. Over time, Darien has built a high quality school infrastructure that serves our children well and is the envy of many other towns.
It’s imperative that our elected leadership should always be focused on minimally maintaining and ideally improving this asset. Unfortunately, the current batch of Republicans seem most interested in fully imposing their party’s national agenda here in Darien.
It’s ironic that they focus on the importance of local control when they’ve outsourced their concerns, positions, and policy ideas to the national Republican infrastructure.
I think that if we care about maintaining the quality of our schools and want a board that is focused on the needs of all Darien’s children, we need to vote for Julie Best and Stacey Tie in this upcoming election.
They are pragmatic, focused on problem solving, and aren’t beholden to some national political agenda. We need Darien leaders that are solely focused on the well being of Darien. Let’s leave the national political fights to others.
Keith Olsen
Little Brook Road North
Editor’s note: Election letters will be accepted up to 11:59 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021.