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Category: Analysis

The author reviews an issue with the goal of explaining a topic, or convincing the audience of something. Analysis may include partisan views.

  • This Election, Vote for the Rocky Hill Library

    This Election, Vote for the Rocky Hill Library

    “Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation.” 

    Walter Kronkite, ALA “Libraries Change Lives” Campaign, 1995 

    There are few places in town my family loves more than the Rocky Hill Library. Between my wife and I and our nine-year-old, we have borrowed hundreds of books and enjoyed many programs put on by talented library staff and volunteers. For us, and for the thousands of Rocky Hill residents who use its services, the Library is a source of comfort, entertainment, knowledge, and community. That’s why I am angry that the library has been underfunded for years, and urge readers to support candidates who will fund this beloved town institution.

    This June, the Town Council cut $70,510 from the proposed library budget. This budget was already smaller than it should have been, because it did not include a line for the vacant Assistant Director position that has been left open since our current Director Michael Murphy was promoted to the role. Not only does the library have $5,000 less to spend to provide residents with books, it is down an entire full-time position, whose duties now fall upon the director. These cuts continue a downward trend; the library today has a smaller budget than it did in 2018. 

    Let us be clear: the people of Rocky Hill use their library, and frequently. According to the director’s report, residents checked out more than 200,000 items in the last fiscal year. The people of Rocky Hill walked through the doors in more than 100,000 visits. 23,192 attendees attended 769 programs. The library is the few places that provides resources to everyone, from my book-ravenous nine-year-old to the elderly seeking tech support. It is also one of the vanishingly few places a person can expect to sit  in comfort, read, enjoy access to the Internet and not be asked to pay for the experience. 

    Despite these successes, the library has lost between 75 and 90 hours of staff time per week over the past two budget cycles. Since trained library staff members are required to put on much of the hundreds of hours of services and activities the library provides, cuts to staff amounts to cuts to programming. Nevertheless, the town expects the library to increase visits and program participation by 2.5% this year. When you picture our librarians, imagine a team of dedicated public servants squeezed in a vise. We are demanding that our librarians deliver more with less. 

    When these cuts are mentioned, I have sometimes heard the argument that individual actions can fill the gap in our library’s budget. We are encouraged to write a check to the Friends of the Library Association, or volunteer our time to put on programming. These actions are both necessary and categorically insufficient for a town that wants a flourishing library at the heart of its community. My partner and I are members of the Friends of the Library Association. Mara serves on the Library Board of Trustees and I volunteer to put on a monthly chess club for children. Neither we nor any other volunteer can replace a full-time librarian.

    This election, I urge you to ask candidates whether they support staffing the Rocky Hill Library, ideally returning to the staffing levels of 2023. This year’s slate of Democrats have committed to stopping the freefall of cuts and responsibly growing our staffing levels as the budget allows. I urge you to Vote A to support the Democrats in this election. 

     I draw encouragement from candidates like Kristen Dudanowicz, who offer a full-throated defense of our institutions. 

    “Our library is not a luxury — it’s a lifeline for students who need reading support, families who rely on technology access, and seniors who depend on connection and community. We should be investing in the places that make Rocky Hill stronger and more connected, not forcing them to do more with less year after year.”

  • A Father’s Plea: Don’t Gamble with Our Firefighters’ Safety

    A Father’s Plea: Don’t Gamble with Our Firefighters’ Safety

    Opinion piece: this article reflects the opinion of the author.

    When the siren sounds, volunteer firefighters drop everything, work, school, family dinners , and go. They’re the ones running toward emergencies while the rest of us wait for help to arrive.

    That kind of dedication deserves respect,  and real support. So when I learned that the fire department’s training budget was cut nearly in half, and the equipment budget reduced even beyond what the Town Manager recommended, I was stunned. These weren’t small adjustments. They were unnecessary cuts that put public safety at risk. They were above the recommendations of the town manager, and what was asked for by the department, knowing that it needs to maintain a properly trained department. .

    Rocky Hill’s Fire Department has worked hard to rebuild its ranks after years of recruitment struggles. Many of the new members are young and still gaining experience. That makes training and proper equipment more important than ever. Cutting those resources doesn’t save money, it creates risk.

    This isn’t about politics. It’s about common sense. You can’t expect firefighters to protect the community without giving them the tools and training to do it safely. Every dollar taken from those budgets increases the chance that something goes wrong,  not just for the firefighters, but for the people they’re trying to save.

    Volunteer firefighters already do so much with so little. They balance jobs, families, and their commitment to serve. They don’t ask for much, just what they need to do the job right and come home safely.

    Our elected officials should be asking themselves one question: would they be comfortable knowing a loved one is heading into a fire or crash without the best possible training or gear? Because that’s what these cuts mean, a department trying to do more with less, when “less” could mean the difference between life and death.

    We owe our first responders more than thank-yous and social media posts. We owe them investment,  in training, in equipment, and in readiness. If the budget needs trimming, start somewhere else. Cut the nonessentials, not public safety.

    As a father of a teenage firefighter, this isn’t abstract to me,  it’s personal. When that siren sounds, I know my son will answer the call. And like every parent of a firefighter, I want him , and everyone he serves alongside,  to have what they need to come home safe.

    Our firefighters show up for us on our worst days, in the middle of our worst nights, without pause and without pay. The least we can do is show up for them. Proper training. Proper equipment. Proper investment. Anything less is gambling with lives, something no parent or community should ever accept.There’s no budget victory worth a firefighter’s life. Not my son’s. Not anyone’s. That’s why I’ll be voting for leadership that puts public safety first, funds our core services, and plans responsibly for Rocky Hill’s future. I’ll be voting for Allan Smith and the entire Row A slate  to bring back a responsible majority that knows what truly matters.