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“Milton Republicans” group presents a number of clear-cut lies about “initiatives” in flyer – Opinion

Dear Editor:

A flyer recently distributed by a group claiming themselves to be “Milton Republicans” presents a number of clear-cut lies about “initiatives” that require a response. Let’s take a few of them one by one.

1. “Abolish all single-family housing”

What does this mean? Bulldozers are going to come running down the streets to demolish our homes and we’ll have to flee out of town? This is preposterous. There are no initiatives to abolish single-family housing. This is simple fear-mongering.

2. “Comply with the MBTA Communities Act which will utterly destroy our infrastructure”

The Act is merely a requirement to implement zoning for multi-family housing. And which infrastructure are they talking about? The roads? The water and sewer system? The utility wires? What? Compliance will not destroy anything; it will enhance the Town.

3. “Take precious conservation land from the elderly by eminent domain to build an unneeded $200M school”

From which elderly will the land be taken? The land belongs to the entire Town, not to any specific group. There is so much documented evidence of the untenable and worsening overcrowding of our schools. We should not pit our seniors against our children The one preliminary dollar figure that has been cited for a new school is $75 million. From where are they making up the exaggerated $200 million?

4. “Remove parents from the entire educational process and keep them uninformed”

Another case of broadcasting exaggerations and fears. Parents are not being removed from anything. No one is proposing to remove the School Committee, required by state law, and elected by our citizens, many of whom are Milton Public Schools parents.

5. “Secretly introduce illegal age-inappropriate sex presentations in our elementary schools.”

While we can have a debate about our curricula, there are no secrets and there’s nothing illegal. The claim made is simply laughable. To wit, the school system follows guidance by the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary education regarding all curricula. Parents are informed of presentations and surveys conducted through the schools. Parents are offered the opportunity to opt their children out, if they choose.

6. “Increase the school budget to support illegal race-based agendas while our children continue to suffer.”

Again with the illegal nonsense? This is unsubstantiated race-baiting at its worst. Milton is better than this. If they really care about “suffering” of our children, they would support meaningful efforts to address overcrowding and the relative underfunding of Milton’s public schools. For the year 2021 Milton spent $16,863 per pupil. The state average for that year was $19,062. Milton’s expenditure ranked 301 out of 401 reporting districts.

Voters should evaluate these lies and exaggerations for themselves. We can have debates about how the Town should move ahead. But lies have no place in that conversation. See these statements as a simplistic attempt at generating only fear among voters. Don’t be gullible. Don’t be taken in. Democracy is hard. Do your own research and be an educated voter.

Sincerely,

Robert Rosofsky
29 Waldo Road
Milton, MA 02186