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Tuesday, June 11, 2013

How I Feel – Letter to the Editor

As published in the Record Journal Tuesday June 11, 2013

Editor: Patricia Kohl’s letter (R-J, 6-9) needs a little on-the-record correcting.

I have on many occasions lamented that all local turnout, whether municipal elections or referendum, is very low and that is unfortunate as you have the most impact voting locally. Would you rather be one voice in 25,000 registered voters (or actually one in 12,000, because that’s all that shows up), or would you rather be one voice in 150,000,000 for a presidential one?

Did I say, “The residents already said “no” to that lot.”? Yes, I did.

“6,888 voters went to the polls; of those, 4,120 voted to reject the project. Is that number a minority of the registered voters in Wallingford?” Yes it is, but they showed up and had their say; 4,120 people got their outcome and spoke for all of Wallingford because they were the majority of those that showed up. If the rest of Wallingford wanted their say, they should have showed up.

“So, can one conclude that Zandri believes that 4,120 people represent all of the residents of Wallingford?” How anyone can make that assumption when I have clearly stated in the past: “A minority of registered voters in town dictates the result for the majority”?

I do not want it both ways. I would always prefer to see Wallingford in the high 80th percentile turnout of voters like what we see in the presidential elections but, when the registered voters decide to stay home, the “minority of registered voters in town dictates the result for the majority.” When the voters speak, even if it is the majority of the minority that show up, their will should be done. No need to speculate or “conclude” any further -- this is how I feel.

It’s your town – get informed, get involved and vote.

JASON ZANDRI, WALLINGFORD

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