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The four-year effort of the Fairfield Concerned Citizens to restore order to our town government has now come to a successful close as a result of the Connecticut Supreme Court's decision affirming the Superior Court's decision in the case of Bateson v. Weddle.
As citizens, we embarked on an incredible journey nearly five years ago and we have learned a great deal from our experiences in pursuing this successful result.
We have learned that the power of our local government resides in we the people who have prescribed the way that power is to be exercised in the town charter.
We have learned that when we delegate the exercise of our governmental power to our town officials, it is on the understanding that they will faithfully exercise it in strict compliance with the charter.
We have learned that when these officials fail to comply with the charter, we have the power to take make them responsible for their failures, even if it means having them removed from office.
We have learned that the old adage that "you can't fight city hall," is only true when we sit back and do nothing in the face of any abuse of the power we have delegated to city hall and that when we do nothing we are guilty of condoning those abuses.
We have learned that there is always a way to impose the will of the people to correct such abuses as long as they are willing to persevere despite any difficulties thrown in their way to wear them down.
Finally, we have learned that our efforts have made Fairfielders aware that when they have delegated their power to town officials, they must remain vigilant that their power will be faithfully exercised according to the charter and not abused.
These have been valuable lessons for the Concerned Citizens and all Fairfielders, but unless those lessons are kept alive in the future they would soon disappear from the public consciousness. While Concerned Citizens have proven to be a force to be reckoned with, we are only a small part of the potential to be unleashed.
In order to build on that potential, we invite any and all Fairfielders who share our commitment to preserving good government in our town to join the Concerned Citizens. If there is sufficient interest, we believe that we can build a strong organization capable of ensuring against abuses of governmental power.
If you are interested in joining us in this cause, please contact us by phone at 203-209-8116 or by email klbesq@aol.com. Be sure to leave your contact information. If we receive a sufficient response, we will arrange a general meeting in the near future.
We'd also like to remember Philip Meiman, longtime Fairfield science educator, our friend who always spoke for the environment, who passed away before our victory.
Edward J. Bateson 3rd
Fairfield Concerned Citizens
