Stop the Runaway Knickerbocker Express - Vote NO on July 18th!

The Agreement that Bethel First Selectman Matthew Knickerbocker negotiated behind closed doors with Aquarion to buy our water supply has more cracks and clogs in it than the entire infrastructure of Fairfield County.

Not only was the Agreement signed and sealed in Executive session behind our backs, the elements of the deal are nebulous and do not protect the Town’s interests in any way.

When asked about the particulars at the Public Hearing and the Special Town Meeting, Mr. Knickerbocker was careful not to be too specific, and when the questions got too tough, he handed the microphone over to the Town Attorney, Martin Lawlor, who conveniently referenced mystical Statutes that could not be backed up in fact. Multiple attempts to get information about one particularly vague Statute have resulted in unreturned emails and phone calls to the Town Attorney, and a confession from Mr. Knickerbocker that he is not familiar with the Statute.

The entire process has been mishandled from the get-go. And now Bethel taxpayers are left with the decision on whether to vote “yes” on a flawed Sales Contract that is already set in stone, or, vote “no” to not sell.

Those who have been pushing this deal hard have been touting it as a fiscal bailout. However, a Political Action Committee formed by Democrats several days ago characterizes a “yes” vote at this referendum as a Vote for Safe Drinking Water, which it is not!

At the Public Hearing on July 8, not only could Aquarion not offer any clarity on how they planned to deal with existing contaminants, if they were to connect Bethel’s water supply with their other regional systems, it would bring their user numbers over 10,000. At those usage levels, the State mandates the addition of fluoride to the water system. Not only are the health effects of fluoride contentious, top health organizations have discounted it as a beneficial additive and no longer support its use, as it is one of the most highly toxic substances present in our environment today.

The multi-layered egregiousness of this entire process should give every taxpayer in Bethel pause. No democratic process, a disregard of State Statutes and the Town Charter form of Government at Public Hearings and the Special Town Hearing, deal-making behind closed doors, a Sales Agreement full of holes, and the formation of a Political Action Committee just days ago with the specific purpose of promoting a “yes” vote.

All this, and I have not even mentioned the outspoken resistance from national environmental groups on the proposed sale – groups like Food and Water Watch, Connecticut Fund for the Environment, and Rivers Alliance! A recent article posted by CFE Legal Fellow Lauren Savidge expresses the CT Fund’s concern.

Regarding the flawed Sales Agreement, read it for yourself. It’s posted on the Town website, as well as on the Bethel Action Committee’s website here.