Groton Democrats serving on the Town Council and RTM are governing Groton for the benefit of their party, and not for the people. In meetings held last week both the Democrat-controlled Groton Town Council and RTM were asked by concerned citizens to adopt a resolution stating to the governor and the legislature an opposition to tolls. Both bodies rejected the resolution, adopted by dozens of municipalities across the state, either by inaction or a party line vote. Very disappointing, considering the vociferous opposition to tolls seen statewide.

All GPS devices have an ability to give directions that avoid tolls and it is with this knowledge that officials in Groton should be concerned about the impact tolls will have on the quality of life in town. By virtue of how our secondary roads are laid out in an easy-on, easy-off configuration to I-95, people traveling to and from Rhode Island will bypass the tolled highway and clog up both routes 1 and 184.

Governing for the party, our Democrat elected officials seem to not at all be concerned about the potential for crowding on our secondary roads, an increase in traffic accidents, and a disruption of the pedestrian and cycling enjoyment in and around the roads affected.

Our Democrat elected officials seem to not at all be concerned that increased traffic on our secondary roads will have multiple impacts on our police departments, fire departments, fire districts, EMS services, all the individual first responders who work or volunteer for these departments, and the financial implications these increased workloads will have on property taxes.

Our Democrat elected officials seem to not at all be concerned that an increase in vehicular traffic town-wide will encroach on the rural and scenic nature of our New England-style small town, forever and irreversibly impacting our town's character and atmosphere.

Our Democrat elected officials seem to not at all be concerned that tolls will have a significant negative impact to the town's current economy and future economic development by creating a fiscal burden on all individuals and businesses including but not limited to small business, tourism, scientific research, military and our defense industries.

Connecticut Democrats, with the help of the media and academic elite, have turned Connecticut into a socialist state with their misguided desire to facilitate income redistribution by transferring money from the rich to the poor, assuming that the poor could finally be richer. The result has been a massive outward migration of all the "rich" and their wealth. Ignoring this loss of taxable income, they have further increased government spending, deficits, and debts, calling it a stimulus. Ignoring the long-suffering business community, they have worked to increase the minimum wage and called it social justice. Again, ignoring the ever-increasing loss of taxable income they have increased the salaries and retirement benefits of state employees and called it investing in the future. Still ignoring the horrible fiscal conditions in the state, they hand out thousands of state jobs as favors to their political allies and call it good governance. Now that they have run out taxable income from the "rich" they need tolls to bolster their socialist ways. When, where, and how does this lesson in socialist self-destruction end?

The people of Groton do not want and can not afford tolls. The Town Council and RTM have a responsibility to defend its citizens against bad legislation at any governmental level. Both town legislative bodies should immediately adopt a No Tolls resolution that tells the governor and the Connecticut Legislature "No." Show us you see the failure in your party's socialist ways.

John Scott is the chairman of the Groton Republican Town Committee and a former state representative.