Voter Stereotypes and 'Cartoon Characters on Patch'

First Selectman Steve Vavrek and a number of residents speaking at last Wednesday's budget meeting at Masuk High School, which was televised live on Channel 17, complained about a divisive atmosphere in town this budget season. Senior citizens are being unfairly labeled as automatic "no voters" and parents of school age children as people who care about Monroe's schools and little else, they say.

Monroe Patch was often cited as a social media outlet people are using to "bash" public officials and those who disagree with them, while spreading "misinformation" about the budget and the Honeywell funding.

Vavrek started the meeting by apologizing to Ken and Barbara Waite for the disrespectful way they were treated in the community after their names appeared in a Patch story about the petition drive to force a referendum vote on Honeywell. Some comments posted attacked them personally, and the first selectman said the couple has done a lot of good things for the town over the years.

Bill Ehlers, a longtime resident and library board chairman, said some residents angry over the budget referendum defeat from April 2 have been calling for cuts to the Monroe Senior Center to punish seniors for voting no.

"On Patch, I see the attacks on the senior center and I think that's irresponsible," he said.

Though Ehlers and his wife's children graduated high school long ago, he said they have always voted yes at budget time in support of Monroe's school system.

Ehlers said he has also seen "attacks" on the library budget request for raises for part-time staff.

Vavrek said Patch has commenters who are "anonymous cartoon characters" and that "people get bashed."

As several members of the public took turns coming up to speak, Vavrek commented on their activity on Patch. When Jim Laguardia walked up to the microphone, Vavrek said, "We agree to disagree, but when he goes on Patch, he uses his name."

The first selectman also praised Steve Kirsch for using his real name in the forums.

Later in the meeting, the first selectman complained that Monroe Elementary School parents posting a letter on Patch in support of the budget got "bashed."

Of the anonymous commenters, Vavrek said, "It's time to man up or woman up and talk to me."

Board of Education member Kelly Plunkett said people should go directly to the sources for budget information by asking questions of town officials, "rather than cartoon characters on Patch."

Steve Schapiro had taken Plunkett to task for telling seniors who don't have kids in the school system anymore that it's their turn to support other people's kids and Plunkett acknowledged that not all senior citizens vote no. She also praised the way Barbara Yeager runs the senior center and said she does not want its budget to be cut.

But Plunkett said parents are often unfairly seen as people who only care about funding for the schools and nothing else in the community. She said not all vote yes and that many are active in the community, volunteering for organizations like the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).