'Middletown Matters' matters At a recent township committeemeeting, Committeemen Pat Short and Sean Byrnes suggested eliminating some of the issues of the wonderful "Middletown Matters" newsletter and cutting down the information in the remainder. In these times of seeking ways to make government more transparent, I am stunned that these individuals would look to curtail a critical conduit of information between the township and the residents. I also find it ironic that Democratic Chairman Joe Caliendo and Courier owner Joe Azzolina have recently attacked "MiddletownMatters," since it provides a wealth of positive information about the town that runs counter to both men's political agendas. I fear that both Mr. Short and Mr. Byrnes, in tribute to the Democratic chairman and the owner of the Courier who has been a vocal and financial supporter of both men, have targeted "Middletown Matters" to try and silence the information it carries and curtail its reach to the residents ofMiddletown. As the mayor rightly pointed out at the meeting, "Middletown Matters" has also saved the townshipmoney in advertising and mailing costs, and also generates additional revenue for the town through increased participation and fees for township programs and is an important source of personnel to staff the many volunteer organizations throughout the township. It is truly disheartening that with all of the wasteful, foolish policies of the state and the resultant burdens that are placed on local property taxpayers, that Mr. Short and Mr. Byrnes would rather attack what is right with Middletown, rather than address the shortcomings of their own party. The appeal of this publication transcends class, age, gender and geographic location and should not be neutered to pay political homage to the party faithful and their financial backers. Michael Vitkansas Middletown