West Haven Bob

Time Is Running OUT!!!

2011-11-04T03:56:00.006-04:00

We got a dumpster load of troubles coming our way.

And we got no one to blame but ourselves.

While we looked the other way, Porky Picard (shown below)

(A RECENT PHOTO)

used his power and his office to enrich his cronies by using millions of our tax dollars. Ken Carney (and his company, Baybrook Remodeling) is only the most obvious sucker at the City's teats at this point in time.

The fact is that Porky (and his pigs) are now pulling on a dry well...but that won't stop them.

I don't know if you noticed it, but real estate prices have gone a bit down in the past few years. But the porkers need their fat, and so (go figure) the values of condos went SKY-HIGH last year (or so the Assessor said). And we all know the Assessor is non-political, right? So, condo owners paid about 150% more than in 2009...and we all know that West Haven condo's were selling like hotcakes then, right?

Uh, Right????!!!!!!!!

Well, here's a prediction for y'all. You'll vote Porky and his pals back in, and then (with apologies to the Rev. Martin Niemöller) :

"First, they raised the taxes on the condos, and I didn't protest because I didn't own a condo;

Then they raised the taxes on the apartments, and I didn't protest because I didn't live in an apartment;

Then they raised the taxes on the multi-families, and I didn't protest because I didn't live in a multi-family;

Then they raised the taxes on me; but by then there was no one left to protest."

Next year, when they're all elected, they're coming for US.

Once more Around the Crossing

2011-10-06T06:57:00.000-04:00

Sigh...Here we go yet again.

In his latest attempt to ~~boost his reelection chances~~ er, improve the City, Mayor Picard unveiled (with the requisite hoopla and self-promotion) the latest "final" plans for re-inventing our shoreline at the New Haven border.

Of course, Mr. "Stop-&-Shop will never build on Elm Street" (or, if you prefer, Mr. "Wal*Mart will never build on Saw Mill Road") is the same gentleman who killed the last "final" plan for this long-neglected parcel...simply because he didn't like the political affiliations of the builders...and pushed United Illuminating away.

Actually, this "final" plan - in the extremely unlikely event it comes to pass - actually looks pretty good from the City's side. UNLESS THERE'S SOME "SWEETHEART" TAX BREAKS we haven't been told about.

At this point, I don't give a rat's butt WHO gets the credit; I don't even care that this is a blatant political ploy.

JUST DO IT!

Exonerated...Not Guilty...Innocent...UNMUZZLED

2011-09-25T22:35:00.005-04:00

I had been "muzzled" for over a year (on the advice of legal counsel)...but this has finally been ended.

The State Elections Enforcement Commission, after reviewing some 8 complaints against yours truly (as well as against those elected officials who are - shall we say - not loved by the Picard machine) found me innocent of violating any laws whilst I was Head Moderator for West Haven. I need not add that I'll never again make the mistake of serving West Haven at the risk of losing my Constitutional right to voice my opinion. But, the Picard Machine use (and abuse) certain people to do their dirty work: to prevent those THEY CANNOT CONTROL from doing anything good within this town...regardless of any good that might be had for West Haven.

So...I'll be posting again, just to give all of my faithful followers (whether friend or foe) my take on the goings on in West Haven...and Connecticut.

Fasten your seat belts, people: I plan on making this a bumpy ride.

Are we all EQUAL???

2011-02-07T21:34:00.003-05:00

We've all seen it. We've all had to deal with it. And we can all agree:

This Winter SUCKS!!!

But... I have to state the TRUTH as I can see it; and that TRUTH is:

Our City workers have done the best they can do, within the politcs they have to deal with. We have to be patient whilst they catch up with this.

But...There is another side to the WHOLE TRUTH, and that COMPLETE TRUTH is this:

The TRUTH is that the West Shore Area was cleared by CITY Payloaders THREE WEEKS ago...and have been done TWICE SINCE.

Since then, some OTHER areas haven't been yet cleared once...including Second Avenue. I don't have to even go into the DISASTER that is Allingtown. These facts are the WEST HAVEN TRUTH.

I have made repeated requests to get a reason why this is so. I have been informed by City officials (off the record) that no explanation is to be given...particularly to me. Like the Egyptian government, our City government chooses to give information only to its favored sources (like the so-called "Voice" newspaper, which only will reliably print the "Party Line" without the Party's Rebuttal...not surprising as it is owned by the Party in power). If you listen carefully, that spinning sound you hear is Colby Driessen's body in his grave: he spent his life challenging the "powers-that-be" to do better for West Haven - no matter the party label; and he's probably blowing his (heavenly) breakfast when he looks down at the political whore his successor has become...and how that whore has perverted his legacy and newspaper.

But I have strayed somewhat off the theme off this post. I merely wish to ask:

Should we accept that only those in power get better City service than the rest of us? Shall we meekly accept that (as Orwell predicted) "some...are more equal than others"?

Or should everyone share equally in these natural problems? Should not we boldly demand as one people that (as Jefferson insisted) "all...are created equal"?

Only YOU the VOTER can decide. And...you won't get the TRUTH from reading "The VOICE".

Either way you WILL choose...and enjoy the winter.

And Another Player Strikes Out! (But WHO?)

2011-01-04T17:17:00.008-05:00

One of the more interesting characteristics of the incoming Malloy administration - at least from the viewpoint of political oddsmakers - is the large number of elected Democrats who have been tapped to fill state administrative positions.

This isn't curious from the Governor-elect's point of view: after nearly two decades of uninterrupted Republican control of the state's administration, the Democrats are understandably rusty...and are thus notably lacking in experienced administrators.

No...what makes this interesting is those elected personages who have been lobbying to get a plum state job...and the associated fallout.

As I reported back in November, a member of West Haven's "elected class" has been making it known that an administrative position, if offered, would be favorably considered. Since the time of the original report, the Governor-elect has selected a whole bunch of elected officials...but not our own "favorite son".

Hmmmm....

Could it be that our special someone (who hasn't been known for the stickin' out of the political neck) didn't do enough for our new governor whilst he was simply a candidate? Is it possible that someone has less political pull stateside than believed?

Or is there a deeper, more sinister answer?

This particular "hungry child" was just newly re-elected...and should ~~Steve~~ (oops, my bad!) get the job before being sworn in, state law mandates an election to fill the position. However, if the state job shows up after noon tomorrow (once he is sworn in), the West Haven Democratic Town Committee chooses his successor...without the chance of a challenge.

Think about it: before tomorrow, there's a chance that someone could become state representative, who would not be beholden to our Golden Boy (who has chosen his minions wisely). But, after noon tomorrow, this "danger" - the danger that the voters get to choose their representative - can't happen.

So, the next few days or weeks will tell the truth of the story. If our boy gets his plum, you can know the "fix was in": either between Picard and Malloy directly, or between Picard and ~~Steve~~...with the implicit cooperation by Malloy. This would show that our Mayor is better at political conniving than are any of his opponents.

If there isn't a job offered, then it was our hometown kid who whiffed at the plate. Either way, the Mayor won't lose (as usual)...and his opponents don't win (again, as usual.)

Let's see what we shall see, shall we?

Out With the Old, In With the New

2010-12-31T09:14:00.002-05:00

Like a kidney stone, 2010 has finally passed. I wish everyone all the best for 2011! And in keeping with the season:

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-23T16:16:00.002-05:00

In or Out?

2010-12-22T09:53:00.006-05:00

Just when ya thought it was safe to go back into the water...

....comes the news that our very favorite shark hasn't really left. (Well, he left December 6th, but he didn't actually leave. Isn't that all clear now?)

That's right - Der Robber (shown below at a City Council meeting) is still around, helping our "proven Financial Manager" perform his annual Holiday juke-and-jive act (also known as the annual City Audit).

It's gonna be hard to top last year's trained pony show (which I've been told got to #2 on the New York Times' best-selling fiction list). It was all the more memorable, since both gentlemen are most commonly referred to as the posterior section of the horse...how did they get the front part to work?

But the best part is that he still gets to take a couple of parting pulls from our Fair City's financial breasts. Word is, he's being paid $75.00 per hour for his wizardry (on nights & weekends, of course...he took on a job in Norwalk, trying to save that City from the brink of financial ~~stability~~ ruin). Ya gotta wonder what Tom Hamilton, who constantly clashed with our boy, thinks of this.

Maybe the Bobster simply needs the extra pin money...after all, how many towns have the financial cojones to pay him $140,000 per year? Besides West Haven, that is.

And Another One Leaves the Boat

2010-12-16T11:33:00.002-05:00

The recent news that Robert ("der Robber") Barron has resigned as our Finance Director could be seen as good news, as he was one of my favorite people.

But, this vacancy in our Financial Department should raise some eyebrows, as it gives rise to some interesting speculations while at the same time poses critical problems for our "proven financial manager":

WHY did he choose to leave when he did? The City's AUDIT should be in the last stages of preparation (yeah, RIGHT!)...is it possible that even he couldn't hide the gaping wounds caused by the "Friends of Picard Contracting & Employment Agency"?

What will this vacancy mean for our near-term financial future? Remember, the main function of the Finance Office is to spend our tax dollars (whether those dollars come from the City, from the State, or from Washington...they still come from US). Who is working to lock down state and federal monies...and who is putting the brakes on City spending?

To sum this up, "Papa John" can't ask his rich aunt Jodie or her Daddy Sam for any more money; he's on his own. This means he will have to cut out many of the goodies he's been doling out to his political allies (goodies paid for by taxpayers).

This will make the next year verrrrrry eenterestink! (apologies to the ~~late~~ great Arte Johnson) MY BAD... I've been advised that Mr. Johnson is still very much alive..now that the gravy train is running out of juice, will john-boy come back for another season? Stay tuned.....

Let's Let'em KNOW!

2010-12-12T09:54:00.008-05:00

UPDATE (12/15/2010 8:00 PM EST) - The Senate has passed the Obama Tax Compromise. Both our Senators voted for passage.

OK...here are the facts behind the Obama Tax Cut Deal (now known as H.R. 4853). I'll let you decide if this is worth your money (or your kids' future).

First of all, here is what I'm basing this on: the Congressional Budget Office has published its Report on how much this will cost us. In short, this bill has a price tag of:

$892,852,000,000.00

over the next five years.

This means that, as soon as the President signs this bill, every living American - man, woman, baby - will owe $2,908.00...money that has to be eventually repaid. This comes to a cost of just under $600.00 every year through 2015. A family of 4 incurs $2,400.00 every year.

So, what is each of us paying for? Here is the breakdown in the costs for every individual American over each of the next 5 years:

Now, bear in mind that this is the cost for every American, whether working or not...better put that 2 year old to work!

Now, for this extra debt, a person making $60,000 per year gets nothing over what was received for the past ten years. Had the Bush tax cuts (which should now be labelled the OBAMA tax cuts) expired, that $60,000 income would have resulted in about $600.00 in higher taxes.

If you think this is a bad deal, you have only one option: LET YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS KNOW! Here are the ways for West Haven residents to contact our Senators, Representative DeLauro...and the President:

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-3) (Click Link for email)

59 Elm Street, New Haven, CT 06510 Tel 203-562-3718

2413 Rayburn HOB, Washington, DC 20515 Tel 202-225-3661

Sen. Chris Dodd (D - CT) (Click Link for email)

30 Lewis Street, Suite 30, Hartford, CT 06103 Tel 800-258-6940

448 Russell Bldg, Washington, DC 20510 Tel 202-334-5341

Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I - CT) (Click Link for email)

One Constitution Plaza, 7th Floor, Hartford, CT 06103 Tel 800-225-5605

706 Hart Office Bldg, Washington, DC 20510 Tel 202-224-4041

President Barack Obama (D?) (Click Link for email)

The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Tel 202-456-6213
Washington, DC 20500

These are the emails, phone numbers and addresses for voter comments only.

Make your voice HEARD NOW...or pay for your silence later.

Time to Rant

2010-12-09T12:45:00.011-05:00

NOTE: I'll be posting shortly about our lately-departed Finance Director (who was - as everyone knows - one of my greatest admirers)...stayed tuned for that. But in the meantime, I gotta let this one out.

Way back in December of 2007, I made it known to my political associates that I favored the junior Senator from Illinois, Barack Obama. Well, I got my innards ripped out that night by the Hillary supporters. As it turned out, I had the last laugh....or so I thought.

I am extremely liberal on social issues...but at the same time I am conservative on fiscal matters. I believed (or dare I say that I had the Audacity to HOPE) that Obama was the ideal I had always wanted.

But, the deal recently struck to extend the 2001 George W. Bush tax cuts fails on both of my personal standards:

By extending these tax cuts for the wealthiest 2%, Mr Obama agreed to unnecessarily add to our childrens' debt, without any material public benefit. We should only put a mortgage on our house if there is good reason to do so; and for too long - 40 years, in fact - we have been mortgaging ourselves without a second's thought to the possible consequences. It is far overdue for us to put our finances in order...and this agreement does more to de-stabilize our financial situation (albeit with a "promise" of future benefit - which has been vehemently refuted almost unanimously by reputable financial experts and economists).

This agreement does nothing to provide for those who in my judgment are those in greatest need of government assistance: the long-term unemployed. The so-called "extension" of benefits serves only those who are currently receiving unemployment benefits. There are millions who - because of this prolonged and severe recession - have lost their unemployment benefits, even as economic conditions have kept most from getting new jobs. And yet, the tax money given to the richest 2% among us could pay for 2 years' worth of benefits to these long-term unemployed.

This agreement, then, is a "lose-lose" proposition no matter how you come at it or how you look at it going forth. It adds to our country's debt, without solving any of our major national needs. Advocates of this plan can only ask for our faith that this deal will eventually help in some undefined way in the hope that it will benefit us in some equally-undefined future time.

The time for hope and faith has passed. It is now the time for decisive leadership. Mr. Obama has proven himself incapable of providing that direction.

It is a milksop argument to say that the opposition to his presidency has prevented him from providing that leadership. He has become the caricature of Gandhi's famous put-down of the British government's point of view. He said that the leaders' philosophy was: "There goes my people. I must follow them, for I am their leader."

Sixty years ago, Gandhi was spot-on with his analysis; and we know how glorious the British Empire is today, right?

Are we now going to make the same mistakes in the name of political expediency? Are we REALLY willing to take that risk?

More to the point:

Should we mortgage every American child's future so that our richest need not have to pay back to the Country which allowed them to become so rich in the first place?

We the people, it was we who voted Obama into office as a reflection of our sincere desire to change the path of our Country.

The "Tea Party" movement has a similar desire, though (because it was born by partisan political operatives) with seemingly divergent aims. But the (apparently opposite) goals of both movements are the the same: to take back our Government back to "We the people" from "We the Special Interests".

We haven't gotten anything like that (as yet) from Mr. Obama's administration, or from him personally.

Maybe, just maybe, this "Tea Party" movement is ahead of the wave: a wave we could add to, a wave that could overwhelm and cleanse our federal government.

We'll have the shared luxury of arguing about the next step once our mutual goals are attained.

D-Day at Last for the G-Man?

2010-12-02T06:47:00.005-05:00

It appears that today might be "der Tag" for one of West Haven's "best citizens" (as once described by our Mayor.)

Gene Sullivan is s cheduled to appear in court today to answer the charges for his part in connection with the burglary of a Police Commissioner's home. (I originally p osted on this sorry episode waaaaaaay back in March).

What hasn't been fully investigated, though, is the other issues surrounding Mr. S.

As I have repeatedly reported, our boy has steadfastly refused to pay his fair share of car taxes (his cars are registered out-of-state). Of course, there's a reason:

Apparently, Golden Boy was caught by a contractor hired by the previous assessor (who was promptly fired). Said case is now tied up in, um, "negotiations" between the City and said contractor. Apparently, the City can't prosecute this case until this issue is settled...and it seems the City is in no rush to settle.

Hmmmmmm.

UPDATE According to the State website, the case has been rescheduled for December 16th. This is now the 18th time the case has been rescheduled. For crying out loud, the Hayes death penalty murder trial didn't take this long!

Meanwhile, Behind the Scenes...

2010-11-30T05:28:00.000-05:00

Just as the voters are beginning to recover from the last bout of Democratic Party infighting (caused by the, um, "retirements" of several long-term incumbents), secure in the knowledge that the next round won't start until next summer...

Whispers have been heard that a long-time politico has made it known that he's looking for a state job under the incoming Malloy administration. These whispers have been heard by all of the power factions; I can just guess at the plans and ploys being formulated: since should this state job happen, that will open yet another front in the never-ending uncivil war between the Democrats. Word is that the phone lines between here and the Secretary of State's Office have been going hot and heavy, as various hopefuls - I've heard of at least four - seek to design the beginnings of a plan.

More importantly, it just might end up with yet another election for West Haven. [SIGH....]

He's BAAAAACK!

2010-11-29T08:21:00.000-05:00

Well, as threatened, West Haven Bob is back from a self-imposed exile...and with a few changes added in.

I plan on expanding my fields of commentary to beyond West Haven alone...although my fair burg here provides more than enough grist for my opinionated tastes. It just seems that there are so many more dumb politicians out there than usual; and sometimes I just can't help myself.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T18:01:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

See you all on Monday!

How Things Work Around Here These Days

2010-09-04T10:16:00.000-04:00

As Ah-nold once said,

"Ah'll be BACH!"

West Haven Bob will be returning after the November elections...

(Part 1) Slapping the dog because he barked

2010-07-11T00:44:00.008-04:00

"Before you can know where you're heading, you need to know where you were and where you're at. THEN, and only then, can you see if you're off course from where you want to be."

Daniel Dean Symmes, Jr. (1927-1985) spoken to the author

It seems to be the current fashion in national politics today...and here in West Haven we are (as we always seem to be) ahead of the fashion wave...to attack the failings of the messenger, rather than discuss the message.;

This little "juke-and-jive" act (or what my grandmother (1891-1967) would have called a "bull-puck"; she chose lesser animals' "pucks" depending on the flagrancy of the particular lie, starting with "bird") has been known for nearly 5,000 years as a lie.

But back then, they called it a "fallacy"...which is a fancy word for a lie. And a lie it was 5,000 years ago, and a lie it is today...for TRUTH is eternal, and TRUTH exists beyond any power of us poor mortals to change it.

But...there exists - at least for now in this country - a TEMPORARY truth, known as "opinion". We seem to have taken opinion - O'Reilly, Beck, Olberman, and so on - as Gospel truth, solely because these "opinionators" say the words we want to hear.

Those who oppose the pronouncements of our "Great Sayers of the Truth" are attacked -- not because the validity of their argument: oh no, they are attacked (when they are permitted to state their opposition) as idiots or lackeys (lackeys of either the ruling class or the welfare class...take your pick, depending on the viewpoint of the show's host or network). And any opposing viewpoints are either filtered out or are shouted down.

The liberals were late to this game, but they are now shamefully adept at it.

Part II: Slapping YOU in the face -- to follow.

The First steps are the toughest

2010-04-12T21:35:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, I'm just at a loss for words. (OK, it doesn't happen all that often).

But the recent fiasco regarding the arbitrated police contract was such a time...because at every point, our elected officials failed us.

WHY was this proposed agreement kept from the Council until the last minute? Was there something to hide?

WHY wasn't either Our Proven Financial Leader or his assigned lap-attack dog, Der Barren, able to provide any proofs of their arguments? Did they WANT this agreement to fail?

DID THE COUNCIL DO THE MAYOR'S DIRTY WORK?

There's something else going on here...I can't see who dealt it, but I know I smell it.

Shattered Lives

2010-04-02T00:28:00.021-04:00

Kids can be cruel...and kids can be fragile.

A 15 year old girl in Massachusetts, Phoebe Prince, took her life after what has been called "an unrelenting series of harassment" by other students. Now, 9 of these students are accused of crimes associated with this tragedy. One life is irrevocably lost, and nine more may be irrevocably ruined...because adults didn't or couldn't do their jobs. Click here to hear an insightful radio article on this issue.

I have heard from a family from West Haven about a bullying instance that is all too similar to the recent tragedy in Massachusetts. Thank God, our child's parents were able to discern this problem, and the system seems to be responding correctly.

We shouldn't expect kids to fully understand the implications of what they do....because they're kids.

But we must expect the adults in the school to be sensitive to such situations, and to intervene to ameliorate the issue (and to correct those who have caused the problem).

Part of the problem is the dual role we assign our educators: in loco parentis - Latin for "in the position of the parents" - has been replaced (mainly by legal decision) by in loco provitor: "in the place of the caretaker". In short, the authority of our schools has been reduced to the level of babysitters. And we wonder why our kids "isn't" learning?

We ask too much of our educators: we demand that they: (a) make all our kids learn, when some of them aren't motivated to learn; and (b) simultaneously keep enough control to give those students (who are motivated to learn) the opportunity to do so. At the same time, we decline to provide the education system the tools to enforce these two goals. And, again I ask, we wonder why our children "isn't" learning?

Even more importantly, we have no way to educate our children about the value of the diversity which has made this country the best on earth. Kids naturally tend to aggregate with those who are most like themselves: this is only natural at that time of their lives. Things are changing which they don't fully understand; those who are experiencing different changes - or are experiencing the same changes at a different rate (or who are dealing with these changes with less difficulty) are singled out and despised as "different", and thus are "fair game" for being made fun of. This reaction will come easily to children, who are unexpectedly insecure about the changes going on in their young lives.

But we as adults have already have experienced this same insecurity; we should be able to educate our young as to how to channel this insecurity into productive channels. And we have failed in this responsibility.

And what about this Westie kid...who expected and deserved assistance from the teachers in this environment (including the administrators)????? What scars will this child bear through life, thanks to the West Haven Public Education System? Is this the future we want in this town? Is this the future we want to build? And how many more of these futures are we creating?

The small bits of information I've received about our local problem have cut me to the heart, because I was the victim of bullying while I was in school. I made the damnable sin of insisting on befriending the least attractive of my class-mates; I refused to join in with the general denunciation and ridicule of the "class faggot" (remember, this was the '60's and '70's). I also had the unforgivable sin of being a nerd: I was into computers, math and science well before they were "cool". I was also thrown into a new environment, in middle school, after a lifetime of a very steadily unchanging environment. To put it simply, I didn't adapt well. That's the short story.

I had the advantage - like our current West Haven student - of a strong family environment. I survived (though I will never attend a school reunion!)

But how many kids in West Haven are out there, experiencing the same Hell, but who haven't the same family foundation? How many more shattered young lives are we to accept? And, are we ready to accept the consequences and future costs of these lost children?

For those who want to hear more, I have many more papers on this matter; email me for this info.

That Old shakedown

2010-04-01T08:22:00.001-04:00

You'd think they'd have learned by now.

Last night's meeting at the high school drew a capacity crowd of citizens angered by the Education plan to lay off 54 teachers and close Molloy and Thompson schools. This little gem of a plan was hatched by our very own $155,000.00-a-year genius, Superintendent Neil Cavallaro:

Leaving aside all the emotional considerations (for the moment), there's some hard facts that have to be faced. First of all, it's no secret that school boards around the state and all over the country are facing declining student enrollment, declining tax revenues, and skyrocketing costs. So it cannot be argued that West Haven's schools are facing a real crisis.

Having said that, it's also true that the steps proposed by Cavallaro to address this problem should properly be the last option: before we start cannibalizing our assets, we should first attack our costs.

We should look at the bloated administration staff at Ogden Street: a mare's nest of petty patronage jobs and over-compensated individuals.

We should look at finding savings in non-essential programs: perhaps requiring athletic teams to pay for equipment and the upkeep of the physical plant (such as Ken Strong Stadium, Bennett Rink, and so on).

We should be able to open discussions with the various unions to investigate possible savings in health and pension costs (that is, we should if our administrators were acting in good faith; and it's clear that they're doing everything possible to avoid that.)

We should also look at the costs of closing these schools and the loss of these teachers. West Haven received millions in grant money to upgrade these schools...money that will have to be repaid if these schools are closed. We will lose the inestimable future value of these young, dedicated teachers of our children. And how much fuel and time will be wasted carting kids willy-nilly all over the City? And how much additional costs will be incurred helping these kids to become acclimated to a new school, new friends, and new teachers?

The administration seems to think of our schools like a warehouse: it's one thing to ship a bunch of boxes from one location to another. But our children are living, thinking, and vulnerable human beings: the intangible cost of this proposed upheaval has to be considered.

It is obvious that this dog of a plan is likely to end up costing the taxpayer - in real dollars and indirectly - for many years to come. And so, the plan should be shelved, and the administration be directed to explore other means of saving the money necessary to continue their vital mandate of properly educating our most precious asset: our children and our future.

Sadly, though, it's also obvious that this ill-advised route has been chosen. The powers-that-be will give vent to the righteous anger of the people, nod sagely and make comforting statements about how they understand and feel this pain...and then will do whatever they damned well please.

The Problem with the Kids these days...

2010-03-30T21:51:00.003-04:00

...is that they cost too damned much to educate, and this cost is affecting our annual salary increases.

This, it seems, is the unspoken viewpoint of those who run our education system. But...there's a problem with this "me-first" outlook:

Just like paying into Social Security provides for those who passed us our country, paying into education provides for those whom we'll do the same. Our democracy (or, if you prefer, our republic) requires that we ensure that every voting citizen have the ability to participate in her or his government, and have the tools to live and prosper in this country.

Let's cut to the chase. Our schooling system eats up about two-thirds of every tax dollar we pay. I don't think many would quibble with paying this amount....provided our tax dollars were spent wisely. However, it is clear to anyone who looks into the matter that fiscal wisdom has long been sadly lacking in this area: the West Haven Board of Education has become worse than the worst of the Federal excesses. Its administration has become bloated with overpaid individuals whose sole qualification for taking taxpayer dollars is which political power with which they are (or were) friendly. This is not caused by the current administration; but - by not stopping this practice - they have wrecked the system.

It is time to take the power away from the politicians who have dominated this snake pit of political patronage. However, there is no obvious political party or group which shows any promise of fixing this situation. The Morrissey Group? Fuggedaboudit! The Picard Group? Fuggedaboudit! As far as our "independent" chairman.... Fuggedaboudit!

No...the only political faction we can depend on is: We the People.

We have the power to make the City government do what we want. All that is needed is the people to make this happen. The City Charter has a provision for this:

CHAPTER XVIII - INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM

POWERS OF INITIATIVE: The electors shall have the power to propose to the City Council any ordinance or resolution appointing or removing officials, specifying the compensation or hours of work of officials and employees, appropriating money, authorizing the levy of taxes, or fixing the tax rate. If the City Council fails to adopt such ordinance or other measure within thirty days after a petition making such a proposal shall have been filed with the City Council, the electors may adopt or reject the same at an election held within ninety days after such proposed ordinance or measure was originally filed with the Council, provided such petition shall be signed in ink or indelible pencil by qualified electors of the City, equal in number to at least ten percent of the registered voters at the last municipal election. Said petition shall be accompanied by affidavits signed and sworn to by each circulator of such petition, certifying to the authenticity of the signatures of such petition. The Town and City Clerk shall determine the sufficiency of the petition and the affidavits. A majority vote of the electors qualified to vote shall be necessary to initiate such ordinances or measures. Unless at least twenty percent of the electors entitled to vote on the question shall have voted, such proposed ordinance or measure shall not become effective and the result shall be construed as against adoption. No ordinance or other measure which shall have been adopted in accordance with the provisions of this Section shall be repealed or amended by the Council except by petition and vote of the electors.

If those in office don't listen to the voters who hold the power, we still have the ability to make them hear us. If we don't use our power, we can blame no one but ourselves.

It's up to us...can we do this?

Dancin' In The Park(ing Lot?)

2010-03-29T22:15:00.004-04:00

I'd like to apologize to (both) my regular readers for my long silence; but an unexpected personal emergency prevented me from posting. And so much has been going on during my exile...let's start from the most recent.

Just as we're getting ready to welcome the good weather again...just as we're looking forward to outdoor activities...

The Register reported this weekend that the city is trying to shut down the volunteer-run dance sessions held on "Captain Tony's Deck" on the boardwalk.

To hear the city tell it, it's not trying to shut this popular activity down; it's only concerned about the potential liability should someone get hurt while doin' the "Electric Slide" (or maybe the "Chicken Dance"). They'd prefer these sessions be performed next to the bathrooms (doesn't that sound like FUN?) on the concrete.

Certainly, West Haven shouldn't allow any activity on City-owned property that could be injurious in any way, right? There certainly isn't any other place designed in such a way that people could get hurt, right? Oh.....wait a minute:

My point is: this is a very popular part of our summer experience, and brings in people from surrounding towns - many of which also spend money in West Haven. Whatever is done to limit the city's liability at the skatepark could certainly be adapted for the far safer activity of dancing on the Deck.

Or is safety and liability the city's REAL issue? Could it be that they have (gasp!) political motives? (Cue scary music!)

You see, within hours of trouncing the Morrissey faction in the recent DTC primary, the city notified the popular live band "Flash Back" that they wouldn't be part of the summer concert series. "Flash Back", if you don't know, has a musician with THAT LAST NAME (the name that Must Not Be Spoken). Similarly, one of the most popular volunteer DJ's (HINT: not one of the guys) is seen by the administration as being, um, "NAFOTAD" (Not A Friend Of The Administration, Dear).

I almost hesitate to ascribe petty politics to our highly-esteemed political leaders; they are of course women and men of the highest ethical standards (I'll leave it to someone else to determine which are men and which are...you get the point).

Maybe we should print out and take the image below to the P & R meeting at City Hall on ~~March~~ April 5th:

Sorry for the Silence!

2010-03-28T07:22:00.000-04:00

West Haven Bob has had to deal with an unexpected emergency...I'll be posting again later today!

An (Alleged) Crime in West Haven

2010-03-12T09:29:00.008-05:00

UPDATE (3/18/2010 7:30 am) - The Register is reporting that Gene Sullivan is under investigation for registering his car out-of-state - thereby avoiding CT Property taxes. See the end of this post for more.

UPDATE (3/15/2010 2:00 pm) - I have been informed that the warrant has been served, and an arrest has been made. More to come...

The phones are a-ringin', and the politico's are a-cluckin', about the ~~impending~~ arrest of a prominent Campbell Avenue merchant on various charges connected with the burglary of a Police Commissioner's home.

As I currently understand the matter - and it's quite likely that some of the following is incorrect - some idiots decided it would be a bright idea to break into the home of a Police Commissioner (has anyone ever heard of a smart criminal?). They made away with quite a haul, including several pieces of jewelry. The "perps" brought their swag to the businessman, ostensibly to sell the goods, and said merchant bought them. He REALLY likes gold, you see:

Now, I just sold a gold ring (at a different establishment); I had to produce photo ID, and I was told they would have to hold the ring for some days (ironically, to ensure it wasn't "hot"). Apparently our boy failed to follow these strictures, and melted the items down immediately. If these allegations are true, I believe this is known as "receiving stolen goods" and "aiding and abetting".

The reason why this sordid little tale ~~warrants~~ (oops, bad word!) merits my attention? Well, this merchant just won a seat on the Democratic Town Committee, and has been widely touted as the next Party Chairman.

It's been said that everything he touches turns to gold, and I can believe it: why, he obviously touched his cars' license plates years ago, and turned his Connecticut plates into Florida ones (hey, Florida is "the Sunshine State", and sunshine is golden, right?)

This is nothing new...in fact, I reported on this situation almost exactly a year ago. It still is a mystery as to why it's taken so long to come to a boil. Surely, political pressures had nothing to do with it, right?

The end of a LOOOONG Primary

2010-03-10T07:39:00.001-05:00

The eternal (or is that infernal?) primary is finally in the bag...click on the image above to enlarge.

The bottom line is that no major changes occurred; any candidate who was a winner on March 2nd is still the electee.

I'll post more...as soon as I catch my breath. In the meantime, I'll email the results (above) to any and all who ask.

Well, Well...Lookie HERE!

2010-02-23T18:04:00.009-05:00

Well, I'll be the first to admit it when I'm wrong.

You might recall that back in September (just before Team Picard last got its head handed back to it on a platter), I reported that West Haven Bob was blocked from all City computers. Well...as it turns out, not all computers got blocked (though I am blocked from most machines). Oops...my bad!

Now, using my nearly 30 years' experience in this area, I can definitively state that there are two - and only two - possibilities here:

The company that instituted the block (at Mayor Picard's behest) screwed things up, or:

Somebody arranged to get themselves exempted from the block.

The company that put the block in was owned by a family member of our Human Resources Director (seems like I heard that song played in West Haven before!), and was paid beaucoup buckaroos by the taxpayers for their work. Hmmmmm?

On the other hand, I can name only two persons who have the horsepower to demand an exemption...and they work across the hall from each other on the Third Floor. Hmmmmm?!?!

So...who do YOU think it is? The Tearful Tiger or Der Barron?

This sort of game is my major problem with the gang who infest the upper floors of the City Hall. They have no objection to the blatantly fawning "West Haven (urp) VOICE" being delivered into the vestibules of the building (or do they think City employees read this on their own time?)

The Picard forces have shown time and again (as I have shown on this blog) that their main motto is:

"The laws and the rules only apply to the little people; not to us!"

Two Bite the Dust

2010-02-19T11:51:00.003-05:00

And the games go on....

Just when I thought that this might just be a straightforward election, news came in that two challenging candidates in the Fifth District have dropped out from the upcoming DTC primary.

Now, at first glance, this isn't that unusual: candidates drop out for all sorts of (good or bad) reasons all the time. But, in this case...

You see, it's been said that Ms. Martha Bell - the "Paula Deen" of the Dirty Tricks cookbook - applied pressure to the families of the candidates. Martha, of course, is running on the endorsed slate...and by doing so, induced them to quit.

Now, on the one hand, if these candidates were so susceptible to such pressure, maybe they weren't the best choices. Certainly, a better vetting job could have been done...and maybe a little preparation beforehand would have prevented this issue from coming to a boil.

However, I've heard that Mme. Bell's spiel was that these candidates were "running with Rich Borer"; and that the aforementioned Mr. Borer was the reason why West Haven's taxes were going to rise. (Never mind that Borer's been out of office since 2005; and fuggedabout the, ahem, "minor" tax increase by the current administration supposedly to address these financial issues).

It just seems to me that going after the family of a candidate is way out of bounds. If it is true - and I believe it is - then this is just another job out of the Democrat's Dirty Tricks Department...and the voters should take notice.

We are "ALL ALONE"?

2010-02-19T00:36:00.009-05:00

Well, not here in West Haven. We live our lives almost on top of our neighbors...but it is true that we don't know them. Their habits can drive us crazy...and little issues can get magnified.

It wasn't always like this...people once had the time to get to know the people who lived near them. And by becoming familiar, they then became neighbors...and thus a neighborhood was created.

We don't have the time anymore...or do we?

I propose that we take one evening - the first good night in July comes to mind - to take the barbeque out to the curb, or to make up a "pot-luck" dish to bring to the curb. And then everyone can meet each other and take the time (over food) to get to know each other.

It won't solve all our problems...but can't it prevent just a few neighborhood squabbles? And wouldn't it make all our lives here better?

I plan on doing this for my area. Email me if you want to participate, or to make a similar plan for your area. This is the time to plan for July!

The Political Tango (as seen from the CHEAP SEATS)

2010-02-15T14:30:00.033-05:00

The West Haven Political Tango (aka "The Masochism Tango", by Tom Lehrer)

A few, er, "fair and balanced" observations on the upcoming DTC primary (though few would accuse me of being fair; and everyone seems to agree that I'm quite unbalanced):

This primary has the potential to radically change the political landscape of West Haven for the politicians; but at the same time, it's likely that - whichever side wins out - some things will remain the same for everyone else.

You see, for the past 20 years, the Democrats have owned the only political horse in town. Registered Democrats comprise more than 60% of all registered voters, while Republicans are now less than 10%. Therefore:

The Democratic candidates are usually the winning candidates, and the Democratic Town Committee (usually) selects these candidates.

This is what the primary is all about...to the leaders.

Neither side has shown any desire to change the way our government is run. Both sides seem to think this is all about power...and the ability to decide who gets what City job or contract. In other words, the power brokers in both factions want to have the municipal plums all to themselves; but neither seems to accept the fact that West Haven's plum tree is barren of fruit and is dying.

In other words, the gravy train hasn't left the station; the trip was canceled for lack of funds.

Nonetheless, each side will continue to try to control whatever patronage is left (since that is all they recognize as their power base). In that way, it's likely that little will change. They'll play the games of the past...ignoring the realities of the present. And we - the taxpayers - will pay the costs of these games in the (near) future.

What will change is the makeup of the opposition in the general election. It's likely that the farce called "A Better Future" will cease to be a viable opposition (since - if victorious - their main backers will have no further use for this charade); and the "Republicans" will again be the holders of the minority seats.

While I won't shed many tears for the demise of ABF, nonetheless, this would be a loss for the voters. The Republicans have relegated themselves into irrelevance; West Haven needs a true opposition party...if for no other reason than to keep honest those in power. And I don't see the West Haven GOP becoming anything more than a Greek Chorus in our political futures...meaning there will not be any real opposition. And thus there won't be real change; ergo, West Haven will continue to be sapped by the politico's who have nothing to fear.

Democrats have to come out and vote in this primary...but they must also put the candidates on notice that things are going to change. The game has changed: the leaders better change as well.

It is up to US - the voters - to DEMAND that they do what we want...or WE will have to live with what they do.

If you don't vote...your tax rate is your OWN DAMNED FAULT! Don't waste anyone's time complaining about it

It's time we start blaming ourselves for this mess, people: after all, we were the ones who voted these idiots in. I say this as one who did not vote for these idiots: no, I voted for different idiots.

My point is: until every citizen in West Haven raises enough Hell to make the politicians take notice, nothing will change. The friends (of those who are in power) will still get their jobs on our tax dollars...and those who got their jobs from the previous regime still get their "state nickel". Whatever happens, The taxpayers (me and you) will keep paying and paying MORE...unless we act NOW!

It's time for US to shut down this patronage merry-go-round...and the only time to start is now...unless we're willing to pay more later.

Act now...or shut up and take it. Otherwise, you're stuck with me continuing on with this blathering blog!

OK?

Your (Freudian) Slip is Showing...

2010-02-13T06:52:00.039-05:00

Wow...and these are his friends. Even his opponents don't call him that (at least in print).

Beyond this humorous (at least to my juvenile tastes) point, there's the more serious issue of BLATANT BOOSTERISM from our little friend "The Truth". Apparently (to borrow shamelessly from Karl Rove), "I'm entitled to my truth, and they're entitled to The Truth". And they can keep "The Truth", as far as I'm concerned.

I make no secret of my biases; but at the very least, it has to be granted (even by my opponents) that I am the only blogger to have published the complete ballots for everyone to see. And on that point, I should make clear that those samples were simply my amateurish attempt to mimic the ballot using Microsoft Excel; they were not the actual ballots.

Though, of course,who do I think I am? I'm trying to argue against:

And ain't it really curious that - even though "fair and balanced" - they don't want their identities known....Hmmmmm?

UPDATE: 6:45 pm 02/13/10: It's nice to know that "The Truth" is at least a small part of this blog...how else could one explain the correction shown below? Might it be that "The Truth" finally got "tiered" of my jokes about her (lack of) spelling ability?

Oh, the PAPERWORK!

2010-02-11T23:13:00.008-05:00

The games have begun.

I have heard that the "litigious" branch of the Picard team have filed, according to my best counting, about eight Freedom of Information (FOI) requests upon the City Clerk and the Democratic Registrar.

Don't get me wrong: I've been a frequent user of the FOI laws upon the elected officials of our Fair City; and I've made complaints whenever those elected officials didn't comply with my requests within the FOI rules. FOI, I believe, is a powerful tool which can be used to keep those in power answerable to the people.

But, like any other powerful tool, FOI can also be misused powerfully. In this case, those making these FOI requests are apparently aiming to disrupt the election process. The information they seek could have been obtained at any other earlier time, but they chose now to make their requests. And so, the Clerk and the Registrar must take time - unnecessarily - from their electoral duties to: amass the data requested, to make copies of this information, and to ensure the information in the office fully complies with the request.

All of this work diverts their attention away from the necessary task of making sure this election is conducted fairly and legally. And all of these requests could have been made before the election was mandated. And those who made these FOI requests will scream the loudest (and will be first to levy a lawsuit, costing the City precious dollars), if anything goes the least bit awry.

Why, then, were these requests made when they were made? The only conclusion I can derive is that:

These people WANT this election to be flawed, so that they can get through a JUDGE
what they might not get through the PEOPLE.

I'll report the facts; you will be the judge of THE TRUTH.

Godspeed, Al!

2010-02-11T10:51:00.013-05:00

West Haven has lost a good and loyal man.

Alexander Botte, the (semi-)retired Police Commissioner, has left us. Al was a true gentleman, and a firm believer in the positive side of West Haven...just as he truly saw all the positive aspects of life. There are only a few for whom I had greater respect and admiration.

I first met Al in the late 1960's, when I was a kid working for "Big Al" Zarnowski (back then, he was "Mr. Botte" to me...later, he told me to call him "Al"). Even though I was barely into Middle School, I remember he would take the time to discuss with me various issues of the day. He always forced me to think deeper into the issues (and showed me the value of seeing the other side's point of view). This philosophy served him well over the years.

All I can add to the above is, "farewell, good and true servant!" I'll miss you.

If you have memories of Al, please post them by clicking on the comments link (below the post time) below. I'll forward the best of these to his family.

(NOTE: I wish I could have found a better photograph of him!)

I'd Like To Say...

2010-02-07T23:09:00.008-05:00

Congratulations to the NFL Champion New Orleans Saints!

And, to the Colts: you have nothing to be ashamed of; in a hard-fought game, it all came down to one interception. Peyton is still, IMHO, one of the greatest to have ever played the game.

So: it's on to Spring Training and baseball! If you haven't yet decided that I'm annoying, just you wait until the Yankees CREAM the Red Sox!

Edgy, Cated Children

2010-02-06T20:17:00.008-05:00

The latest issue that has roiled the political chatterers is the proposed move of the Board of Education's Administration from the current ~~Glade~~ Ogden Street location.

This whole thing started when someone proposed converting the former Police Department at City Hall into new digs for the Board. But this plan hit a $2,000,000 snag: the City doesn't have the estimated $4,000,000 to remodel the City Hall space; it only has about half. And when was the last time you can point to a City project that came in at or under its projected cost? Because of this underfunding, the City Council won't release the money already set aside...to prevent West Haven taxpayers from getting sucked into yet another contractor "money hole".

Now, the administration proposes to rent space at the Yale Campus (formerly the "Bayer Campus", formerly-formerly the "Miles Laboratories Campus"). They propose to take a two year lease: this term is based on the estimated time it will take to complete the City Hall renovations. And when was the last time you can point to a City project that was completed on or earlier than projected?

This grand scheme comes from a Superintendent who makes better than $150.00 per hour (in base pay...not including benefits and other, um, "perks") from the taxpayers...$168,000 per year. Not bad work, IF you can get it!

The bottom line here is that we're being set up for another monetary soaking...at a time that we're in possibly the worst financial shape since the state takeover 20 years ago. Time to watch out!

I'll have more to say on this matter...as soon as I finish reading all the info I received.

Now, About Those Finances...

2010-02-05T18:11:00.006-05:00

First, we had the state Municipal Finance Advisory Council tell us that West Haven's financial plans were risking our financial ruin...and the Mayor told them to drop dead, that everything was just peachy. Of course, he was running for re-election, then.

Then, just after his re-election, we found out he raided the Police Pension Fund in order to make the City's December payroll. Supposedly, we came within 48 hours of a default on our obligations. But, we were assured by Da Robba that all would be OK once January's tax revenues came a-streamin' in.

This week, the state-mandated Audit revealed that our credit rating has sunk to the lowest possible...meaning that we couldn't borrow our way out of this mess even if we wanted to.

Today, the Register is reporting that we are "one or two snowstorms away from bankruptcy." And, by the way, it's supposed to snow today and Wednesday.

I guess the new plan is to pray for Global Warming....fast.

It's HEEEERE!

2010-02-03T12:18:00.003-05:00

Well...over a month late, West Haven's Audit is finally out...and the news ain't so great.

I'll have more to say on this once I've had a chance to read the latest piece of fiction...Stay tuned.

Helping the Hopeless

2010-02-02T22:18:00.003-05:00

They say that "Justice is Blind". Well, apparently, "The Truth" is both deaf...and dumb.

Deaf, because our little friend won't allow comments. And as for "dumb", well, read the above.

Ya think someone should get a spell-checker?

Hmmmm.....

The DTC Ballot

2010-02-02T17:38:00.011-05:00

Word from the Registrar's office is that the above are the ballots for March 2, 2010.

Someone ended up a bit shy

2010-01-31T16:57:00.007-05:00

Word came in this weekend that the challenging slate in the Seventh District did not get enough verified signatures to get on the ballot. I heard that Sandy blew a fuse over this....

You see, it's not the number of signatures obtained that counts: it's the number the Registrar can verify. Seems a bunch of signatures on the petitions are either not registered Democrats, or the Registrar could not verify the signature. Who knows? The Registrar isn't giving out any info as yet.

I also got some rumblings about signatures that appear to be signed by one person for multiple slots...I've looked at a few examples of these, and I don't think there's anything to this accusation. But the accusation's going around town nonetheless: maybe there's more to this than I've seen.

Back to the Seventh...it seems likely that the challengers will want to go over each disqualification one-by-one. That's their M.O. -- and their right -- but ya gotta wonder: did they even check these signatures before submitting them? Maybe waiting until the last minute isn't the best strategy, Hmmmm......

And the Games Go On...

Fun Times in West Haven

2010-01-28T14:32:00.003-05:00

There's a certain household in the 3^rd District, where the night-time conversations must be quite interesting...

You see, Don Siclari is running as an endorsed candidate for Town Committee, while his wife Phyllis is also running...on the challenging slate.

Hmmm...wonder if they'll vote for each other?

Only in West Haven....

And They're OFF!

2010-01-27T16:33:00.008-05:00

I just got back from City Hall...The petitions were brought in...and I'm told that it's likely that all EIGHT challenging slates will make the grade.

That's right..I said EIGHT. In a last minute twist, the Morrissey faction put together a challenging slate for the endorsed candidates in the 5th District. So...we'll likely have a March 2nd primary in the following districts:

1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 5^th, ~~7^th~~, 8^th,9^th, and 10^th.

If I get a chance in the coming days, I'll add a tool for voters to check:

If they live in a District that has a primary;
Who the candidates are in the primary; and
Where to vote.

And...away we GO!

Going into the Final Turn

2010-01-27T12:12:00.004-05:00

In a couple of hours, we'll have a better handle on what will shake out on March 2...

As soon as I can, I'll post the scorecards...for each team....stay tuned.

Doin' The "Two-Step (Political) Boogie"

2010-01-26T16:05:00.015-05:00

Even if I live to be a million (and I probably will: after all, only the good die young), I'll never cease to be amazed at the blatant hypocrisy which will always be spewed by those amongst our City's political (lack-of) class during a primary. Submitted for your consideration is the latest sampling:

On Friday, a slate challenging the endorsed Democratic Town Committee in the 8th District wanted to pull their petitions.(FULL DISCLOSURE: I am friends with some of the putative candidates on both of these slates). However, one of the signatures provided was a faxed copy and not the original (as is required by state law).

Under the previous Democratic Registrar of Voters, Charles ("What-the CHUCK") Marino, such a challenging slate would have been tossed without question. However, the current Registrar tried instead to ask Hartford if she could issue the petitions pending the receipt of the missing signature. As a result (because she received no answer on the Friday), this slate had to wait until Monday. (FULL DISCLOSURE: Marino is a candidate for the challenging slate in the 3rd District.)

Here comes the hypocrisy: even though this problem - which the challenging slate caused - was fully explained to the challengers; even though this Registrar has been sued multiple times by this same group and their allies; even though Michelle Hufcut bent over backwards to accommodate them, This crowd is screaming "dirty political games", claiming Hufcut is essentially the corrupt tool of the current Democratic Party leadership. Good Lord! As if they wouldn't do worse!

This is a sham act straight out of the tired old music book of the administration: whether justified or not, portray your opponents as corrupt: that way, your kanoodling won't seem so bad. It used to be called "mud-slinging"...now it's called "targeting your message". What really stinks is that both sides will probably do it.

The challenging crowd has made an art of using any legal excuse to further their aims...so they apparently can't recognize honest government when they see it. In the same way, they accuse me of being biased (which they understand to mean opposed to their faction...as opposed to having a different agenda altogether.) Of course, being fair and balanced - by their own statement (which means, apparently, that they dislike me) - they oppose everyone but their own friends. "They'll report...You decide."

Here's a news flash: none of these three factions -- not the Borer, not the Morrissey, and certainly not the Picard -- will be fitted out with their political halo's any time in the near future.

My advice: STOP trying to show us how bad your opponents are; instead show us how much better you are. You'll be surprised by how much energy and enthusiasm that message will generate...and energetic and enthusiastic Democrats are the most likely to vote.

Nah...ain't gonna happen.No matter how much we plead, the piano player is only gonna play that same tired old "DOWN & DIRTY POLITICAL RAG" again, right?

(Sigh!)

Missing Something?

2010-01-26T07:30:00.004-05:00

Wasn't something supposed to happen around New Years?

Oh, that's right...our financial audit was to be released! Hmmm.....

Of course, how important could this year's audit be? After all, the Mayor did assure us just a few months ago that "West Haven's Finances are drastically improved" and that his last budget contained "no service cuts, no tax increases [and] honorin' our commitments."

And, of course, we have no reason now to doubt him.

I guess we don't need no stinkin' audit...it would only make that pesky Council ask silly questions, instead of rubber-stamping the budget like they're supposed to do.

I'm just sayin'...

And the clock keeps Ticking...

2010-01-25T18:52:00.005-05:00

Well...two more days before we find out if there will be a Democratic Town Committee primary in March. True to their usual game plan, none of the challenging slates have as yet handed in any petitions...their regular modus operandi is to wait until the final minutes.

I'm not sure what this is supposed to gain them...everyone knows they had enough time to get their signatures (and I'm confident that they did.) But that's how they play. UPDATE: (Tuesday, 01/26 3:55pm) -- Word is in that the challenging slate in the 9^th District returned about 140 signatures (they need 89). So, it's a safe bet that at least this District has qualified for a primary.

One district that might have some problems is the 8th. Apparently, one of the authorizing signatures for the challengers wasn't original...the putative candidate faxed his authorization in. As a result, this slate couldn't get their petitions until today at the earliest.

Now, I'm aware that the Registrar relied on the instructions from Hartford on this issue. But it seems to me that this town is small enough that everyone knows that this candidate was going to run. Maybe, a better (and fairer) solution would have been to issue the petitions with the warning that no signatures would be counted if the original wasn't received by the deadline. Sometimes "legal" isn't the same as "right".

But..."fair" and "West Haven politics" have always been antitheses of each other...and so more ill feelings have been generated.

(Sigh!)

I'd Like To Say...

2010-01-24T23:13:00.005-05:00

(This will be an occasional feature from West Haven Bob)

...that I extend my condolences to the fans of both the New York Jets and of the Minnesota Vikings -- Both teams put up a great game, and have no reason for shame. At least for the Jets, I suspect their young team will only get better in the coming years...and I might have to worry for my beloved New York GIANTS for the future hearts of New York football fans. And (though I hate to admit it) Brett Favre proved why he's a lock for the Hall of Fame (and Adrian Peterson will only get better).

How Voters look at Politicians

2010-01-23T04:39:00.014-05:00

I'm sorry to be the one who has to break this fact to our City's politicians, but:

This is how most of West Haven Voters see you!

Do you get it now? I didn't think so. Let's try a simpler explanation:

For far too long, politico's have gotten their offices from voters who cast their vote: not for who will do the best job, but for whom they like or for whom someone they know says they like. Helluva way to pay our taxes, right?

Who in hell am I kidding? This has always worked for you...and look where it's gotten us: the highest taxes in the highest taxed state. Woo-Hee! But at least your friends and supporters are on our tax rolls. Woo-Woo-Hee!

It probably will work yet again...and we'll continue to pay even more taxes to maintain your out-of-date model of government. I might as well have said this to the damned cat.
What in HELL will ever change? The answer is: NOTHING - at least, until you finally manage to bring West Haven down to Hell.

You won't learn...until we learn. Jeez, I hope the cat is listening! Maybe it's smarter than the rest of us!!!

Maybe I'll try again on that damned cat. Maybe I'll have better luck.

Yeah, right.

Back to the Grind...

2010-01-22T13:43:00.002-05:00

Word just came in...petitions have been pulled in four additional districts: the 2nd, 7th, 8th, and 10th.

So (assuming they get the required number of verified signatures), we'll have a March primary in seven of the ten districts.

I'll have names, etc. shortly.

Welcome to Alessandra Carmelina!

2010-01-22T13:09:00.005-05:00

It's an extremely welcome (and rare) opportunity to take a break from the political back-biting that makes up my meat-and-potatoes. So I'd like to take this chance to welcome little Alessandra Carmelina Picard into this world.

May she have all the happiness, the good fortune, the health and the happiness this world can supply. To the happy parents: as this is your second, I'm sure you're ready for the "3:00 am drill"...I don't envy you (though I do envy the lifetime of happiness she will bring you!)

I can't make politics the be-all and end-all of my life; and a new life is a joyous gift we all should rejoice in. Those who are sniping on the Register article run the risk of becoming as bitter and nasty as those they oppose. Get some perspective...and get a life.

We're in for some Stormy Weather

2010-01-22T00:23:00.007-05:00

Better start saving up now...because all signs point to a substantial property tax increase this year.

I don't need to point out that the last hike - 33% - occurred right after property revaluation...and we're just about wrapping up our latest reval.

You see, our local politicians have always loved revaluation, since it gives them the chance to make our tax rate look lower (if property values go up), while actually raising the monetary amount we each pay. Of course, if property values go down, they point to the lower Grand List as the main culprit. Either way, we get the shaft...and they avoid all blame.

But there's another factor to be considered. When he spoke before the City Council on January 13th, Finance Director Bob Barron (depicted below) made the astounding admission that, "in the 33 months [he has been Finance Director], West Haven has almost always spent more than it had taken in" [emphasis added]. By both City Charter and by State Law, we cannot run a deficit at the end of the year. Add to this the fact that our Bond Rating is now the lowest in the state (or nearly so)...so borrowing - even if he wanted to - isn't an option for Picard.

So the only possible way we can avoid a deficit is to take money from the next year's tax receipts...in short, we're stealing from our future. Sound Financial Management, indeed.

It was politically impossible for the Mayor to propose a second tax increase, especially after the whopper he dropped on us in 2006. But all indicators point to the likelihood that he won't seek re-election...so everything's back on the table.

It is probably too much to ask that the administration give us some warning that this is coming down the pike...that would require honesty and openness.

Like I said, better start saving now...we'll all be paying later.

We've Got COMPANY....

2010-01-21T14:09:00.006-05:00

It's amazing: what you can learn by reading the comments on the New Haven Register.

FINALLY...someone has created a rival blog to yours truly, called (curiously enough) West Haven the TRUTH. As of the one post so far, their only issue seems to be about lil ole me...but they promise more.

I hope they keep this up -- West Haven needs more discussions on the issues (and I'll be able to lose the more snarky aspects of this blog - yeah, right).

If they continue to post, be assured I'll list them on the left in my list of recommended sites.

Oh, yeah, by the way..."The Truth" might consider allowing comments. If he (or she) wants any advice, I'll freely give it to them.

(And, yes, I DO have standards...I think I have them around here somewhere....)

UPDATE -- I was able to determine the identity of our little "Truth"...here's a clue:

Pity...and here I thought we might get reasoned dialogue...

A Clarification

2010-01-21T10:04:00.002-05:00

I've received a number of emails regarding my previous posting. I find it painfully necessary to make the following clear:

When I made my (all too obvious) puns in my rant, I was referring to the political appetite of the individuals involved....and not their physical appearance. Likewise, the snarky photo (once again, I warn everyone: the pictures on this blog are usually intended as jokes or exaggerations!) is meant to depict the political size of the individual.

Poking fun at someone's weight is beneath even my standards (I know that's tough to believe - that I even have standards!).

OK...everyone clear on this now?

Who's That Girl?

2010-01-20T00:51:00.026-05:00

I've received word - from an unusual source - that there seems to be something of a, shall we say, "dissension amongst the ranks" within the challenging group of Democrats.

Apparently, the "Picard-Powers" - those who are leading the revolt against the Morrissey-endorsed DTC slate - have made it clear to a certain "mystery woman" (depicted at left) that their slate wasn't LARGE enough for the two of her.

I'm told this person has been a GREAT supporter of the Picard forces over the years; and there's been a MASSIVE amount of resentment bubbling up as a result of this edict.

Now, exactly who was the object of this ENORMOUS internal squabble is not yet certain.

But - and this is a BIG, BIG BUT - I suspect this disagreement might only get LARGER...unless Team Picard can devise a HUGE compromise that could sate this person's voracious political APPETITE. Either way, this domestic dispute could lower their chances of success in the March primary.

I have some suspicions as to who our "mystery girl" is, but I think this story is way too BROAD for my limited capabilities. So, I'm asking for your guesses. Sift through the clues, and help me get to the BOTTOM of this story.

I can't probe this alone (and I don't want to).

And Baby Makes THREE

2010-01-19T19:29:00.004-05:00

This morning, a third challenging slate pulled petitions. Fittingly enough, this third district is the Third District. Listed above are the three challenge slates as given to me by the Registrar.

What hasn't happened as yet is just as interesting, though. I received word that there would be a challenge raised in the Eighth...but as far as I know there's been no official word.

Rumor has it that one of the putative members of this group has emphatically told his friends and cohorts that he is absolutely not going to run...maybe the rest of the group is scrambling to find a (somewhat) warm body to fill out their dance cards? Hmmmm.

We shall see, we shall see.

And AWAAAAY We Go!

2010-01-15T17:37:00.004-05:00

They're off and running (for petition signatures, that is!)

Late word just came in that petitions were pulled today for challenge slates in two districts: the 1st and the 9th. By my rough calculations, the challengers need about 80 verified signatures in the 1st, and about 100 in the 9th, in order to get on the ballot and force a March 2 primary...and they have about a week and a half to do it. Shouldn't be such a tall order.

And, though I haven't seen exactly who will be on these challenge slates, I've been told there's some good vote-getters listed. I hope to have more details on the slates after the weekend.

But I'm still wondering: Why only TWO Districts? By my (admittedly rough) calculation, the endorsed Town Committee is split 47 Morrissey supporters to 13 Picard. Even if they win all 12 seats, they won't have enough to take control....unless some of the supposed Morrissey endorsees are really backing his side "in name only"....hmmmm.

I'm left with the suspicion that there will be more challenge slates popping up in the near future - but (given that they can't get petitions until Tuesday at the earliest), any additional petitioners will have barely a week to get the requisite signatures to get on the ballot.

And so it goes.....AGAIN.

48 Hours

2010-01-14T12:21:00.006-05:00

The twice-postponed Council meeting, in which we were supposed to get answers as to why the City took $1.2 million out of the Police Pension Fund took place last night...and most of it was little more than political ballet.

First at bat for the "West Haven Administrators" was Assistant Corporation Counsel Henry Szadkowski. Henry juked and jived his way around the questions as only a lawyer can. In fact, I haven't yet found one answer he gave last night that directly answered a question posed. But he did make a few eye-opening statements:

At the time of the raid on the Police Pension, West Haven was "48 hours away from bankruptcy...and the possibility of [another] State takeover.";

The City was late in paying Federal withholding taxes at least twice in December...subjecting us to IRS penalties;

It's his opinion that, even though the Police Pension agreement (which he helped to write) refers only to one Fund Manager (which is appointed by the City Council), there really are a number of fund managers...and the Mayor can unilaterally decide who to designate as Fund Manager as he deems fit.

Hitting cleanup was our Director of Finance (Yes, he really did show up - unlike the Mayor). Der Barron led us through the circumstances which caused this little midnight raid...but had no explanation as to why the Council wasn't notified of this problem when it was first noticed at the end of October. (His best shot was that he was "too busy trying to avert a catastrophe").

Barron's contribution to our little hit parade was the revelation that, in the nearly three years since he became Finance Director, West Haven has nearly run out of operating funds in almost "every month." Um, you don't see this as a problem? You don't think this is something that the City Council should know?

All this is, um, just a bit at odds with the increasingly rosy picture put out by the administration just a few months ago. Of course, he was running for reelection back then.

I wonder what the good people at MFAC think of this performance? Maybe we should ask.....

Turning to the News...

2010-01-13T07:46:00.003-05:00

Well...it's now been a week since the Picard Democrats could have pulled petitions for a Democratic Town Committee primary in March...and the big news is that there's no news.

As of late yesterday, no petition forms have been requested...by anyone.

I have to admit, this lack of activity has me confused. Based on the level of intensity displayed at the nominating caucus, I have little doubt that there will be a primary. But the absence of petitioning benefits the group in power far more than anyone else. All petitions have to be returned soon...how does cutting into the time one has for getting signatures help?

I'm sure the Morrissey side couldn't care less about this: as things stand now, they're firmly in control. And - without a primary - they will have the power to decide who gets the endorsement in 2011.

Incidentally, if the Morrissey side emerges victorious, there will be major ramifications for the other political parties in town...and for all of us as well. Stay tuned.

The facts of Life

2010-01-11T17:50:00.006-05:00

It's a fact of everyone's life: that - sooner or later - we will either grow old or we will die young. And, just as we needed our parents to help us as we entered this world, we will likely need help as we prepare to leave it. Death is the inevitable result of living.

I was lucky, in that that I had the money, the opportunity - and the desire - to care for both my parents in their final months. I did the same for my younger sister. By doing this, I got the priceless opportunity - not only to say "I Love You", but also to show it in the same wordless manner they showed their love for me: with personal loving care that only a family member can give.

But, not everyone has the convergence of all three aspects of time, money and desire...and so we need assisted living facilities. We need these facilities: not for our convenience (or assistance, though it might come to that sooner than we expect), but for the comfort of those who will soon leave us. The people who would use this place are blameless in our arguments...but they cannot be forgotten.

I cannot say that the proposal before the Planning & Zoning Board is the best possible use of the land...though I am sure that all other proposals brought forward thus far are far inferior. Private homes (to use the craven dual arguments of tax revenue/service costs) cannot approach the cost-to-tax-benefit ratio that this proposal offers. I won't steep to the level of wondering whether EMT service to the place can be equated to the costs of education or trash pickup...I'll leave this to those who don't feel the need to bother with their consciences at the close of the day.

I cannot say that the individual (or business) is the best entity to put this proposal forward...though I am sure that no one else has brought a similar proposal for our region.

Having said all this, I do believe there's many points of concern about the impact that this facility would have on the quality of life of those who own homes near where it would be. Has the applicant adequately addressed the issue of traffic and/or parking on the premises? Has the applicant shown good faith in correcting neighborhood concerns in the past? Have there been governmental concerns? Is there any good reason to think this will be merely a "dumping ground" for old folk, instead of a needed place for seniors to finish their lives with dignity?

I don't know if there are answers to these questions (or to the hundreds of other questions I have). While I do know that such a facility is needed, I don't know whether this proposal best fills that need.

I only hope that - given the sensitivity of the subject - the P&Z Board has gotten answers to these questions (and can coherently provide those answers to the people)...and that those raising the most strident objections aren't caring more about their wallets than they care about their fellow human beings.

Democrats, Start your Primaries!

2010-01-08T08:58:00.012-05:00

The endorsements for Town Committee are over...and so begins the inevitable signature gathering to force a March primary.

(Of course, I'm referring to the Democrats; the Republicans won't have their caucus until next Tuesday...and they can't get enough (reasonably living) candidates for endorsements, let alone challenges!)

There were a couple of wrinkles thrown into the endorsement process, though. Right at the beginning of the caucus, a challenge to the legitimacy of the caucus was raised by none less than Deb ~~Evangeliste~~ Evangelista (a dumb mistake on my part). Her challenge stemmed from her contention that the local party rules required that votes for Town Committee members be held at polling places in each district (in other words, at the polls.) Ms. E was backed up (rather vocally) by the Great One herself:

Much as I hate to admit this, I thought there was some merit to this argument...until I looked over the by-laws of both the local and state parties (the details are overly long and somewhat boring, so I'll skip the explanations. The short version is that the caucus was legal.) But I digress....

The meeting was somewhat boring - candidates were nominated, no opposing slates were forwarded - until we got to the 9^th and 10^th Districts. Then, the games began...and the Morrissey-backed candidates won in each case.

What does all this mean? Simply put, my prediction is that the Picard forces will attempt a challenge in at least 4 of the ten districts. By my count, they need only to win three of these districts, or two plus some extras in other districts in order to get control of the Town Committee...and force the Morrissey/Borer coalition out of power.

That isn't such a far-fetched outcome. If I were in their shoes, I suppose I'd try it too...because the alternative (for either side) is utter loss. I suspect the Morrissey group will think about mounting challenges to the Picard-endorsed candidates as well. It's now a matter of all-out war...control of the party (and with Party control comes the control of the City government, since the West Haven Republicans can't get their act together) is the ultimate goal for each side.

You can be sure there's some serious head-counting going on in each camp right now...and both sides have some heavy-hitters to put into their lineups. The next few days will end up looking like the calm before the next - and far from the last - storm.

Congratulations to...

2010-01-05T21:01:00.004-05:00

Our NEW Chief of Police, John Karajanis!

Exactly when Capt. Karajanis becomes Chief Karajanis is not as yet determined...but it's great to see a Westie get the job. Best of Luck, Chief!

UPDATE: The Register is reporting that Karajanis will assume his new duties around the beginning of Spring this year.

As the Curtain Rises on the Second Act...

2010-01-04T16:29:00.014-05:00

UPDATE: Because tomorrow is Three Kings Day (or Epiphany, or Twelfth Night), and Bob Barron's wife apparently observes one of these, the meeting has been rescheduled to Wednesday, January 13^th, at 7:30 PM.

After the no-show acts by Messrs. Picard and Barron at last month's Council inquiry into the $1.2 million dollar transfer from the Police Pension fund (so that the City could "pay its bills"), the first big question is:

Will Barron & Picard show up on Wednesday?

If either (or both) decline the Council's "request", then all the rest of the big questions remaining - of which I've stated but a few in this earlier post - cannot be answered...and this meeting will be nothing more than another waste of our time.

I've been hearing rumors that Da Robba, at least, might not show. If he doesn't, the Council will be faced with two options:

Drop the issue - The plan of these two seems to be to simply out-wait the Council's interest in this matter, in the hopes it will go away. After all, the City did put the money back in a few days later; what's all the big deal? If they can drag this out long enough, eventually the public's attention (and the Council's) will fade away.

Issue a subpoena to these two to appear under oath - As outlined in my earlier post, the Council has the power to force members of the Executive branch to appear before them. If then they still defy the Council, they could be subject to criminal action as well as monetary fines. I'd start researching how much of a fine they could levy, as it appears that Picard's (and Barron's) hubris knows no bounds.

My hope is that the Council takes the second option, simply because this transfer - which was designed to stay "under the radar" - was done for a good reason. But no one in the Administration wants to tell us exactly what that good reason is.

Are we looking at another big increase in property taxes? Only these two can give us the answers...and they don't seem to wanna talk.

(By the way, the illustration wasn't intended to resemble our $145,000 per year Finance Director...I don't even know if he owns a red suit!)

The More Things Change...

2010-01-03T10:02:00.010-05:00

It seems amazing, doesn't it?

Despite having an overwhelming advantage in registration, as well as having almost all elected positions (and some have suggested they have all elected positions), the Democrats are a-warmin' up for yet another internecine rumble for control of the Democratic Town Committee.

Word is that a challenge slate, allied with current DTC Chair Jim Morrissey, has already been set up to challenge the supporters of Mayor Picard...and vice-versa.

I've heard that Himself is mounting a challenge to remove Morrissey from the Chairmanship, and in response, Morrissey is firing back to solidify his hold on the Town Committee. Of course, there's a version which makes Morrissey the aggressor and Picard the aggrieved, but really...what's the difference?

The Town Committee must endorse candidates between ~~January 5 and January 12~~. UPDATE: I found the legal notice from the Dems stating that the DTC Meeting will be held tomorrow at 7:00 PM in the North Courtroom of City Hall. Challengers to these endorsed candidates have until January 27th to get sufficient signatures to force a primary. A primary for these seats, if needed, will be held on March 2...with another $30,000 out of our taxes paying for it.

So....away we go: I'm reminded by the wise words of Shakespeare: "Once more, into the breach, dear friends, once more..." - Henry V

Or more appropriately:

"Cry Havoc! and let loose the dogs of war!" - Julius Caesar

Happy New Year (2009 in Review)

2009-12-31T16:21:00.024-05:00

These are just a few of my favorites from the past year....enjoy!

At least the Barn Door is Closed

2009-12-30T09:34:00.005-05:00

Well...I guess the good news is that the $1.2 million bucks that got, er, uh, "borrowed" by the "Barron Boys" was put back yesterday, according to the New Haven Register. But the article still has some troubling info in it.

Why is the council "asking" these two (Barron and Picard) to attend the January 6th meeting? It must be obvious by now that they do not want to answer any questions regarding the legality of the money grab, or for that matter, give us any answers to:

Why was it necessary to take back the money to pay December bills? For 48 years, our City managed to pay its bill in December without needing to dip into someone else's pockets. What are the circumstances that made this year so different? Is there something wrong with our finances that you don't want the Council (and the taxpayers) to know?

It should be clear to anyone that this council cannot ask these two clowns to appear; it must demand their presence.

Hey Mark...How Does it Feel Now?

2009-12-29T23:52:00.004-05:00

An Open Letter to Former BOE Chair Mark Palmieri:

Dear Mark:

You decided - on your own - to throw your lot in with the Picard followers. and to abandon those who got you elected in the first place. That's okay, I suppose...you gave your former friends enough warning.

BUT...things didn't happen the way your new friends thought they would, did they, Mark? Your new amigos lost almost everywhere in the September primary (remember that primary, Mark? It only cost us about $30,000.00 to send a message to your new friends!) And all the time, you worked as a good soldier: pushing through everything they wanted from the BOE.

And in the end...when you needed their support...they dumped you like last week's garbage. Not even one of your great friends came to your assistance.

How does it feel now?

Happy New Year!

West Haven Bob

The Song Remains The Same

2009-12-28T20:09:00.010-05:00

As I predicted, the organizational meeting of the Board of Education went according to script...if you were reading the version written by the Mayor.

Howard Horvath is the new Chair...via a 4-4 tie with Dorinda Borer which was (surprise, surprise!) broken by the Mayor casting the tie-breaking vote.

Who do they think they're fooling with this charade? They'll say this is all for the best interests of our kids...but they're trying only to "kid" us. This is all about power politics. The great force behind the powers-that-be is sending a message to all that oppose him:

"Resistance is FUTILE!"

In other words, while he may have lost control of the City Council, he still holds sway on the Board of Education: HE will dole out the patronage jobs which consume so much of our tax dollars; HE will continue to shuttle around educators and administrators according to his pleasure (or displeasure); and anyone who tries to stand between Bob Barron and his little lapdog John Picard will be crushed like insects. Oh wait...maybe I have that backwards? Who knows?

More to the point, politics has triumphed over education. I can't say with any certainty that there could have been any other outcome: had Dorinda Borer won, it's possible the same games would go on, but with different names. But at least there would have been a CHANCE for a change.

Going forward, I predict there's gonna be some serious political blowback over this one...even for the Boss (and the Mayor, too!). And let's not forget Messrs. Horvath & Saley: these gentlemen might discover they'll need a new re-election padrone as a result of this little end run.

One thing is for certain: this just gives me more fodder to chew on. It's a-gonna get mighty interesting around these parts in the coming months!

Showdown!

2009-12-28T14:06:00.004-05:00

What with all the folderal over the transfer from the Police Pension Plan, it would easy to forget that tonight is the long-awaited, often-postponed organizational meeting for the Board (Bored?) of Education...during which a new Chair will be chosen.

Which will it be: "the good", "the bad", or "the ugly"? (I'm not saying which candidate, in my humble opinion, plays the role of "ugly"...or of "good" or "bad", for that matter!)

I'll have commentary and info as soon as the meeting ends...stayed tuned!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T21:56:00.003-05:00

And more questions...

2009-12-24T12:30:00.010-05:00

A continuation from "Answers...and more Questions"

(As soon as I can, I'll get the video from this meeting posted.)

Anyhow, continuing on...

Here are the many questions still left unanswered...plus those which arose from the information we got:

WHAT is the financial state of the City? There seems to be, shall we say, a difference of opinion on the legality of this transfer, but we should really be looking at why it was necessary in the first place. Why, five months into the fiscal year, is the City in such an "unexpected" bind? Surely "paying bills" can't be the whole story: such expenditures can be predicted, and should have been included in the budget.

Are we looking at YET ANOTHER tax increase? Seven months ago, as he was submitting this years' budget, Mayor Picard made the following statement:

"I want to say that the long-term finances of the City of West Haven are improving drastically..."

(you can see the entire video here.) Don't say I didn't predict this mess!

New questions include:

Where are "the bodies buried", and whose bodies are they? In his comments last night, Tim Wrightington asserted that John Picard kept the Assistant Corporation Counsel on: because (to quote Tim) "Henry knows where the bodies are buried". Assuming John Picard wasn't concerned with protecting the legacy of his predecessor, it might be assumed that these skeletons belong to the Mayor. What is it, if anything, you don't want the Public to know?

Who is watching out for the taxpayers? It seems Barron is doing things without any oversight: possibly with the Mayor's OK, but certainly without telling us the taxpayers what he's doing, or why. Even if I disagreed with what he's doing (and I usually do), I'd feel a lot more comfortable if I understood the why. Of course, I'd still make my snarky comments here...but the interests of the taxpayers must always take precedence over personal political interests.

Where is the City Council? The legislative branch is supposed to be the people's watchdog against abuses from the executive...and the courts adjudicate (make a ruling) when these two can't agree on major issues. It is well-settled law that the legislative branch (the City Council) has subpoena power over members of the executive branch (for you legal wonks, read Sirica v Nixon...remember that little fiasco?) Unless the new council grows some cojones, it will end up as yet another lap-dog of the powers-that-be...and the last primary should give you an idea where the voters stand on that. Do your job...or we'll find someone else who will.

Until we the Public get straight-talk answers from our elected officials on these questions, we should assume we're being taken for a ride once again...and WE will have to pay the costs.

Answers...and more Questions

2009-12-24T07:52:00.002-05:00

Last night's Council meeting on the transferred $1.2 million from the Police Pension Fund provided some details as to how this happened, but it also left some major questions unanswered...and it gave rise to even more questions as well.

First of all, the meeting was crippled from the start, since the two major players, Mayor Picard and Finance Director Robert Barron, were both

(VERY RECENT Pictures)

To be fair, the Mayor at least had a good reason: he had a death in his wife's family. But da Robba either blew the council off, or he was told not to appear. My guess is that he was busy sewing his Santa suit:

At any rate, it seems that on December 11, Barron emailed Morgan Stanley and ordered the money transferred. In this email, Barron identified himself as the Fund Manager (despite the fact that the Council designated Dave Moran of Morgan Stanley as the Manager). Mr. Moran called Police Commissioner Grace Hendricks (who has the power to authorize the transfer), and advised her that this was "probably" legal and thus she had to agree.

To be continued....click Here

The (MISSING) Word of the Day

2009-12-23T04:16:00.001-05:00

Given all the hoopla surrounding the administration's low-key shifting of nearly 1.2 million from the Police Pension Fund (allegedly to pay bills), it's really curious that there's been a word strangely missing from all the conversations - and that word is:

Audit

Now, the state-mandated audit is due out shortly...but I probably wouldn't recommend it for bedtime reading. If you can understand it, you might not be able to go to sleep.

Of course, our "Proven Financial Manager" hasn't managed to get one of his audits done on time - in fact, the state levied a fine on West Haven two years ago. With all the interest suddenly popping up regarding the state of the City's finances, I wonder if this audit will be mysteriously delayed as well.

Buckle up...we're in for a bumpy ride!

An Involved Voter is Your WORST Nightmare!

2009-12-22T07:30:00.009-05:00

First, the organizational meeting for the Board of Education was set for Monday, December 7th at 5:15 pm....

Then, just a few hours beforehand, the meeting was reset to Monday, December 21st at 7:00 pm (allegedly because of complaints regarding the early starting time)...

Then, the meeting was re-reset to Wednesday, December 28th at 5:15 pm (someone REALLY likes those 5:15's, doesn't he? Maybe, once the railroad station is built, we should all chip in to buy him a ticket on the 5:15 express out to Wallingford - where it's said a new house is nearing completion!)

You know, these maneuvers wouldn't bug me so much if only the Mayor just came out and stated the truth: he really can't stand the idea of Dorinda Borer becoming the chair of the BOE, and he doesn't trust Howie Horvath enough.

So, he fished around until he found a date that all the opposition couldn't make the meeting. Since Sean Maher can't come, that likely means there will be a 4-4 tie (with Mark Palmieri getting 4).

Guess who gets to break the tie........time's up.

I mean, this is West Haven, folks: birthplace of shady political games. If you're gonna pull these stunts, at least be open about it.

Keeping things "In the Family"

2009-12-19T17:34:00.016-05:00

Ain't it a great and marvelous thing....

Here West Haven stands - nearly broke (so much so that our "Proven Financial Manager" had to raid - possibly illegally - the Police Pension Fund to the tune of 1.2 million dollars to pay the City's bills...and needs another 1.5 million bucko's to keep on paying its bills....

And yet...and YET...

John Picard sees no problem creating yet another job for a member of the extended Pascale/Evangeliste/Lorusso family.

This group (according my my rough calculations) pulls nearly one million dollars off the City...and out of the taxes we pay. West Haven Politics as usual: give your supporters the jobs they want....and to hell with the taxpayers. "Why should we care about them?", they say, "We're elected...and they can't get rid of us!" Right?

WRONG!

I am proposing a petition to put the question on the ballot:

"Shall the City Charter be amended as follows:

Article XVIII (Initiative, Referendum) shall be amended to include the following text to read :'Elected Officials covered by this Charter may by removed from office by RECALL REFERENDUM by the provisions contained herein for INITIATIVE, excepting: upon receipt of certified signatures of registered voters equal to or exceeding ten percent (10%) of the number of voters who voted in the last municipal election, a RECALL REFERENDUM shall be held within 60 days to determine if ALL the specified elected municipal official(s) named in said recall petition shall be removed from his or their elected office(s). The ballot in such a RECALL REFERENDUM shall read as follows: 'Shall All the the elected officials named below be removed from office?', followed by the name(s) of the elected officials and his or their respective elected office(s). Upon the result of sixty percent (60%) of those voting concurring with removal of ALL such elected officials, at such recall election, the individuals shall vacate the elected office(s) to which he or they were elected; and the provisions for replacement as determined by this Charter, or by applicable State law, shall determine the proper successor to the elected office(s) so affected. ?"

This Charter change would make recall difficult....but possible.

Anyone else with me on this?

A Glimpse of Things to Come (Or GO)?

2009-12-17T22:56:00.004-05:00

Let's see now.....

The City Charter requires that all transfers greater than $1,500 be reviewed and approved by the City Council before the transfer may take place;

The amount transferred from the Police Pension was, shall we say, just a wee bit more than $1,500...and the Council is just now hearing about it;

This could get serious....

Old News, New Twists

2009-12-17T04:54:00.013-05:00

The recent revelation that Our Fair City might not be able to make Decembers' payroll (as reported yesterday in the Register) should come as no surprise to readers of these scribblings - I brought these issues up as early as February and March.

When questioned about allegations that the City didn't pay its federal taxes, Finance Director Bob (da Robba) Barron did something unusual: he clammed up. (Of course, everyone knows what happens when we don't pay our taxes...better hope Fast Eddie Marcus and ATF don't have a contract with the feds!)

What will come as a bit of a shock (but, let's be honest, as no surprise) is the, um, "minor" mistake of $3,000,000.00 which apparently has been made by John ("I get sooo emotional!") Picard and his mini-me Bob Barron (shown below).
Word is that these millions came out of the police pension fund...and the poop's gonna fly hard and fast, if these allegations prove to be true.

Wonder how he'll spin this to be "all Rich Borer's fault"? Hmmm.

PS - I see I "made the big time" again...wonder if lil' Boy Blue forgot to take his meds?

UPDATE 2:38 pm, 12/17/2009 -- The Finance Committee of the City Council will be holding a special meeting on this matter. The meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, December 23rd at 6:00 pm. There will be a Public Forum at the start.

I strongly recommend we pack the joint...let's send a clear-cut message to the politico's!

News from the BOE Front

2009-12-14T20:12:00.012-05:00

In an interesting turn of events, it appears we will have a new chair for the Board of Education come ~~December 21~~. UPDATE: Continuing his policy of "hide-the-meeting", the Mayor has now RESCHEDULED the BOE Organizational meeting for December 28^th.

Those in the know believe that Howard Horvath - who announced his candidacy only a few days ago - has cut a deal with the Mayor's supporters on the Board.

This, oddly enough, seems to be a "win-win-win" for all involved: The Tearful Tiger can finally rest easy, knowing he's denied Dorinda Borer the position (and he's co-opted one of the "Better Futurer's" onto his side). Howie gets his chairmanship. As for Dorinda...well, let's just say she got the sweetest deal of all.

The educational system in West Haven is horribly broken...and some of the causes for the current state of affairs can't be addressed at the City level. The next BOE is going to have to make some hard (and unpopular) decisions regarding layoffs, school closings, etc...and the Chair is the biggest turkey in the gunsights.

Maybe this is really a "lose-lose-lose" bargain...with the taxpayers (and more importantly, our children) winding up to be the biggest losers.

If you need advice, Howie:

What you wish for beware of; get it you just might!

(Not a Recent Photo)

Extremism in the Defense of Liberty...

2009-12-14T12:46:00.009-05:00

...may be no vice, sir - but it sure as HELL is an attack on it!

The Connecticut Post reported today about the three COWARDS (shown above) who crashed a menorah lighting ceremony on the Fairfield Green.

This is so wrong on so many levels...and should offend every American. And so, in this season of hope, I'd like to say to these "heroes of democracy":

First of all, if you feel so strongly about something...even if your opinion is unpopular...have the courage of your convictions: identify yourselves. (This also applies to those "heroes" who anonymously post malicious messages on the Register!)

Secondly, by using Nazi symbols to get your point across -- OK, I get it, you're really against Nazi tactics -- still you essentially spit on the graves of those who fought and died against those symbols. You cannot ever use evil in the expectation of obtaining good.

Finally, it is particularly repugnant to use these symbols (and shout obscenities) during a public ceremony to denote a Jewish holiday. Perhaps those who oppose you should dig up your grandmother's body and parade the corpse around your house to "celebrate" her death.

We have been blessed by the writers of our Constitution with several rights (or "freedoms"): all of which have sustained our Country through the years. But with each of these rights, we are also charged with a corresponding responsibility, to use and guard those rights carefully - so that we shall pass them on undamaged to our posterity. Otherwise, unlike the "greatest generation" you so callously mock, history shall denote us the "worst generation".

(P.S. H/T to Connecticut Bob - who is no relation - and who posted an excellent piece on this!)

Advice for AFD's Charter Commission:

2009-12-11T14:28:00.008-05:00

The history of Charter creation (and for that matter, Charter reform) in West Haven is littered with the wrecks of rejects and disasters. I hope the Allingtown Fire Department's attempt to adopt a "Home Rule" charter doesn't meet a similar fate.

Many if not most of the past debacles were the direct result of Charter Commission members following the lead of political desires; the changes too often benefited the "powers-that-be" at the expense of the voters who must put final approval on the Commission's work. Or, the changes were seen by the voters in that way.

Here's some general suggestions and guidelines for the AFD Charter Commission:

KEEP TRANSPARENCY IN THE PROCESS! Make sure the voters are kept apprised of each and every step...hand out flyers if postage is an issue. If something is put in (or taken out), let the voters know...and explain the reasoning for the change.

A COMPLETE OVERHAUL OF THE BUDGET PROCESS IS ESSENTIAL! The system currently used by all THREE(!) Fire Departments favor those who create a small clique of interested individuals (for example - and this isn't the only example - the Firefighters Union). It is a natural fact that each group will work for its own best interests; so by making the process as open and easy as possible, you'll get more interested persons...and the general interest will be better represented.

INCREASE THE LEVEL OF VOTER PARTICIPATION IN THE RUNNING OF THE DEPARTMENT! While it's not practical to oversee all aspects of the day-to-day operations, a Civilian Oversight Board - having term limits - can better inform the public of how their tax dollars are being spent, and what condition their Budget is in.

I'll admit these are vague suggestions, coming from someone who isn't even served by this Fire Department. I'll even accept that some aren't workable in practice...and that these three by no means address all issues the Commission must face.

But - especially by keeping the Charter process open and transparent - there's a good chance this proposed Charter won't go down in flames...and the Commission members won't end up with:

Keeping our Butts Above the Water

2009-12-09T11:59:00.010-05:00

You would think that - after several years of problems, financial crises, and budget rejections - the Allingtown Fire Department (the littlest of our three - THREE! step-children) would have long ago gotten the message that it needs serious reform...or simply to fade away.

Well, at least now they're trying reform. As the Register has reported, a meeting has been set up to discuss creating a "home-rule" charter.

Without such a charter, the Department is essentially required to go to the General Assembly for any major changes to its rules (the other two....TWO! Fire Departments did this decades ago.)

This doesn't really address the serious - some would say fatal - problems that the AFD faces. However, it is a long-overdue adaptation to the realities faced in the late 20th century. Pity it's being done in the early 21st century, but, hey - better late than never, right? Right?????

One thing that should be watched closely is the budget process...and how it might be changed. After the problems AFD has had getting its budgets passed in recent years past, I'd keep a very close eye on this one.

This isn't an issue of how much firefighters get paid, or their retirement packages. I, for one, couldn't do that job no matter how much you compensated me...and I suspect those who complain the most are in the same boat. This is an issue of allowing the AFD to streamline itself to change with the times...and possibly "grease the skids" for consolidation.

The meeting is going to be tomorrow (Thursday, December 10th) at 7:00 pm - what, the Mayor couldn't talk them into 5:15? - at the West River Hall on Orlando Street.

All Allingtown residents should pack this meeting...otherwise, they shouldn't carp about the crap that can be expected to occur.

UPDATE (12/9/09 8:10PM) - Something happened tonight that I wouldn't have thought possible: a clear statement by a Public Official! In the "Comments" of the Register article (click on the link above), Ron Walters presents a straightforward clearing of the normally irresponsible and juvenile snarks that have been posted. I submit a screen shot of his comments for your review:

I hope this is really from that Commissioner, and not a bully ploy by one of our "merry pranksters"...if so, then this guy sounds like a breath of fresh air for AFD. They should find more like him and toss out some of the rotten wood that's been taking up space on the Fire Commission for far too long.

And the winner is.....?

2009-12-08T12:19:00.005-05:00

The wires are burnin' up with the latest installment of "As the Board of Education Turns"...

The Mayor scheduled a 5:15 pm organizational meeting of the BOE on Monday (he sure likes those 5:15 meetings, doesn't he?)...then abruptly cancelled the meeting. The "public" explanation is that he got a lot of complaints about the meeting time (though of course that wasn't an issue when he ordered a City Council meeting at the same time just last week!)

The TRUE explanation behind these shenanigans is this: Picard believed he had the votes to retain Mark Palmieri as Chair...and wanted to make life as difficult as possible for his opposition. When it became clear Palmieri didn't have the votes, the meeting was cancelled...lest a certain lady sneak into the chairmanship.

So this is how you "take the politics out of the Board of Education", Mayor?

So now, the question remains: does she or doesn't she (have the votes)? I'd hazard the guess that she does: the Mayor is about as good a vote-counter as any, and the Tearful Tiger would chew his right arm off before he let control of this Board slip out of his hands.

Stay tuned....

The REAL West Haven Voice

2009-12-07T23:57:00.012-05:00

It seems such an obvious point, but apparently it needs to be said (for the, um, "intellectually challenged"):

Isn't it curious that our local rag, the "West Haven (alleged) Voice" makes the claim that it is comprised of:

"News and Views By and For West Haven"

Yet...when you look into the belly of the beast, you'll find:

The Sales Manager is none other than Charles Marino: our one-time "Democratic" Registrar of Voters; he has had that position for, oh, about eight years. Billy Riccio (our fearless - or truthless - editor,) saw no reason to state that conflict last year...was that news or views for or by West Haven?

Between June and September of 2009 - when 16 issues of the, um, "Voice" was inflicted upon the city, no fewer than 8 issues had articles written by Deborah Evangelista (a - losing - candidate in the September 15th primary). Little Billy didn't think this was worth a disclaimer...let alone eight disclaimers.

Billy Boy apparently doesn't think this should matter to you, the voters.

I disagree. If you choose to publish an opinion and label it as "independent" or "honest", you damned well better make the disclaimers as to where the sharks in your pool are swimming.

Otherwise, Billy-boy, you're no better than the political whores you cover. Only difference is, you've whored yourself to keep your paper going, whilst they whore themselves for power and status.

My opinions - and my disclaimers - are out in the open for all to attack or to support. This was the position of Colby Driessens (who was the original Felicia...and the man Riccio claims to be following.) My logo is "Unus vox vocis ex plures" (One voice out of the many)...maybe you should be as humble.

And people wonder why West Haven is considered "Bridgeport without the ambiance?" Hmmmm.....

Bleeding the City Dry?

2009-12-05T16:28:00.006-05:00

Now that we've heard all the self-righteous statements from the (newly-concerned) friends of the current administration, let's take a look at the facts.

The City Clerk is now going to get $885 more per year, until July 1, 2010. Thereafter, she'll get another $1,400 until July 1, 2011, and an additional $1,400 after that.

This means that for the next 6 months, Debbie Collins will "gouge" the taxpayers the obscene amount of $17.00 per week. The state will probably take an additional $35 out of her paycheck for taxes.

So, to all you "outraged taxpayers": try to look on the bright side: this isn't really a raise for the City Clerk; it's a raise for the state.

(Oh, by the way, Bob Barron got the same amount as Collins in his raise...if you start on Monday and end on Wednesday. Where were all these "outraged taxpayers" when that went down?)

Continuing On.....

2009-12-03T13:38:00.004-05:00

The outcry over the way the "Special Meeting" was held yesterday continues.

The complaints can be generally sorted in three categories: (1) How dare the City Council approve these raises!", (2) "How dare the City Council ignore the spoken will of the citizens!", and (3) "How dare the City Council schedule a meeting so early!". All of these end with the statement: "I'll never vote for them again!".

Let's take these one by one.

(1) This is mainly political blather (a nice way of saying "male bovine excrement") on the part of politico's who lost last September. They don't want the ordinary taxpayers to know that most of these members used to be their allies. In fact, most of these so-called "outraged ordinary taxpayers" are either City employees who got their jobs because they (or someone related to them) were Friends and supporters of the Mayor...or are just political allies of the Tearful One.

It is (conveniently) forgotten that this is the SAME City Council that voted them huge pay raises...few objected when that happened a few months ago!

(2) Sadly, the "Public Forum" part of these meetings has devolved into a venting session for those who mainly want to hear themselves talk. It's actually no different now than are similar sessions in the State Legislature, Congress, or the Supreme Court. The time to make yourself really heard by your councilman is before this point: write, email or phone them.

(3) This meeting was originally scheduled for 7:00 pm...until the Mayor decided to toss a hand grenade into the process. He scheduled a second meeting for 5:15 pm: to force the Council's hand on his appointments to various commissions and boards. While he has that right to convene a special session, I wonder if there wasn't a little one-upmanship going on here: neither side would compromise on the timing (say, like, 6:00 pm?), so the Council chose to start at the earliest legal time of 5 pm, so that there weren't a bunch of conflicting reports of when the meeting would be held. Both sides must shoulder the blame as far as that mess is concerned.

Finally, for all of you who vow never to vote for them again, GOOD NEWS! Most of these guys lost already; you don't need to worry about who to vote against.

It's not WHAT you do, It's WHO you know....

2009-11-28T20:14:00.015-05:00

"Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?"

"To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time."

"The dog did nothing in the night-time."

"That was the curious incident," remarked Sherlock Holmes.

--Arthur Conan Doyle - Sherlock Holmes, "Silver Blaze"

It seems a curious point: those who most deeply deplore the proposed raise for the City Clerk have all contributed to the thundering silence regarding raises for other individuals (despite my comments on this months ago...no one listened)

Those individuals who are raising the largest squeals (like the pigs they are) were curiously silent while Mayor Picard (and the City Council) approved a $25,000.00 raise for our Finance Director...they were also similarly silent whilst the Mayor and City Council gave a similarly obscene raise to our City's Human Resources Director (Never mind that we have few Humans...and NO resources).

No, forget about all that. "It's all in the past", as my Red Sox fan-friends tell me.

NO, JACKASSES -- THE PAST AFFECTS OUR FUTURE!

If you can't figure out that we haven't any "wiggle room" left, you're too stupid to be a voter...go back to your couch and turn Fox News back on (to tell you how smart you are). Beyond that:

NO, JACKASSES -- THE PAST AFFECTS OUR FUTURE!

The City Clerk hasn't got a raise since 2005...and this is the only time a raise can be asked for. Debbie Collins has seen her (unionized) employees get raises...one gets nearly the same as she does.

Also, since 2005, the State of Connecticut has given her office new responsibilities while expecting our taxes to pay for those responsibilities...it's called "unfunded mandates": perfectly legal, but honestly dishonest.

When you couple this with the fact that Himself twice tried to be rid of Mme. Collins ("Can anyone rid me of this troublesome Clerk?" - apologies to Thomas Beckett & Henry VIII) the point is clear: Miz Collins (as our local kitty litter liner would parse her name) is on the outs with the Powers That Be...and only those on the Inside get the goodies.

This ain't right...and it's sure as hell no way to run a City. We the taxpayers will pay for these "games" in the end.

I've looked into this matter: I saw Collins's justification, and was refused the Administration's rebuttal (imagine that!). Here are the facts:

The Clerk in Milford, and the Clerk in Hamden (two towns near West Haven with nearly -- OK, somewhat more -- than our population), both make about $16,000 per year more than the West Haven City Clerk. And neither the Clerk in Milford nor the Clerk in Hamden has to put up with the bull crap that we give to our Clerk (and her office.)

One final factoid: Debbie Collins employs the brother of her recent opponent. Debbie Collins -- though she could fire the guy -- will not end that employment.

That alone should tell you how she runs her office...and it's a pity the rest of our City government isn't run the same way. We'd pay less taxes, were our City run like our Office of City Clerk.

This says to me that Collins puts her duties above her politics. Wouldn't it be grand if West Haven had a Mayor that did the same?

I think, in this case, a raise (though not necessarily at the rate requested) is more then justifiable.

(More on the Tax Collector issue tomorrow)...

Hmmmm

2009-11-25T12:19:00.003-05:00

What with all the hoopla surrounding the arrest of Andrew DePalma on charges he stole money from the Elks, we got the usual sanctimonious drivel from the rest of our fine elected officials. (Need I thump my chest and proclaim I reported this last week?)

From Mayor Picard on down, we were treated to the "tsk, tsk, it's such a sad story" soundbites that sound like they're lifted out of "Political Statements for Dummies".

What really needs to be said - and what will never be said - is that this is a symptom of a far greater problem in West Haven. For far too long, we the voters have allowed the politicians -- Democratic, Republican, A Better Futurers (or whatever the hell you'd call them) -- to limit our choices of candidates for public office. And surprise, surprise! These politico's choose the candidates solely on their reliability to follow whatever faction is doing the choosing. No character vetting, no other tests of qualifications are even considered.

Now, Mr. DePalma is innocent of these charges...until he enters a guilty plea or is convicted.

But, the fact remains: we've had more than our share of elected officials who have committed, um, peccadillos (anyone remember the story of the police chief and the exotic dancer from the 1980's?)

We will continued to get ripped off in the future...unless something changes. And we the voters are the only ones who have the power and the motivation to begin the changing process.

Oh, yeah...Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Uh Oh...Guess Who's Back!

2009-11-18T12:15:00.003-05:00

"D'OH"

Talk about withdrawal...In three days, I had four computers breakdown (including my laptop) -- and my network had to be reconfigured. Sheesh!

Anyways, Got lots of good stuff piling up. Where to begin, where to begin.....

Starting with the shark in the water: The Register reported the other day that the West Haven Elks has had some of its fundraising money go, um, "missing". The word around town is that the suspect in this matter is one of our fine elected officials...and the penny is a-gonna drop soon. Now, this person's vote is needed by other politico's; and the opposition is hoping the poop starts flying before the votes are taken.

Of course, there's just a little problem with this hopeful scenario: the US Constitution. This person is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and only until proven guilty. If a guilty verdict is returned, then and only then is this person required to resign. West Haven has no other provision to remove an elected official (remember the big IMPACT "recall" movement in the 1970's?).

Until (or more precisely, unless) a guilty verdict or plea is entered in this case, the individual is fully empowered to vote on all business.

Think a verdict will be returned in three weeks? Talk about speedy justice!

We're Experiencing Technical Difficulties...

2009-11-14T12:42:00.002-05:00

West Haven Bob has some technical problems...I'll be back up again by Wednesday or so wth more...

The "Self Proclaimed" Winner

2009-11-05T01:45:00.004-05:00

Just as you can be sure that the Democrats will be fighting amongst themselves, there will be a challenge to the election of candidates from A Better Future Party.

The latest complaint comes from Republican/Reform candidate David Riccio, who ran for the Board of Education. Mr. Riccio has told the New Haven Register that he has "proclaimed himself" the winner of the minority spot on the Board of Education, because the certified ABF winner, Dorinda Borer, is a registered Democrat.

Sigh...let me make this clearer - again - to everyone (including Mr. Riccio):

As Head Moderator for this election, I was solely responsible for certifying the results - and the winners - of this election. Ms. Borer was certified as the minority winner of this position. I certified this result based on rulings from the Secretary of State's office...and I can't overturn those rulings. Just as Joe Lieberman (a registered Democrat) was re-elected as an Independent, so can Ms. Borer be elected as the candidate of A Better Future.

Mr. Riccio can "proclaim" anything he wants...but Ms. Borer will take that oath in December.

Results...

2009-11-04T19:30:00.005-05:00

Here are the Official summary:

(Click on image to ENLARGE)

As always, I'll email PDF copies of both this summary and the breakdowns by district to all who request it.