Des-pi-ca-ble
-adjective
deserving to be despised; contemptible
Never was there a word more appropriate to describe the tone taken by the Democratic candidate in Connecticut's 16th District State Senate race, Dave Zoni. In what can only be described as a desperate and depraved attempt to garner votes, a mailer was sent out to the people of the 16th district, which is so disgusting that it turns the stomach of anyone with a soul.
The mailer that I am referring to uses half-truths and flat-out lies to distort the work of the Republican candidate, Mr. Sam Caliguiri, during one of Waterbury's darkest hours. During the month of August, 2001, Mr. Caliguiri was acting as mayor of the City of Waterbury after the previous mayor had been arrested on sex crimes involving two very young girls. While the former mayor was sitting in jail (where he will, fortunately, stay until somewhere around 2038) Mr. Caliguiri managed to formulate a plan that saved the citizens of Waterbury money and, more importantly, further embarrassment.
This deal is the main focus of this sick and twisted mailer. Before this deal was struck, the former Mayor could have, in theory, posted bail and walked right back into City Hall to attempt to resume his duties. The former Mayor would have also continued to receive his full salary and benefits while sitting in prison, and any attempt to remove him from office would have involved a long, and expensive impeachment trial. This last part is especially important because, while the actions of this former Mayor were beyond comprehension or redemption, they were sadly not impeachable offenses because they were not a direct result of his being Mayor. Therefore, any attempt to remove him would have been a further cost and embarrassment to the city.
Mr. Caliguiri found a way, however, to keep all of these worst-case scenarios from coming to pass. By passing the resolution in question Mr. Caliguiri made certain that:
1-The former Mayor would only receive 1/2 his salary.
2-For the sake of the former Mayor's wife and children, they would continue to receive medical benefits.
3-The former Mayor would NOT be able to return to office.
4-Mr. Caliguiri would receive the other 1/2 of the Mayor's salary for performing his duties as Acting Mayor.
5-Mr. Caliguiri would receive NO MEDICAL BENEFITS during this 5 month period.
The result of this deal was to ensure that the city would not be forced to spend any more money in its already strapped budget, and it would avoid the disgrace of having the former Mayor put back in the media spotlight.
While it is easy to argue the benefits of this particular deal, there is no justification for the mailer that Mr. Zoni dragged out of the mud and slime. The image of two young girls in poses suggesting fear and abuse, for the mere purpose of political gain is an act of exploitation that borders on the pornographic. The opponents claim that these pictures were stock pictures, and not supposed to be the focus of the ad, are an obvious scramble for damage control. Mr. Zoni crossed a line with this particular ad, and he knows it.
Another issue of disgust with the mailer is the images of the girls used. As I mentioned before, the exploitation of these pictures for political gain is nearly pornographic, furthermore, the images chosen show exactly what Mr. Zoni’s intent was. The choice of two young white girls in mailers going to predominately white areas of Waterbury, Wolcott, Southington, and Cheshire, are a blatant and reprehensible attempt to tug on the heartstrings of voters. One would almost be led to assume that Mr. Zoni does not believe that the residents in his district would care as much about the actual victims, who were black. That particular mentality is not only morally bankrupt, but also almost racist.
Finally, there is the simple fact that most of the facts in Mr. Zoni’s mailer are just plain wrong. The information in the ad, as well as in the press release defending the use of this mailer, is so full of misinformation that any fact checker working for any newspaper would toss the article in the trash.
In conclusion, this mailer shows just what character of man the Democrats have put forward in the 16th State Senate race. Mr. Zoni is willing to do anything to get himself elected. He is willing to twist the truth to serve his purposes, and sink to lows that even non-political citizens find repugnant. He is beyond contempt, he is beyond electing, he is almost beyond redemption himself.
Mr. Zoni, to quote the classic cartoon:
YOU’RE DESPICABLE
-adjective
deserving to be despised; contemptible
Never was there a word more appropriate to describe the tone taken by the Democratic candidate in Connecticut's 16th District State Senate race, Dave Zoni. In what can only be described as a desperate and depraved attempt to garner votes, a mailer was sent out to the people of the 16th district, which is so disgusting that it turns the stomach of anyone with a soul.
The mailer that I am referring to uses half-truths and flat-out lies to distort the work of the Republican candidate, Mr. Sam Caliguiri, during one of Waterbury's darkest hours. During the month of August, 2001, Mr. Caliguiri was acting as mayor of the City of Waterbury after the previous mayor had been arrested on sex crimes involving two very young girls. While the former mayor was sitting in jail (where he will, fortunately, stay until somewhere around 2038) Mr. Caliguiri managed to formulate a plan that saved the citizens of Waterbury money and, more importantly, further embarrassment.
This deal is the main focus of this sick and twisted mailer. Before this deal was struck, the former Mayor could have, in theory, posted bail and walked right back into City Hall to attempt to resume his duties. The former Mayor would have also continued to receive his full salary and benefits while sitting in prison, and any attempt to remove him from office would have involved a long, and expensive impeachment trial. This last part is especially important because, while the actions of this former Mayor were beyond comprehension or redemption, they were sadly not impeachable offenses because they were not a direct result of his being Mayor. Therefore, any attempt to remove him would have been a further cost and embarrassment to the city.
Mr. Caliguiri found a way, however, to keep all of these worst-case scenarios from coming to pass. By passing the resolution in question Mr. Caliguiri made certain that:
1-The former Mayor would only receive 1/2 his salary.
2-For the sake of the former Mayor's wife and children, they would continue to receive medical benefits.
3-The former Mayor would NOT be able to return to office.
4-Mr. Caliguiri would receive the other 1/2 of the Mayor's salary for performing his duties as Acting Mayor.
5-Mr. Caliguiri would receive NO MEDICAL BENEFITS during this 5 month period.
The result of this deal was to ensure that the city would not be forced to spend any more money in its already strapped budget, and it would avoid the disgrace of having the former Mayor put back in the media spotlight.
While it is easy to argue the benefits of this particular deal, there is no justification for the mailer that Mr. Zoni dragged out of the mud and slime. The image of two young girls in poses suggesting fear and abuse, for the mere purpose of political gain is an act of exploitation that borders on the pornographic. The opponents claim that these pictures were stock pictures, and not supposed to be the focus of the ad, are an obvious scramble for damage control. Mr. Zoni crossed a line with this particular ad, and he knows it.
Another issue of disgust with the mailer is the images of the girls used. As I mentioned before, the exploitation of these pictures for political gain is nearly pornographic, furthermore, the images chosen show exactly what Mr. Zoni’s intent was. The choice of two young white girls in mailers going to predominately white areas of Waterbury, Wolcott, Southington, and Cheshire, are a blatant and reprehensible attempt to tug on the heartstrings of voters. One would almost be led to assume that Mr. Zoni does not believe that the residents in his district would care as much about the actual victims, who were black. That particular mentality is not only morally bankrupt, but also almost racist.
Finally, there is the simple fact that most of the facts in Mr. Zoni’s mailer are just plain wrong. The information in the ad, as well as in the press release defending the use of this mailer, is so full of misinformation that any fact checker working for any newspaper would toss the article in the trash.
In conclusion, this mailer shows just what character of man the Democrats have put forward in the 16th State Senate race. Mr. Zoni is willing to do anything to get himself elected. He is willing to twist the truth to serve his purposes, and sink to lows that even non-political citizens find repugnant. He is beyond contempt, he is beyond electing, he is almost beyond redemption himself.
Mr. Zoni, to quote the classic cartoon:
YOU’RE DESPICABLE
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