Tonight on his cable access show, State Representative Selim Noujaim (R-74) finally took the gloves off against the Independent Party. While the Independents in Waterbury have long been known for their constant griping and moaning about the state of affairs in Waterbury, their most common refrain is that they are looking out for the interests of the citizens of Waterbury. That is their justification for running endless campaigns that have no chance of winning. Of blasting the current administration at every possibility, including in front of a state panel looking at changing the ethics laws, about issues that are mostly politics.
And yet, despite all of this pontificating, the Independents have just been exposed as hypocrites. With the new campaign finance laws, Alderman Frank Burgio (who ran for the 74th district against Rep. Noujaim) made some very interesting financial moves, that while legal, are definitely not in good form.
First and most glaring is the fact that Alderman Burgio paid his Tresurer $4500 during the last two weeks of the campaign. $3000 for being the treasurer and $1500 for other consulting fees. Now, in all my experience in politics I have never seen a treasurer get this much money. In fact I don't know if the treasurer gets ANY money in most campaigns. What makes this especially interesting is that the Treasurer in question is one Larry DePillo, Vice-Chair of the Independent party and eternal candidate for city office.
Furthermore, Alderman Burgio paid the Chairman of the Independent Party in Waterbury, Mr. Mike Telesca, $2000 for Video Production services. This seems to be a prime example of the Independents looking out for themselves, not the citizens of Waterbury.
Lastly, and most disturbingly, is the fact that Alderman Burgio paid people to stand at the polls for him on election day. I have been involved in several campaigns, and I have stood at the polls for candidates and issues, and I have never even CONSIDERED taking money for my time at the polls. I consider it almost an obligation to stand there and voice my support for the candidate I truly believe is best. If I was willing to sell my services to the highest bidder I would be little more then a political mercenary, and that is not what democracy in America is about.
Elections should be about what people believe in, not who is willing to pay them. Maybe this is idealism, but it is what I believe and what I stand by. By using their campaign finance laws to line their own pockets the Independents of Waterbury have shown their true colors. Sadly they are not the red, white, and blue of American democracy, but the green of money.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Children - Not Cattle
With all the work that is being done on the schools here in Waterbury, there has arisen a need for some interesting changes to serve the best interests of the students. This has become especially apparent with the renovation/construction of Gilmartin school getting underway. It is obvious that keeping the students at Gilmartin while the construction is underway would be impossible. The disruption to the learning process and the risk (however minimal) of having grade school students around construction equipment is unacceptable. The $64 question then becomes "Where do we put the students?"
The current plan being proposed by the Education Department, and supported by the Board of Education, is to move the students to the former St. Margaret's School. This move will cost Waterbury $228,305 over the life of the 19-month lease. Understandably, with the dire economic predictions, there has arisen some opposition to this move. Not surprisingly, this opposition has come from the Independent Party.
The Independents in Waterbury have opposed this particular school construction initiative from the start. On this particular issue the dispute focuses on whether or not the Board of Education can find a cheaper way to house the students of Gilmartin. While I am all for debate and would like to see the City save as much money as possible, the need to save money is less important then the need to serve the best interests of the students.
This is where the Independents and Board of Education Commissioner John Theriault have lost their focus. Commissioner Theriault feels that the best option for the city is to move the students of Gilmartin to the school that the city is currently leasing for its alternative education program. The Commissioner feels that the 80 students that are currently at St. Lucy's should be scattered throughout the district. While the Commissioner is right in assuming that the students from Gilmartin would fit at St. Lucy's and that the students at St. Lucy's could be distributed throughout the city, he blatently ignores the fundamental rule of serving in education. Do what's in the best interests of the students.
The alternative education programs that Waterbury has are designed specifically for students that are not succeeding in a regular education setting. These are students that thrive in environments of stability and need the individual attention that the alternative programs provide. These are students that will not adjust well to being seperated from the friends and teachers that they have become comfortable with, and shipped randomly to whatever school has space for them. This is further compounded by the fact that some of these students are not comfortable in schools of 1000-1500 students. They need the stability, they need the attention, they need the quiet environment that the City provides. What the students do NOT need is to be treated like heads of cattle and moved wherever is deemed convienient for the moment.
What is especially galling about this situation is the man at the vangaurd of the opposition. Commissioner Theriault has a long career of serving the students of Waterbury, as a teacher and as a principal, ironically of the same Gilmartin school that is being renovated. As a man who has spent a considerable portion of his life in a job where serving the best interests of the students is priority one, I would have expected better of him. The fact that this gentleman, who touts his experience in the educational field, would suggest ignoring the needs of the students in such a obvious manner is shocking. He should know that the students in the alternative education programs do not deserve to be treated in this manner. He should know that what is in the best interests of the students is not always the cheapest option. He should know that the school system is made up of 18,000 young men and women with individual strengths and needs. He should know that these young men and women cannot be moved around like cargo. In short, he should know better.
Thankfully the democratic majority on the Board of Aldermen will probably support the proposal from the Education Department, but it still saddens me to see someone who should know better act in such a manner. It makes one ask, if Commissioner Theriault really feels this way, what's he doing on the Board of Education?
The current plan being proposed by the Education Department, and supported by the Board of Education, is to move the students to the former St. Margaret's School. This move will cost Waterbury $228,305 over the life of the 19-month lease. Understandably, with the dire economic predictions, there has arisen some opposition to this move. Not surprisingly, this opposition has come from the Independent Party.
The Independents in Waterbury have opposed this particular school construction initiative from the start. On this particular issue the dispute focuses on whether or not the Board of Education can find a cheaper way to house the students of Gilmartin. While I am all for debate and would like to see the City save as much money as possible, the need to save money is less important then the need to serve the best interests of the students.
This is where the Independents and Board of Education Commissioner John Theriault have lost their focus. Commissioner Theriault feels that the best option for the city is to move the students of Gilmartin to the school that the city is currently leasing for its alternative education program. The Commissioner feels that the 80 students that are currently at St. Lucy's should be scattered throughout the district. While the Commissioner is right in assuming that the students from Gilmartin would fit at St. Lucy's and that the students at St. Lucy's could be distributed throughout the city, he blatently ignores the fundamental rule of serving in education. Do what's in the best interests of the students.
The alternative education programs that Waterbury has are designed specifically for students that are not succeeding in a regular education setting. These are students that thrive in environments of stability and need the individual attention that the alternative programs provide. These are students that will not adjust well to being seperated from the friends and teachers that they have become comfortable with, and shipped randomly to whatever school has space for them. This is further compounded by the fact that some of these students are not comfortable in schools of 1000-1500 students. They need the stability, they need the attention, they need the quiet environment that the City provides. What the students do NOT need is to be treated like heads of cattle and moved wherever is deemed convienient for the moment.
What is especially galling about this situation is the man at the vangaurd of the opposition. Commissioner Theriault has a long career of serving the students of Waterbury, as a teacher and as a principal, ironically of the same Gilmartin school that is being renovated. As a man who has spent a considerable portion of his life in a job where serving the best interests of the students is priority one, I would have expected better of him. The fact that this gentleman, who touts his experience in the educational field, would suggest ignoring the needs of the students in such a obvious manner is shocking. He should know that the students in the alternative education programs do not deserve to be treated in this manner. He should know that what is in the best interests of the students is not always the cheapest option. He should know that the school system is made up of 18,000 young men and women with individual strengths and needs. He should know that these young men and women cannot be moved around like cargo. In short, he should know better.
Thankfully the democratic majority on the Board of Aldermen will probably support the proposal from the Education Department, but it still saddens me to see someone who should know better act in such a manner. It makes one ask, if Commissioner Theriault really feels this way, what's he doing on the Board of Education?
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
And The Circuis Begins Again
We are only one week removed from a tiring and historic presidential campaign, but the political machine of Waterbury never stops running. We are 357 days from the next round of municipal elections and the fundraising and campaigning is already in full swing.
Board of Aldermen President J Paul Vance Jr. is holding a fundraiser tomorrow night at the Ponte Club. It is Alderman Vance's intention to seek the Democratic nomination for Mayor for the 2009 race. The biggest issue with this is that the current Mayor (Democrat Mike Jarjura) has said that he's planning on running for a fifth term. This puts the Democratic party in line for another primary fight in August, the third time out of five that Mayor Jarjura has face a primary.
Meanwhile people are still waiting for word regarding the Republican and Independent parties and who they will nominate this year. The fun has already begun, and the election is a year off! Only in Waterbury.
Board of Aldermen President J Paul Vance Jr. is holding a fundraiser tomorrow night at the Ponte Club. It is Alderman Vance's intention to seek the Democratic nomination for Mayor for the 2009 race. The biggest issue with this is that the current Mayor (Democrat Mike Jarjura) has said that he's planning on running for a fifth term. This puts the Democratic party in line for another primary fight in August, the third time out of five that Mayor Jarjura has face a primary.
Meanwhile people are still waiting for word regarding the Republican and Independent parties and who they will nominate this year. The fun has already begun, and the election is a year off! Only in Waterbury.
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