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.
