City Alderman express their thoughts at the League of Women Voters Meeting

As I promised that more information will be following:

I thought it would be best to follow through with some of the comments made by some of the alderman at the meeting:

1. Broad Street “Little Poland” when will the street and the sidewalks be done? Alderman Hermanowski stated that the Washington Street Project ran in adverse problems unexpectedly which delayed the laying of the new piping to Broad Street so that project could get started. He further stated that the Broad Street project could start around May of next year. He continued on “We have to watch spending. Have we cut spending? No! We keep on spending. Some of the three family and six families’ buildings taxes have gone up 180% with the landlords just passing the increases on to their tenants causing a lot of vacancies throughout town because the tenants are moving out.”

2. Alderwoman Eva Magnuszewski stated: That she has a friend that works at a local bank and that they are currently involved with 90 foreclosures.

3. Alderman Adam Platosz stated: We outsourced our Life Insurance and electricity and we are paying our electric bill to Texas at about seven million dollars and six millions for the water Department and the Mattabassett District. For the in Health we are spending thirty one million dollars. My electric bill at my residence in 1986 showed we were using 80 KW hrs. I am in the same house with no changes but my current bill runs five times higher. It happened to me. Implying why not you?

4. Alderman Phil Sherwood said He is a new face on the council but just out of the gate he was able to get a building commission and also a FOI ordnance eliminating the 50 cent charge per copy for city records the residents needs. He continued by stating that the council was able to make big changes with zoning changes for the downtown district in order to attract apartments In the center of town. He continued to state that he is very worried because many of the federal programs have been slashed because of Iraq. We have to end corporate tax loop holes and implement a progressive income tax in this state.

5. When will the Kolodney building be finished? Someone answered they currently have three tenants residing there.

6. The Majority Leader, Michael Trueworthy, talked about the state and congressional 509 program for education its not enough to what they need--- different way of feeding funds with nothing for the no child left behind program. The senior program, we can’t seem to get the administration to freeze the taxes for the fixed income seniors. You may have noticed roads being paved throughout our city as a result of a two to three year program and a 17 million dollar bond issue in order to allow a better under structure improvement to our streets and side walks by not just paving over the existing roads but rebuilding them for a longer expected life. Having a lack of state funding our financial outcome will not be so easy.

7. It was truly unfortunate that none of the republican alderman appeared for this meeting, it would have been very valuable to hear their view points on the problems the city faces.

It is my opinion that public attendance at all of the league’s interviews of all our public officials local, state, and federal informs the voters of any and all existing problems we all face together, as citizens, intelligently.

Therefore, I fervently urge that everyone should attempt to attend the league’s future venues in order to really understand the true hardships our elected officials face on our behalf.