2/5/11
To the Editor:
Democrats in New Britain, in particular, Common Council member, Mike Trueworthy and Donald DeFronzo apparently are sure that Mayor Tim Stewart will win the special election for the 6th District Senatorial seat. Trueworthy has issued a demand to Mayor Stewart that he sign some kind of pledge to whom and for what I still don’t understand. Trueworthy wants to be Mayor so much that he can taste it – he is Mayor Pro Tem of the Council and wants to take over when the Mayor “wins.”
DeFronzo writes a crass letter to the Editor of the New Britain City Journal. I’ll concentrate mostly on that letter since, Trueworthy’s demand, is as usual, incoherent nonsense. Actually, DeFronzo spends a good deal of his letter talking about his tenure as Mayor of NB and how taxing it was to him, personally. Can anyone in NB recall anything significant accomplished by the DeFronzo administration?
Things change over time; it’s been 19 years since DeFronzo was Mayor of NB. Since then, the technological explosion worldwide has changed all jobs, including that of being Mayor of NB. People can, and do hold numerous positions simultaneously because information is instantaneously provided
Before the fact - the 2/22 special election – DeFronzo accuses the Mayor of having, (1) a conflict of interest and, (2) “ ... the attempt to grab and consolidate the power and influence of two major political positions is a bad decision.” DeFronzo cites the NB Charter and says that Stewart must have no other occupation while Mayor. Let’s say that the Mayor was a day trader in the stock market and made the bulk of his income that way. Is a lucrative hobby another occupation?
Is that any worse than DeFronzo being in violation of the Federal Hatch Act in 2002? DeFronzo was executive director of the NB HRA; yet, someone at HRA gives him a “no-announcement/no application other position and a slight pay cut. Don runs for the State Senate and beats Bozek. You want to talk about conflicts?
DeFronzo spends most of his time pontificating about the responsibilities and demands of public service. OH, give me a break! He speaks of the attempts to hold dual or more political offices and the conflicts of interest attendant on the practice. Don, the State legislature is full of such conflicts. And Don, don’t lecture people about “... well reasoned and long established standards “ of behavior of public officials. What are the standards that keep Rick Lopes and Greg Gerratana employed as legislative aides?
Tim Stewart is an honorable man and won’t leave New Britain in the lurch. He has made that abundantly clear in a recent public statement. As The New Britain Herald said in a recent editorial, (2/3/11), “Always Check The Facts.” Apologies in advance if I failed to do so.
Lou Salvio, Alderman, City of New Britain
Saturday, February 5, 2011
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6 comments:
Lou:
Great Letter
The New Britain City Charter - Article V. Section 5 is printed as follows:
The Mayor shall devote the full time necessary to the duties of the office and shall have no other occupation during the term of office and shall keep the office open during such hours of each business day as the Ordinances of the City shall direct.
"occupation" :An activity that serves as one's regular source of livelihood; profession, vocation - (Black's Law Dictionary) .
First, Tim Stewart will need to win the special election before any decisions can be made regarding his position as Mayor. Secondly, Tim Stewart has been and will continue to be dedicated to the residents of New Britain. Should he win the election he will make every effort for a smooth transition to a new endeavor. Lastly, the three towns represented by this senate seat would all benefit from Tim's ability to understand the needs of the local areas, New Britain, Berlin and Farmington. We need jobs, we need new commerce and we need a real voice when comes to funding to our regions. These are all areas where Tim will succeed.
" Anonymous said...
The New Britain City Charter - Article V. Section 5 is printed as follows:
The Mayor shall devote the full time necessary to the duties of the office and shall have no other occupation during the term of office and shall keep the office open during such hours of each business day as the Ordinances of the City shall direct.
"occupation" :An activity that serves as one's regular source of livelihood; profession, vocation - (Black's Law Dictionary) .
February 5, 2011 10:58 PM"
Since Mayor Stewart has made it abundantly clear that he will not stay on as Mayor when he wins the special election, the point is moot and I will not argue it further! If one really examines the section of the Charter quoted above, one must see that a savvy lawyer could make mince meat of it.
The anonymous blogger must see and know that Mrs. Gerratana has no other topic of which to make an issue. She is out of touch with local politics and has been for years, and, has no political portfolio to advance in her own behalf.
Many poeple have expressed their wish personally and on the blogs that the Mayor should stay and do both jobs. Certainly, he has the energy and the intelligence to do both. Stanley Pac served as Mayor of NB and State Senator at the same time. And, without the benefit of today's technology!
Let's all stop beating this horse to death; if Mrs. Gerratana has another issue to discuss, please, enlighten us all; what is it?
Concerned Taxpayer said:
Mrs. Gerratana being a Democratic candidate really has no issues because she has been out of politics for a long time just like her treasurer has been too!
So they can only bash her opponent that is what the democrats know how to do best.
It appears that most people, Republicans and Democrats alike, already assume that Tim Stewart will be our next State Senator.
Way to Go!!
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