Parents and Grandparents of New Britain School Children:
On November 19th our Mayor, The Honorable Timothy T. Stewart, issued his veto to the resolution passed by the Democratic Council members and his statement is as follows: [ re-print ] :
To the members of the Common Council:
Our forefathers had some lofty and admirable goals when drafting the Constitution of the United States. They envisioned a government where checks and balances among the three branches of government protected our citizens from abuses of power. They tried to build a system of government where legislatures would debate critical issues with civility and respect and those whose views were in the minority could still speak freely and be heard.
If those framers of the Constitution were somehow magically transported here to 2008 New Britain, I believe they would recoil at how far we have strayed from their vision and how petty, bitter and partisan our local government has become. While our City has always had a reputation for hard fought political battles, I believe last week’s Common Council actions hit a new low in political gamesmanship at the expense of good government.
The debate in filing a Board of Education vacancy should be about the needs of New Britain’s school children. But instead of a debate about children, we had a debate where the participants acted like children.
Council Democrats gave no clear reasons for rejecting a father of two young children with a long history of service to New Britain’s youth. Jamie Giantonio, a young professional who stepped up to take time away from his career and family to serve on the Board of Education, certainly deserved a better explanation than the poor excuse from Alderman Sherwood-that he picked the person who called him on the phone rather than Mr. Giantonio who only sent his a letter. This absurdity would be laughable if it were not being carried out at the expense of the education of our City’s children.
No member of the Council majority has denied that filing the vacancy with Leslie Jacobs is retaliation for a previous vacancy appointment and again, no qualifications other than her once having served on the Board of Education were given. During public participation, ten residents spoke on behalf of Mr. Giantonia---none spoke in favor of Miss Jacobs. In fact, several speakers mentioned reasons why her past service on the Board should be the reason NOT to appoint her to fill this vacancy.
In answering questions at Wednesday’s Council meeting, Miss Jacobs did nothing to hide the arrogant, flippant attitude that earned her a reputation as an ineffective member during her earlier time on the Board. I cannot stand by and let this appointment go through without giving the Council the opportunity to rethink this action and put aside partisanship in favor of doing what is right for this community’s children.
State statutes specifically delineate minority representation on school boards in an attempt to achieve that balance of power as envisioned in the Constitution. It is hoped that an almost even split creates a spirit if bipartisanship that allows Board members to concentrate on educational rather than political issues.
With the appointment of Miss Jacobs, the Democratic majority has only violated that spirit of bipartisanship, they have thrown a live partisan grenade into the New Britain Board at a time when resources are low and needs and tensions are high.
I therefore veto Resolution #30383 in the hopes that you reconsider the chilling message you are sending to people in our community: that political power is more important than sound public policy. Consider this appointment as if you own children or grandchildren’s education depended on it---the citizens of New Britain deserve nothing less.
Sincerely,
Timothy T. Stewart
Mayor, city of New Britain
I strongly urge all the parents to call the leadership of the PTO group for their child’s school and ask them to contact the parents of all the children to attend the Council meeting on December 10th in order to support the Mayor’s veto of the Democrat’s choice for appointment to the Board.
Frank Smith
20 comments:
Great job Mr. Mayor! If only the Democrats could learn to govern with such responsibility.
These Democrats should be ashamed of themselves using our children as pawns in their petty juvenile games.
Apparently these Democrats are going to go down fighting. I spoke to one of the Aldermen, and he said they are overriding the mayor's veto and don't care what the parents or the voters want.
It is very disappointing that this group is putting their partisan politics before the needs of our children. It is obvious that they are going to continue to push their liberal agenda, and the children eduacational welfare be damned.
It appears that these Democrats are planning to go down fighting, as I heard today from one of the Aldermen that they don't care what the parents or the people of this city have to say about the Leslie Jacobs appointment, they are planning to ram through her appointment by overriding the mayor's veto without regard for the impact this decision has on our children's welfare and education.
It is clear that this group cares more about partisan politics and pushing their liberal agenda, than they do about our children, otherwise they wouldn't have this flippant attitude about ramming through this appointment and the children be damned.
Since the aldermen are clear that they couldn't care less about the will of the people, you will be left with only one way to be heard, and that is in your decision on who to vote against in November.
It's a good point to make that Town Committee recommendations to fill vacancies are strictly advisory. The other point to make is that there has been no real tradition in New Britain's recent political history for mayors and city councils to seek recommendations from their political parties on filling vacancies.
How many times did Mayor Stewart's predecessor, Lucian Pawlak, and the Council during that time ask for a Town Committee recommendation? Never. The same can be said for Pawlak's Republican predecessor and the Democratic Council. For the better part of 30 years Mayors and Councils have filled these vacancies without any formal political party input.
Only in the last four years has the current leadership of the Common Council begun to ask for Town Committee recommendations of any kind. This makes the Republican vitriol about the Board of Education vacancy so much political noise.
Time and again the Democratic Council has offered olive branches to the Stewart administration and the Republicans, only to have them dismissed out of hand accompanied by the same political grandstanding we are seeing now over the Leslie Jacobs/Jamie Giantonio vacancy on the School Board.
Trueworthy, Sherwood, Catanzaro: Reincarnation of Hitler, Stalin, and Hussein?
Which one is Hitler, Trulyworthless, or Hier Sherwood?
Trueworthy must be Hitler...I think Hitler was older than Stalin. Therefore, Sherwood must be Stalin.
...but Catanzaro is the mustachioed one.
Anonymous has it wrong: neither Trueworthy, nor Sherwood could be Hitler reincarnated, because Hitler was not a communist.
Why isn't the Mayor's veto on the City Council agenda?
Majority Leader messing with the agenda again?
Typical power play the Trustworthy!
Now the Mayor's veto isn't even going to be voted on?
Come on already.
Leslie Jacobs will not be welcome in either the Democratic or Republican board of education caucus.
How effective is this?
She isn't trusted by anyone.
The "good" government crowd should be ashamed of themselves.
Another Sherwood folly!
Give out substandard food in Central Park because you don't want the Health Dept to examine the processing and handling? Only $20 to certify the processing is clean and healthy! OMG he is bringing your City down!
That is fine if they fail to vote on the veto, because then it stands as is, but this group is more likely planning to find a way to vote on it in secret without publishing their intent. Parents beware, this group is up to no good again as they don't want the public to know what they are up to, so they hide it from public view and make their dealings in secret behind closed doors.
WE MUST ACT NOW TO TAKE BACK CONTROL OF OUR CITY:
Mayor Stewart raised some valid concerns over the existing lack of minority party representation in New Britain Municipal government. New Britain lacks the "near even split" the mayor referenced which is intended to prevent one party from becoming drunk with power--the current situation with the New Britain City Council. For example, many area towns have a town council made up of 9 members, of which no more than 5 can come from the majority party. This 5/4 mix prevents one party from dominating such massive power over the people of the city. Here in New Britain we have a council that consists of 15 members with 13 representing one party. This creates a situation where the majority party becomes so drunk with power, that they believe they are absolutely untouchable and can rule like dictators over the people they are supposed to be representing. The attitude becomes "I can do whatever I want, and they will reelect me anyway."
The current system for electing the aldermen in New Britain is clearly a dismal failure. This is a situation that is screaming out for change. The city charter needs to be revised and the makeup should be mandated that with a 15 member board of aldermen, that no one party can control more than 8 of the seats. This would create the spirit of cooperation that the mayor referred to in his veto message and is consistent with the very concerns raised by James Madison in The Federalist Papers.
In a two party system, if one of the two parties becomes weak, a dominant-party system may develop. In fact, a dominant party system has developed in almost every single country that has used first past the post (FPTP), at least at a regional level. Mexico had a dominant party system until constitutional reforms added proportional representation to the scheme.
Proportional representation does have some history in the United States. Many cities, including New York City, once used it for their city councils as a way to break up the Democratic Party monopolies on elective office. In Cincinnati, Ohio, proportional representation was adopted in 1925 to get rid of a Republican Party party machine, but the Republicans successfully overturned proportional representation in 1957.
When even Mexico realized that a dominant party system was a failure, I would think that New Britain is smart enough to learn from the mistakes made by the Mexican government.
Mayor Stewart, it is up to you as our leader, to bring forth a proposal that will allow us to revise the charter and correct this dangerous dictatorship type of government that is emerging here in New Britain.
To the anonymous individuals that are concern with the Mayor’s veto letter not being in the council's agenda.
Since I have printed a re-print of the letter in its entirety it would seem very difficult for the Majority Leader of the Council to remain oblique on this important issue.
Could he be planning to dump Jacobs by writing in a substitute name for the replacement?
It is a thought to ponder with.
why doesn't Sherwood get Catzanaro to serve as food taster for the food before they give it out to the poor. He has never said no to a free meal, and then we will no it is safe to give out to poor?
I couldn't stop laughing when I read the comment about Jacobs not being welcome in either the Democratic or Republican caucuses.
All I could picture in my mind was the caucuses are going on inside the private meeting rooms while her fat butt is sitting out in the hall waiting for them to come out of the caucuses.
Proper language required by state statute for a petition to amend the charter:
Sec. 7-189. Form of petition. (a) The form of the petition for adopting or amending a charter or amending a home rule ordinance shall be as follows: WARNING: ALL SIGNATURES SHALL BE IN INK OR INDELIBLE PENCIL. We, the undersigned electors of the town, city or borough of (here insert name of town, city or borough), hereby present this petition under the provisions of section 7-188 requesting the appointment of a commission for (insert one of the following: "The adoption of a charter, the amendment of its charter, or the amendment of its home rule ordinance", using such words as are applicable) and we certify that we are electors of the town, city or borough of .... residing at the addresses set opposite our names and that we have signed this petition on the dates opposite our names and not more than once. (Here follow the signatures, dates and addresses.)
(b) Each page of such petition shall contain a statement, signed under penalties of false statement as defined in section 53a-157b, by the person who circulates the same, setting forth such circulator's name and address, and which shall be in the form as follows: "Each person whose name appears on this page signed the same in person in my presence and such person is known to me or has satisfactorily identified himself to me." Any page of a petition which does not contain such a statement by the circulator shall be invalid.
(c) Such petition may also include, immediately after the statement provided in subsection (a) of this section, a list of general or specific recommendations for consideration by such commission.
Maybe after hearing from 100's of outraged citizens, they are actually going to do what is right and let Leslie Jacobs go down with the Mayor's veto of her?
Any decent person would simply withdraw her name after learning how disliked she is by the general populace.
Jamie Giantonio has left a new comment on your post.
The Council is exercising its judgment and responsibility in accordance with the city charter, according to McNamara.
I find it laughable that Mr McNamara is saying that the council is using judgement and responsibility. How does someone make a responsible decision without weighing both options?
I was NEVER contacted by ANY of the Democratic council members. Not only was I not contacted, but after the last council meeting, I was told by 3 of the council members that I NEVER had a chance and was NEVER EVEN CONSIDERED.
If you are reading this blog, and are unhappy by the way this is going down-
PLEASE, come to the council meeting tomorrow and let them know. 7PM City Hall- Council Chambers.
Posted by Jamie Giantonio to Frank Smith Says NB at December 9, 2008 5:37 AM
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