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Hamden Daily News
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Let Me Set My Record Straight
I am sorry that David Gould feels the way he does about my candidacy (Letters to the Editor, "Beaudette Won't Get My Vote," Aug. 17, 2005) for the council seat in the 4th district, but I am not surprised. Mr. Gould apparently believes that the 4th district begins and ends with the former Meadowbrook golf course and the housing complex that abuts it. His current letter, like all of his previous letters, is fixated on the topic of the middle school and ignores any and all issues not directly related to it.
There is more to my voting record than that one vote on that one subject. I have tried to represent the best interests of the entire 4th district and to that end I supported the building of the new Spring Glen School in the south, improvements to Legion Field in the north and the ongoing flood control issues around the Colonial/Austin area in the middle of the district.
I also believe that anything that benefits Hamden will ultimately benefit the residents of the 4th district as well. To this end, I voted to improve the Miller Library and Senior Center, to move out of the crumbling town hall to a modern facility with parking and handicapped access for all, to encourage economic development initiatives that are finally bearing fruit (Home Depot, Pannera Bread, Strawberries, Starbucks, LA Fitness, Kohls, Wal-Mart, a new Brooks, two new Walgreens , CVS, Bed Bath & Beyond and a host of industrial businesses along Welton Street and Sherman Avenue), to replace the outdated and dangerously ineffective 1950's police radio system with a modern 450 mghz system, new police laptop computers in every car and a modern computer system at headquarters, to replace both police and fire headquarters with modern safe facilities, to renovate Bearpath School and for needed improvements at Helen Street, Ridge Hill, Shepard Glen and West Woods, for the dog park and the extension of the Farmington Canal Trail and for expansion and renovation of Brooksvale Park's ranger station and Veterans Memorial building.
All of these votes made Hamden a better place to live and will benefit the people of my district in the form of increased property values, more employment opportunities, greater access to town services and ultimately (as the grand list begins to grow) residential property tax relief. I will stack my voting record up against anybody on the council, past or present.
Getting back to Mr. Gould's obsession with the golf course, let me clarify a few of his comments. This "wonderful green, large tract of land" as he states has been enjoyed by many generations of Hamdenites and visitors. Nothing could be farther from the truth. It was an 18-hole golf course enjoyed by a few Hamden and out-of-town golfers who paid for the privilege, until half of the "pristine green open space" was totally destroyed 40 years ago. It was plowed under to build the large housing complex that Mr. Gould currently resides in. Since then, the remaining nine holes of "open space" have only been available to a select group of golfers. Except for the rare occasions, of course, when the general public was allowed to walk on their own property for concerts and fireworks.
The playing fields of the new middle school will be every bit as green as the golf course and more accessible to the public. Only one statement by Mr. Gould rings true. He states that "the quality of life for all residents in this area will be affected." I couldn't agree more. The presence of the Meadowbrook Park complex, a true example of open space, will improve the quality of life for them and for the rest of the residents of Hamden.
Finally, Mr. Gould's advice to vote for anyone but me is just plain silly. Vote for someone based on your analysis of the individual's record or on the content of his political platform and personal beliefs. Know the person you vote for.
Ed Beaudette
Central Avenue
Vote For Me
This letter is to tell the Democrats of Hamden why
they should vote for me on Primary Day, Sept. 13. First, I will
work to lower your taxes. I own property. I am hit with the astronomical
cost of property tax. When multi-million-dollar corporations get
huge tax abatements for the privilege of taking Hamden consumers'
spending dollars, something's wrong. This is something I will never
agree with. Those tax-abatement dollars belong on our tax bills.
We are the backbone of Hamden.
Another reason I deserve your vote is because I will help you take
back town hall for the Hamden citizens. Too often in my campaigning
door to door, citizens describe the disconnect they feel with the
town hall. Decisions are made for them, not by them. In addition,
I think while most town employees are courteous, there are some
who are discourteous. That needs to stop.
My opponents not only don't want to stop these conditions, they
lack the wherewithal to do so. Unlike my opponents, I have education
and experience in finance and business administration. So not only
do I want to get the job done, I can get the job done.
See you at the polls.
Thomas Fortuna
Hamden
Bush's Plan Has No Security
I wish I could write a couple of pages or so about
how each and every detail of President Bush's new Social Security
plan was an intricate piece of the second-term push to bring Armageddon
upon one of America's most successful federal programs (and let's
be honest with ourselves, not many federal programs are truly successful).
I see editorial after newspaper article after CNN/Fox
News/MSNBC segment espousing their assorted opinions about privatization
and what it means for Social Security. The basic lines are all too
common: (1) Bush's plan destroys the "security" of the
program or (2) in order to ensure the "security" of the
program, we must go ahead with Bush's plan. The problem is that,
while Republican senators and representatives hit the road on their
infomercial town hall meetings and their Democratic counterparts
do the same, neither President Bush nor the White House nor the
Republican leadership has given out any specific information about
their plan to the mainstream media (perhaps if Jeff Gannon was still
in the White House press room, we'd know a little more). But it's
all with good reason.
It was Eugene O'Neil who said that "there is
no present or future, there is only the past happening over and
over again." I wish some of our Washington politicians would
take that quote a little dearer to their hearts. For while we are
debating the principles of the philosophy between privatization
or leaving the program as is, it is important to note that several
nations have attempted the same system we are looking into now only
to find that its results are just as disastrous as Democrats and
left-wing blog sites believe it will be here.
England and Chile have both privatized social security
systems that cost each of these countries 1500 percent more in administrative
costs than does the federal system of the United States. The system
in England absorbed up to 30 percent of the individual's pension
savings and when it was all said and done, companies misrepresenting
their coverage were forced to pay out over $20 billion in assets
to private citizens. And that system was put into place to serve
a smaller group of people with extensive government assets pulling
the line at the beginning of the transition from federal to private
accounts. Other cases include privatization being the major chip
in the economic collapse of Brazil in 2001, and Bolivia not being
able to pay off its promised benefits even with massive borrowing.
That being said, England, Chile, Bolivia and Brazil
aren't the only places that have tried to privatize their pension
funds. That's right -- it's been tried here in the United States.
Nebraska tried it with its municipal employees. The system did so
poorly that the state junked it less than three years later, after
the workers found they were losing money. Montana also tried it
with state workers -- spending $1.5 million to educate people and
a year's worth of education seminars. Out of 30,000 workers, only
900 chose to apply for accounts. In West Virginia, teachers put
40 percent of their money into investment accounts and when they
decided to retire, got 17 percent less yield.
All the systems above were put into place with the
ideal economic opportunity -- booming GDP and high tax revenue with
low government spending. All the systems above were massive failures.
Let's not forget that the United States is towing a burden of record
budget and trade deficits and with the national debt skyrocketing,
it would take decades of borrowed money to finance the transition.
Does this sound good to you?
But that won't be the national debate. The mainstream
media won't help you with the details because if anyone, including
you Ross Perot, was to get on TV and give you what I just gave you
here, one of two things would happen to you. If you were speaking
against privatization, you'd get trashed as anti-military and pro-gay
marriage (see USA Next ad against the AARP) and then get trashed
some more. If you were speaking for privatization, you'd have your
career ruined because you are a gay prostitute (see Jeff Gannon).
OK, perhaps the second wouldn't happen, but be assured that you
won't see much commentary on the real effects of privatization.
What's the bottom line? Social Security will not, will not, will not go belly up in 2042. It'll still be able to pay out an overwhelming percentage of benefits, which will, in inflation-adjusted dollars, still be more than any senior is getting now. The truth is that there have been several years, throughout the 1970s and 1980s, where the Social Security system paid out more money than it took in. What little details we do have about the Bush plan points to $2 trillion worth of debt in the transition process, with benefits cuts down the line (including those for people retiring right now, contrary to Republican commentary) and would do nothing to ensure the long-term solvency of the program.
These aren't wild leftist claims; they're coming from
Bush Administration aides. Republicans were calling it privatization
before Frank Luntz told them that it was bad terminology and it
shouldn't take months and months worth of debate and billions upon
trillions of taxpayer dollars to find out we've made a huge mistake.
In 1978, when George W. Bush was a congressional candidate
in Texas, he often raised eyebrows from his opponents when he confidently
told citizens of that state that Social Security was poised to go
under in 10 years, and that private accounts were the salvation
to all their worries.
Back then, he was tragically misinformed. Now, he's
just lying.
Scott Harris
Branford
The Dark Side of Amento-land
Recently a full-page advertisement was printed by
Mayor Amento's campaign in a weekly newspaper as part of his re-election
campaign. The ad told the tale of a fantasy town somewhere in a
galaxy far, far away.
The advertisement paints a picture of Hamden's finances that gives
the illusion of sound financial management and prudent monetary
restraint. It wouldn't take very long to realize that this is far
from the record that has been under the Amento Administration. Accomplishments
were distorted, facts were omitted and statements were carefully
crafted to give the appearance of an Amento's Hamden.
As chairman of the council's Finance and Administration Committee
for the last two years, I have had the opportunity to carefully
review the town's financial position and be a point man against
the mayor's poor financial recommendations.
Let's look at some facts that were conveniently omitted:
· While bond agencies that rate Hamden's financial
status recently maintained Hamden's rating, they downgraded Hamden
within the past year -- risking higher interest rates on borrowing
and higher taxes for you and me.
· Two of Hamden's last three budgets have been in deficit,
with only the current not "in the red" -- the budget your
current legislative council drastically transformed from the mayor's
recommendations. The mayor refused to sign this budget, saying it
wasn't good for the town, but now he's quick to take credit for
it since it has shown to be a clear success that produced a surplus.
· The town's pension, internal worker's comp and health and
sewer accounts were MILLIONS in debt -- and many still remain so.
The recent improvements on some of these accounts have come simply
because the town received a cash windfall from the sale of our sewer
lines -- a windfall you will be paying for in years to come -- to
the regional Water Pollution Control Authority.
· Regarding the pension fund, over Amento's three terms as
mayor, less than 10 percent of the recommended pension contributions
were made. This has been a central reason for the town's bond-rating
tumble and overall instability. It is also why the mayor was able
to keep the tax rate artificially low while creating new positions
within the town government, spending an unprecedented amount on
architects and consultants and awarding contracts that were not
competitively bid.
While the mayor has certainly had some good ideas and initiatives
in his six long years as mayor, the financial and project management
has been one of poor execution and irresponsible management. Come
visit town hall, review the town's independent audits, bond-rating
analysis records and our municipal budgets. I am sure that once
you review this information, you'll see why we need a change.
For these reasons, I am supporting Amento's opponent in this year's
Democratic primary. I hope that you will consider these financial
realities because Hamden simply can't afford another two years of
Amento's mismanagement.
Working for a better Hamden.
Curt Leng, councilman at-large
Hamden
HDN Goes Beyond the Press Release
I want to thank you for starting a true "watch dog" in Hamden. While I am a former resident of Hamden, a good deal of my family still resides there and I will always have fond feelings for the town in which I was raised.
Back in March I made the difficult decision to sell my condo and buy a home in Cheshire. I made a decision that I feel was in the best financial interest of my young family. I made the decision based on the financial mess I see Hamden in.
I place most of the blame on the local media establishments for only reprinting political press releases and not investigating. I blame them because they are supposed to be watching government and reporting back to us, not avoiding the cold hard facts for fear of offending someone.
I hope I don't sound completely cynical but politicians twist and spin, not all, but most, and I can live with that. However, I cannot accept newspapers misleading people because they are only interested in profit. We need balance.
People tend to believe what they read in the print media. And it's wholly irresponsible to perpetuate misinformation when you're in a position of trust.
Print media are dying. We are still in the infancy of the information age, and the highway that Bill Gates predicted would revolutionize all aspect of our lives has only just begun. I hope you catch the crest of the wave. And I feel you will because in any business venture if you give value first, for free, you will become a trusted advisor and experience great success.
Thank you and I admire your passion.
Michael McVerry
Cheshire
60 Park Place
The Hamden BOE does not have -- nor intends to have -- the interest of the town in mind. Their past record shows that in every instance where it was either more money for (school superintendent Alida) Begina or a savings for the town, they always deferred to Begina. In her tenure, she has turned this board into a rubber stamp for her own ends.
Then, when she informed everyone that she was leaving, she reneged on that. With the exception of two BOE members, the board took her back with open arms. I don't know of any firm in America that would allow an employee to quit and then come back in a few days and state that she didn't really mean it. This board thinks of the town's money as Monopoly money, which they feel free to throw at Begina whenever she needs it.
While the students in this town have had to go without books, supplies and other necessities, the taxpayers have fattened her bank account to an obscene amount. In the last election, I ran against Mr. D'Agostino for that slot on the board and lost. I have waited for him and other board members to stand up and become an advocate for the town. At last, Mr. D'Agostino has, and I applaud his stance on this issue.
Steven F. Wilson
Hamden
Thanks to the Melodies
I want to thank all the supporters who came to our “Doo Wop” Party on Aug. 21. It was an overwhelming success. Our band “Beau Geste” is a major factor in drawing people. Live Doo Wop and oldies music will always draw big. In addition, this was an opportunity to meet and greet the candidate. To help in the Fortuna campaign, call 675-2873.
Thomas Fortuna
Bradley Avenue
Middle School is So Passé
I hope that Hamden residents and particularly Hamden parents with middle-school-aged children have read the article in the Aug. 8 issue of Time magazine, which proves that middle school is an antique idea. Barry Herman expressed his experienced opinion on that same issue during endless discussions on the construction of a new middle school in Hamden.
Our educated geniuses in Hamden have now been proven to be wrong in forcing this antiquated school system down our taxpayer throats. Even the city of New Haven has changed a majority of their schools over to the K-8 system, recognizing that the middle school concept has been detrimental to the mental and emotional progress of 11-, 12- and 13-year-old students, who are being forced into a pseudo-high school environment.
Ms. Begina, thank you for forcing this upon us. But,
most of all, thank you Barry Herman for trying to open our eyes
up to what should have been to move Hamden into the 21st century.
Dee Tetreault
Whitney Avenue
How Dare McDonagh
I'm aghast at Joe McDonagh's recent Hamden Daily
News letter to the editor. The personal animus he displays for
Mr. Gustafson is odd and disturbing, and certainly not becoming
of a man in his position. One would hope that the town's top Democrat
would conduct his affairs with a bit more equanimity. However Mr.
McDonagh is obsessed, and thereby becomes his own worst enemy.
The Democratic Town Committee chair undermines his own credibility
right out of the box. He rants, "[Gustafson] is, I am sure,
painfully aware of how insignificant the endorsement of the Green
Party is ... " Very interesting. The endorsement is so "insignificant"
that it has caused the chairman of the DTC to draft at least two
extraordinary, desperate letters (one to his "troops"
and one to the public at large) to attempt to counteract the Green
Party's exercise of its rights under the law! I can't imagine what
he would have left in his arsenal for a truly "significant"
threat.
McDonagh continues, "[Gustafson] appears to be overwhelmed
with envy for what the Democratic Party has been able to achieve."
Of course the Greens are jealous of what the Democrats have achieved.
So are the Republicans. What's the point though? That if a political
organization is seeking more influence, it can't be trusted to do
anything good for the town? Ridiculous.
What must really miff McDonagh though, is that the
Green Party's action shines a spotlight on the sad fact that the
Democrats' success in Hamden has made them smug, and prone to a
degree of infighting that does a disservice to the entire town.
McDonagh would also like to create the impression that the Green
Party petition was the work of a small group of radical activists.
In truth, placing Mayor Amento on the general election ballot on
the Green line required over 130 individual petitioners to understand
the issue and support it. I was one of the petition circulators
during that hot, muggy week, and can testify that the appeal reached
a very enthusiastic audience town-wide, particularly among independent
voters. Those voters, not the Green Party per se, put Amento on
the ballot. This was truly democracy in action. The Green Party
was simply a conduit through which ordinary folks of all stripes
expressed their desire for meaningful participation without coerced
major party affiliation.
McDonagh also completely misses the point on primary elections.
The Greens are NOT saying that the major parties shouldn't be able
to hold primaries. Political parties should be able to pick their
candidates any way they choose. However, the rest of us SHOULDN'T
HAVE TO PAY for that selection process! Why should anyone other
than Democrats (or Republicans) have to contribute one nickel in
taxes to help THEM choose THEIR nominees? So, after taking our tax
dollars to pay for his party primary, McDonagh has the gall to chastise
the Green Party for taking a fiscally neutral enfranchising action
that is completely appropriate under Connecticut law!
And if Craig Henrici were truly interested in fiscal
reform in Hamden, he would have conceded his loss at the Democratic
convention, bowed out of a primary, and saved the town tens of thousands
of dollars. He could have then collected 130 signatures of his own
and gone on the general election ballot as a petitioning candidate.
To his credit, Mayor Richard Borer in West Haven is doing just that.
Does Hamden need the savings any less than West Haven?
McDonagh also relies on an oft-repeated distortion: "In Connecticut,
anyone who is an enrolled member of the party on the day of the
primary is entitled to vote. What is undemocratic about that?"
The answer is that for many, political independence is a treasured
right. Conditioning meaningful election participation on a series
of strategic short-term affiliations with a major party coerces
voters to surrender their valued independence and waive their First
Amendment rights. No one should be forced to that choice. I trust
there is still a respected place in our polity for principled voters
who choose not to play partisan games.
Let's use Sharon Bass as the simplest example. Let's say she feels it's important to be Unaffiliated in order to maintain an appearance of journalistic integrity. Must she abandon that principle in order to vote in a meaningful election? I certainly hope not.
Perhaps Mr. McDonagh's odd vehemence can be explained
by the mayoral contribution records that were recently published
in the Hamden Daily News. McDonagh appears to be personally
contributing significantly more campaign cash to Henrici than Amento.
He does indeed seem to have a horse in this race. And it is not
the "endorsed" candidate he claims to be working so hard
to elect!
Sarah Poston
Hamden
Beaudette Won't Get My Vote
Mr. Beaudette has not earned the trust of his district, the 4th. He should not be re-elected as a councilperson.
He has misled and helped us to be unduly overtaxed; he has been a major player in destroying the largest open space area in the center of Hamden. As the head of the school building committee, he has in a large way caused the monstrosity of a new middle school to be built on the once serene Meadowbrook Golf Course. This wonderful green, large tract of land has been enjoyed by many generations of Hamdenites, as well as guests to our town. The negative effect of destroying this piece of valuable property will, we've been told, cause an increase in air and noise pollution to the large area surrounding Meadowbrook. The quality of life of all residents in this area will be affected. The new school excavation may very well cause an increase in flooding around the senior housing and the Meadowbrook co-ops.
A primary will be held Sept. 13 within the Democratic Party for Beaudette's seat. Mr. Beaudette has reaped enough rewards for doing the bidding of Begina and Amento and ignoring the people of his district. Vote against him no matter who his ultimate competitor might be, Democrat or Republican.
David C. Gould
Centerbrook Road
.
Green With Envy?
I am writing in reply to Aaron Gustafson's letter
("Missed Interpretation," Aug. 14, 2005), regarding the
article, "Going Green?" (HDN, Aug. 14, 2005). There
are so many errors in Mr. Gustafson's letter that it is hard to
know where to begin.
Mr. Gustafson says "primaries are not democratic." What
rubbish! Primaries are eminently Democratic, Mr. Gustafson. In Connecticut,
anyone who is an enrolled member of the party on the day of the
primary is entitled to vote. What is undemocratic about that?
Mr. Gustafson says "people end up with, in most cases, one
of two overly weak candidates." Sorry, no, you are completely
wrong. People end up with candidates who have worked to win their
party's support, who have bested others, sometimes many others,
to become the standard bearer for their party. Certainly, to date,
the Green Party's candidates have been "overly weak,"
but I think it is insulting to suggest that the Democratic and Republican
Party slates are weak.
Mr. Gustafson says we should "run an open general election."
That is precisely what we have. Anyone may run for office, either
within a party (through the primary process), or as a petition candidate.
And, yes, political parties are allowed to identify candidates and
give them the opportunity to run with the party's endorsement.
Mr. Gustafson says "it seems very much like [the Democratic
Party is] running a candidate, Craig Henrici, who they think has
a good chance of unseating Mayor Amento." Excuse me, but apparently
you haven't been paying much attention. The Democratic Party endorsed
Carl Amento at its July 19 town committee meeting, and he is the
candidate that we are running, not Craig Henrici. Mr. Henrici has
chosen to wage a primary campaign against Mayor Amento.
Mr. Gustafson says Mr. Henrici is "not necessarily ... someone
who has the town's best interests at heart." My goodness, what
an outrageous statement to make. Tell me, Mr. Gustafson, on what
do you base this opinion? Tealeaves? The position of the planets?
Because it certainly isn't based on any facts.
Mr. Gustafson says "the portion of the Democrats supporting
Henrici has been working to get Amento out for the last three election
cycles." Since Mr. Gustafson has lived in Hamden for only four
years, he is apparently not aware that some of Mr. Henrici's supporters
include people who actively worked to get Mayor Amento elected in
1999, 2001 and 2003.
What is at the heart, I think, of Mr. Gustafson's objections is
his distaste for the Democratic Party, and the democratic process.
He appears to be overwhelmed with envy for what the Democratic Party
has been able to achieve. He is, I am sure, painfully aware of how
insignificant the endorsement of the Green Party is, and so he chose
to wrap himself in the warmth of a three-term incumbent, a mayor
whose victories are, yes, the result of the hard work and support
of the Democratic Party.
Joseph P. McDonagh, chair
Hamden Democratic Town Committee
Great Sports!
I want to take a moment out that's years overdue. You see I have three children. They all play Hamden Association sports year round. Baseball, football, soccer, cheerleading, basketball -- they play them all. Some of my children are better than others in some sports; some are average. However, my children are not the point of my story. Way back when we first started, we noticed a group of dedicated adults. They carried clipboards; they hurried around and encouraged our children; they loved their sport.
Through the years, as I watch the coaches, assistant
coaches, team helpers and all the others who make our children's
sports happen, it still blows me away. The dedication, the hard
work, the love of Hamden's children. I think that is at the heart
of the matter. Therefore, I would like to close with something to
all the volunteers, that is belated but due nonetheless. Thank you.
Thomas Fortuna
Bradley Avenue
Visit Your Local Dems
I invite all Hamdenites to visit www.hamdendemocrats.com and use the resources under “participate in Democracy.” I’ve compiled a list of independent and progressive news sources, a great list of politically leaning movies both informational and fun, and tips on how to communicate your beliefs and write letters to the editor.
There is series of workshops on the campaign finance legislation happening in Hartford over the next three weeks; those details are listed on the Actions and Events page.
I’d also like to encourage everyone to tune into WAVZ, 1300AM (or listen online at www.wavz.com). My favorites are Stephanie Miller from 9 a.m.-noon, and Ed Schultz from 3 p.m.-6 p.m. Since knowledge is power, expect the site to grow.
Marjorie Clark
Dunn Road
Amento Not Too Green
The Greens espouse human rights, fair wages, universal health care, fiscal responsibility and environmental responsibility. Let's examine the record of their recently endorsed mayoral candidate, Carl Amento.
Human rights equal threatening to lay off 30 clerical workers (mostly women, some single parents) and members of the town hall union if the entire union did not give back 10 days pay (eventually negotiated to five days by an ineffectual union that no longer represents the town hall workers).
Fair wages equal a superintendent of schools who receives raises, bonuses and fringe benefits while the school district constantly fails to meet academic standards. While teachers who use their own money to buy classroom materials get a 1.75 percent raise.
Health care is in negotiation and I cannot comment as I'm on the negotiation committee.
Fiscal responsibility equals three years of $0 contributions to the pension fund, using said contribution in the operating budget so as to proclaim to the electorate that there had been no tax increase -- resulting in the town's bond rating being lowered as the pension fund approached bankruptcy. Not to mention balancing the '02-'03 budget by taking a paycheck from the town's lowest paid employees.
Environmental responsibility equals scaring residents of Newhall and parents with exaggerated claims of contamination at the Hamden Middle School, and then destroying the largest open space in the center of town.
The Greens need to take a second look at their endorsement search or revise their philosophy.
Don Werner
Whitney Avenue
Missed Interpretation
I liked the article "Going Green?" with
one exception:
"However, there doesn't seem to be much loyalty toward the mayor coming from the Greens. 'It's really not fair that nobody aside from Democrats can vote in the next primary. Carl is the candidate we're choosing to run, but it could have been anyone,' said co-chair of the state Green Party and Hamden rezzie Aaron Gustafson."
I believe two wholly separate points were combined
into a quote, which makes it seem as though we do not support Mayor
Amento. Were that the case, why would we have placed him on our
line?
My first point was that primaries are not democratic.
In states where you have open primaries (as in North Carolina),
you have the two major parties voting for the least competent candidate
on the opposition's slate, hoping for an easy victory in the general
election. So in the end, the people end up with, in most cases,
one of two overly weak candidates. In states like ours, where most
towns have a lopsided power dynamic between the two majors (e.g.,
Hamden, New Haven), you end up with infighting within a party leading
to much the same problem.
If our town were to run an open general election and
the winners were decided by a different voting method, such as instant
runoff voting, I think we would see a much better field of candidates,
overall, for every office and avoid having to vote for the least
worst -- a situation we often find ourselves in here in the United
States.
The way I see things running right now in the Hamden
Democratic Party, it seems very much like they are running a candidate,
Craig Henrici, who they think has a good chance of unseating Mayor
Amento, not necessarily because he is someone who has the town's
best interests at heart. After all, the portion of the Democrats
supporting Henrici has been working to get Amento out for the last
three election cycles.
Regarding my "it could have been anyone" comment, I was speaking in a different context than was interpreted. What I was saying was that whenever there is a strong candidate who is not being actively supported by their chosen party -- no matter what party it is -- we would consider running them on the Green line if they shared our values, which, for the most part, Carl does. We would and are doing this for the good of the town, to give everyone the opportunity to vote for the person we feel deserves a fair shake.
Aaron Gustafson
Hamden