Noble for Mayor

Over the years, Councilwoman Carol Noble has shown a deep understanding of what the taxpayers of this town have to go through to pay their tax bill. She has tried her best to keep our property tax low. She has stood up to mayors and other council members that wanted to increase our taxes.

As reported in the Hamden Daily News, Councilwoman Noble is again showing that she is not a rubberstamp for the mayor. This is what Councilwoman Noble said about pension obligation bonds: “There are some things that the people at the table should have knowledge of and the only way they can figure it out is by asking questions. This is not something we can enter into lightly. As a councilperson, I am bonding the town's monies for 30 years and I'm concerned about the effect this will have on our ability to bond other projects. So I need to have someone with financial expertise to spell it out for me.”

In my opinion of all the Democrats on the Legislative Council, Councilwoman Noble would make the best mayor of them all.  I say that because she has shown over the years that she is a down-to-earth person that looks out for the citizens of Hamden, be they Democrat or Republican. Maybe that is why some members of the Democratic Party in this town are afraid of her independent views concerning the well being of the citizens of Hamden.

Thomas Alegi
Benham Street

Two Words on Behalf of Cameron

On May 4, my wife, Leslie, and I hosted a fundraiser, "Skate for Cameron," at the Louis Astorino Ice Rink. The fundraiser was for a 12-year-old Hamden boy named Cameron Twitty. Cameron was stricken with XLP syndrome, a rare disease that affects the immune system. He recently underwent a bone marrow transplant at Cincinnati's Children's Hospital. He is 30 days post transplant and has been released from the hospital. This in itself is a great accomplishment.

It gives me great pride to say that this event was the brainchild of our 14-year-old twins, Taylor and Jordan. They came to my wife and me for help to get the event off the ground. They had help from fellow students at Wintergreen Magnet School, where they all attend, including Cameron. The event was a great success and the kids met their goal of raising $1,000 for the Twitty family.

This could have never happened if not for the help of Parks & Rec Director Frank Rizzuti, rink director Rick Gentile, ranger Vinnie Lavorgna, rink employee Jimmie Wilson, who went above and beyond his job duties, the staff at the Louis Astorino Rink, DJ Brian Poole, Michele O'Connor and the Girl Scouts, Hamden's Rainbow Girls, The "Skate for Cam" Committee, pro boxer Elvin Aylaya, AJ Raccio from Raccio Insurance Company, the Parks & Rec Commission and the Town Council. We have two words for all of you: thank you. It is a wonderful to see a community come together for a common cause to help one of their own.

I spoke to Cameron's mom, LaDora, the night of the event and she said Cameron was doing well and can't wait to come back home to Hamden. We wish him a speedy recovery and send much love and prayers his way.

Again, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you Hamden!

Paul and Leslie Jacques
Hamden

Having a Bad Day, Flanagan?

As a previous citizen of Hamden with family still in the town, I have tried to follow the various issues in town when I can. After a varied career, I am now working for a small city in Florida and so I have an appreciation of the frustrations and limitations that municipalities often face, as well as the seemingly blithe requests citizens often make for funding of areas they believe are overlooked or of vital importance to them.

In this context, I read the interchange of letters between Mr. Scalzo and Councilman Flanagan that you posted.  I know neither of them personally and my following comments are predicated solely on those postings.

I can only hope that the derisive attitude that Councilman Flanagan displayed both in his letter and at the Council meeting (that Mr. Scalzo implied was the source of his frustration) was due to Councilman Flanagan having a bad day, week or month. Otherwise he shows himself to be little more than a bitter old man anxious to employ the arrogance of position and tu quoque attacks on his critics.

Councilman Flanagan's point about assessing program funding for "needs versus wants" is perfectly valid. But his decision to make that point through insult and personal attack on Mr. Scalzo's maturity and suggested lack of real world experience in his response letter -- and to use ridicule in his statements at the Council meeting (as suggested by Mr. Scalzo's letter) -- implies a significant insecurity and certainly political if not social immaturity on the councilman's part, or, as I said, a really bad day.

C'mon John, I pray the leadership of my old hometown is better than this. The kid was taking an interest in something that he believes has the opportunity to change his life for the better. Why belittle the program? Then again, by that same standard I presume you are anxious to shut off funding for all sports facilities and programs, parks programs, the library, etc. SYou are striking out funding for any July 4th festivities as well, right? After all, that's all just more municipal financing of "bread and circuses." Of course, some might call it quality of life.

John, you have your position because people thought you were capable of being a leader. Lead. Lead by encouraging involvement not insulting it. Lead by sharing what you know with those without your insights and experience rather than castigation. But also lead by listening carefully not only to your voting constituents, but the city's customers -- not all of whom can vote yet. If you are not personally strong enough to accept disagreement with your views without responding through mean-spirited comments and personal attacks, perhaps your public service involvement is not in everyone's best interest.

There's a school of thought that suggests that the sole reason for the being of a municipal entity is for the betterment of its citizens (and betterment is not necessarily limited to infrastructure and security). When I grew up in Spring Glen, there were potholes that never seemed to get repaired. But there were also teachers and coaches who changed my life. The library, and especially the Yale museums, opened up my mind to a world beyond the city limits. I'm sure city hall got calls complaining about the potholes, but I and thousands of others have been remiss in not calling city hall to compliment the wisdom of hiring those teachers and funding those "bread and circuses" programs.

Justin, Councilman Flanagan faces a wide variety of very complex tradeoffs and, frankly, a lot of no-win situations. No city has unlimited funding and what is of vital interest to you may well be of no interest to a majority of citizens. The frustrations of never being able to seem to satisfy everyone can easily wear tempers thin, and everyone in city hall hears far too many complaints and far too few kudos. Obviously, his perception of municipal priorities focuses on the needs of the many versus the wants of the few.

But don't give up. Are you willing to commit the time to developing a nonprofit funding vehicle and pursue endowment funds? How about local sponsors?  Have you looked at how you might achieve your goals through qualifying for national NEA grants? Are you willing to stay committed to achieving your aims beyond your final year in high school (otherwise you've got an unfulfilled wish, not a goal that is truly important to you)? Go on, I dare you, make it happen.

John, I truly hope the evidence in the missives I've read is uncharacteristic.  Underneath it all I see a councilman that is trying to make good decisions and to be prudent with taxpayer funds. Such an effort in the realm of public service is always laudable. But the next time you have a bad day or week I urge you to hold your tongue and your pen.  If you never seem to have a good day, then take a break or a vacation or something.

With sincere good wishes for all concerned -- especially the future of Hamden.

Steve Milford
Gulf Breeze, Fla.

Explain this Fine Mess, Chairman Joe

Not so long ago, I wrote a letter to the editor concerning Democratic Town Chairman Joe McDonagh's attack on the credibility of Councilman Ron Gambardella. After trashing Mr. Gambardella, Mr. McDonagh went on to use the letter as a transparent means to tout the fiscal genius and record of the Henrici Administration and his handpicked town council in regard to their management of the town budget.

One of Chairman Joe's key points was that the Henrici budget had kept medical costs to less than a 1 percent increase due to careful planning. I pointed out that simply budgeting a lower price tag does not ensure that you will only spend that amount.

I wonder what Mr. McDonagh's response will be to the recent revelation that due to yet another enormous 11th hour blunder by Henrici's crack finance director that $2 million in related health costs were accidently left out of the budget estimate for health-care expenses?

The finance director's excuse? It was a case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand was doing. You have got to be kidding.

I also wonder what Joe's reaction will be to the solution that was arrived at by the Council to come up with the "missing" money. Evidently, they have decided to ignore the Anthem estimate of what is going to be needed and gamble on a figure that is only 98 percent of what they think they will actually spend this year. They have also decided to take about $400,000 out of an account that is already in a deficit and ignore this situation as well.

Wasn't this the sort of smoke-and-mirror budgeting that the Henrici camp accused the Amento Administration of doing?

Didn't Henrici promise that this sort of fiscal incompetence and double dealing would never occur on his watch?

In the last two budgets submitted by the current administration, a total of $3.1 MILLION has mistakenly been omitted from the mayor's budget that is submitted to the town council, and each year a last-minute mad scramble has had to be made to redo the council budget.

If you can overlook a $500,000, a $600,000 and now a $2,000,000 error, I can't imagine what smaller errors are occurring as you are reading these words.

In closing I can only say, "Say it isn't so Joe, say it isn't so!"

Edward Beaudette
Hamden
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'I'm Unimpressed if the Person Loved that Presentation of "Romeo & Juliet" But Died of a Rat Bite Because the Trash was Left on the Streets Outside the Theater'

Mr. Scalzo was disturbed by a councilperson the other night. And since I was the culprit questioning a raise and the relative merits of governments financing "bread & circuses" (that's what they used to call it in ancient Rome, Justin) for the masses, I'll respond to his less than wellfounded musings.

I was quite glad to see young Mr. Scalzo in the audience at the Council meeting the other night. Although I've known him since he was born, I hadn't realized he was president of the senior class. I have seen him in some of his plays at Hamden High School over the years. And he's become quite good. From his letter's verbiage, he may even have a modest future at script writing. Unfortunately, it appears he should have paid more attention in social studies class because an understanding of the functions of government is clearly lacking. 

No one attacked the "arts" the other night, Mr. Scalzo. We discussed a salary, its alleged justifications and necessity. While I realize one's experience with spotlights may blur one's vision of reality, and realizing that one may tend to frame things (within their brief experience) as it relates to expressing themselves, it's time to go back and do a reality check.

While a council meeting may, at times, get theatrical, Justin, it's not a play. It's a varsity debate and mental contact sport with the only padding the choice of words by the participants. Unlike the plays you've been in, it's unscripted. And, no, you don't get to write one for us.

It deals with real people and their lives. No budget item exists in a void. Every action taken affects much more than a simple salary. It affects people you bump into in the hallways at Hamden High every day and their parents and grandparents. You may not have realized that. However, within a finite fund, every dollar allocated in one place deprives another. So it was, with that special consideration you advocate for.

Those 4,000-plus additional dollars above the salary increase I proposed for [Hamden Arts Coordinator] Ms. Coleman could, for example, buy considerable food or fuel if given to either of those functions. If a savings in the equivalent amount was repeated enough times (a thousand times would be 1 mil of property taxes), taxes might not have to go up as high. That would mean fewer elderly people on fixed incomes would have to spend the next year on the edge of financial difficulty just to live.  

While I think "the arts" is, in many cases, wonderful and I have even, in times past, been threatened with arrest for supporting writers' and artists' rights to freedom of expression, I don't hold financing the "arts" to be a primary function of government.  

It certainly can, however, be a function. But when, for example, it's compared with safety on the streets (police, fire, trash, paving, plowing, health, etc.), caring for seniors, helping those who are up against things in life (happens to all of us at times) or even the cost of educating the class you're president of, Mr. Scalzo, "the arts" goes very far down on my list of concerns. It's quite easy to see that "the arts" is a want not a need.

So get off the stage and/or soapbox, Justin. Start paying attention to people's needs not their wants. Taking the argument to an extreme, I'm unimpressed if the person loved that presentation of "Romeo & Juliet" but died of a rat bite because the trash was left on the streets outside the theater. The choices are made every day. Wants or needs? 

At any rate, do well in college. Enjoy the additional time in a "womb" protected from the real world for four more years. It will go quicker than you think.  Maybe, when you come out, you'll have figured out how to fund both the wants and the needs. Hope so. Next year will be 40 years since I left college.  Damned if I've been able to figure out how to do it. And so I'll just continue to make the choices picking needs funding rather than wants funding. And sometimes, I'll win, and sometimes I won't get the votes, and sometimes you won't like it.

But please learn to listen intently to find out the other person's rationale before jumping to criticize a passionate opinion as bad staging. You'll run into enough bad staging and passionate opinions of those in your professors.

John Flanagan
Councilman, 2nd District
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POB Meeting a Joke

The Council last evening heard public input from citizens, a union rep and a town employee (me) concerning pension obligation bonds. Opinions pro and con were thoughtfully delivered to an apparently attentive Council.

All in attendance expected a lively debate and a yea or nay vote. Wrong! The Dems went into a 30-minute caucus in the back room and came out and tabled the proposition. This is not what I consider open government. I understand going behind closed doors to discuss personnel matters. But pension obligation bonds should only be discussed in front of the people who will have to pay for them over the next 30 years.

The question has been on the table for months. What more information is needed?

No one appreciates the hours of hard work the Council puts in more than I do -- but yesterday evening was a bad joke.

Councilman's Performance Ugly

On Monday, I attended a Hamden Town Council meeting with fellow Whitney Players cast member Tracy Barletta, assistant director Megan Treichel and co-founder and director Cindy Simell-Devoe. We all attended in support of the first topic on the agenda: Hamden Arts Commissioner Mimsie Coleman's 16 percent pay increase to match what she has been deprived of for some years now. Fortunately, the decision was in our favor and I wholeheartedly believe Ms. Coleman deserves the increase for all she has committed to the arts.

The aforementioned, however, is only foundation to why I am writing this letter. As I sit and reflect on what was discussed at the meeting, I am completely appalled at several negative enforcers on the Town Council. Those who attended will be able to figure out exactly who I am talking about without naming any direct names.

To blatantly state, two councilpersons showed complete disrespect not only to Ms.Coleman herself, but the position she holds and to the arts in its entirety. Being a student actor planning to pursue theater in college and a senior at Hamden High School -- a place where the arts is given utmost respect -- I was personally enraged with the neglect and disregard show to the arts, more so by the councilman with underlying support by the councilwoman.

The carelessness and demeanor, or lack thereof, employed by the councilman in his opposition was rather ironic to his opinions. With his melodramatic dictation it seemed that this man, who so seemingly and outrightly detests the arts, was in full character, putting on an Oscar nominee act, as if he himself was on the stage in order to “express” his opinion and win over his “audience."

Fortunately for Mimsie Coleman, the Hamden Arts Comission and future student actors, this “character’s” performance remained at just that -- a nominee and not the winner.

Justin Scalzo
HHS senior class president
student actor

Far From Dead, My Dear

I read in Friday's HDN that the Hamden Women for Honest Government Web site is on "life support." Last Thursday, there were 1,208 page views and 11 posts; the day before there were 1,385 page views and 11 posts. The site is far from dead and I encourage your readers to keep reading and posting on HWHG.

I have no problem with the administration blocking access to HWHG from town computers, but you are incorrect and do your readers a disservice when you suggest that HWHG is no longer a source of information and a site for discussion of local issues.

Whenever the HDN needs readership statistics from HWHG, a simple request will receive a prompt response.

Ann M. Altman
Hamden
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Rx: Budget Referendum

Council meetings are free to the public. Hamden taxpayers can learn how the Council members are modifying the mayor’s proposed budget. As we're getting closer to the final version of the budget, it’s obvious that taxpayers made a big mistake to put their trust in Mayor Henrici and most of the residing Democratic Council members.

There is no relief in sight and we have to be prepared that the proposed 6 percent increase in taxes will even go higher. We must remember this come] November. We must also question the legal power of the mayor and Council to enter a 30-year commitment using pension obligation bonds. The Town Charter does not provide authority for bonding out liabilities, and such, not returning a real asset to taxpayers.

The only option Hamden residents have left is to sign a petition for a budget overrule. It’s hidden in our Charter in 18-5. It gives taxpayers a chance to collect around 7,000 signatures within 20 days of the announced budget and submit a petition to call for a referendum. This is the only control Hamden residents have been given to vote the budget down. Care to join? Please read more and contact us at www.hamdentaxrelief.com. We have collected 751 signatures asking our elected officials to consider the taxpayers' interest first by not increasing our taxes. If everyone collects 10 more signatures, we can stop the proposed tax increase.

Richard and Marianna D’Albis
Hamden

Save the Librarians!

The removal of two technology positions at the Miller Memorial Library, as proposed in the mayor’s current budget, is of great concern to me and should be of great concern to all other citizens of Hamden as well.

Technology librarians are trained to manage and maintain integrated library systems. These systems are sophisticated, relational databases, designed to keep track of well over 100,000 items and just as many patrons. In addition, technical services librarians are trained to catalog and classify material so that, once placed on the shelf, the material is easily retrievable through a catalog search or by browsing in the section that houses the same subject. (Raise your hand if you know the Dewey Decimal System!) Typically, internet technology graduates (non-librarians) do not acquire the skill sets necessary to operate and maintain these databases. They know about computers, but not about libraries.

These two employees also take turns at the public service desks, meaning that without them the library staff will be stretched thin, and forced to consider shortening hours of operation. As a citizen of Hamden, I’m proud of our library system and the services it provides. I feel I’m getting my money’s worth when I fund these positions. In fact, if the mayor promises to give more funding to the library and thus increase its hours and services, he should feel free to raise my property taxes!

Nancy L. Abbey,
assistant director
Milford Public Library

Take a Hike, Henrici

In the Hamden Daily News, Councilwoman Carol Noble said she's "uncomfortable" with the mayor's request of a $570 monthly travel allowance. I agree with Councilwoman Noble. The mayor should be paid 48 cents a mile when he uses his personal car for town business.

In the HDN, Mayor Henrici said: "It saves the town money [because] ... You get more and better cars in the fleet and because of that you pay less in mile reimbursement."

Mayor Henrici, if you want to pay less in mile reimbursements take the bus or bicycle or walk to work in good weather. Those three suggestions would save the taxpayers of Hamden money. Also if you walked or used a bicycle to get to Government Center, you would get a daily workout, which in turn could save the taxpayers on your town-paid health insurance.

I am pleased to see Councilwoman Carol Noble and others questioning this $570 monthly travel allowance. Because, in my opinion, this $570 monthly allowance the mayor wants is just a back door way of giving himself a pay increase when the town has financial problems.

Mayor Henrici is becoming a financial liability for town. Mayor Henrici must think that there is a bottomless pit of money that he can spend on his dreamed-up ways of saving the taxpayers money. The mayor's dreams of a town wi-fi network and a town ambulance service will cost the taxpayers millions of dollars if the Legislative Council does not put a stop to his poorly conceived financial dreams.

If the Legislative Council gives Mayor Henrici this $570 monthly travel allowance, will Mayor Henrici be asking the Legislative Council for a clothing allowance next? Or ask the town to pay for his personal telephone at his home because he uses it for town business?

Thomas Alegi
Benham Street
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Uniform Thoughts from Florida

Many moons ago, my family lived in Hamden. I am not qualified to write to you about Hamden's problems. I was just reading your e-news. Fun to read about things in the news everywhere today.  We are having the same problems here in Florida. The only opinion I can write about is uniforms.

They are good because they put everyone in the same bracket of identity for a few hours in the day, just five days a week. It is the precursor to the working environment. You wear a suit, or uniform, there also. In addition, it makes people look decent, not like a centerfold in the magazines or a fashion diva. It keeps you from being distracted, to say the least, so your minds are on class work instead of how you appear to others.

One other thing, it saves mom and dad money from buying clothing that is way too expensive.  Thank you for letting me put my 2 cents here. God bless. Think about what I have said, kids.

Angelo DelBuono
Ormond Beach, Florida
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Abusive Outrage

As a parent of two children in Hamden Public Schools,  I am both outraged and not surprised at all by what you overheard at the Highville School. I would like to take the time to commend you on your willingness to report the truth as you heard it.

Perhaps this should be an eye opener to all, that if it can happen at Highville, why not anywhere else? For too long, school administrators have been given the ability to do as they please and not be held accountable for their actions by anyone.

The parents of these children at Highville should be outraged at this abuse. Pitter's racist comments should also be addressed. My point here is that this goes on around us in all schools in Hamden and it is met with very little willingness from the press or anyone else to be exposed.

Al Lotto
Earl Avenue

Henrici's Personal Requests Unconstitutional?

I share the concerns expressed by others about Mayor Henrici’s double-barreled request for a pay raise in fiscal year 2007. To ask for both a salary increase and an inflated vehicle allowance in these tough fiscal times not only violates the letter and spirit of his campaign promises, but sends an offensive message to demoralized taxpayers about the importance, or lack thereof, of shared sacrifice.

Beyond these instinctive concerns, however, I’m troubled by the possibility that in granting the mayor his wishes the Legislative Council may be placing itself in legal jeopardy. Section 2 of Article 11 (as amended by Article XIX) of the Connecticut Constitution provides that no town “shall pay or grant to any elected official ... any compensation greater than the amount of compensation set at the beginning of such official’s term of office ... ” “Compensation” is defined by that section as “such official’s salary, exclusive of reimbursement for necessary expenses or any other benefit to which his office would entitle him.”

I have no prior experience with this constitutional provision, but it appears on its face to prevent the Council from granting the mayor’s proposed salary increase as requested. Of course Mayor Henrici could modify his request to back load the entire increase into the second half of the fiscal year, i.e., after the commencement of the next mayoral term, in hopes that he is re-elected. But of course the effect of such a cynical manipulation would be a doubling of the proposed increase in the mayor’s rate of pay, to the further detriment of the town.

The proposed vehicle allowance requires a bit more analysis than the salary request. If the mayor were simply requesting mileage reimbursement at the federal rate, there would be no constitutional overtones since that would plainly be “reimbursement for necessary expenses,” and thus not “compensation” within the meaning of the constitutional provision. However, because the requested allowance clearly exceeds the amount of standard mileage reimbursement, and is not a traditional “benefit to which [the mayor’s] office entitle[s] him,” it too may violate the Constitution’s prohibition of mid-term compensation hikes.

In light of these constitutional concerns, I strongly urge the Legislative Council to seek the opinion of the Attorney General or town attorney before considering any salary or benefit increases for the mayor.

Mark D.G. Sanders
Hamden Alliance for Responsible Taxation

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