The Lack Of Power, and the Glory

COMMENTARY by John Milardo
(The following commentary is written by John Milardo, a municipal employee for 40 years and a lifelong resident, who regularly publishes his thoughts in an online newletter called And Justice For All)

Hopefully, power is restored to your homes, and life is getting back to normal for all of you. I volunteered a couple of nights at Middletown’s emergency shelter at the high school on LaRosa Lane, and I must say, everyone went out of their way to help each other, and the operation ran well.

Despite the Middletown Board of Educations refusal to allow Emergency Managements (EM) use of the facility during a declared State of Emergency, and their refusal to authorize the cafeteria employees to cook meals for the more than 500 citizens who used the facility the first several days, the job got done. Things went well, because the Mayor had to commandeer the high school and its food for Middletown’s residents. Our citizens should be commended for the way they behaved during this State of Emergency. Well done. And, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Frechette, and Business Manager Nancy Haynes should be FIRED for their failed attempt to refuse the community, which gave them this school and their jobs with hefty salaries, the use of the emergency shelter at Middletown High School.

Just so everyone is aware, Mayor Sebastian Giuliano had to intervene on an issue between the Board of Education and Emergency Management (the organization in-charge during declared State of Emergency’s), in getting Middletown High School opened for the citizens of our City. It is mind boggling how Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Frechette and Business Manager Nancy Haynes refused use of the high school during this emergency declaration. The facility was built for utilization during emergencies, hence the on-site generation plant, and other extras which were paid for by the very citizens Frechette and Haynes tried to close the doors on. I can’t believe these two eggheads gave the Mayor and EM a ration of crap while the entire State of Connecticut is under a declaration of emergency, by Governor Malloy. What a couple of ignorant, arrogant, self centered morons. Please, someone get rid of them!

Hey Dan! Do you think having a nice hot cup of cocoa and marshmallows with Frechette and Haynes would have been the best way to straighten this problem out?

Besides managing the situation through Federal, State and Municipal agencies, Mayor Giuliano, his wife Paula, and daughter Francesca, were present at the emergency shelter every day and night, helping out in every way possible, talking with people to take their minds off the situation, or just listening to them talk about family, community, sports, or anything else they wanted to. He made sure to stop by and visit those who might need a hand during the storms aftermath. I have known the Mayor for my entire life; he’s genuinely a good person; not a hypocrite or a user of people – he really cares about the people of Middletown.

Democratic Mayor Candidate Christine Bourne spent many hours helping at the emergency shelter throughout the week also. There is no questioning how dedicated Chris is to her community. Chris may be outspoken, which I like, but at least you know where you stand with her.

Then there was Democratic Mayoral candidate Dan Drew, who showed up at the shelter with State Representative Matt Lesser (a Wesleyan graduate) on Monday evening for fifteen (15) minutes to hand out candy.....then left, never to be seen again. That’s the difference between someone who loves their home town people, and is truly involved; and someone who is just using the town they live in to further and promote themselves. (I’m sure the candy handouts at the emergency shelter really eased everyone’s mind about where they were going to eat and sleep for the week.)

Mr. Drew is more interested in busing five-hundred (500) newly registered Democrat Wesleyan University students to voting polls on November 8th to try and sway the upcoming election in his favor, than he is about anything else. Mr. Drew doesn’t care about people, only about winning. The Wesleyan students are being played like a Stradivarius violin, and don’t know it. What’s the old saying? “Youth is wasted on the young.”

College students voting in a City election is a sore subject for many residents. Students can vote during local elections as long as they live in a town for more than six (6) months. Many feel they are only here for a short period of time, why should they be allowed to vote and decide our taxes, education, referendum questions, or which direction the town will head in the future? We will never see most of them again once they graduate, but we have to live with the outcome of their vote for years to come.

Living close to Wesleyan growing up, it really doesn’t bother me that students have the right to vote during State and municipal elections. I don’t have a problem as long as they vote because of their true beliefs, and not because “he’s almost as young as us” -- “he’s an out of Towner like us” – or because “he’ s a democrat and shares the same values as we do”. Party affiliation in Middletown is not what it is State or nationally; it’s the opposite. In Middletown, the Republicans are labor friendly and have the best interest of the blue collar and repressed communities, and the Democrats don’t.
Wesleyan voters - - do the right thing when you vote!

I looked at Councilman Dan Drew’s website, and was surprised to see five (5) Press Association awards or mentions he claims to have received. Funny, but I couldn’t verify or confirm any of them, with the exception of one Virginia Press Association award. Regarding a first place award Mr. Drew claims to have received, the Executive Director for the Virginia Press Association states: “I can confirm that Daniel Drew was among a team of reporters that won a first place award in 2004......This was a team effort at the newspaper (Potomac News)... Our search did not turn up anything with his name on it for 2005,” I’ve always been told there is no “I” in “team”. I guess candidate Drew believes its okay to take the liberty to embellish on past achievements and take sole credit for them. After all, he’s not from around here, who would know? What other achievements or self proclaimed achievements in his past is he exaggerating?

So before you vote for anyone on Tuesday, November 8th, make sure you know what they’re really about and made of? Make sure you vote for someone who has your family and town’s best interest at heart. Be sure you vote for people who will fight for you, no matter what the issue is about, and won’t buckle in because it is not a popular subject. Vote for someone who doesn’t place Party politics and only seeks personal gain over the needs of the citizens of Middletown.

No matter who you are going to vote for, you have to make sure you get to the voting polls. I believe the number of voters is reflective of how the citizens view their City. A low percentage makes the statement that we don’t care about our town.

Because the last Mayoral election was within a couple of hundred votes, Dan Drew is counting on the 500 newly registered Wesleyan students to make him the next Mayor of Middletown. If you feel strongly that Mayor Sebastian Giuliano is the best person for Middletown, then he needs every single one of you to support him the same way he has supported you.

If you don’t get out and vote, then don’t complain about who is sitting in the elected positions for our town, or how it’s running. There are country’s that have revolutions just to vote! It’s a right we have which needs to be exercised.

GET OUT AND VOTE!!
My personal choices for Middletown’s Tuesday, November 8, 2011 elections are:

Mayor:
Sebastian Giuliano (R)

Common Council Members:
Todd G. Berch (D) Joseph Bibisi (R) Edward J. Dypa (R) Matt Fraulino (R)
Ronald P. Klattenburg (R) Deborah Kleckowski (R) Philip J. Pessina (R) Linda Salafia (R)

(Note from the Middletown Eye: Ron Klattenberg is a democrat - also note correct spelling.)

Middletown Board of Education:
Callie L. Grippo (R) Ava M. Hart (D) Tami Kapacziewski (R) Kevin M. Kelly (R) Alexander Mac Levin (R) Cheryl McClennan (R) Edward M. McKeon (D) Eugene P. Nocera (D) Mark Loomis (Write In Vote)

Middletown Board of Assessment Appeals:
Laura Gionfriddo (R) William Wilson (R)

Middletown Planning & Zoning Commission:
William Gregorio Sr. (R) Ken McClellan (R) Molly Salafia (R) Frederick J. Terasi (R)

Middletown Planning & Zoning Commission Alternates:
Ronald Borelli (R) Gary W. Faraci (D

Middletown Treasurer:
Jonathan Polino (R)

DISCLAIMER: The opinions and views expressed in this newsletter reflect the opinion and view of the author, and should not be construed as fact or advice. The author is a life long Middletown resident and taxpayer, and is sharing his opinions as such. The opinions and commentary do not reflect the views of any political party, organization, or citizen group. This newsletter reflects opinions and commentary which the author wishes to share with his friends.