Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Phil Pessina: Middletown First Candidate for Common Council

From Phil Pessina, incumbent and Working Families candidate for City Councilman. The Eye welcomes letters to the editor from candidates or anybody else, please submit to middletowneye@gmail.com.
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3 Term Councilman, Retired Deputy Chief of Police for the City of Middletown who has over 40 plus years of service to Middletown, serving on several major Committees & Commissions, all within my legislative role for our city government.

My Education: a Master of Science in Criminal Justice, from the University of New Haven and a 1966 Graduate of Middletown High School

My Work: Deputy Chief of Police, Associate Director of Security for Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven

Why do I Want to Continue to Hold Public Office in our City of Middletown.
As I look forward to being elected for my 4th term on the Common Council, I do so with a great amount of personal pride for our Middletown community I have protected, established the foundation for Community Policing, working to improve the Quality of life within our city residential neighborhoods, fostered and taught Drug & Alcohol Prevention Education and Safety to our city youth and children and presently working towards the completion and opening of our New Senior Community Center; serving in my present capacity of Vice Chairman of the building Committee.

I have always taken my Oath of my Elective Office very seriously to affirm and declare to discharge my duties to the best of my knowledge, skill and judgment; an oath to the Residents of the City of Middletown, who we work for and Putting “Middletown First above politics”!



In light of the way our local Republican Party has treated both Councilman Joe Bibisi & I and continue to be played out during this election period, it is with these thoughts in mind, I am proud that both Joe and I have shown true bipartisan leadership through it all. We had the courage to step out and move our city forward in true service to our city residents. We have and will continue to always put Middletown First! 

Our City’s Issues which we will face in the future can and will be addressed only if we take collaborative political leadership efforts in a concerted bipartisan manner will we achieve the best results for our city of Middletown, which include the following:
  • To take the OATH OF OFFICE very seriously to affirm and declare to discharge duties to the best of our knowledge, skill and judgment; an oath to the Residents of the City of Middletown who we work for NOT a Political Party!
  • Work for FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY by Charging the New Council with the Goal of establishing fiscal benchmarks to Reduce our city Budget, by reducing the amount of department appropriations; challenging the City Directors to stay within their designated Budgets, being creative in establishing incentive to them to do so and continue to ensure that are departments are more efficient, cost effective and operate within a shared service mentality. I have confidence in our city employees to do just that, all done under the guise of respect within a critical thinking and challenging department atmosphere; after all they are the ones who are closest to the issues and challenges our city departments face every day. 
  • Work towards ECONOMIC GROWTH by continuing to create local job growth and working towards a Public and Private Partnership climate involving future city building projects; supporting business and manufacturing growth to provide labor and working families the employment opportunities. 
  • Work for continued Support for EDUCATION of our city’s youth and children, not only with Budgetary Support, but also to streamline the Board of Education reducing duplication of services and supporting more opportunities for shared services and working towards merging offices within city government. This would lead to a more cost effective way of doing business while allowing for the Board of Education to concentrate more upon Educational Opportunities. 
  • PUBLIC SAFETY to continue working towards the growth of our City Police and Fire Departments, to include Emergency Management to ensure that they have the proper funding, personnel and public safety best practices initiatives. They are after all very much responsible for the Economic Growth of our City; a Safe & Clean City equals future Economic Opportunities for future Revenue and Grand List Growth. 

What I love most about our City of Middletown is the diversity of our community, a city on a River filled with many wonderful caring people who truly want the best for Middletown and its future development. We are fortunate to have a clean and safe city supported by our Police and Fire Departments all of whom provide for a high Quality of Life for all our residents. We offer cultural diversity for appetites and our innate ability to welcome visitors, celebrating with them Cultural Appetites, Arts and Higher Educational collaborations with Wesleyan & Middlesex Community College. All these and we still have conservation principles and responsible land use for our future.

What I like to do for fun is to be with my 4 grandchildren, my wife of 40 years, our family and enjoy the many friends amongst our community. This year will be my 10th year I have volunteered to coach and assist with our Middletown High Football Team, which allows me in a small way, to serve as a mentor to our players with support and encouragement.

I am a member of Saint Sebastian Church, serving as a Eucharistic Minister and Lector and deeply committed to my faith and service to others.

The Residents of Middletown can Contact me on the City Government Website and by my email: philipj.pessina@middletownct.gov;

In closing, I want to say that I have the upmost respect for the voters of our Middletown Community but what I really respectfully hope for is that you listen for the partisan rhetoric from the Republican Party Candidates, who have remained for the most part anonymously silent under their banner of “Checks & Balances” and their most subtle way of bringing back the party lever as their sign indicates “Vote Line A for the Republican Party” without affording you the opportunity to know who their candidates are, what they stand for and what they have done in the past to make Middletown the wonderful Community it is! Therefore, I would deeply appreciate your vote on Election Day, November 5th, 2013 and please find me on the 1st column under the Working Families Party Line and Joe on the Unaffiliated Line. This year’s election will give you the unique opportunity to put an end to divisive local politics and get back to common sense and common ground bipartisanship. By casting your vote for myself and Councilman Bibisi we still and will always put Middletown First; it makes for good politics!

Thank you, Councilman Phil Pessina,

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