Much has been made of the “political aspects” of the Common Council’s decision to reject Mayor Sebastian Giuliano’s nomination of Patrick McMahon as chief of police.
But I ask you to take a look at who has been raising the most fuss about this decision. Almost immediately, the president of the Middletown Managers and Professionals Union (who is married to Debra Milardo, the city personnel director and mayor’s closest aide) and the Republican Town Chair (a city employee in the firefighters union and a former Republic council candidate) launched a movement to get Democrats to change their voter registrations to Republican. This is nothing more than using a decision with which they disagree to recruit for the Republican Party. What is more political than that?
If you need any more evidence of how this issue has been manufactured to appear “political”, you need to read the guest op-ed written by John Milardo (Superintendent of Parks/President of the Middletown Managers and Professionals Association/husband of the personnel director) in the Middletown Press on Thursday, (10/21/10). The op-ed was the most recent of at least four public appeals for voters to switch parties. These were sent on city time and, most likely, with city equipment bought with tax dollars in order to support the Republican Party.
In his letter, Milardo references “special interests” that the Democratic caucus refused to cut out of the budget. What were the “special interests” he references? They were services for seniors that Mayor Giuliano cut from the budget with Milardo’s support. Perhaps Milardo should look closer to home. Despite being a manager, he earned an additional $29,000 in overtime in 2008 and is on-track to make the same in overtime pay this year.
Milardo has cited the number of people in Council Chambers in support of McMahon on the night we rejected the acting chief’s nomination and concludes, therefore, there is a need to switch parties. But again, appearances are not what they seem. My understanding is that on the day of the vote, half the police officers in attendance were on their scheduled work shift and urged to be in attendance.
The mayor used taxpayer money to fill the room with police officers to create the impression of a groundswell of departmental support for McMahon. This put the good men and women of the department in a difficult position. The mayor, the Parks Superintendent and union leader John Milardo, and the Republican Town Chair (a city firefighter, union leader and a former Republican candidate for Council) are now using the presence of those officers as their justification for people to switch to the Republican Party.
And they’re doing it on city time while using your money. It doesn’t get more political than that!
As a retired city employee and local 466 union official, I am appalled that John Milardo is suggesting these changes in the name of organized labor immediately prior to a mid-term election. To the municipal employees reading this, please think carefully about what the mayor and Milardo are doing: They are trying to get people to switch parties and vote Republican in a year when Republican candidates are suggesting privatization of public services and up to 15% in pay cuts for whichever public employees they don’t fire. Giuliano and John Milardo are not looking out for you. John Milardo’s actions are self-serving with a personal agenda.
Mayor Giuliano, why are you condoning such brazen abuses of city resources? Why are you allowing this to happen on city time and with city equipment? Most importantly, how do you justify this to the taxpayer whose hard-earned money is being used to finance a Republican registration drive?
A minor point to be made here is that you don't have to change your party affiliation to vote for the other party when the decision is made in the voting 'booth'.
ReplyDeleteHowever [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.
ReplyDeleteGEORGE WASHINGTON, Farewell Address, Sep. 17, 1796
Be careful Miss Kasper, you just proved what Mr. milardo said the democrats are doing. Using your position to make the Unions into villains. You just told the taxpayers they did this on City time. If you make accusations you best be prepared to back them up. Since your fiduciary rssponsibilty is to the taxpayers, I suggest you put your info where your mouth is. Obviously if you have information that proves this, you better be bringing it forward. I suspect that you are just trying to sling mud, as you have done your entire city career. Dont forget, those who have been around know your background. If i remember correctly you used your council position to stay on the pension board as a Union elected position. That is a conflict of interest, but I can see your colors have not changed. Let those who do not live in glass houses, cast the first stone. Maybe you can meet with more potential city candidates and ruin their chances for hire. Unbelievable!
ReplyDeleteHope is not a 466 union official and does not represent them or their interest. She should not lie about this and write an update to correct her lie.
ReplyDeleteHope Kasper you need to write a retraction to your claim you are or were a 466 union official. You make them look bad. The public admittal to your lie should be posted here and the Press were you also made this liable statement. Eye please look into this.
ReplyDeleteKasper prove it! Prove Milardo did it on city time on a city computer and not via a personal pda or other device on his own time. Get the time stamped digital record from the city computers alledged were used and provide evidence. I'm a taxpayer and you owe it to us to prove these instances, of youcan maybe you'll win my vote.
ReplyDeleteSherlock - give it up. She does not have to prove anything. We all know the truth about Milardo. He's the shameful one, here
ReplyDelete