Mother & Daughter Candidates: Linda Salafia & Molly Salafia

Candidate profiles: as a courtesy The Middletown Eye will publish candidate profiles unedited in the order received.

Linda Salafia (R) for Common Council:

There are few people running for Common Council that understand finances and government like Linda Salafia. Salafia said, “ I believe that my experience working for the City will allow me to bring an understanding of how the various departments function to the table. I would like to believe that I’m prudent, realistic, and practical.”

Born in Maine, Linda came to Connecticut with her parents because of the better economic climate here at the time; her dad taught school in Portland for many years and her mom worked at Wesleyan. Linda graduated from Portland High School and then earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Vermont. During college vacations and summer, she worked for Mallove Jewelers on Main Street, where she met her husband of 31 years. The Salafia family will be busy this fall as daughter, Molly, is running for the Middletown Planning and Zoning Commission.

Linda worked as a psychiatric aide at the Institute of Living in Hartford for several years. After earning a Certificate of Accounting from Morse School of Business, Linda then took a book keeping job with Joe Cartelli, Ed Bogdan, and Bob Curtain at the former Insurance and Real Estate Center.

In 1987, Linda started work with the City of Middletown in the Tax Collector’s office, then several positions in the Finance Department before moving to the position of Payroll/Pension Supervisor 13 years ago. Linda retires this Spring.

Linda has been very active in her union and has been elected to serve in various leadership capacities for the American Federation of State, Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 466 whom are also endorsing Linda. She is currently Vice President of the Local. Salafia has been part of bargaining negotiations over the years and understands the need for balance and respect on both sides of the table.

Linda is a member of Polish Falcons, Nest 519 and the Family Campers and Rvers’- a group that promotes conservation, family recreation, and volunteerism.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/votesalafiawomen/

Questions to Mrs. Salafia can be directed to: linda.salafia@yahoo.com

http://middletownctgop.com/

Linda has written several letters to the various media outlets speaking out against injustices in City politics and government this past fall. Please click below to read

http://www.middletownpress.com/articles/2011/09/26/opinion/doc4e7d0520625ce409788066.txt

http://www.middletownpress.com/articles/2011/07/28/opinion/doc4e30873a383d5810813878.txt

Planning and Zoning Candidate: Molly Salafia, Associate AIA, LEED GA (R) & Realistic Balance

Molly Salafia brings a strong professional background to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Salafia is an architectural designer and job captain at an architectural firm in New Haven. She believes everyone deserves a safe place to live and it should be a right, not a privilege.

“My goal is to open people’s minds and to challenge preconceived ideas so that Middletown can grow.”, said Salafia, who has a Master’s Degree in Architecture, and minors in Visual Arts & Art & Architectural History from Roger Williams University.

“I hope my training and experience will be helpful to smart growth and prosperity for Middletown.”

Salafia wants to preserve open space in Middletown, work on a plan to develop the riverfront that engages residents in a dedicated public space, and bring the right kind of development to the riverfront area. Salafia wants to preserve the nostalgia and vitality of Main Street, but also help spread that vitality to other parts of town. Molly believes that the only way to keep Middletown economically sound for all residents is to let new companies know “Middletown is open for business.”

Molly also serves of the Design Review and Historic Preservation Board for Middletown.

She has served as Chapter President of the American Institute of Architecture Students and is recipient of the Alpha Rho Chi Medal, given to 1 student in every graduating architecture class. Salafia is certified in Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) Green Associate. Molly is also an active member of Middletown Kiwanis Club, a club dedicated to community service. This fall Molly is taking on politics following in her relatives’, former Councilman Jesse Salafia & the late Phil Salafia’s foot steps.

Along the campaign trail, Molly & Linda have organized MRTC’s collection of items for Catales, Amazing Grace, and the group’s participation in CROP Walk. Molly grew up at her parents’ home in South Middletown and now enjoys living in the Village District in her own fixer-upper. Molly is thrilled to be cross endorsed by the Realistic Balance Party.

Questions to Molly can be directed to: molly.salafia@gmail.com

Salafia has published several pieces in local media outlets as well including the Press & Eye further detailing her goals & beliefs about the "Third Industrial Revolution" if elected:

http://middletowneyenews.blogspot.com/2011/09/part-ii-candidate-molly-salafia-follow.html

http://middletowneyenews.blogspot.com/2011/08/last-from-pencil.html

Too Dumb To Steal

Fred Carroll just may be the most accessible candidate for political office in Middletown these days. It's easy to find him in Klekolo World Coffee on Court Street, and he's usually ready for conversation. He is known for his cartoons, his advocacy of homelessness, and his loathing of litter. He created and for three years championed a program called Bums With Brooms, which he recently publicly announced his retirement from, for reasons he explains in this Patch article.

Fred has moved onto new endeavors, most notably running for a seat on the City of Middletown's Common Council with the Realistic Balance Party. He explained to me that “we have no budget and I won't be soliciting nor even accepting any campaign contributions, so I have to access all the free media possible if I want to have any chance of getting elected.” I asked Fred a few questions about his candidacy:

KS: Until recently, many people may not have even heard of the Realistic Balance Party. That combined with the fact that you don't look anything like a politician has me asking, do you honestly think that you have a “realistic” chance of getting elected, or is this just yet another, what's it called? “Issue Campaign”?

FC: No, I do not honestly think that I will get elected to the Common Council, but bear in mind that “long shots” do happen, both in sports and in politics. And as far as this being an “issue campaign”, I'd be nothing but flattered to have what I'm doing called an issue campaign as opposed to merely a vanity campaign.

KS: Speaking of vanity, are those women's pants you're wearing?

FC: Good eye Swartz, yes they are.

KS: What's up with that?

FC: To get the fit I like I have to get my pants from the women's department.

KS: Are you wearing any other articles of women's clothing besides pants?

FC: Nope, just the pants.

KS: On a more serious note, what are your campaign issues?

FC: Well, I'm arguably at least half an expert on what I call urban homelessness. And I think that I have some good ideas about how to deal with the indigents, transients, and idiots.

KS: You have a plan for dealing with, as you call them, idiots?

FC: I don't necessarily have a plan for anything. What I do have are some ideas, which I am certain might be valuable. I have a lot to say about any number of issues, and I will not be afraid to bring my ideas to the Council. Isn't this interview just for introductory purposes and not necessarily for spelling out all the details?

KS: No, I think that voters would like some details, but we can leave those for a later time if you prefer. So barring going into the details, let's get right to the point. Why should any Eye reader vote for you or even take your candidacy seriously?

FC: Well, during the time I've been in Middletown, which is some part of ten years now, I've always had people suggesting that I run for office. They would say things like, “Why don't you run for Mayor, Fred?” And I would always say “Because I'm an idiot, and you wouldn't want me as Mayor.” But people kept saying it, so...

KS: Then why are you running for Council and not Mayor?

FC: Well, we want to be at least slightly “realistic” here. And also I mad support the current Mayor Sebastian Giuliano.

KS: When you say 'mad' you mean 'very much', correct?

FC: You got it Swartz.

KS: My final question is, do you have a campaign slogan?

FC: Yes I do. My campaign slogan is “I'm too dumb to do any serious stealing.”

KS: Well, good luck with all that.

FC: Thanks.

Realistic Balance Party of Middletown Endorsements

A new political party has emerged in Middletown that is cross endorsing some select under ticket candidates this coming election, as well as incumbent Mayor Giuliano.

Common Council
David Bauer(R)
John Kilian(I)
Ruthann Johnson(G)
Fred Carroll(I)

P&Z
Joyce Rossitter(D)
Molly Salafia(R)

Bd Ed
Callie Grippo(R)
Tami Kapacziewski(R)
Edward McKeon(D)

Mayor
Sebatian Giuliano(R)

R - Republican
D - Democrat
I - Independent Party
G - Green Party

The Realistic Balance party of Middletown held its first nominating caucus on Thursday August 11, 2011 at 6 PM at Klekolo Coffee World on Court Street in Middletown. The next meeting will be held at Klekolo World Coffee, 181 Court Street, at 7 PM on Monday 9/13/2010. The party was founded by Jon Kilian and Fred Carrol, of which both are also running as an Independents for Common Council. I had the pleasure of meeting both this past Friday at the Buttonwood Tree to thank them for their endorsement of me, and to discuss our thoughts on the future of transportation needs of Middletown with.

The meeting will include the determination of the party mascot, a meet and greet with members of East Hampton Chatham and Connecticut For Lieberman party members, and participation in the selection of replacements for any vacancies on this year's ballot for the Connecticut for Lieberman Party.

Rule changes at caucus of the Connecticut for Lieberman party provides members of the East Hampton Chatham and Middletown Realistic Balance parties with voting privileges in CFL proceedings. Anyone wishing to learn more about this party is welcome to attend.

More information about this political party can be found here: http://realisticbalance.blogspot.com/

Eye on the Air, July 17

Eye on the Air, WESU, 881.FM




Guests

Ruthann "Rae" Johnson, candidate for mayor of Middletown in the Realistic Balance Party and Dic Wheeler from ArtFarm and Shakespeare in the Grove.

Not your typical mayoral candidate

Rae Johnson announced in February that she would be a candidate for Mayor this year, and has qualified to appear on the ballot in November. I sat down with Johnson at Javapalooza early this month to learn more about what prompted her run for Mayor of Middletown.

Johnson said her study of the city budget was the major force that motivated her to run for office, "I was really, really annoyed with the spending in our town." She expressed her disappointment that politicians do not lead the city by example. She cited the mayor's salary as a prime example, saying that if elected, she would immediately cut the mayor's salary by $35,000 per year. [Note: when I first published this, I incorrectly said it would be cut to $35k]

She had not carefully analyzed the budget for the fiscal year which started July 1st of this year, but mentioned several areas in last year's budget that she felt could have been cut. In so doing, she weighed in on some of the controversial issues that Mayor and the Common Council have grappled with this year. She felt that the city's transportation costs were excessive, saying that the decision about providing cars to city employees should be based on who needs a car, and not based on who wants a car. Johnson also questioned spending $42,000 on city cell phones, and $1.35M on overtime.

Johnson feels that the Council was premature in spending money from the sale of the Remington Rand property last year and Cucia Park this year, in both cases before the money was received, "I was always raised that you don't count your chickens before they hatched, to me it's not good business sense."

Johnson returned again and again to the theme that city government needed to get more, and more varied, input from residents. She expressed her admiration for the surveys that Planning and Zoning Commissioners are doing, saying these surveys provided a constant flow of information into government. She also lauded the newsletters that the Water department includes with their billing statements, "Other departments [at City Hall] should do that." She called on City Hall to provide more varied hours of operation, trading day-time hours of operation for occasional night or weekend hours to make it easier for people working odd shifts to participate in governance.

Johnson's vision for the city is to draw more variety in businesses. She pointed out that seniors have no place to shop, and that there are minimal opportunities to buy such things as clothing on Main Street. She pointed to Newfield Street as a potential location where car lots could be replaced by big businesses such as Borders Books. She decried the lack of planning that has gone into recent decisions, "How many drug stores do we need in a 3 mile vicinity, were there any other options?"

Johnson's platform includes numerous initiatives for the environment, including taking City Hall and all the schools off of the electric grid, improving Mass Transit (including a trolley line to Hartford), and building more bicycle routes. She has not provided any figures on the costs and benefits of her proposals, but seems convinced that they would not only make environmental but also economic sense.

Johnson is new to Middletown politics, having spent no time on any boards or commissions, and with no close connections to the long-time elected officials in the City. Her response to my questions about her lack of background in municipal governance was a question, "Define experience." She wants people with a different background in political office, "We need common sense."

Although she initially sought to run as an independent, she is now running as a member of a new political party known as the Realistic Balance Party. She gave no consideration to going through one of the major political parties, saying, "I don't like being pigeonholed into one philosophy. We can't continue to stick to parties."

Note: Rae Johnson will be a guest on this week's Eye on the Air show, Friday from 1-2 on WESU, 88.1 FM.