Merry Christmas

To all my beloved readers and fans, wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a happy and safe new year! Blooging will resume in a few days after I have had ample time to celebrate with my family and catch up with the latest news and gossip in town.

Until then thanks for the support and encouragement and if any of you are worried about the high cost of all those lights on your house or apartment you can save money and support our blog by clicking the North American Power Link and enrolling. You must see my name in the upper right hand corner or we will not get credit. Thanks to all of you who have already enrolled.

Milford Condo Associations Speak Out

The new budget year is one that have Condo Associations flustered. This is because they get less city services for the same amount of taxes that everyone else pays for in town. About now you may be wondering how so? Well the best example is perhaps Lexington Green, a place in which several miles of roads storm drains and hundreds of privately owned homes exist. For those not familiar with this area, it is in the North end of Milford and abuts Three other condo associations these are Lexington Green West, Milford Hunt and Baldwin Station.

The property taxes on these free standing houses are not discounted, and some are crying foul. Starting 2011 the Condo Fees in Lexington Green will be jumping from $90.00 per month to $135.00 per month. This jump marks a 60% increase in condo fees since 2007 when each homeowner paid $85.00. The staggering increase in fees has left very few people happy, especially during these challenging economic times.

The increased costs are due to a need to repave all the roads in the development. The cost of this project was outlined in the 2011 budget for Lexington Green and amounts to more money than can reasonably be procured from the occupants of the development at one time. This is why the repaving project will go on for several months or perhaps a year or so until its complete.

Homeowners in these types of developments have long argued for tax breaks from the city of Milford. This is because unlike true city homes Condo Associations pay "out of pocket" to have all their roads paved,  their trash collected, their snow removed, their storm drains repaired and cleaned, they pay for their our own electric and street lighting, and again maintain and pay high property taxes on unused land that private landscapers maintain.  Milford in exchange enjoys regulatory and P&Z authority. Condo associations are told by the the city how association property can be used and increases taxes on any improvements.

The fundamental unfairness arises due to the tax assessment burden placed on condo properties by the Assessors office. They use the same formula for Condo Associations that they do for a home on a city street. Homes who get all the aforementioned city services for free.

Personally I believe that the assessment process is flawed because of this very paradox. The Assessor is not permitted to take into consideration the fact that homes in many Condo Associations relieve the city of millions of dollars in city services. The flawed assessment process only serves to push down the value of condo association homes of which are viewed by buyers as having higher carrying costs and less value due to the myopic policy of the city of Milford. The ongoing need to for Condo management companies to levy fees above and over those imposed by city taxes is unjust. This is because Condo owners must pay additional fees to cover those services every other resident in town gets for FREE. To add "insult to injury" homes in Condo Associations, when compared to similar "in town" homes, are worth less because of this city tax model.

Moving forward in the coming years, an ordinance should be proposed that abates taxes to Condo Associations for privatizing many city services.These Condo Associations if treated fairly can be encouraged and used in a manner that relieves the city coffers from the excessive costs of maintaining its infrastructure. Adopting a P&Z model that encourages, rather than discourages the formation of Condo Associations may be a good cost cutting idea in the coming years. This will be especially true when Milford maxes out its tax base and loses its ability to engage in collective bargaining with city unions.

Hopefully, this practice of taxation with service limitation will cease and decist as city leaders grow wiser in the coming years. Homeowners in condo associations would rather pay higher property tax based on higher home values than the combined double tax of city and association levys void of many city services.

Discussions Get Ugly On Milford's 2011 Budget

Budget season has to be the most challenging and stressful time of year for everyone in Milford. Some in town just do not understand why the budget cannot be the same every year. One would think that the cost of goods and services in a depressed economy would not fluctuate much. Unfortunately that is not the case.

The onset of budget season has begun with our Mayor Jim Richetelli being concerned that the year is "starting off with many unanswered questions." Former RTC Member, and insurance Guru, Tom Byrne has been in contact with Aldematic Chairman Greg Smith. The nature of their discussion is marked by disagreement from the onset regarding the creation of an efficiency committee as suggested by Hartford.

Every year the austerity measures aimed at city services and municipal employees are of serious concern, especially to those individuals whose jobs are on the cutting block. None have decried the protection of city jobs more than James Whittaker who is frequently seen at City Hall protesting cuts that affect his staff.

The balance of services, and responsible government rests in the hands of our leaders and Tom Byrne feels our leaders have fell short of their responsibility. He points out in several local newspapers that city spending has increased in tandem with the Bond Debt. Such a combination without a meaningful or serious approach in the coming budget year is a recipe for disaster.

The increase in our public debt raises our debt service payments, these are also going up with health insurance costs, building and maintenance costs, and  routine contractual raises that virtually every local labor union expects to get. Last budget season many concessions were made by some labor unions including reductions in COLA's and reductions in infrastructure.

This year is marked by a 1.5 Million reduction in Federal education funding. This reduction was one Rep. Rosa Delauro failed to fight for. The propensity for balancing our budget is further complicated by the fact that nearly 20% of all homes listed for sale in Milford are in foreclosure. Driving up taxes to pay our bills will be an exercise in futility and will not work. This hard lesson was demonstrated in Hartford, Bridgeport, and many other cities who, in my opinion mismanaged their budgets in favor of tax exempt 501C3's and inefficient government jobs.

It's my opinion that Milford cannot tax its way out of this problem come 2011. Attempting to tax our way out of this problem will not work, especially if inflation is low, local unemployment is high, COLA's are suspended by pension recipients and Local Real Estate continues to stagnate.

The showdown is going to be between the Paid elected city leaders and City Union employees who have been funding and supporting local elections with entitlement motives. Crossing the city unions, who have doled out Tens of Thousands of dollars to local municipal races could mean significant losses of votes come the 2012 election.

Placating the Labor Unions in Milford will be a very delicate issue that has to be gingerly handled by the Mayor himself during the upcoming contract negotiations. Bad contracts will reflect poorly on the value of every one's real estate and create further pressure to force those individuals living "paycheck to paycheck" to seek out government assistance and sustenance to avoid going into default on their homes and their new taxes.

Every person out there this budget season, especially those who cannot afford to pay an additional $500.00 to $1,500.00 every year should speak out at city hall when the time comes. Without your voice being heard this year, the Mayor and his staff may end up going along with the proposed demands of the towns labor unions instead of looking out for you. Greg Smith and the board of Alderman also needs to hear your thoughts, because they finalize and approve the budget in conjunction with the Board of Finance.

The year 2011 may seem a long way off, but assure you the time goes fast. Start thinking about you and your families financial needs now before your new tax bill arrives and you are in a bind you cannot get out of. Best of luck this Holiday season and wishing all my friends, readers and supporters a very happy holiday.

Milford Daily Blog Welcomes New School Super Dr. Feser

While the local papers are just now reporting on our new Superintendent below is a small snapshot from the Windsor school district on her views.

Note From Dr. Feser, (in her own words)

"Welcome to the Windsor Public Schools! We are a school system that takes pride in its students and its staff. We seek continuously to strengthen the education that we offer our students desiring to prepare them to be intellectually inquisitive and ethical citizens who appreciate the richness of diverse cultures while embracing democratic principles.

For our students to be successful beyond graduation we recognize that the education we offer to our students must meet the needs of all students, and, therefore, we seek to provide programs that challenge students across the continuum of ability and talent. Increasing student performance remains our primary goal and our work toward this end is ongoing.

Our relationships between and among our Board of Education, the faculty and administration, and parents are critical, and we work hard to cultivate and strengthen these relationships. We are blessed to be a part of a supportive community, one that is rich in history and greatly values education.

The website before you aims to provide you with detailed and updated information about the Windsor Public Schools, its program, resources and services. Take time to explore the site and learn who we are and what we offer. "

Elizabeth Feser, Ed.D.

The selection is not "official" but likely Ms. Feser is the choice.

Dumb Kids Wistleblower Unwinds The Enigma Of Education

The Below Radio Interview is with Charlotte Iserbyt who reveals how the Federal Government is using an Un-American Globalist Ideology to teach our kids in school. Charlotte, can be revered as the Julius Asange of Education during the Reagan Era. Her leaking of highly classified documents from the Federal Department of Education got her Fired.

Charlotte wrote a book exposing the creation of the elitist agenda to create the "Globalist Child of the Future" obedient to the leaders of the New World Order. Charlotte's website is located at http://deliberatedumbingdown.com/and list every government document she has supporting her positions. Every parent, teacher, and educator with or without a child should visit this website to learn the appalling truth about the unwelcome Federal Intrusion into our local schools and the induced hardships of The No Child Left Behind Act.

Enjoy the Radio Interview.

About Charlotte:

Charlotte Iserbyt is the consummate whistleblower! Iserbyt served as Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), U.S. Department of Education, during the first Reagan Administration, where she first blew the whistle on a major technology initiative which would control curriculum in America's classrooms. Iserbyt is a former school board director in Camden, Maine and was co-founder and research analyst of Guardians of Education for Maine (GEM) from 1978 to 2000. She has also served in the American Red Cross on Guam and Japan during the Korean War, and in the United States Foreign Service in Belgium and in the Republic of South Africa. Iserbyt is a speaker and writer, best known for her 1985 booklet Back to Basics Reform or OBE: Skinnerian International Curriculum and her 1989 pamphlet Soviets in the Classroom: America's Latest Education Fad which covered the details of the U.S.-Soviet and Carnegie-Soviet Education Agreements which remain in effect to this day. She is a freelance writer and has had articles published in Human Events, The Washington Times, The Bangor Daily News, and included in the record of Congressional hearings.


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H.R. 645 The Concentration Camp Bill That Jesse Ventura Exposed On Tru TV

Unfortunately this episode is banned, so lets do our Friends in a Congress a huge favor and make it go viral on the web. Normally I do not tout documentaries on the web but this one is so dangerous its irresponsible not to watch it.

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Milford Police Warn, Beware Of Phone Scammers."

Police are warning the public to be vigilant after two residents complained that they were contacted by phone and asked to send funds through electronic money-wiring services.
One resident was told to send $172 to claim a $2.5 million grand prize, while another resident said someone pretended to be her grandson in an effort to get $2,800.

Police spokesman Officer Jeffrey Nielsen said a woman was called Wednesday by a man who said she had won a $2.5 million prize from Reader’s Digest. The man gave her a name and location to send a $172 MoneyGram.

If she followed the directions, the prize would be brought to her home in one hour. The police called a phone number provided to the woman and a representative from Reader’s Digest and found the prize offer was fraudulent.

The representative said Reader’s Digest does not ask for any money and does not phone customers regarding winnings.
In the other complaint, a man called a woman, claiming to be her grandson. He said he had been arrested in Canada, was injured, and needed money. The man said to wire $2,800 via Western Union. He gave the name of a attorney in Madrid, Spain, who was handling the matter in Canada.

The resident verified that her grandson was in Connecticut.

Nielsen said there are several scams done through the telephone, mailings and e-mails.

People who are contacted should verify its legitimacy, especially if it is unsolicited. “If someone tells you that you won a prize, but need to pay money first to receive your winnings it is usually a scam,” Nielsen said in a prepared statement.

“If someone claims to be a relative or friend in need stranded in another country, verify where they are by contacting them or another family member or acquaintance,” Nielsen said.

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING By Brian McCready, Milford Bureau Chief

Rosa Delauro The All American Communist Traitor!

Just some years back our Communist Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro introduced the Food Safety and Modernization Act H.R. 875, that bill passed and the Senate introduced its companion bill S.510. This week these bills are expected to be “fast tracked” and put into law as soon as possible.

When these bills are introduced and passed it is always in the name of public safety. Many misguided citizens were duped into believing that this bill is wonderful. They frankly believe that our leaders love humanity and find our health and safety very important. Rosa Delauro told us that it was her wish to protect her constituents from those “evil doers” that would feed us tainted unsafe food.

Certainly we were alarmed by the tens of thousands of heads of cattle that were incinerated due to “Mad Cow Disease,” we were also alarmed by the outbreaks of “salmonella poisoning.” We were alarmed again when our spinach was deemed unsafe and all the evil food producers, who through their own negligence spread hazards such as “hoof and mouth disease” and created unsafe eggs.

This all seems reasonable enough until of course you look at governments ability to "fix" anything. Or we can be smart and follow the money. To do this with sincerity it is important that we first have a look at all the people who donated to get this bill passed (CLICK HERE to see the list.) Those who voted in favor of this bill received vast sums of money from big Agra to support it. This is because they know that the guise of “Food Safety” is really more about “Corporate Control over Food Production Profits” by big Agra. The game theory is simple and most people who know Rosa DeLauro know that her husband has Monsanto as a client.

That aside is merely an insignificant formality compared to the new powers of the FDA. Prior to this bill the FDA was a friendly agency who granted approval of new drugs and food additives. After the passage of the Food Safety and Modernization act the FDA will have more in common with the FBI and United States Marshall’s service than a consumer protection agency.

While some have not denied that the FDA under the FMA lacks the authority to prosecute, arrest and confiscate all the goods and livestock of a family farm others dismiss it with ridicule saying that it is “unlikely they will abuse their power by attacking small family farms.” None deny they will soon have the authority to raid a vendor selling apples on the side of the road if they so choose.

This bill usurps game theory in a manner that will deliver windfall profits to the Big Agra Corporations who really dislike small farms and small organic farmers. While we are told the true intent of this bill is consumer protection, its result will be the disfranchisement of small farmers through enforcement threats, combined with unreasonable regulations searches and seizures. This will dissuade small farmers who are expected to be unable to compete with their Big Agra rivals. The "Motis Operandi" is to impose a corporate run police state.

This police state will undermine small farmers, hence delivering the Big Agra huge profits. This only works if the term "Food Safety" is repeated over and over again and combined with fear. Fear of "Mad Cow Disease," "tainted Spinach," "Contaminated Eggs" all of which are produced by the the Food Giants who exempted themselves from enforcement by writing special rules in the bill they approved for themselves.

According to Ralph Nader Most of the big Corporations in America are over represented in Washington D.C. and according to a recent court decision they have the right to financially exercise that representation in ways that defy, in my opinion, the conventional wisdom of the U.S. Constitution.

Moving forward, the small farmers in Milford are certainly going to have anxiety over how to keep in compliance with the very expensive and costly regulations about to be imposed on them. These regulations will require a Food Safety Plan being submitted, routine inspections of their farms by Federal Agents, new invasive taxes to support the expansion of government and most troubling any violations deemed serious could lead to the destruction of livestock and abject confiscation of all farm goods produced.

This bill has been deemed by many of its critics as being the most dangerous police state bill in the history of America. This bill has been called the precursor to the United Nations Agenda 21 and a global harbinger to the Global Food Regulations of the UN Codex Alimentarius. The elite of the world want all humanity to be completely dependent on them for food, energy, money, and security.

This giant globalist leap forward marks a great victory against the basic rights of individuals and challenges the very warning given to us by our founders who said: “When you depend on Government to give you all that you have, you have given them total control over your lives and unknowingly permitted them to take it all away when they are ready.”

For more information on how to fight Food Fascism visit Dr. Reta Lebo's website. http://www.healthfreedomusa.com/.
 
Above Photo is Rosa Delauro Embracing Joelle Fishman Chair of the Communist Party in New Haven.