Milford's Grand List Plummeting Fast

Reading the local paper I am always astounded to hear the upbeat projections and the very positive rhetoric coming out of City Hall. Seems that our leaders are more concerned with their public "image" and their public "perception" rather than what is good for the public. This may be our fault, because the truth can be very unpleasant and it’s better to pretend that our town is that amazing place where miracles happen.

Perhaps this is most true when we continue to just want to believe that we can thrive and adapt in the wake of our adversaries. So many fail to believe that our perceptibly honest leaders would ever treat the public "trust" like the public "trough" that aside I am going to share with you some enlightening research for you to think about.

This blog today is going to address the issue of our "Grand List" and the value of all our homes and real estate. I have compiled two reliable sources from data I obtained through the Connecticut Economic Resource Center and Trulia. The chart below represent the 2006 CERC and 2011 CERC for Milford Ct. The line item I wish for you to focus on is highlighted in yellow. Remarkably, you should notice it shows a 2006 decline in the Net Grand list of 2.79 Billion dollars. This number is very important because it contradicts everything you were told over those years by our elected city officials. (Double click photo to enlarge)

This means that the value of all properties in Milford declined apx. 25% in one year. But in all fairness and to those "nay sayers" who could potentially argue this information is old, let’s take a look at how things are faring today or most notably the 2011 YOY. Since CERC has not published any data (I know of) for 2010 I collected data from TRULIA a trusted Real Estate website used by licensed Realtors to track market trends.



The above TRULIA graph paints a chilling picture of our Community. Someone once told me "follow the money, follow the people and then you will get the truth." What do you see?

What I see is that the graph does not lie; it shows that Milford is entering the second leg of the Great Recession. Larger Three and Four Bedroom homes are being "fire sold" for smaller more affordable One Bed Room homes. The demand for these small homes will continue to place strong upward pressure on the local Mill Rate, of which determines how much property tax a homeowner must pay the city in exchange for our individual property rights.

Moving forward, the city of Milford is going to be faced with stiff challenges. This is because we are a very old city, and for a great many years large portions of our infrastructure has been aging. Future large capital projects will require ever increasing Mill-Rates on homes that continue to lose value as a result of external and internal economic forces.

While our new leaders for Mayor are emerging and we are already hearing Wal-Mart style catch phrases like "More for Less" the stark reality is that the public is being duped yet again. This is because our city leaders are in no position to make such irresponsible promises. (Especially a promise that mathematically cannot be kept.) The city is in such disarray that future trends will require higher taxes just to keep up with public pension obligations, rising health care costs, and legal compliance. Unlike a large discount department store Milford cannot file for Bankruptcy and restructure all its collective bargaining contracts. This makes a "More for Less" promise little more than a typical catch phrase like "No New Taxes" or "Hope and Change."

What we need is the truth and the clarification and acknowledgment that essential issues are going to be dealt with as a condition to ones electability. The founders were concerned that "Catch Phrases" would catch and trap people who will later feel a deep sense of betrayal. This, along with the consent of the governed, is the greatest danger any elected official has to face.

There are currently Three big "Issues" on our books that our announced candidates for Mayor either have "No idea about" or do know about and just would rather "ignore." Whatever the reason, it is our responsibility as the electorate to "blow the whistle" on corruption and stand in solidarity in order to support any individuals who are fearful of telling the "Truth." It is therefore our responsibility as voters and citizens of Milford to demand answers to the following dismissals of the following concerns as arbitrary or unimportant.

The three big "Issues" are as follows.

A: The grand List is not healthy and is actually eroding at an Alarming Rate.

B: The City Bond Debt is grossly misrepresented and future borrowing is severely compromised.

C: Negative income properties (I.E. 501C3'S & Non taxpaying municipal properties) are seeing a revival in Milford.

To elaborate on this last point it is important to mention that the Shriner's lodge on Wheelers Farms Rd. was recently sold to a Church. This translates to a revenue loss to the city due to the fact that Churches pay ZERO property taxes. As poverty spreads, and the commercial Real Estate market begins to crash as we are now seeing in Milford, churches find it affordable to expand their ministries into distressed properties. Milford might want to consider something other than ZERO.

The largest Negative income property we have in Milford is Kingdom Life Church, and if I may give the Richetelli administration credit for one monumental achievement it was the land deal at the old Jai- Alai property. Kingdom Life sought the purchase of that property for a Mega Church and had they achieved their goal Milford would have lost substantial tax revenue with an increased demand for city services. 

However, the threat from negative income properties does not end with just churches and municipal buildings it is a complex, yet simple, two tiered attack on our community. The first being the deployment of new Municipal and Parochial zero tax entities, the other over development of cheap child friendly dwellings both consume more city dollars than they produce. The responsibility of a well governed city is to maintain a sustainable community with a resonant harmony of taxable properties.

The stellar decline of three and Four Bedroom homes is terrible news for Milford. These homes will now be on the "radar screens" of families shopping for a better place to educate their kids. When a choice has to be made on where to relocate, cheap family housing in conjunction with quality education is a recipe for disaster. If a moratorium on and Three and Four Bedroom houses is not implemented soon Milford's educational system will have years of unmanageable financial problems combined with debt service to our maxed out credit card. The final missing ingredient of cheap family friendly housing is a "Red Alert" issue that must be addressed now if we are to preserve the financial integrity of our community.

The next few years will undoubtedly be marked by the usual rhetoric of political posturing, and pacifying. As times change it is no longer enough to say you "love your community" you were "Born and raised in Milford" or "I was involved in the city," what is required is the "Truth" marked with a clear "Purpose" built on a foundation of solid social engineering to re-balance all those essential ratio's that position our community against our true enemy the Federal Government/Federal Reserve and its tandem community destroying policies of Inflation unfunded mandates and oppressive taxes.

To ignore the "telltale" warning signs of a possible Federal disaster is irresponsible for any incoming Mayor. I would beg, on behalf of and for the sake of every person in our community that we make the tough choices now. Milford needs not another Mayoral pageant but rather a brilliant leader who is not afraid to socially engineer our city through clear and concise leadership. We need a dynamic individual who will master Game Theory by virtue of the truth. If we do not win over the "hearts and minds" of the people who live here in our beloved town than I fear that our continued position of weakness will be prevail. As we move forward, only the strong will survive, the weak will perish and be absorbed into other towns as was the tragedy of Maywood California. Let us learn from that lesson and let us build unity by electing honest leaders.

Milford Independent Party Extends Parade Invite

The Milford Independent Party will be marching in this years Memorial Day Parade. Rocco Frank Chairman of the MIP Town Committee said: "The invitation to join was in fact an Honor and in remembrance and in respect to our Veterans we plan to let them know that while they were fighting abroad we were fighting locally. This, our first year, we invite everyone to join us in our march as a show of solidarity against those local elected leaders who have grown too powerful and too comfortable in their decades of Controversial leadership. This years Memorial Day is not only about fighting Tyranny abroad but fighting it right here domestically in our own back yard."

Please join the Independent Party by meeting us at 1:30P.M at Wasson Field. Look for our banner depicted in the photo on this blog and spread the word. We invite you, your family, your friends, and your co-workers. Even though we may have never met and you have yet to obtain the courage to believe in the words of great leaders who said "an injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere" we hope this one time you will set your apathy aside for this one special day.

Joe Lieberman Plans To Question Pentagon Ties To Terrorist

Leading neocon in Congress, Sen. Joe Lieberman, responded to questions and indicated that he would investigate why al Qaeda’s now #1 operative, Anwar al-Awlaki, was invited to an official Department of Defense meeting in the wake of the September 11 attacks.

The questions were raised by Luke Rudkowski, We Are Change.org founder and contributor for RT’s Adam vs. The Man, who confronted the senator, citing reports in both Fox News and CBS News.



Lieberman initially dismissed the questions, saying he’d be ‘surprised’ by such reports, but later stated that he “will look into that.” However, Sen. Lieberman suggested that the Pentagon likely did not know who he was ‘at the time.’ This notion is debunked, however, as the FBI repeatedly flagged Awlaki for links to at least three hijackers in the first week after 9/11.

“Well, I’m going to have some questions about that,” Lieberman said, extending his impromptu remarks. “He’s a target of interest. We know that he’s been involved in a series of attacks on our homeland. Of course, he communicates in English on his website. So he’s a particular danger in terms of radicalizing people here in the U.S. who are going to jihadist websites.”

Awlaki is reportedly connected to the Fort Hood shootings, the attempted Christmas Day underwear bombings, the Times Square dud and many other events. Though Awlaki is now considered a target for drone attacks in Yemen as well as the #1 American on the CIA’s kill or capture list, the American-born terrorist was a welcomed guest at the Pentagon, “rubbing shoulders with high-ranking military personnel just months after the atrocities,” according to the Daily Mail.

The event, supposedly an outreach to the Muslim community, was organized by the Army’s Office of Government Counsel. Reports specify that Awlaki was vetted before attending, again, despite having been interviewed repeatedly by the FBI immediately after 9/11 for his links to at least three hijackers. “A former high-ranking FBI agent” who spoke with Fox News blamed an “arrogant” and politically-motivated vetting process at the DoD.



Though Senator Joe Lieberman is an unlikely advocate for exposing the truth behind 9/11, it is important that he acknowledged these questions on record and agreed to look further into the reasons behind them. It is up to the real activists to pressure Lieberman and other elected officials to really investigate the deadly duplicity behind U.S. anti-terrorism policy.

For more information and a detailed analysis of the cozy relationship bred between the Pentagon and its client-group al Qaeda, please read ‘Al Qaeda 100% Pentagon Run.’


Please politely contact Sen. Lieberman’s office and
remind him to keep his promise to look into the matter:

Senator Joe Lieberman
D.C. Offices (202) 224-4041
Connecticut Offices (860) 549-8463

Story Courtesy of Aaron Dykes (Infowars.com)

Ron Paul is Back and American Communism Is His Enemy

Broaden your Mind, now that Ron Paul is back in the Presidential race we can expect resistance from the global Communists agenda. The following video is EXTREMELY DISTURBING AND NOT INTENDED FOR SMALL CHILDREN!

The Looting of Milford Taxpayers Alive And Well

One thing that has been ongoing in our community in the last several years is hypocrisy. The town leaders, as we have just seen at the state level, preach an agenda that condemns wasteful spending and record tax increases. But when those tax increases just happen to benefit their friends in the local controlling political party then the taxpayers of Milford are told to relax, that these increases are "minor."

The Democratic Governor and his liberal cabal are using the same argument, telling the taxpayers of the state of Connecticut to "relax" that the state increases are "minor." While I already spent considerable time discussing the exploitation of the states taxpayers in this blog I plan to shift focus to the exploitation of Milford's taxpayers.

Lets begin with a reminder that our taxes have doubled in just a short 12 years. This doubling was accompanied by city services being cut to the lowest level Milford has ever had. This doubling and cutting has arrived during the most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression.

Lets look at today's news and work in reverse. Astonishingly our Mayor Jim Richetelli is not running for re-election, he instead found a way to escape the wrath of his terrible decade of "tax and spend" leadership in favor of a job that appears to be completely invented out of "politics." Lucky for the mayor this new job "deputy operations chief of schools" pays him 20% more money than he was earning as the Mayor. Wow! We can only assume that this post is being created with the approval of the Republican dominated board of Education.

Greg Smith the Republican Chair of the Board of Alderman has been at odds with the school district because they claim they are "Broke." They have closed schools, fired administrators, and threatened non-tenured teachers that they need to find new jobs. While this was going on the Mayor was scheming to deplete their budget another $120,000.00 plus his benefits and carrying costs.You would think that some respect would be allowed for the parents of our kids who have amassed in record protests. They have filled school auditoriums more than once in the last several years and as a result this Mayor has aggravated and opposed our schools and their improvements time and again.

Back in 2009 when Jonathan Law wanted an addition it was the lone dissenting vote of one brave Republican Alderman that improved our kids school conditions. Teachers, and parents pointed out that teaching was going on in the hallway on carts, and student restrooms were so dingy that the girls at the time were using the men's room.

Then came the wasteful Czars, the land use Czar, the Blight Czar, The Mgat Czar, and now our Mayor appears to have appointed himself as the Education Czar tapping into a budget that is in terrible terrible trouble. Our schools have been impacted by the loss of millions from the Federal Government, have been victimized by  "No Child Left Behind" disparaged by a monumentally unfair ECS formula at the state level and taxed Milford's home owners into the ditch to pay for failure. Failure that rendered our students with terrible CAPT test scores at the state level. Our Schools according to Ms. Feser rank in the Bottom 1/3 for elementary schools, and the bottom 2/3 for middle schools.

Our last two Supers were a joke, one being fired for writing letters of recommendation to a teacher who was later arrested for having an affair with his student, and another arrested for lewd and perverted conduct toward his staff. Now we are going to add our former Mayor to a high level position in education. This position is one where he will keep company with individuals who are intellectually superior to him. Individuals who had to do the hard work of graduating with advanced degrees from universities that actually taught their students the complex mechanics of running a school.

The Mayor now seems to pompously and arrogantly trivialize this right of passage, he is attempting to use politics to create a job that he never had, to do a job that he never did, and is adding to an education problem that is never ending.

My step daughter and her husband had to get advanced degrees just to be considered to teach in a classroom. She has had to pay hefty college loans back and prove to countless professors and higher education administrators that she was even competent and capable enough to hold a state teaching licence. She then was offered a job that barely paid the minimum payment on her student loans.

The news today makes a mockery of the entire education system, proving that a person like our former Mayor can just sidestep into one of these positions politically. Despite the added financial hardship to the school budget, and the fact that his new post may require Three or Four bonafied teachers to be laid off, where does the school system and its administrators get off "signing off" on this incredibly political appointment.

Thus far it appears there was a rush to hire him. No serious ads posted for the job, no meaningful interviews of who the best candidate is for the post, and most troubling no public debate over the need for this post. Since when, for the sake of welfare, do we invade random jobs for politically connected people? The idea that the city of Milford should be creating jobs to help individuals who are too lazy or too unwilling to go out and find one (they way the rest of do) is really the epitome of corruption.

When Jim Amann stepped down and tried to create a crony job under Speaker Donavan, the people of our state complained loudly. The pay was substantially cut to match his credentials, he then refused the job. Why are we going to repeat this dangerous precedent at the local level? The worst form of corruption in government is nepotism, and favoritism if we allow this appointment to occur without a fight the parents and teachers of Milford deserve everything they have coming to them.

The final straw will be if the Board of Alderman pass the bloated school budget as yet another amazing surprise. Suppose we should all be so naive to think that the Mayors new post and the Superintendents demand for new money is somehow not a conflict of interests. This appointment has now marred any sincerity in purpose the Board of Alderman or the Board of Finance has. They are both Republican Controlled and their actions will be viewed as highly suspect. Could it be that the Mayor was offered a $120,000.00 a year job in exchange for passing the bloated school budget? Someone should find out.

TO READ THE OFFICIAL AOL HUFFINGTON POST PATCH PROPAGANDA CLICK HERE

Milford's Ungrateful Republican Remarks

Someone once told me that a paradox is something whose very presence poses a whole new set of problems. If there is any such thing in Milford it’s the two party system and the never ending need for each of them to find fault with one another; even when things go their way.

This evening I just read the article at the New Haven Register, and Republican Town Chair Tom Jagodinsky was angry with Gayle Slossberg because in his opinion "she did not come out soon enough against the Malloy budget." Tom felt that this delay was instrumental in why perhaps other state Senators were also not "persuaded to vote with Gayle."

Tom failed to mention that the Senate debated this issue in chambers for 10 Hours before anyone casted a single vote. Tom also failed to mention that every one of our local Democrat State Representatives in Milford voted against their respective parties. Gayle also had two of her Democratic colleagues vote with her in the Senate.

Aside from the fact that Gayle did a very brave and remarkable thing, you would think that the Milford Republican Party would be happy. Of course not because political parties are never about the consent of the governed and here in Milford what is more transparent than that. Tom Jagodinski's remarks that Gayle is somehow a terrible "game player" who should have exposed her vote sooner really needs to listen to her speak in the Senate PRIOR TO THE VOTE.

Gayle and every Democrat in our town should be praised and congratulated. From our newest freshman Kim Rose to the rest of the courageous legislators including Paul Davis and Dick Roy. They all acted Independently and responded to the consent of the governed. This is good leadership and Tom Jagodinski, and his caustic bitter remarks ought to be ignored because they are damaging. They are damaging not only to the Republican Party in Milford but to the Independent progress the people of our community demand of our leaders. The people of Milford elect their leaders to vote their Wishes, not the REPUBLICAN PARTY OR DEMOCRATIC PARTY WISHES!

The people of Milford want free thinking independent Representative leaders. Both party leaders always complain over the "hive" votes. They always point to "sock puppet" candidates and all those things that ignore what is best for all of us who live in Milford. Never will I say that I agree with all that the Democrats do, or all that the Republicans do, but on this one vote I do find it particularly upsetting that Jagodinsky has to be critical of Gayle Slossberg. He should just humble himself and be thankful she saw things his way.

Rocco J. Frank Jr.

MIP Chair

The Senate Debate will be posted here where you can hear Gayle Speak to the Senate.

UPCOMING INDEPENDENT PARTY MEETING

Dear Independents, So many interesting, and exciting things happening around Milford these days. The most impressive being that all our local representitives in Milford are acting Independently. All Four of them voted against their respective party and heard our message. A message that was crystal clear that “the people of Milford and our state can't afford to reach deeper in their pockets to fund pet political projects.”

We are certainly part of that value system that has been instrumental in waking up our local legislators. However, despite their courage, and brazen defiance of their respective parties, the 4.1 Billion dollar measure passed anyway and now these costs will be "coming home to roost" right here in our own community.

Our town schools have been denied money from the Federal Government, and next year the state will cut us back again. This means that pressure will be placed on property owners everywhere in our state. MBA Chair Greg Smith confronted school administrators in a heated debate last week when he said “Milford closed a school and student enrollment keeps declining” challinging their numbers he asked “why are costs still rising?”

These budget challenges have now made it imperative that we "pick up the torch" this campaign season and once again let our voices be heard loud and clear. We must speak the “truth” to our towns leaders every opportunity we have. George Orwell once said "that in a time of universal deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act."

This next meeting we will be planning to march in the upcoming Memorial Day Parade, Renew our usual slot in the Oyster Festival, and enroll candidates for office in the 2011 municipal election cycle.

Our mission in this coming election will be the continued communication of the importance of traditional American values rooted in a constitutional form of government. Our foundation in the independent party is simple “we do not tolerate those elected officials who lie cheat or steal.” This latest massive tax increase being the greatest act of defiance, one that ingnored the consent of the governed.

The next meeting is Thursday May 19th at 7:00P.M. at the Great River Golf Course in Milford. Their address is: 130 Coram Lane Milford, CT 06461-1605 (203) 878-9623

We will do the same format as the Costa Azurra meeting, (order appetizers courtesy the Independent Party) and collect a donation during the meeting. Donations are entirely based on what you can afford to give and there is no committment required on your part to give. However, we do count on your support and always appreciate and thank everyone who has donated so generously in the past. There is also a cash bar available for any one who wishes to have a drink. Newly registered Independent party members get their first Free drink on us.

For questions or comments please call me at (203) 247-4357.

Rocco Frank Chairman Milford Independent Town Committee

Rep. Kim Rose Changes Vote Against CT Tax Hike

Kim Rose our new freshman representative was expected to vote in favor of the labor unions who are demanding taxpayers fund their ambitions and perceptions of fundamental fairness. Kim Rose was cross endorsed last election by the Working Families Party of which has an agenda that has nothing to do with Working Families, unless of course those families are members of an organized labor union.

This concern arrives on the heels that Paul Davis, and Rich Roy both joined a small minority of Democrats who are opposing the state budget as was approved by the State Senate. Gayle Slossberg, also and Independent Democrat opposed the tax hike. Kim Rose was not mentioned as part of the Milford Dissenting Democrats. In 2010 she was endorsed by the labor unions who rendered her additional votes in the last election in the 118th.

While the final word on this massive state budget is expected to be the subject of a fierce battle in the state house, it has become imperative to demand that our legislator represent the wishes of her contituents and not the benefits and pay increases of the Labor Unions and the Working Families Party. Reputable polls including those put forth by the Yankee Institute at the link below paint a compelling picture that the people of our state are taxed enough, and do not want to lose their home buyer credit, nor do they want to pay more for gasoline, over the counter medicine, and see an increase in the sales tax.

For this reason we need to contact Ms. Rose and tell her we object to her siding with the "Tax and Spenders" in Hartford and show some compassion and respect toward the people who elected her. Your relentless pursuit of expressing your economic concerns over higher prices for all in Milford are ernestly solicited.

Kim Rose Voted Against the CT's largest tax hike. Thank you Ms. Rose.
203.988.2078
E-mail: kimrose2010@aol.com

Latest Poll on CT Tax increases. 

By 73-15%, voters oppose eliminating the $500 property tax credit (least popular)

By 68-21%, voters oppose creating a state earned income tax credit

By 67-31%, voters oppose increasing the gas tax

By 60-34%, voters oppose eliminating sales tax exemptions

By 54-38%, voters oppose increasing the income tax

By 53-43%, voters oppose increasing the sales tax

By 71-20%, voters support seeking concessions from state employees (most popular)

By 68-39%, voters support increasing tobacco and alcohol taxes

By 47-28%, voters support budget cuts in social services and higher education

SEE FULL POLL BY CLICKING HERE