Personal Note From Rocco Frank

Elections and election years have been an adventure for me.I have stood by my convictions as a free thinking Milford Independent, and to the best of my ability made that widely known in the last Four elections. As this year concludes, and I look back, I must ask myself if I regret the efforts that I and the MITC have put forth. Having often questioned my choices, my decisions, your challenges, and the financial sacrifices that our team has made, I can without a doubt conclude that there are great people and heroes out there who share in our common vision of one day having a truly honest, fair, and receptive local government.

Never did I tell anyone how to vote, nor did I seek to instill a misplaced belief in what I perceive to be the art of aggressive campaigning and vote mongering. We instead maintained our simple belief that we need to focus on the big issues, and support “honest people.” Each and every year, I did the best job possible in delivering those individuals to the ballot and yet every election we hear similar self promoting words that sell candidates. Words like: “Experienced,” “Qualified,” “Responsible,” “transparent,” “efficient” and the unanimous self proclamation of “love” for our city.

These words mean different things to different people, for instance, those who receive large salaries and great public benefits are one group with a strong affinity for our community. They are also the most protective over their prosperity and financial well being. On the other hand there are those of us who will be opening up our tax bill in 2012 and wondering where the additional money will come from to pay for food, medicine or transportation. Each of us read, share and learn what we can, we talk to our friends, and often with great angst and confusion, blindly vote for a candidate or political party not knowing if we made a good/bad decision.


For this reason, I believe that one of the most important parts of being a leader is to be a person of good character, a person who is a fair and capable problem solver. With so many of you in a “world of hurt” I cannot help but feel sad. In doing so, I have maintained that Character matters more than experience, it matters more than education, how successful you are, how much money you have in the bank or how politically connected a candidate is. It’s about asking the tough questions. Questions about Seniors, Veterans, a $4.95M appropriation on a small N.H. Ave. firehouse, or the $2M appropriation on a Grove St. sewage pump. It’s about questioning no bid contracts, nepotism, and undeserved bonuses. What makes me different from my opponents is that I love the people of this community more than I love the Government.

When voting remember what you heard this year, countless petty “Penny Foolish” battles over office chairs, Halloween décor and discontent, trash museum controversy, and 9/11 conspiracies relative to campaign signs. Thanks to your encouragement, you have kept us going… therefore I hope and pray that more of you stand with me at the polls this November 8th.

Educational Test Scores In Milford Continue To Stifle The BOE

Brian Mcready of the NH Register asked a question on Facebook. He said: "Milford's 10th graders rank last in math, second to last in science, and reading, and 20th out of 24 in writing on the CAPT, but the city spends the 4th highest for education compared to 24 comparable sized communities, and is dead last in instructional hours. What do you think about that?" Since not all of you have Facebook, I thought it proper to share my answer here so Parents, Kids, and Taxpayers know where my thoughts on education are.
My answer to Brian....

The last two Superintendents did a terrible job, things started to go down hill when the Republicans cut funding to our schools to keep up with the demands made by the local teachers unions. Right now, there seems to be a disconnect between Republican conservatives and the Teachers unions. Until this stalemate is broken we can expect more vindictive cuts to education. Because of our leadership crisis in Milford, the kids suffer while the adults argue and fight with one another. The solution is simple to me, but my opponents have their own bizarre view.

My approach to solving our education problems is to first get the finances of the schools in order. Right now, teachers want to keep their jobs, parents and kids want a quality education and taxpayers do not want more taxes. One approach would be to call an educational crisis meeting, whereby the Teachers Representatives, Taxpayer Advocates and the PTA decide on a mutually agreeable course of action. Reaching a compromise that we can all live with is essential if we are going to put an end to the Bickering and vindictiveness of the Republicans, and many Democrats I am sorry to say. The failures are clearly embarrassing and rather than start a blame game we should be addressing the root causes of these problems and working with the very talented teachers that we have, who get results, to share in their secrets. It may even be in this schools best interest to hold after school workshops and contests to help and encourage our kids to be successful. The city has the money, they just chose to waste it in every way but the correct way. To elaborate on some of this waste, 1.5 Million for a police substation we do not need, Four Million for a Firehouse that could have been built for 1.0 Million, 500K in fee waivers, Money for trash a museum, Veterans exemptions from interest and penalties on their delinquent taxes.. etc.. etc.. This issue is more to do with immaturity and spite by those in charge. It is very sad to see.

Blake Vs. Joy, War of Words Yet Best of Friends

The Milford Mayoral campaign has kicked off to a relatively enthusiastic start, and in that quest for a new beginning the gloves have come off between the Main Party candidates. Last week Blake was lambasting the flawed judgment of Joy, and Joy was off complaining about Blake. During this dysfunctional melee it was hard not to notice some of the names in the “info war viper pit” whom were writing letters to the editor of the Mirror and the MOB.

There are several, but to get our Independent readers informed you should be well aware that Jagodinski, Dellamonica, Fowler etc... are “Hard Core Republicans” who I can say almost always Vote their Row. The same goes for names like Smith, Rosen, Brown etc... Who also, I would bet, always vote their Row.

While these two groups are Row, Row, Rowing Milford off the edge of a waterfall I have been “shouting from the rooftops” while pointing to the dangers that lie ahead. As the election moves on, I am realizing that common sense, combined with critical thinking skills is what’s lacking among both my competitors, I suppose to elaborate on this point, and to point out some of the idiosyncrasies, I would allude to the relationships they hold dear and the company they keep on display. For instance, I do not think it is genuine or sincere to offer up help to our veterans and then go door to door with someone like Rosa Delauro or Jane Fonda for that matter (both are very similar and equally disliked by veterans,) nor would I call myself a conservative and then press ordinances that deprive us of liberty or promote unnecessary wasteful spending on pet projects.

My goal in this editorial is not to join in on the impish and immature war of words that both Joy and Blake love so much, rather it’s to point out that after the election both of them will be the best of friends. The staged theatrics of division between these two individuals is to decieve you. The truth is that they have agreed on just about everything in their past votes at the Board of Alderman except for some very minor issues.

Each of them is thus far equal in their charitable giving, equal in their thoughts on taxation, and both have not yet once taken a stand on the excessive liabilities incurred at the hands of their political parties. This letter is not to tell you how to cast your vote come November, nor is it to tell you how great the Independent Party is and all its candidates, this letter is to remind you that if you do not get non voters out to vote, one of these two parties is going to perch themselves right in the “business as usual seat” being vacated by Richetelli.

Let this note be a plea on my part to have you come out in defense of this patch of beautiful land we call home. At the end of this election you will have decided our and your families future!

New Lows In Milford Real Estate

Milford has conducted an annual report each year called the Comprehensive Audited Financial Reports (CAFR'S), and the asset side of those reports seems to defy conventional wisdom. While I am no economist, I do agree with firms like the Connecticut Economic Resource Center (CERC) and Real Estate think tanks like Trulia.   But to take into consideration the 2006 CERC, the year our property assessments began, Milford had a reported grand list of  10.2B. Today, just Five years later that number has plummeted to 7.4B.  There is nothing more enigmatic and perplexing than the CAFR figures, of which indicate the assets held by the city of Milford have appreciated Apx. 35% during a period where the Grand List has been getting decimated.

Something does not add up, something does not make sense, because no one I know has had that kind of asset appreciation in the last five years and it is yet to be explained to us as to how how we arrived at such an amazing figure in the wake of mass property devaluations and city debt growing to nearly 300M during this period. Trulia had this to say about Milford, and to be fair many other communities as well.

"The median sales price for homes in ZIP code 06460 for Jun 11 to Aug 11 was $204,540. This represents a decline of 14.1%, or $33,460, compared to the prior quarter and a decrease of 22.5% compared to the prior year. Sales prices have depreciated 36.3% over the last 5 years in 06460, Milford. The median sales price of $204,540 for 06460 is 5.34% lower than the median sales price for Milford CT. Average listing price for homes on Trulia in ZIP code 06460 was $465,668 for the week ending Sep 07, which represents an increase of 0.1%, or $465 compared to the prior week and an increase of 4.4%, or $19,742, compared to the week ending Aug 17. Average price per square foot for homes in 06460 was $153 in the most recent quarter, which is 12.57% lower than the average price per square foot for homes in Milford."

Moving forward into the next election, it appears that the Republicans and Democrats are both acting reckless, ignoring the city debt and instead spending taxpayer money we do not have. Just in the past few months, as the interest on our nearly 1/3 of a Billion dollars in debt was growing they were giving away money. This was 26K to a Trash Museum, an estimated 550K given away in permit fees, proposing the reopening Simon Lake at a substantial cost estimated close to 1M, and of course pardoning late fees and interest on property taxes to all veterans serving in wars.

While no one doubts that charity is essential in our community, we are moving in a direction that crosses the line of the responsibility of local government. My personal opinion is that the money is all ours, its paid for by each of us and when that money falls short we have to reach in our pockets a little deeper. This is the never ending paradox of taxpayers funding what amounts to socialism or as Obama put it "the redistribution of our wealth."

Elections, and election season is always disconcerting and part of me feels like elected officials who run for political office should step down from their previous posts while campaigning. This year I have seen such egregious abuses of the city treasury by both candidates that its disheartening. The amount of allocations made for political purposes is in my opinion an abusive and aberrant practice that should be stopped in all future elections.

While everyday I work hard to remind both Republicans and Democrats that our priorities should be to pay off the city debt before funding any pet projects or non essential expenses, everyday I am dismissed as a enigmatic insane platitude to be ignored. Sadly at the end of the day, when we expect to see progress we instead learn that the population of Milford is declining and our real estate values are plummeting.  Who will be held accountable when we reach our climax and eventual epiphany?

Sadly its going to be all of us, those who just want to be left alone, to live in our homes, drive our cars and enjoy our television shows. It will be those apathetic young people who did not vote this election, their parents and the reality that they are slowly falling farther and farther behind on their expenses. Who will be held accountable, it will be you the person who lives and pays those unreasonable ever increasing taxes that continue to fund socialism and an endlessly growing debt. Its time to wake up and vote Independent!

Milford Police: Jobs Discussion by Mayoral Candidate Frank Not a Crime

The Republicans and Democrats launched an unprecedented failed attack against the Milford Independent Party. It should be noted that this is nothing new. In 2006 Barbara Genevese was sent Porno Magazines by Angry Republicans, Steve Borer was harassed with complaints to the Police Department for filming public city council meetings, and this week they called the Attorney General in a failed attempt to press charges against Mayoral Candidate Rocco Frank. Frank is personally considering legal action against the N.H. Register for Libel and slander. McReady said the position was "Sold" a patently false lie, he also changed the headline three times but let the Sunday paper run with the wrong headline.

When writing about this issue, it should be noted that both parties have engaged in outlandish and outrageous strategies to shut down their Independent competition. This latest article Vindicating me from the McReady Hit Piece of last Sunday should be a lesson that we need to unify against these two exclusive clubs who will do or say anything in their lust for power.

This should also highlight the issue of Jobs in Milford, and why more qualified outsiders have such a difficult time getting hired from the partisan decision makers who have hijacked our city. Enough is enough its time to root out those individuals who reserve these positions for themselves, friends and families. City hall is not their personal job outlet!

Today's NHR article Vindicating me from the latest attack should be a lesson to both Blake, Joy and their gang members.

http://www.newhavenregister.com/articles/2011/08/16/news/milford/doc4e49b0b13ef10110234902.txt

Picking Our Pockets One Business at a Time

Faux Pas Conservative Mayor Jim Richetelli announced with pride today that the city hired, private corporate tax collector strong armed Milford businesses out of triple the amount they hoped to collect a whopping $560 Grand.

While the Mayor called Milford business owners "scofflaws" and "tax cheats" he ignored the fact that Republicans are historically proponents of small business. The very engine that drives Milford's local economy. Today, despite the Richetelli propaganda Milford is indeed under severe duress, and the Tax attacks on small business are being exacerbated in aggregate. $560 Grand Collected, means the people of Milford have paid that money. This Money has been paid by the Milford Hospital Closing a unit and laying off people, money that our larger companies recoup by letting people go, cut their hours or just fire them.

In exchange the city raises our property taxes, cuts our services, grants themselves raises and closes our schools. How people are not outraged is beyond me, but as the dissatisfaction of our local Government continues and Milford's austerity goes by the wayside, the pandemonium of excessive spending at city hall continues.

The Milford leaders who bless this tax assault know nothing of the fact that Just under Obama tax levy's increased 10 Fold to 3.7 Million. To give the readers an inclination on how drastic of an increase this number is, the IRS statistics cited merely 200,000 levy's 10 years ago vs. 3.7M today confirming that there is no bailout for business owners. These levy's carry hefty penalties and interest that only go away after they are paid or the person who owes them dies trying to get out of debt.

We always hear about how Republicans are critical of Obama, the health care tax, the carbon tax the increase on capital gains tax etc. and yet we find that there are only differences in their logo's not their actions. Quite sadly and as a small business owner myself, I have seen and experienced first hand the tyranny of the IRS and the draconian measures of courts when times are tough. This year alone I had to say goodbye to many employees, and friends who lost their businesses and witnessed swarms of tax collectors shaking down businesses. If you want to see for yourself how bad things have gotten just ask you mail person how many IRS and Tax Collector letters they deliver daily and I promise you will be stunned.

But no matter how hard things get, I always find there is some clueless chap who is still willing to take a risk and rent a retail space in pursuit of the American dream. They do this with the same naivety and ignorance of their predecessors who, like them, were also unaware of how many tax predators will arrive at their doorstep demanding money.

Personally, I am a person that likes to rise to these kinds of challenges and find solutions. My friend Steve Pjuria who teaches a Milford Ed class on how to Start a Business brings his students to me for final training. I have been happy to give groups of aspiring business owners lessons in the pitfalls of opening a business. Sadly I must inform many of them that the city of Milford is hostile toward large businesses and today's headlines prove me right that government sanctioned corporations (on commission) will attack them and invade their books for a buck in this town.

This is not to say people should quit trying to make living, or pursue their dreams, but rather they need to consider a plan whereby success is profit based and often that includes taking your business mode to cyberspace, working out of your car or carving a space out in your home before becoming a Commercial tax target.

Spalthoff, Milford's Best Candidate For Mayor

Traditionally I have never really been in the practice of endorsing any candidates, but this year with so many great contenders I thought adding my personal opinion might benefit many of you out there who have not had time to do the research or watch the debate videos.

Hard as it is to believe the election is only a few days away, and soon thousands of Milfordites will be storming in the voting booths and voting for their candidates. To help ease the anxiety of looking at a voter card with a bunch of faceless names, I am going to give you my thoughts on each of the candidates.

Before I begin it is important for me to give you my disclaimer, currently I am on the ballot in the First district as the Independent candidate for the board of education. However, my views and opinions are based solely on my own research and personal attendance of the mayoral debates, personally speaking with every candidate, and reading what local newspapers represented about each of them.

My assessment is as Follows:

Genevieve Salvatore: She is a relatively new citizen here in Milford, and many people do not yet really know her very well. Genevieve serves on the Economic Development Commission and practices law here in town.

Genevieve won an overwhelming vote from her party over longtime resident Tim Chaucer and received the endorsement from our U.S. Representative Rosa Delauro. Salvatore was also recently endorsed by the New Haven Reigister over Incumbent Mayor Jim Richetelli.

Her views are very favorable toward a local green economy, and has pledged a policy of zero based budgeting to keep taxes affordable on our cities struggling people. These two views are also complimented by Spalthoff.

Problems I personally have with Ms. Salvatore is her newcomer status, but more grave than that is her friendship with Rosa Delauro and Chris Dodd. In the coming years Milford and the state of Connecticut are expected to have a challenging relationship with a failing federal government. Dodd was recently ostracized over his banking relationships and Delauro has been pushing a bill "The Food Modernization and Safety Act" that would put all our local farms under Corporate and Federal control.

The Democratic Party, has also been involved in the negative and misleading campaign that borders on the actions of an impish spectacle. Their theatrical engagement of the Republicans has not sat well with many people who are concerned about the issues in town.

For these reasons, and even though I think Genevieve is a stellar person, I will always have some discomfort over her parties negative influence, in tandem with her ability to challenge Federal Democratic leaders, especially in a crisis situation.

Jim Richetelli: Last Election I supported Richetelli and had a sign of his on my lawn. He has been our mayor for many terms, and in the past has done a great job in leading our city. Personally I would like to thank him and acknowledge up front all of the great work he has done. However, we vote in the present and we look to the future. The very fact that Jim lost the endorsement of the Register, a paper that endorsed him so many times before was a testament as to the political climate that exists today.

This year Jim has been called out time again over Taxes, educational cuts, historical preservation, business audits, absenteeism, and contract negotiations. Two of the three debates I have been to (in my opinion) have not been very favorable for Richetelli. (You are free to view them on this site just refer to the archives.)

The latest challenge our Mayor experienced was the Democrats and the Republicans engagement of an intensely negative campaign whereby voters are being deliberately confused and misinformed with negative information about their opponents.

Voters I believe have grown tired of this practice and just want to hear the issues and the facts. Jim being the incumbent has a terrific re-election advantage this year, but I personally believe that advantage has been diminished.

Tim Chaucer:Tim is a lifelong resident of Milford, he worked tirelessly trying to support and protect our cities historic properties and open space. Chaucer has been very critical of the destruction of the Cadley House, and the development of the property next to the Milford Library.

Personally I have spoke with Tim and found him to be a sincere person, however, in my opinion, he has a narrow view of interests in our town. Tim is also running as an "Unaffiliated" candidate since he lost the support of his primary political party to Genevieve Salvatore.

Tim took the loss in my view too easily, early on he struggled with the idea of a primary and then opted out instead of standing by his convictions that he was treated unfairly by his party.

Personally I found Chaucer to be a great person with much to offer Milford and even though I think he is the weakest candidate I sincerely hope that he stays involved and continues to fight along with us for what he believes in.

His views on open land purchasing, historic preservation and city planning are supported by all candidates across the board and we will need his expertise on future committees and at council meetings, should he not prevail.

Chaucer can certainly be a unifying force with his broad knowledge on keeping Milford's growth in harmony with our history. Personally I would look forward to Tim's continued involvement in those areas as his message was well received and he certainly proved himself as an asset to our city.

Peter Spalthoff: Peter is my personal favorite, not because he is an Independent but because of his selfless nature, investment in our community, and financial background in understanding debt, contracts, loans and financial instruments.

Of all the candidates in the running Peter has run a very ethical and honest campaign. Peter has pledged transparency in government, and adopted a policy that puts "people first." Every week new letters arrive to our local newspapers in support of Peter. His candidacy as an Independent has been larger than any that I remember in recent memory.

Peter also represents a realistic new choice for the growing number of people in town who have become despondent with the two party system. Peter's list of endorsements is also impressive, and he is the only mayor in CT to receive the official endorsement of the state Independent Party and the Independent American Party.

Peter's skills will be needed in the coming years especially with the 110 Million in financing that will be needed for our school improvements. Peter is also very open minded and works well with others. His most recent post in a political party was the chairman of the Republican Town Committee, but due to his own disappointment with the Republican party decided to reinvigorate the ranks of the Independents here in Milford.

When Peter Made his campaign announcement on the green early this year, he invoked the spirit of the late Charles Iovino. Iovino was the only Independent mayoral candidate in Connecticut's history to win a Mayoral election as a write in candidate.

Your vote this election will count more than before, and I personally hope you will lend that support to Peter Spalthoff My choice for this years Mayor.

Rocco J. Frank Jr.
Milford Daily Blog Contributor

The Legendary Debate Video Is Finally Released

The Video below was the legendary debate video that sparked a volley of fire over the amount of time it was taking to get out. It is important to note that there were several other people filming this debate, the copy here is provided from the only camera that did not malfunction.

The footage belongs to Peter Spalthoff the Independent candidate for Mayor and its delay was a result of editing issues as the copy presented was never intended for public release. Since all other copies failed to develop, Peter graciously took the time to edit out his personal content and share the part the public asked for, the Original Men's Club Debate.





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A Quick Note From Peter
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I would like to list the “five essential issues” that are important to me and what I would do about them if and when elected Mayor.

1. Public Safety - I will make sure that we have the proper and required staffing in our Police and Fire Departments. Any short-changing in this area directly short-changes our community.

2. Education - I will work with the Board of Education and the Aldermanic board in a fashion and transparent manner that they have never experienced. I will make sure that the needs of our children are not only met, but exceeded in the areas of both their education and their learning facilities. Our children are our greatest asset; investing in them is our obligation.

3. Infrastructure – I will up-keep our side-walks, roads and public property to ensure that our city is safe for everyone at all times – our families, our young, our senior citizens and our residents with disabilities. I will make sure that we look inward to our existing buildings and not let them fall into disrepair, as has City Hall. I will preserve our history, because quite simply, it is irreplaceable. I will build a working relationship with our business community, to ensure they stay in Milford.

4. Quality of Life issues - Our parks and recreation areas will be constantly reviewed to see what we can do better with and in them. The harbor would be an area where I would consider adding one or two small buildings, like at Captains Cove. They can be rented during the peak season for City revenue. We could even ask the Platt students to help in the construction of them to enable them to build a sense of ownership and pride in their city. I would also like to see a children’s play area at Gulf Beach for the younger children, making it even more family friendly. I will adopt ‘green’ initiatives and policies when and where viable for our city and our community.

5. Transparency & communication – I will enable residents to have a direct voice in important financial matters by having a referendum if/when appropriate. I will make certain that the projects the city is working on and/or the money we are requesting from the State and Federal Government is public information, available on the City web site. I will make certain that many of our service providing departments are open to the public during off hours for everyone to access without being inconvenienced.
Lastly, but importantly, I will manage our city’s finances in a prudent and responsible manner. Only with careful financial management can any advancement of our city take place.

I hope this helps Mr. Silvers with his decision on who to support as Milford’s next Mayor.

Peter L. Spalthoff Independent Party Candidate for Mayor 2009

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CT Bob Previous Debate From Condo Assoc.
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DOUBLE CLICK VIDEO FOR FULL VIEW

Part 1



Part2

Alderman Rosen "Disturbed" over Richetelli's Claim

I have recently seen a mail piece for Mayor Richetelli’s campaign and I am deeply disturbed by some of his alleged accomplishments. The Mayor has stated numerous times that he lowered taxes this year, and that is false.

I worked for months with the other Democratic Aldermen to create a budget that ensured no jobs were cut and that city services would not be compromised. The end result was a budget that lowered taxes for all Milford residents. This budget passed without a single republican vote.

I am outraged that the Mayor would claim this accomplishment as his own, when his budget accounted for an increase in spending and, most of all, an increase in taxes. I feel Milford residents deserve to know the truth about this year’s budget process, not a misleading, election-year tactic on behalf of the Mayor.

As an Alderman seeking re-election I am running on my own record, I ask that the Mayor do the same.

Justin Rosen
Alderman Second District

Milford Mayoral Debates Draw Unusually Large Crowd

For nearly 30 years the Plymouth Men's Club has been hosting the towns Mayoral Debates, and the debate moderator said that this years debate was among the largest in Recent memory.

The debate also had four candidates, Tim Chaucer, Genevieve Salvatore, Jim Richetelli, and Peter Spalthoff. Each candidate arrived with their own contingent of family members and campaign supporters adding to the unusually high number of attendees.

The event moderator had the local Boy Scouts hand out index cards and pencils, the audience wrote their questions on the index cards and submitted them to the moderator. The moderator grouped the questions together and asked the candidates the most popular ones.

One such question was, historic preservation and the destruction of the Cadley House. Richetelli received the most amount of fire on this question as all three candidates were remarkably upset with the demolition of that property. Richetelli repeated what he always has, that the property was beyond preservation but added that he "regretted" they way it happened and in hindsight would have involved Milford's Historical Preservation Committee.

The Building department and the Controversial Kimball Report was also a topic of discussion. Peter Spalthoff who is currently putting an addition on his 26 Broad Street property said there are many great employees in the building department and what they need is the proper leadership, technology, and support to get the job done correctly. He opined that spending $40,000.00 of the taxpayers money to point out why the department was not working was an imprudent use of funds.

Salvatore agreed and said that under her watch the building department would have been "more welcoming" and she would have added "Customer Service" to the equation. Salvatore said that she would give the people of Milford the "Services the pay for."

On the question of improving Milford, all candidates agreed that purchasing open space is a "good Idea" Spalthoff and Chaucer however were more concerned with the fact that the sidewalk by Harrison's Hardware has caused numerous injuries to pedestrians and questioned Richetelli on why it took so many public injuries and four years to repair it. Richetelli cited that the rules and regulations surrounding those kinds of issues are complex. That the city must follow legal protocol, notify the owners prior to work and place liens on offending properties a process that takes time.

Other public concerns were over flooding, and Ms. Salvatore said that a person she met while out campaigning has two separate residences because her place at the beach is impassable at high tide because the water submerges her driveway. At low tide she returns home, at high tide she goes to her apartment in Orange. Ms. Salvatore said that she would help alleviate flooding concerns at the beach to assist people in need.

Richetelli rebutted, saying that much of the Milford waterfront is below sea level and when you purchase a house at the beach you run that kind of risk. Richetelli also blamed unusually high tides for the flooding and said the he has been aware of these tantamount issues for a while.

On the issue of Eisenhower Park, Spalthoff questioned the logic behind spending money on studies only later to waste that money by walking away from it. Richetelli blamed the economy, and called many of the project cancellations as necessary given the most difficult economic climate he has ever experienced as Mayor. He also added that his opposition to the Jonathan Law bonding was also another difficult decision.

Another question regarding pensions came up, and Chaucer accused Richetelli of over reporting the health of that program. Chaucer alleged that Milford's pension fund lost more money than Fairfied's after the Madoff Scandal. Richetelli accused Chaucer of not having his facts straight and said the pension fund is over funded by 125% but those were the figures before the market declined admitting that the number may be different today.

Spalthoff cited an official report expressing concern over the cities pension fund and alleged that this years tax decrease will have to be made up in next years budget. Spalthoff said that the people of Milford got duped, because next year the break we received will have to be compounded to fulfill the contractual obligations the city entered into.

Spalthoff said that when the city goes looking for the money and cannot find it, the only alternative will be "higher taxes."

The debate concluded with a summary from each of the candidates, and each read what appeared to be a carefully prepared statement to the audience. Richetelli stood on his record, Salvatore promised Change, Chaucer offered historic preservation. Spalthoff spoke entirely without a written statement, and promised to make Milford more business friendly citing over eighty small businesses (he counted) that shut down along the Post Road.

Reviews from the audience were mixed, many came to support their candidate and therefore were not swayed by the debate while others appreciated the opportunity afforded them to question each of these candidates on the local issues in town.

The entire debate was recorded and the video will be posted here when made available to me.

Each of the candidates have their websites listed below for more information.

Jim Richetelli Peter Spalthoff
Genevieve Salvatore Tim Chaucer

Local Business Owner Chastises Chaucer

Tim Chaucer was out campaigning on New Haven Ave. over the weekend and one of his stops was at a local gas station at 345 New Haven Ave. This gas station is owned and operated by the Quick Food Mart

Tim asked the owner if he could put a sign up on the corner of his property. When the owner explained to him that he did not take kindly to solicitors, and also did not wish to engage in partisan politics out of respect for his customers, Chaucer (and his associate) stormed out.

The following day, Mr. Azari contacted the Milford Daily Blog and said that Tim sent him a rather upsetting letter alleging that his grass was high and his property overgrown. While Mr. Chaucer was not reached for comment, a photographer was deployed to take a photo (above) of the property in question in an effort to verify Chaucers claim.

The photo speaks for itself and shows the landscaping of the property shortly after the confrontation was made and Chaucer’s request to place a sign denied. You decide, is this “sour grapes” or a “legitimate gripe?”

Candidates For Mayor Debate This Tuesday

All announced candidates for mayor of Milford have been invited to present their platforms and answer questions from the public at a Candidates Night Debate on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m., at the First United Church of Christ (Congregational), 34 West Main St.

Expected to participate are mayoral candidates Timothy Chaucer (Petition), James Richetelli (R), Genevieve Salvatore (D), and Peter Spalthoff (I). The debate will be the first of the political season and open to the public at no charge.

The event is sponsored by the Plymouth Men’s Club (PMC). Arthur Stowe, a member of PMC, will be the moderator. Stowe said questions for the candidates will be accepted in writing from those members of the public attending the event.

Mayoral Candidates Address Downtown Challenges

Two mayoral hopefuls in recent weeks had their eyes on downtown Milford, offering suggestions about how to address a dangerous sidewalk and excessive pigeon droppings.

Peter Spalthoff, the Independent Party candidate, said he planned to fix what he described as a dangerous lip in a sidewalk near his Broad Street office himself because the situation has not been addressed.

Spalthoff said several people have fallen because of about an inch rise between two five-by-six-foot concrete pads that make up the sidewalk.

“I’m gong to have it taken care of so no one else falls,” Spalthoff said, explaining that his builder plans to give him a price on digging up and replacing one of the pads.

Spalthoff, whose Shoreline Mortgage office faces Broad Street, said he recently saw an older woman fall. And Ed Esposito, who was walking down the sidewalk last week with his dog, said he’s tripped on the lip three times.

He said he called the city about the problem, but according to Public Works Director Bruce Kolwicz, it’s the property owner’s job to keep the sidewalk in a safe condition.

In some situations, sidewalk repairs fall to the city, but in this case, it falls to property owner Joseph Voll.

“I talked to Joseph Voll,” Kolwicz said. “I told him he had to fix it, and he said, ‘No problem,’” Kolwicz said.

At the same time, petition candidate Tim Chaucer, a Democrat, said he called the city’s health department about excessive pigeon droppings on a sidewalk area just beyond that lip.

“Why is it that in the heart of downtown Milford, i.e. on the sidewalk in front of Harrison’s Hardware, we have an ongoing pigeon poop and feather health hazard,” Chaucer stated in a letter to the local papers.

“Pigeons sit in an area between the gutter and canopy of the building,” he wrote. “Has the owner been notified by the health department? The Heberts have been complaining about this for many months. The health department could notify the owner that this is a health hazard and insist the canopy be removed and even the gutter where the pigeons sit.”

Chaucer also expressed concern about the lip in the sidewalk and suggested the city correct the problem.

Jill Dion Original Story

Salvatore Wins Dem's Support Chaucer Demands Primary

Economic Development Commission Chairwoman Genevieve Salvatore easily secured her party’s mayoral nomination Wednesday at the Democratic Town Committee convention.

Salvatore, a local lawyer whose first foray into city politics was her appointment to the Economic Development Commission this year, secured the nomination by a vote of 81 to nine.

“I am taken aback and humbled by the support,” Salvatore said. “This year we are going to finish what we started two years ago. We are going to take back City Hall.”

Salvatore was challenged by Timothy Chaucer, a longtime city preservationist.

Chaucer, who failed in his attempt to gain his party’s backing for mayor, said Wednesday there is a “99 percent chance” he will pursue the nomination and force a primary.

Chaucer said he was not given an opportunity to speak in front of the 1st and 4th District committees, and predicted he would fair better at a primary than he did at the convention.

Chaucer forced a primary in 1987, eventually winning it and general election to become a member of the Planning and Zoning Board.

“The rank and file Democrats know who I am, they know what I stand for,” Chaucer said.

Under state law, if a primary is necessary, it will be held Sept. 15, said City Clerk Alan H. Jepson.

Jepson, who announced in May he will not seek re-election, was first elected city clerk in 1987 and has routinely enjoyed cross-endorsement.

The Democrats chose state Rep. Richard Roy over PZB Vice Chairwoman Kim Rose to replace Jepson as their nominee for city clerk.

New to the ticket for the Board of Aldermen this year is current chairman of the Police Commission, the Rev. Carleton Giles, and Luke Lynch from the 4th and 1st districts respectively.

The Republican slate will be set at its nominating convention Tuesday at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

Two Republicans were vying for the GOP mayoral nomination. But Wednesday, Republican Town Committee Chairman Tom Jagodzinski announced that former aldermanic Chairman Tom Beirne is no longer challenging four-term Mayor James L. Richetelli Jr. for the Republican nomination.

Bierne confirmed he has withdrawn from the race.

Milford residents will also have a third-party choice in November. The Milford Independent Party, with former GOP Town Committee Chairman Peter Spalthoff at the head of the ticket, plans to run candidates for most positions.

James Tinley NH Register

ORIGINAL STORY

Tim Chaucer Demands Change In Milford

The city would look very different today if Tim Chaucer were running things.

In formally announcing his candidacy for mayor Monday evening, the Democrat listed several instances when his intervention -- even as a private citizen -- got large development plans rejected.

"When the current administration formulated plans to consolidate our two geographically balanced high schools, we formed Milford Citizens Against Mega Schools," he said during a rally on the City Hall steps.

"We showed how consolidating was not only a bad idea educationally, but would be more costly to the city taxpayer. We won the battle."

Chaucer said he opposed a proposal in the 1980s to reroute Gulf Street so that a developer and his daughter would have homes with a better view. "I am proud that we protected the beautiful vista from the Indian burial ground on Gulf Pond when elected officials did not have the city's best interests at heart."

The retired history teacher reminded the 15 supporters at the rally that the historic Merwin-Cadley homestead on Gulf Pond was torn down last year despite assurances by Mayor James L. Richetelli Jr. that it would be saved. A developer paid less than the market value in exchange for a conservation easement that was to protect the property, Chaucer said.

The candidate said he opposed a plan to improve Eisenhower Park because it would have meant charging fees to residents to recoup the cost. "The park is there for
everyone to enjoy, for free," he said.

"And it certainly doesn't need $20 million of so-called improvements."

City officials were "asleep at the switch'' when the Langner property next to the library became available several years ago, Chaucer said.

"It was a park-like setting with black walnut trees, and it could have been acquired to add to the recreation complex next to it," he said. "Instead, there are condos on it now and parking at our ball fields is at a premium."

Chaucer said that he would foster open government by, among other measures, putting a logbook in the mayor's office that anyone could review. "It's transparency. We ought to know who our mayor is spending his time with." He'd also consider periodic public hearings on the operation of city departments and to hear residents' complaints.

The candidate admitted he faces an uphill battle at the Democratic nominating convention Wednesday night. Most party leaders seem to have promised their support to Genevieve Salvatore, currently the chairman of the Economic Development Commission. Chaucer would not rule out a primary.

Salvatore said, "It isn't surprising to me that there are more people interested in this race. Many people in Milford are dissatisfied with the status quo and we all agree that it is a good time for a change in leadership. While it's great that others are concerned about Milford's future, I am confident that I will be nominated by the Democratic Town Convention this week.

"I have a strong vision for our city's future and I believe that such vision, together with strong leadership, will be crucial for our success in November and beyond."

Richetelli said he is running on his eight-year record in office.

Peter Spalthoff, the Independent Party mayoral candidate, said, "Tim announcing that he is running for mayor simply goes to my belief that the citizens of Milford can only be the winners with more choices of candidates. There is no reason in the world why there should only be two candidates for the position."

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About Chaucer: Timothy Chaucer is the former chairman of the Milford Conservation Comission and a former elected member of the Milford Planning and Zoning Board. n He founded Milford Citizens Against Mega Schools several years ago to fight attempts to consolidate Jonathan Law and Joseph A. Foran high schools. n Chaucer has been program chairman for the Milford Historical Society for the past five years, and is nominating chairman for the Milford Preservation Trust. n He is the founder and director of the Milford Marine Institute Inc., which has educated more than 1,000 Milford children since 1983 about the value of salt marshes, woodlands, farmlands and meadows. n He is a retired high school and college instructor of American history, as well as criminal and civil law, and retains his state teaching certification

ORIGINAL ARTICLE BY FRANK JULIANO

Tim Chaucer Becomes 5th Contender For Milford Mayor

Another mayoral hopeful is poised to throw his hat into the ring: Local historian Tim Chaucer said this week that he plans to seek the Democratic nomination to run for mayor in November.

Chaucer, who has been involved in historical and land preservation issues for years in Milford, makes mayoral hopeful number five for the 2009 election.

Incumbent Mayor James Richetelli Jr., a Republican, has announced he plans to seek another term. Former Board of Aldermen Chairman Tom Beirne has announced that he’d like to run on the GOP ticket.

Peter Spalthoff, a former Republican Town Committee chairman who joined the Milford Independent Party, plans to run on the Independent ticket.

Democrats already seemed to be lining up behind Genevieve Salvatore, a lawyer and relative newcomer to the Milford political scene, who announced her intention to run on the Democratic ticket. Last week, Chaucer penned a letter to the Democratic Town Committee stating his interest in seeking the party nomination.

“I want to run because I think I can do the best job for the city of Milford,” Chaucer said. “I’ve lived in Milford my entire adult life. I’ve always said it’s a city worth saving.”

Chaucer said he identifies with the city’s historic beauty.

“Sometimes the chief executives we’ve had don’t get the real historic significance of the city,” Chaucer said. “I think people love Milford who live here because of the beauty, the beaches, the green, the woodlands, the wetlands, and yet we see these being chipped away. There ought to be more efforts to preserve the beauty.”

Chaucer also said taxes are a huge issue for him, especially because he had to sell his Gulf Pond home because taxes soared.

“I have many questions about the assessor’s office, and I know for a fact that there are people who live on direct waterfront in Milford who pay nothing in real estate taxes,” Chaucer wrote in a letter to Democratic Town Committee Chairman Rich Smith. “I know of other cases where people pay too much or too little.”

Early this week, the head of the Democratic Town Committee said he hadn’t read Chaucer’s letter of intent yet.

“He made overtures months ago,” Smith said. “I’d have to talk to Tim and see what he thinks the issues are. I’ve not had an opportunity to have that conversation yet.”

Smith said the nomination process is fairly straightforward. The Democratic Town Committee will vote for a nominee at a convention July 22. “Whoever has the most votes of the delegates will win the nomination,” Smith said.

Chaucer said he would primary for the nomination if the committee chooses Salvatore.

Chaucer notes that he has lived in Milford all his life, while Salvatore has not, and he is a life-long Democrat, while Salvatore was a Republican until about four years ago.

Salvatore says it’s true she is a relative newcomer to Milford — she’s been here since 2002 — but she doesn’t see that as a negative.

“Many people are new to Milford like me,” she said, “and the fact is that I chose Milford as the place I wanted to raise my son. So I feel I’m as vested as anyone.”

On being a fairly new Democrat, she said she became disenchanted with the Republican Party both nationally and locally.

“I said I need to make a change,” Salvatore said. “I wanted to make sure my political affiliation was aligned with where my heart was.”

Salvatore is chairman of the Milford Economic Development Commission and has said she wants to seek the party nomination because she sees “substantive opportunities to improve the way our city government functions, to break out of the business as usual cycle and introduce new, most cost effective and efficient ways to manage our city government.”

She has said the public sector has not been as innovative as the private sector in streamlining and improving the way it does business.

“Over the past eight years, the city’s budget has grown at an astronomic rate,” Salvatore said when she announced her intentions about a month ago. “Much of this, I believe, could have been avoided by more prudent and purposeful focus on driving the cost of doing business down while at the same time improving services.”

Story a reprint from Milford Mirror

Walnut Beach Festival On Schedule

On Sunday August 2Nd. From 10A.M. to 5.00P.M the 2009 Walnut Beach Festival is set to kick off. The event will feature entertainment for all ages. Guests can expect to find Live Music, A Race for Runners, Lots of Vendors, Free Demonstrations and plenty of Food.

This year kids will also enjoy an expanded Area Featuring MURAL PAINTING, SAND SCULPTURE, BOOK READING, arts and Crafts, Story Telling and More!

To locate this event, take exit 34 off I-95 and follow the signs to to the approved parking areas. Event Center is at the Corner of Viscount and Broadway in Milford.

The photo above is from last years event at the beach. Photo depicts a competitor at the sand sculpting contest.

For More information visit the official Walnut Beach Festival Website at: http://www.walnutbeachfestival.com

Richetelli's Re-Election Would Cost Taxpayers Extra.

Amid these difficult times, and the already unprecedented jubilee over the "once in a lifetime tax decrease" more concern over a "bait and switch" sales tactic surfaces among my colleagues who are "in the know" of local Milford politics. Our current mayor, who now seeks yet another term appears to be "going for broke." Richetelli is seeking a fifth term that will qualify him for a life long pension at a substantial cost to the taxpayers.

While I do not not know the exact details of his personal pension related future monetary entitlements, I do know that it will cost our city extra money over the course of his lifetime, beginning upon his retirement. While many like myself supported Jim in the last election with a sign on my lawn, this time around I do not plan to because I am of the opinion that the cost of retaining him is going to add too much future debt to our city.

This opinion of mine is not because I think Jim is a bad person or did a terrible job, its actually to the contrary I think Jim was simply the best choice of the candidates Running last go around. This year is different, we have three other choices besides Jim including my personal favorite Peter Spalthoff who believes in the fundamental fairness of "people and not politics." He is also a selfless individual who has lived in Milford many years and has been a part of many of our local clubs and organizations and traditions. Peter is the only person I ever met who personally invested his own money in our community. I cannot really say that about any of the other candidates.

This year I simply urge all voters to make the best choice for our city and with tax increases and out of control spending being the current theme we may want to think twice about voting for a person who will add additional pension obligations to the city's already over burdened treasury. Jim, in my opinion is a great person who will qualify for a very high paying corporate job after his retirement from the city. We need not worry about him or his future should he fail in his bid for re-election.

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6/14/09 Correction and an addendum to this Post.

The previous title of this post alleged millions, perhaps that is true or perhaps its not I did have the opportunity to get some more imput about this opinion of mine of which is changed a bit due to some new updates.

As it was explained to me the Mayor Recieves 2.25% in pension benefits for each year he holds office. Jim, should he get re-elected to his fifth term would qualify for 10 Times the 2.25% or 22.5% of his $93,000.00 a year estimated salary. This amount would be due and payable upon his 60Th birthday and would be subject to the review of the Pension and Retirement board. This board, at their discretion, could agree to give him Cost of living adjustments to compensate for inflation or like scenarios that could diminish the purchasing power of his pension check.

Should the mayor collect his pension from 60-90 or 30 years, this sum would total Apx. $21,000.00 Times 30 or $630,000.00 without cost of living adjustments by the board. How much this figure grows is entirely up to the Pension and Retirement board and their willingness to increase his benefits in the future.

The ultimate amount could be a million or more, but this is really contingent on how many years the Mayor collects, how many increases he gets along the way, and any other unforseen additional expenses (such as continued health coverage)related to this debt obligation. This figure is pure speculation.

Update 6/27/2009

Quote from Brian McCredy NH Register

"The combined city and schools proposed budget is $170.8 million, compared to this year's $160.1 million, representing a 6.69 percent increase. The proposed budget basically keeps services at the same level. Fixed costs such as health insurance, electricity, contractual wages, pension contributions and workers compensation make up 91.2 percent of the increase."

LINK to full article

Genevieve P. Salvatore is officially in the mayoral race.

The 37 year-old lawyer made a point during her announcement Tuesday evening that if she receives her party's nomination she would be running against three Republicans in this year's mayoral contest.

Incumbent Mayor James L. Richetelli Jr., former Board of Aldermen Chairman Thomas Beirne and Peter Spalthoff, a former GOP town chairman running on the Independent ticket, have previously announced their candidacy.

Salvatore presented herself as a fresh face with new ideas. "I am not a politician,'' she said to the knot of people gathered in the park in front of City Hall. "I am an attorney, a wife and a mother, and a business owner, and for the past eight years, the city has not been operating smartly or efficiently.''

The Kimball Report on the city's building and land-use permitting processes "shows systemic inefficiencies in government. We are wasting our fiscal and human resources, but it doesn't have to be like that,'' she said. "I'd like the opportunity to do more with less.''

A graduate of the University of Connecticut and the UConn School of Law, Salvatore also has a master's degree in public administration from the University of Hartford.

"You know that person in the dorm who never studied, but got all A's?'' her husband Stephen said. "That's her. Gen is street smart and things come easily to her. But she also works hard. She commuted from West Hartford to Manhattan.

The Salvatores have been married 15 years and are the parents of a 6-year-old son, Geno.

"We're big UConn fans, but he's not named for Geno Auriemma,'' Stephen said. Geno, meanwhile, didn't seem too impressed with all the attention his mother was getting Tuesday.

The candidate grew up on the Jersey shore and the Salvatores moved to Milford in 2002. "We had the opportunity to move to any town we wanted to and of all the ones on our hit list, Milford has everything we were looking for,'' the candidate said.

The chairwoman of the city Economic Development Commission, Salvatore also serves on the advisory board for Boys and Girls Village. Her legal practice handles development, construction and contracts, with an office on the Green.

Salvatore is not likely to face any opposition for the Democrats' mayoral nomination, Democratic Town Chairman Richard Smith said. "The town committee is very enthusiastic about her and she is not one of the same people who've been around the political process for years, perhaps myself included.

Alderman Martin Hardiman, D-3, said he looks forward to running for re-election with Salvatore at the top of the ticket. Her biggest task will be to increase her name recognition, said Hardiman, who ran for mayor himself in 1991.

"It's not just reaching out to the five district committees, it's going door-to-door,'' he said. "She'll do that, and I know she'll run well. We have a lot of fresh faces coming in.''

David Hourigan, the Board of Education chairman, said an advantage Salvatore will have is "there are no hidden agendas. It's all up front.''

Richetelli, declaring his plans Monday to run for re-election, said that he is running on his four-term record and will conduct his campaign the same way, regardless of his opponents.

Spalthoff said that he doesn't know Salvatore well, but looks forward to the race. "Mine will be a bare-bones campaign,'' he said. "We don't have a lot of money to get our message out.''

Story a reprint from CT Post