Milford has 8937 residents out of power as of today and social media outlets are expressing concerns and outrage over UI's handling of the outage. These people have been without electricity for nearly three full days now and are growing concerned that the slowness of the progress may keep the lights off longer.
UI has offered no meaningful response on exact time or schedules, and our local leaders have been all deafly silent on the power issue. Residents are now asking that our elected leaders step up to the plate and start engaging in leadership. The people want answers on how much longer our lives and businessess will be disrupted by this outage.
The following video is from www.uinet.com and is of UI's CEO Torgerson commenting on the outage.
Winds are going to be high, the Governor has declared a state of emergency and power companies are gearing up for downed power lines. The big department stores have sold out of generators, and local auto parts stores have sold out of their car inverters.
How bad is this storm going to be? No one knows for sure, but estimates are that we will be hit with winds in the range of 50-to 75 Mph. This is especially bad news for those individuals who live on the coast line, as the high tide will only exacerbate flood conditions in the low lying areas of the city. The full force of the storm will coincide with High Tide of which is 10:36P.M. on Sat. Night.
Many homeowners may want to check and see if their home and auto coverage includes water and flood damage and it might be a good idea to make the call to your insurance agent right away.
In the event the city is without power for a sustained period of time, today and tomorrow will be your last chance to stock up on supplies. Most essential are batteries, water, food, ice for the fridge, a radio, and gas for your cars.
To get updates on the latest news and weather related events click this LINK for updated information.
Category 1 storms usually cause no significant structural damage to building structures; however, they can topple unanchored mobile homes, as well as uproot or snap trees. Poorly attached roof shingles or tiles can blow off. Coastal flooding and pier damage are often associated with Category 1 storms. Power outages are typically widespread to extensive, sometimes lasting several days. Even though it is the least intense type of hurricane, the storm can still produce plenty of widespread damage and can be a life-threatening storm.[11]
Last week I learned of the Connection between the corrupt Acorn Organization and the Working Families Party. It is no secret that Acorn is in a heap of trouble. We have seen the blogger video (Below) whereby Acorn was advising Hookers and Pimps on how to set up a business, we also heard the Registrar of Voters in Bridgeport talk about their role in the historic voter fraud mess and the extension of the Malloy election.Most people do not even know that Billionaire New World Order Traitor George Soros and Media Matters is backing this organization. Locally, and in New Haven the Chair of The Communist USA Party Joelle Fishman is also praising the organization.
Congress has cut funding to Acorn after a corruption fight with Obama, and many Americans are really confused by their sincerity and purpose. After all they have a catchy name, Working Families, and who could possibly be against that. Last election right here in Milford State Rep. Kim Rose and Rosa Delauro both invited the Working Families Party to our town ballot. Many people voted that line thinking they were supporting something good when in reality they were supporting corruption.
Unfortunately, most people I questioned who voted for the duplicitous Acorn/Working Families had no idea what their ties to the WFP was really about. To help clarify this point below is a quote from a news clip posted back in in Feb 8th 2010 by Dana Loesch of Big Journalism.com. The entire aricle can be read by clicking here. "With national scrutiny on ACORN and local scrutiny on the Working Families Party, ACORN CEO Bertha Lewis quietly departed as state co-chair of the Working Families Party. Lewis was a founding co-chair of the Party. According to Working Families spokesman Dan Levitan, Lewis stopped serving as co-chair “about a year ago,” though many people familiar with the Party were unaware of that change and Lewis was identified as a current co-chair in an interview on WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show... recently as September."
"Dozens of forged and fraudulent absentee ballots from people registered to vote on the Working Families Party line were filed in the Sept. 15 primary elections in Troy, the Times Union has learned."
This post today is to inform the people of Milford, that when they see the Working Families party on the ballot, and they vote on that line, they are making a statement that they approve of Acorn s corruption. Since I know that most people oppose, theft, prostitutution, and voter fraud I would highly advise that THEY NOT VOTE THE WORKING FAMILIES PARTY LINE. I also would advise Kim Rose and Rosa Delauro to drop their cross endorsement in the next election unless they publically accept and defend their work and questionable ties to corruption.
The photo above shows, the misuse of public funds to build a political party right here in America, something that the U.S. Taxpayers object to and is inherently unconstitutional. Under no circumstances should our tax dollars be spent to subsidize socialist left wing political parties.
The Independent Party recommends that we as a community object and vote against any candidates that has or bears the Un-American and confusing Acorn/Working Parties cross endorsement.
The Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles was once a practical and yet useful place to obtain a Drivers Licence, get your car inspected for safety and emissions and obtain the required paperwork to prove to the police you actually owned your car.
Over time the insurance lobby argued successfully that the DMV should insist that all Motorvehicles be insured. This was a major legislative victory that brought Billions in profits to the auto insurance industry. The system worked so well that towns adopted it to collect on outstanding property taxes on cars.
The Local Police Departments also loved the idea and soon if you owed on more than Five parking tickets then you were also denied your driving privilige. The DMV in Connecticut has not gone completely extreme like some states have, but the trend against personal liberty is alarming. Some states have implemented programs that deny DMV services to individuals that have past due child support obligations.
To make matters more interesting Connecticut recently joined Homeland Security in turning our DMV's into "report you neighbor" Stazi broadcast centers. This is a similar program that is expected to be adopted at 9,000 Walmart stores.
While the electronic billboards are relatively new, you will soon notice them while awaiting your number to be called. These billboards casually display DHS messages while you enjoy the latest pop gossip, stock reports and a message from Janet Napolitano asking the public to Rat on their friends and neighbors should they look "suspicious."
To make matters more troubling the Connecticut DMV is now linked to Fusion Centers, or those public data collection agencies who spy on the American public. Fusion Centers are highly secretive and operate outside the jurisdiction and management of Congressional oversight.
The Government recognizes that Driving is sacred to the public. Imagine what your life would be like if you were not allowed to drive your car? The DMV is being transformed into a battleground against the New World Order. We have seen this battle some years back when they were tasked to usher in the controversial Real ID act. Fortunately that bill died with the arrest of CT state Senator Deluca who had some very questionable ties to organized crime.
The issues facing the public, and the misuse and abuse of the Patriot act to suppress the angry public are of great concern to freedom loving people every where. While I do not advocate violence, I do advocate an Infowar against every Federally Elected criminal in Washington D.C. The most powerful weapon we have is our minds and our mouths. When combined with the truth they create an unstoppable movement that restores our nation to the place where it belongs, above reproach and a beacon of light that signal to the world that America's people will never take part in the evils of a Communist World Government.
The Holiday Cheer is behind us and for some that is a relief from all the joy that the holiday seasons brings. Every year I hold an annual Christmas party at my home and every year it grows to new stellar levels. The parties are fun, the kids love to play and celebrate with time off from school and we as parents honor our kids achievements with thoughtful gifts and presents.
The most important part of the holiday season, is to close out the old year and set the course for the new year. Some in my family have made resolutions, I on the other hand stay resolute and continue to find those solutions to the difficult problems that face the average person like myself and my family.
Each time I spend time with my kids, I am reminded of how much I love each and every one them. I also have dedicated my life to working hard and spending every penny I have to make sure they have a good home, food on the table and get a good education.
All of my remaining wonderful children and step children, two girls and one boy will be going off to college soon and like most kids they will have high hopes and dreams of aspiring to great things. My eldest step daughter already graduated from college, completed her Masters degree and is a teacher in the Fairfield Public School system. We are all very proud of Brianna who has made such great decisions for herself.
With the new year coming upon us, all too often we parents place all our energy in taking care of our kids up until college. To few of us teach our kids to fight the very forces in Washington D.C. who pass laws exporting their jobs to China and India. This reality is increasingly frustrating universities and our youth who are discovering that they cannot find jobs that are good enough to pay for the loans they took out to pay for their education.
What I learned over the last year, and in talking to and meeting with several college graduates is that they are all to often struggling. Many believed that College and good grades were the answer to what we as parents taught them are the keys to independence and success.
The job of raising and loving your kids today is being redefined, and as such a crossroads exist. We can tell our kids to get good grades, go to college and with that diploma live a life inferior of that of their parents. Or we can accept that raising a kid today is more then just about good grades, a diploma and lots of student debt. Anyone out there who is raising children needs to accept that education is only a small part of parenting, the biggest part is making sure your kids are politically involved and actively discussing politics.
There is no way to make the next generation stronger than the last without demanding that our kids take part in elections as well as get a good education. Our kids need to learn how to fight corrupt congress people like Rosa Delauro who support and promote Communist ideals in our state.
We as parents want our kids to succeed, but when the wholesale destruction and dismantling of our economy is permitted in the name of bribery and corruption, we could expect our kids to live lives inferior to those that we as their parents made them accustomed to. The straddling of debt and being the product of a diploma mill will ultimately lead to our kids being increasingly frustrated. This year lets make it our mission to love our kids enough to teach them how to vote and identify those corrupt individuals who are ruining their future out of office. There is no greater new years resolution than to teach your kids how to identify and fight those politicians who destroy their future and then lie about it. Raise your kids to be infowarriors!
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.
Video Courtesy of CT Bob. Videographer and Dedicated Democrat Bob Adams has a penchant for getting perspective on local events here in town. Bob attended the Republican Hyped McMahon Rally and showed us an angle that I am certain the Milford Republicans would like us to forget. Since they will certainly not brag about the events that took place I thought that in the spirit of "Veritas" the Milford Independent Party owes you the information you missed.
Most Charitable organizations live in fear of the Government, I heard a story where a church "endorsed" a Pro-Life Pro-God candidate and that small "House of God" was treated like a "Den of Inequity" by the Feds who revoked their 501C3 essentially putting them out of business. The idea that the government is allowed to bully any charitable organization with an opinion, or who supports a candidate for office through their parish is really dis-heartening and an unfair encroachment by our country, who in its pledge of allegiance admits we are "one nation under God."
When a nation through a "heavy handed government" uses fear and intimidation to destroy the very moral fabric of society, including those who wish to help the disadvantaged, support minority and women's rights, foster education, and benevolent food and shelter organizations for the hungry are doomed to imperil the very land we call home. This imperilment will result in a world where the government will be directly responsible to help every disadvantaged person, and every disadvantage person will be dependent on the government for all that they have.
Social services in Connecticut is already mired in debt, in previous years massive amounts of energy assistance was doled out, affordable housing is in continuous demand, and food stamps are at a record high not only here in Connecticut but nationwide where 50+ plus million people are actively using them.
What this has done to Connecticut and new England is clear, it has become a target of the Federal Governments agenda to spread the wealth, and with the health care tax on its way in conjunction with the propensity for new tax increases in 2011 as the Bush tax cuts expire, this nation and Connecticut is in for a very troubled future. To prove my point here, the following article was featured in Money magazine and CLICK HERE it shows that the "per capita debt in the state of Connecticut is the highest in the nation" and eerily warns us that our state is on a "steady march toward bankruptcy.
While the Federal Government has the ability to print money at will, and use complex financial tools like "quantitative easing" to purchase its own bonds the state of Connecticut has to borrow all that it cannot come up with. Not since the 1890's has our state had a sovereign currency. Had our state created currency not been taxed out of existence by the Feds in the early 1900's CT may still have its own version of a sovereign independent monetary system today. While some argue this would create chaos others like representative Ron Paul have argued that "competing currencies" would be a good thing for the stability of our nation and protect us from the misplaced power of the federal reserve.
However unlikely that we would have our own currency, the problem of monetary abuse by the Feds and the US Treasury is merely aggregate to the compounded problem of the government being on every one's backs. This year the IRS is adding to its ranks 16,500 new health care tax collectors. They are expected to nearly double the Feared IRS in size and invade the last bastion of legitimate productivity and job creation; small Mom and Pop and father and son businesses. This is guaranteed to squeeze the life out of whats left of the U.S. and Connecticut's economy.
The march is on, the food pantry's are low to empty on food and now we need to be actively concerned and organized with a new form of governmental injury against low income Americans.
Two Senate candidates, Rob Simmons and Peter Schiff, are scheduled to speak at Thursday night's Republican Town Committee meeting.
Committee members will also discuss formally endorsing Tom Foley for governor.
Town committee meetings are open to the public.
The meeting will be held Thursday, at 7:15 p.m., at the Crown Corporate Campus Conference Training Center, 472 Wheelers Farm Rd. For information call 203-218-6166.
The Coffee landscape in Milford is going through a remarkable transformation, with one Dunkin Donuts out, one Crispy Creme out, and Cafe Atlantique under new management coffee drinkers will be getting more consolidated.
While the departures of each of these establishments all have the same story, lost profitability and a desire to head for the exit, new faces and new enthusiasm is moving in to take on the challenges of the economy.
The newest replacement to the Crispy Creme location will be a new franchise known in the fast food world as Sonic. Sonic is a fast food establishment that will serve much more than coffee and doughnuts. Sonic will feature a full menu of hamburgers, chicken, fish and fries much like is many competitors up and down the Post Road.
The new establishment is expected to open in the coming months and after the completion of its renovations and upgrades. On behalf of all of us at the MDB we welcome Sonic to Milford thank you for setting up business in this states greatest town.
While Christians celebrate this day as the birth of Christ, the real date may not be what we think. Experts in history and religious archaeology believe that the true date of Christ's birth is sometime in March, 7 B.C. This may be a surprise to all of you who have a Manger under your tree at the moment.
However, I will not spoil the festivities but invite you not to feel so bad about the commercialization of the holiday. Gift giving can be a guilt driven detraction from the Lord's birthday celebration.
Since we all love Saint Nick ("Santa Claus") and the tradition of holiday gift giving, all us Christians could save our day of prayer and celebration for the later March date.
Until that day arrives just know that holiday gift giving is not really a commercial distraction from anything holy. History and archaeology think differently. Christmas day was established at the Council of Nicea for political reasons and is little more than a date set over 1,700 years ago.
(Photo above of an artifact depicting the Roman Pagan God of war Invictus)
Some few weeks ago, I watched Florida Representative Alan Grayson on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives read one heartfelt health care story after another. His speech, was hard to listen to, not because Grayson is a controversial representative, but because the stories were chilling. They were real people who experienced the loss of a child, a mother, or a relative.
The stories told spoke of incredible financial hardships, in many cases after the "principal bread winner" died along with the families income. The results were terrifying cases of foreclosure, bankruptcy, and severe cases of induced depression, suicide and anxiety. Its hard to look the other way, especially when you realize that this is going on in America and this is what we call "The Greatest Nation on Earth."
Every story Grayson told touched my heart, and I was deeply saddened that so many families have had their lives lost due to the current broken health care system. Never did I expect what I heard next, especially from those people who are on record and are quoted as saying "never let a good crisis go to waste."
These words, spoken by Rohm Emanuel and Hillary Clinton (A former Health care advocate who has gone suddenly silent) are of grave concern. They represent the epitome of all that is wrong in the cruel world we live in. What these words mean to some are not what you would expect in the least. The plan is not about helping you, or giving you affordable access to a flawed health care system but rather a "two pronged dagger" designed to save America from a 70 Trillion dollar unfunded Medicaid/Medicare liability and allowing midnight redaction's of controversial bills that the public has no access to but big corporations do.
The protests are real, our Senator Lieberman vowed a "filibuster" and has been under grave fire from the very families that Mr. Grayson spoke about. Countless health care groups are calling for a positive reform to the current system and their membership and ranks are swelling as they demand action.
The danger to the bills being presented today is the unwelcome intrusion of the big insurance and pharmaceutical companies who are taking the time to read these bills and then launching their "K Street" minion lobbyists to ensure that their profits are not only not threatened, but "increased" under any new Senate bill.
The big Plutocratic and pharmaceutical companies are currently busy making sure that this new crisis "does not go to waste." Their efforts are focused on the inclusion of draconian and horrific enforcement laws that hold those people who have no insurance accountable, forcing the uninsured to buy insurance they cannot afford. They also wish to force businesses on the edge to also forcibly provide insurance to their workers.
Latest reports indicate that the criminal measures directed at the "uninsured" are not extreme enough or to their liking. They know that if the stricter measures of enforcement are passed their pockets will be lined with all that new insurance money.
Under a plan that criminalizes health care, the states and the cities will be deprived of their liberty, and larger prison populations could be expected. Those criminally uninsured prisoners will now be insured by the states already battered health care system. This is a dangerous precedent beyond words, especially when corporations are allowed to unconstitutionally usurp the law to arrest those individuals who can't afford insurance. This is a classic measure of instilling fear in others to act in the best interests of the insurance industries profit model.
Connecticut, with its many insurance companies, will certainly benefit from this kind of medical tyranny, however the average family could expect a higher level of contemptible and icarcerable actions aimed at filling debtors prisons.
The law today forbids individuals from completely bankrupting, student loans, IRS Taxes, Child Support, credit cards, and you must pay for Auto Insurance and soon possibly Health Insurance. The Bankruptcy Reform Act has been all but "neutered" leaving families in "dire straits" with few options to start over. This nightmarish scenario is also being added to a nation that holds 10.2% unemployment, offers few good paying opportunities, allows anyone in the country illegally and produces next to nothing.
The number of prisoners in America is staggering, our nation has more people in prison per capita than any industrial nation on earth. We also have the most amount of debt per capita and are among the unhealthiest in the world. Nelson Mandela once said that "the best way to know your country is to go through its prisons," a quote now re-emergent as Former Ohio Rep. James Trafficante re-enters society.
While I do not mean to berate my country, or to agitate those on the edge of just "giving up," the message to our citizens is becoming increasingly clear. That message is aimed at those Americans who once embraced the "American Dream" to think twice about what they are getting themselves into.
Our nation is becoming one of the most "overtaxed" on earth. None of the taxes individually is that terrible but when put together in aggregate and combined with legal mandates we cannot survive as a middle class family without supporting the inhumane slave labor and sweatshops of foreign countries who are known for their cruelty toward others.
The choice, and the conclusion to the national health care debate is now entering its final stages, and you can be certain that Obama will sign whatever the Senate agrees to. This is your last chance to speak out, protest or get involved. If there was ever a time that the nature of apathy on our parts were more dangerous to your future liberties, this is that time. I sincerely hope that all of you find this issue important enough to make sure that the corporate plutocracy has NO SAY in the future of our health care.
No health care system, that deprives a person of their basic liberties could ever be accepted as successful.
A Link to this video will be made available on the sidebar as a new feature. As interesting and informative documentaries become available we will place them in the side bar.
The low life criminal in the above photo is yet another pathetic instance of businesses being under assault. If there ever has been a time to get night clerks armed and trained to deter these criminals, now is the time.
The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was not intended to let the criminals have guns, and leave law abiding store owners feeling that guns are a terrible thing. Businesses should have a right to defend their own property and the sooner these thugs see the gun pointed back at them the sooner they will get the message.
Police, once again, have released another video and more photos from two recent Devon robberies. They are again, asking for the public's help in identifying the suspect.
Both businesses robbed this week are, the New Star China Restaurant and the Krauser's Market. Both were conveniently robbed near closing time by a suspect described as white, 5 feet 7 inches tall, with a thin to medium build.
The restaurant, is located at 548 Naugatuck Ave., and was robbed Oct. 27, the convenience store was robbed two days later.
In both holdups, the robber displayed a small, black handgun, police said. Investigators believe that the two robberies may have been committed by the same person.
Once again anyone with information about either case is asked to call the Milford police detective division at 203-877-1465
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.
****************************************** A Quick Note From Peter ******************************************
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
***************************************** CT Bob Previous Debate From Condo Assoc. *****************************************
The Petty Thief staring up at the 300 Bridgeport Avenue Getty Gas station video camera, is being sought by the Milford Police department.
The owners of the Gas Station located in Devon, said that the person depicted in the photo forced his way through the door in the early hours on the morning. He appears to be trying to disable the video camera, unaware of the fact that his photo was recorded prior to his vandalizing the security system.
The Gas station reported that the thief stole a small amount of cash and suffered an undisclosed amount of property damage.
Anyone with information, or may know this individual should contact the Milford Police Department by calling (203) 783-4798
Investigators have obtained an arrest warrant for a man they believe robbed the Sikorsky Financial Credit Union on Sept. 29, police said.
The suspect, Eric Lapenna, for whom no address was given, is believed to have ties to Maine and California, police said. He is described as 5 feet 8 inches tall and 145 lbs, with brown hair and brown eyes, police said. Lapenna is believed to be operating a 2002 silver color Mazda Protégé, with Connecticut registration 820-XRE. Anyone with information that would assist in locating Lapenna is asked to call the Milford Police Detective Division at (203) 877-1465 or (203) 878-6551.
There is a crisis in public education in our country today. It is often referred to as "The Dumbing Down of America" and in spite of our comparative prosperity in Milford, it is running rampant here. I recently button holed a few students leaving our Milford high schools at the end of the school day and asked them a couple of questions. I discovered that NO student (only a slight exaggeration) in our Milford schools knows how to divide 51 by three without using a calculator. Most of them do not know how to make change without the aid of a cash register. I also found that only approximately half of our high school students can point to Great Britain on a world map.
Public education has deteriorated severely in the last 50 years. Our grandparents were far better educated than the present generation. Way back in 1957, Admiral Rickover declared that the U.S. Standards of Education were unacceptably low We can only imagine what he would say if he were to come back today. Yes, there are some good students in our Milford public schools, but there will always be some achievers. I would estimate that half our Milford students that enter high school will learn almost nothing in those four years that can help them later in in life. Those students learned how to read and write in grammar school and that was the end of significance for them. A large number of students are dropping out of school. That number was far less 50 years ago.
Milford's education budget today is $110 Million (including state grants). We are certainly not getting our money's worth. We must rid ourselves of what I call the money mentality. That is the practice of throwing money after every problem. The little one room school house of a hundred years ago produced better education then our present multimillion dollar facilities.
Now let me address an incredible situation with our current Board of Education. If you look up the names of the members of the Board of Education on the city website, you will find one member listed as the "Chairman of the Majority Party" and another listed as "Chairman of the Minority Party." You will also find these same titles referred to in newspaper articles.
It is a fact that Board of Ed members vote strictly along party lines. All members of the Democrat party vote one way and the members of the Republican Party vote the other way. Politics, practiced at the school board level is moronic (I tried hard to think of a kinder word than moronic, but it's the only one that seems to be appropriate.) These people appear to be incapable of critical thinking. As a member of the Milford Independent Party, I pledge to cast my vote based on the issues and not based on politics.
I have talked to a number of teachers and they are virtually unanimous advising me that they spend all their time teaching to the state mandated "no Child Left Behind" (NCLB) testing program and have no time for anything else. A stop must be put to that and that will not be easy to do. If Milford stops testing, it will lose millions of dollars from the state and guess where the state gets that money from? Big Brother (the Federal Government), the Fed's are prohibited by the US Constitution from being involved in education. That is the province of the State and local governments. So how do they get around it? They give grants to the states which they in turn pass on to the local governments. I am told that Milford cannot refuse to administer the NCLB tests, without losing ALL state educational grants. That is outrageous.
Teachers tell me that they are forced to teach the students what to think and how to think. A prominent school book publishing executive advises that because they must meet the standards set by each state, the text books, in general, are becoming more alike and the content is specifically associated with the outcome of the NCLB tests. All books are being produced to the same standards, which means that creativity and creative curriculum are lost.
I do not believe that Washington bureaucrats are any smarter than many good citizens here in Milford and we are perfectly capable of finding good textbooks that are not produced using a "cookie cutter." I would like to see textbooks used that explore the thinking of the Founding Fathers and challenge students to ask thoughtful questions.
If elected to the school board, I would advocate giving the Superintendent the broad based guidelines for running the schools on a daily basis and then step back and let him do his job without micromanagement. I do not advocate the same policy for the curriculum. I will be intensely interested in making major changes in that area. There are a number of schools across the country which have made dramatic improvements. We should be examining their methods.
Richard Sieron District 5, Candidate Board of Education Milford Independent Party
Anyone voting at Harborside Middle School can vote for Richard Sieron
