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!
The city of Milford had several terrific candidates that worked very hard this year. Also among these candidates were some not so terrific individuals, but even with that said the voters always get the government we elect. Gayle Slossberg whom was cross endorsed by the Independent Party will be returning to Hartford as a Senator. Richard Roy and Paul Davis will also be returning, additionally and a newcomer in the 118th Kim Rose will be this years freshman.
To add my thoughts, as the Independent candidate in this race, it is important to note that my views belong to me only. You may agree with them or challenge them using the comments section below. You may also feel free to do your own research . When I began this race I was intently familiar with all the candidates in the running. Of the four (now elected) Democrat candidates there was only one that was unknown Kim Rose.
Since we already know the record and reputation of Mr. Davis, Roy and Slossberg I am going to make the point of this article more about Ms. Rose who defeated the chairman of the Milford Board of Alderman much to the surprise of the Republican party and several thousand residents in Milford.
As a disclaimer and before you read on, please note that this is not about "sour grapes" or me being upset over getting defeated. I knew "full well" that I was not going to get elected this election as an Independent. I spent about $250.00 against two established party candidates who randomly spent about $60,000.00.
In 2008 I spent $21,000.00 to get 10% of the vote. This year I instead, opted to be a candidate provocateur. I found that the best way to expose corruption is from within, a side position that I plan on clinging to for many more years so I can keep blogging about the disinformation being told to the people of the 118th.
Since 2006, (when I came on the scene), the 118th has been a sore subject for Independents and Republicans in Milford. This seat became a point of contention when in 2006, it was left unchallenged with only Jim Amann on the Ballot. While Amann was revered as one of the greatest icons in Milford, that view soon became short sighted and unenlightened when it was challenged by Milford Independents. The Democrats later, via courtesy of a video produced at the Milford train station by (Democratic Party member) Bob Adams challenged Amann over his support of Joe Lieberman. Adams recorded a angry Amann Rant, whereby he arrogantly said "if you have any idiot in this town run against me I will crush him." The video went viral and in 2007 Milford was the joke of Connecticut.
While Amann is now out of office, having resigned his speakership in search of a failed gubernatorial bid, its important to note that Amann's record is over stated. Milford benefited little from Amann's personal success. Amann is one of the few Speakers in Connecticut who has the not so enviable and conservative record of delivering the least amount of money to our city.
One of Amman's last projects, before he left office, was the Boardwalk handed over to Barbara Lambert in 2009. Today the project appears abandoned and is currently unfinished after several years of disingenuous remarks by her and the Milford Democratic Town Committee. The boardwalk was sidelined when concern emerged over a new embarrassing national scandal she initiated.
The 2009 scandal involved an AP photographer recording what our legislators do in chambers. What they photographed went viral and the Milford Democrats and our candidate for the 118th became the laughing stock of the entire country. Some of the captions read (along these lines) "Connecticut Representatives Play Solitaire During Crisis." and "Connecticut Fiscal Crisis Second to Baseball Scores and Solitaire."
The Milford Democratic Town Committee, led by Party loyalist Richard Smith, defended Lambert and her actions despite the national and international criticism of this monumental blunder. Lamberts actions were considered so serious that rules regarding laptops had to be changed for the entire Connecticut legislature.
Sadly even with these hard pressed lessons of national shame and embarrassment the Milford Democrats learned little to nothing. To make matters more interesting the voters of the the118th, or the Devon Section of Milford did not care and were blissfully unaware. The "solitaire queen" who resigned of her own free will and accord, was instead heroically revived and placed at her favorite polling place on 11/02/10 Meadowside School. She even cross endorsed Kim Rose despite all the inter party and internal warnings that Ms. Rose is a major liability to the state of Connecticut and Milford.
Many are wondering how did Ms. Rose pull it off? The answer required an enormous amount of research, and even more probing then has previously been done by the Independent Party in Milford. The information we are about to divulge is not flattering but keeps our promise of "veritas" or "truth." All of the information we provide is carefully looked at and validated through credible sources. Readers are free to comment if we have it wrong.
In the 2010 Election Ms. Rose articulated herself well, a skill she practices as a secretary at the Bridgeport Building and Permit Department. While there are many underlying issues that can be brought up about her personal character flaws we, at the Milford Daily Blog are only going to focus on those that concern the people she will represent and the acrimony reported to us by members of her party.
The information we have received was sent to us by inside sources. Many documents were e-mailed anonymously while others are based on first hand accounts of people who directly work with her in community organizations and public projects. It is my opinion that the information that we received reveals that Ms. Rose is going to be a Major liability in Hartford, and to her present employer.
Sadly, this is a tough job for me because never in my life or career have I been burdened with the knowledge that I have come to bear. I have always liked clean elections and ran a clean race in 2007, and again in 2008. But part of what I believe is the job of a political party is to act responsibly, and keep the Chairman's of the other political parties in check when they act against the interests of our city and state. As such my task is one that will certainly draw criticism, but with courage and resolve I am up to that challenge.
One of the principal concerns we have when running our own candidates is their overall health. This was an issue in 2006 when some questioned Ammans Cancer and again in 2008 when I questioned Lamberts age and ability to drive long distances late at night. Our state Legislators endure a great deal of stress, both mental and physical. Sessions sometimes end as late as 3:00A.M. and the commute from Milford to Hartford can exceed an hour or more. Yet we at the MIP have discovered information that confirms our newly elected State Representative is severely handicapped. Her problem is not visible to the naked eye, but if one dare ask her about her handicap she will be forced to admit the ugly truth about her Pneumonectomy . As outrageous and preposterous a conspiracy this may sound it has been validated by Ms. Rose herself, who sadly has also been witnessed smoking.
Very credible reports have arrived to our office that Ms. Roses condition is so severe, that on more than one occasion and by her own conversations with others, revealed severe work debilitating migraine headaches and repeated tardiness and absenteeism from her current work responsibilities. It will be therefore of critical importance to monitor Ms. Roses attendance record at the capitol starting Jan. 7, 2011. Should Ms. Rose fail in her contractual responsibility to represent our state it will be the responsibility of the Milford Republicans and Independents to call upon her to resign.
Right about now many of you who voted for her are probably feeling upset over this unflattering revelation, and believe me the cowards at the newspapers do not want to report this. They are protective of their advertising dollars. This ad money, ironically all comes by way of the CEP or the Citizens Election Program. A program ruled unconstitutional by judge Underhill in the last year. As a Constitutionalists myself, I refused to participate in this program that I also now agree may be "Unconstitutional." Any person with integrity should also refuse this money.
As a brief history this year it is important to mention that the CEP only benefited the major parties. It fell far short and in most cases failed in its primary objective to keep Criminal Rowland style union lobbyists like the Working Families Party at bay. This year the WFP party cross endorsed, not only our Ms. Rose, but 100% of all "sold out" Democrats.
When asked why, a spokesman said that Democrats overwhelmingly support the monetary demands of the states labor unions including those of the SEIU and several others like the UFW and AFLCIO. While it is illegal for a candidate to accept money from a Lobbyist in tandem with CEP funding it remains unclear as to wether or not Ms. Rose broke the law during her election. The only thing that appears very certain is that Ms. Rose sold out Milfords Middle Class citizens in favor of the states labor unions.
In 2010 every third party candidate was audited by the Elections Enforcement Commission, most of these audits lasted about two years and were very discouraging to the candidates Treasures who in 2010 refused to be responsible under the criminal threats made by the Elections Enforcement agency.
The CEP from its onset was challenged by Chris Healy, the Republican Party state Chairman who said in a committee hearing that this program amounts to "little more than legalized theft of public money." Sadly Healy was correct because in 2010 all of the CEP money was directed toward Major Parties with scores of murky endorsements from special interest groups. I personally believe that time will reveal massive corruption at the CEP and eventually that corruption will result in the dissolution of the entire program as in-effective.
For those of you who wish to reclaim your lost or misplaced money, and take it away from the tyrannical machine that has become Hartford visit the link below and follow the instructions. You will be surprised at how many people have had their hard earned personal money sent to political parties. Click HERE to see if your name is on the official list at the State of Connecticut's office. You can also help liquidate this "shady" misused "Republicrat slush fund" by directing your friends in Connecticut to this blog and asking them to make their withdrawal. The more people who do this the more we will be spared from the countless future negative ads purchased by campaigns.
The world in which we live is increasingly moving toward Globalization, and with those painful changes our small State, and our small Town, is in the process of enduring difficulty while attempting to find its place in the world.
Connecticut’s workforce has already endured several challenges. Challenges, that in my opinion, are the result of many failed Federal economic treaties, broken promises, and terrible economic policies that originated from all levels of government. The key issues in Connecticut right now is not who to blame, it’s who to embrace… its jobs, the debt abatement of our states children and our new place in an emerging nation. Connecticut’s legacy must never be defined by its failures or the World’s problems. Connecticut and its people must be defined by our mutual resilience and our willingness to succeed where all others have failed.
As a State Representative I would proudly introduce and co-sponsor legislation that stimulates the economy from the bottom up. This means putting money back in the working persons pocket while streamlining government to pay for only essential services. This also means encouraging and rewarding those state workers who are most productive and find ways to save essential Dollars in deficit years.
Temporary tax cuts for the middle class, in my opinion, is the best way we can begin to deal with the interim economic changes. We must also encourage our citizens to save, and eliminate personal debt by dissuading the very predation of usury and inappropriate lending. I will also work hard to hold irresponsible lenders accountable and protect our borrowers.
Looking toward our mutual future, I will also work to address the green economy as a way of producing future jobs while responsibly serving the needs of our environment. It would be my honor and privilege to introduce and co-sponsor legislation that begins this states transition away from non-renewable fossil fuels to the future of sustainable living. The future of our economy must be rooted in Smart Growth, and it must mandate that all public and state buildings begin the gradual process of converting to the “Netzero” “Leeds” certified standards.
The future is here now, and our state has been slow to respond. Our state has been challenged to find the answers and provide the leadership, direction and programs on too many occasions. Moving forward, we must learn to rely on ourselves and less on our handicapped Federal Government.
As it stands Connecticut is the most indebted nation in America, and as such responsible change can only occur by way of organized and voluntary compliance. The cost of not addressing our issues will only move us closer to the embarrassing austerity measures imposed by virtue of “bankruptcy” and the need for the emergency aid of our Federal Government.
Should the people of Milford elect me, I will work tirelessly, relentlessly, and feverishly to do all that I can, with everyone I know to move our state into a position of strength. A very wise man once told me that it is the responsibility of the “previous generation to make the next generation stronger.” While I am just one person, in this quest I promise to confer and continue to seek out only those individuals who embrace the vision and wisdom for a better future for our people and our state.
Rocco J. Frank Jr.
Candidate Milford State Representative 118th District
(203) 247-4357
The race for the 118th is just starting to kick off and in the next few months the voters will be rushing to the polls to vote in state and federal races. While I am quite pessimistic about this years choices fixing Washington I am also getting equally frustrated with the economic repairmen competing in our local races.
Dreadfully, I really dislike bringing up the past, but it is always important to know that there are plenty of very popular well meaning people out there. Our last two representatives in the 118th were both Democrats with Barbara Lambert resigning after serving just one term. Prior to that we had the former Speaker of the House Jim Amann who also resigned his post in favor of a Gubernatorial bid.
This year we have another three-way race with four political parties being represented. Added to the usual Republican, Independent, and Democrat Parties, we have the added intrusion of the Working Families Party. While most people think WF is a real party it is important to note that they rarely to never run any candidates.
Working Families is a labor union driven entity who has endorsed Democrats in 99% of every contested race in Connecticut. To see their list of cross endorsements click here.
This years Republican Candidate is Greg Smith the present Chairman of the Milford Board of Alderman. Greg replaced the very popular tax cutting Ben Blake after the Republican landslide in 2010.
The Democrat Kim Rose is vying to retain the 118th yet again for the Democrats. Rose is active in several Milford organizations including the Elks, the Irish festival and the Planning and Zoning Board. Rose is also cross endorsed by the Working Families Party.
The Independent is Rocco Frank Jr. who is running again. Frank is a small business owner and has served the state of Connecticut as a Special Deputy Sheriff. Frank is also the Chairman of the Milford Independent Party and is largely responsible for all Independents that appear on the Milford ballot. Frank is also a former candidate for the Board of Education and has three children in High School.
Deciding who to vote for can be challenging, some things to remember is that this year, except for Frank, we have all new faces running for the 118th. Each of the candidates have their strengths and weaknesses.
The Democratic candidate biggest weakness may be her health, and issues that could impair her ability to represent her constituents. Driving back and forth to Hartford can be a taxing (no pun intended) experience and the same impairments that handicap her at her present job will again handicap her again if elected. Other than this issue Rose is a terrific person who has supported a great many honorable organizations and events in Milford.
The Republican Candidate Greg Smith has all of the luster of calling himself Chairman of the Milford Board of Alderman. Smith also calls himself a Libertarian and a Patriot and embraces Libertarian principles in an age where Tea Party Patriots seem to be en-vogue.
Smith's critics, however, have criticized him on several fronts and call him dis-ingenuous. Smith's greatest challenge came from the parents of Simon Lake school. Greg supported and cut the funding to Simon Lake against the wishes of several parents and teachers. Greg was also criticized again by the local media and several blogs when he voted in favor of paying $700.00 each for computer chairs at the mayors request. Greg has denied this to me in person but has failed to provede any proof by way of a reciept. These, in my opinion, are alleged errors in judgements that many of us use to cast doubt on his ability to "fix Hartford." Democrats have also alleged that Greg has voted to raise taxes more times than any Chairman I have ever known.
Rocco Frank Jr. The Independent has been dubbed and called opinionated and yet open minded at the same time. Frank as the owner of a small business, and as a former state employee has a great deal of state experience. The Milford Mirror called Frank an excellent choice in 2008, and was also endorsed by the Family Institute of CT, and every other state Independent party in the state including the American Independent Party.
Frank's biggest handicap this year is funding as he is self financed and has opted out of the Citizens Election Program. In 2008 Frank qualified and spent nearly $20,000.00 but due to a challenge expressed by Chris Healy (Chair of the CT Republicans) that this program amounts to public "theft" frank decided to opt out in 2010 until the program is proven ethical. Frank's critics have also alluded to the 10% margin he achieved in 2008 after spending $21,000.00. He has also been challenged on issues of physical graffiti objections and reforms in divorce law.
This years Milford Oyster Festival was a tremendous success for the Independent Party and all the state candidates in attendance as well. The party certainly impressed many locals who had little to no knowledge of the Independent Party or it's Candidates. Lisa Jones, a native of Stratford stood in amazement as she learned our Candidates came from many diverse backgrounds. One such academic Genius is our candidate for Treasurer Andrew White who successfully managed a multi billion dollar fund profitably during this recession.
White holds academic credentials that are the envy of Wall street. However, he refuses to run with a major party citing the same kind of corruption and distrust that is explosively gaining traction everywhere in Connecticut. White said at the Independent Party State Central meeting that "it is really a pleasant surprise, and yet sad to see, that opponents of third parties have to work so hard to lie time and again to decieve voters to see things their way."
The CT Independent Party candidate for U.S. Senate Warren Mosler was also in attendance and he discussed his many books with the public. Mosler is a niche author of several books, and has his own brand of high performance autos known to the racing community as Mosler Automotive. Warren has been invited to the elite annual Bilderberg conference and is expected to give his view on the state of the U.S. financial crisis to the top Global decision makers. CNBC has also dubbed Mr. Mosler as one of Americas "most brilliant economists" and past contributors to its network.
Independent Party Candidate for Governor Tom Marsh was out greeting local vendors at the fest with me (Rocco Frank Jr. Running for Milford State Rep.) Marsh is a First Selectman from Connecticut's most premier Town Chester. Marsh, while First Selectman of Chester, took great pride in making that small charming New England community the most Desirable place to live (according to CT Magazine) in the state. Marsh touts his experience as Mayor, and a business entrepreneur, as being pivotal to his success in Chester. Marsh is proud and and excited to add his expertise to the office of Governor.
When we go out to the voting booth this year Bo Itshaky (Candidate for Congress) wants everyone to be certain that you all "not throw away your votes" by voting for a party other than Independent. Hopefully voters will resonate with the great success of other Independents across the country and vote accordingly. The time is long overdue that we finally begin recognizing how hard the Independent Party has been working for the voters of Connecticut this year.
Above photo depicts Warren Mosler (L) Speaking with Peter Schiff (R) background depicts Dr. John Mertens of the Connecticut For Lieberman Party speaking to Simmonds during the senate debates.
Independent Party Town Committee Chairman Rocco Frank announced recently that he will run for the 118th District House seat this fall on a platform of protecting the Bill of Rights and increasing state funding for schools.
Rep. Barbara Lambert, D-Milford, is not running for re-election in the district. Frank ran against her and Republican Nanci Seltzer in 2008 for the seat after former House Speaker James A. Amann opted not to run again.
Frank said recently that his previous campaign experience showed him that voters wanted an alternative to Democrats and Republicans.
The Milford Independent party has found a friend in State Senator Gayle Slossberg. Gayle’s efforts to secure funding for third parties in Connecticut is the principle motivating factor in the aforesaid defacto endorsement by the MIP.
Gayle is one of the principal architects of the Citizens Election Program. This program delivers funds to third parties by way of disbursement of abandoned bank accounts. Gayle is bravely engaged in an epic battle against Republican State Chairman Chris Healy who is actively lobbying Hartford to scrap the CEP program.
The MITC is of the opinion that this years political climate is expected to be particularly difficult for Democratic contenders. The Milford Independents who traditionally yield 10% of the city vote, urges all our independent supporters to vote for Gayle in her bid to win re-election in the 2010 State senate race.
Gayle will appear on both the Democratic, and Independent lines this coming election. As such her votes will be combined and count in their aggregate hence making no difference in the outcome of this years election.
We sincerely hope that all Milford citizens, who like Gayle, but not the positions of state government, express their discontent by voting the Independent line this November.
According to Rocco Frank, the Milford Independent Town Committee Chairman, “too many people are voting at their mailbox, and as such we throw elections to those individuals who are not in the best interest of our community.”
This year we are asking the general public to vote for those candidates, like Gayle Slossberg, who have a record of serving Milford’s citizens and support the vital funding program enacted under the Citizens Election Program.
City Attorney Winthrop S. Smith, at the Republican Town Committee meeting Thursday, braced his fellow party members for a potential embarrassment coming their way.
Smith said he expects an e-mail to surface in the coming days written by one town committee member to another that uses “derogatory” language about another city Republican.
Mayor James L. Richetelli Jr. was CC’d on the e-mail, making it a public document, Smith and town committee Chairman Tom Jagodzinski said.
Not often do I write about my kids achievements, but today was something special. The Connecticut post had a wonderful write up on one of my own for being selected to represent Milford in Washington D.C.
Lea Finch, my stepdaughter, was selected by her school teachers who were impressed with her community involvement and fundraising efforts for countless organizations from little league, to the Red Cross. As her her step dad who helped raise her since kindergarten my proudest day was the time we stood out on a cold day by Stop & Shop in Westport. Together she and my two kids Andrew and Rachel raised over $1,000.00 to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.
For as long as I can remember Lea has been giving to somebody, or helping someone. Each Christmas we still wrap gifts for children in the hospital ward, or deliver them to homeless shelters. The kids and adults are so thankful that they send us a constant flow of eternal gratitude in the form of thank you letters and awards.
Lea, will now be travelling to Washington D.C. on March 16Th - 24Th and will be meeting with our national leaders while touring the capitol. This is part of a program sponsored by the National Youth Leadership Conference to introduce our next generation of leaders to the inner sanctum of our American Republic. Her best financial sponsors that made this great dream a reality came from the generous support of her family, our neighbors, and the Milford Independent Party of which we all hope she will one day join.
The award bestowed upon her this day is best exemplified on page C1 under the Neighbors section of today's Connecticut Post where it states "Lea was selected for the honor based on outstanding scholastic merit, civic involvement and leadership potential." We certainly hope that in the coming years we will have a new candidate for public office. Hard work certainly has its rewards.
The seats of the Milford Board of Education had barely warmed when discussion turned political. Newly elected Republicans want to change the terms of office to four years, open the charter and possibly make the mayor, of all people, the board chairman. Reason? Shortly after the election, new board members must work on the next year’s budget.
One would think that when individuals were running for an office, at the very least, he/she would become acquainted with the responsibilities of that office, including the makeup of the current budget. Instead of complaining about “coming out on a cold night,” it might make better sense to get down to the business at hand.
In addition, one interesting comment that was made was that “our class sizes are luxurious.” Board members ought to visit classrooms, when school is in session, to check on this. Barring that, due to work or other commitments, a look at the extensive research done over decades would demonstrate that, second only to the classroom teacher, class size is the most important ingredient to a child’s achievement. Finally, here’s some simple advice from an “old” teacher (and I mean that literally). “Do the work you were elected to do, and remember, it’s not about you. It’s about the kids. They deserve better.”
Greta Stanford (Originally submitted to the CT Post)
Since Peter Spalthoff wrote his note that appeared on this blog and yet again in the Milford Mirror, several letters, comments and notes arrived to my office regarding the Independent Party.
Some important things must be noted about the Independent Party if one is truly to understand how it will develop. The most important of these is, of course, the willingness of the general public to accept something new.
The Democratic and Republican parties have been at it for over 100 years, Independents are the "new kids on the block" and I believe that in order for us to be successfull we need to attract true talent with a message that resonates with the people of our community.
Independents, like all parties are comprised of individuals, and those individuals must be reckoned with regardless of any partisan label. The sooner we start looking at people and not parties, the sooner we will get quality leadership in our community.
There is too much reliance placed on a political party, and lets be honest, there are Democrats and Republicans in our town that share and embrace a true love and commitment to our quality of life. Forever shall it be on the voters backs to know who they are voting for. For example, know where your candidate/s stand on taxes, education, emergency services, and regulations.
Tyrants rise to power because of the myopic vision of the voters whose vote is solely based on the propaganda that is initiated by the candidates themselves. To put this simply, if I was running for office, and I had lots of money, I would spend it trying to make you believe that you can feel comfortable voting for me.
Doing things, like playing golf at your club, visiting every public venue, speaking charming and complimentary things about you, our community, and of course duping you to believe that I (as a candidate) am responsible for everything good and nothing bad.
Lets face it everyone knows that politicians lie, because if they told the truth the nasty little reality about how things get done would not be contained to a back room or remain buried in the legalese of our massive budgets. Instead, our tax bills would be reasonable, our kids education would be first class, and our infrastructure would be taken care of.
Our leaders are the ones whom we entrust to spend our tax money, Americans pay lots of tax, they also pay lots of interest, penalties and fees to the government for misbehaving. These taxes in their myriad is an emblem of disgrace induced on every person in Milford. This is not to suggest I am against taxes, but more to the fact that I am against the Government becoming our local economy and making a punitive system lucrative.
Voting for a candidate should be simple, and many who wish to make their entry into politics do so for a variety of reasons. Most often because they have the time to make the commitment, and they believe that they can make a change in the quality of life or in the outcome of the community in which we live.
All politics I believe are local, and choice is a wonderful thing. However, some have argued that in a three party system an elected minority with as little as 1/3 of the vote can induce policies that go against the very fabric of Milford.
This is in fact a real possibility, but thus far in both three way races in Milford wins were by a substantial majority. Three way races also involve more voters in politics, and when people get involved we get better government.
The Independent Party is important today, forecasters like Gerald Celiente have already predicted that by 2012 America will have a new and strong third party. Thus far this year Libertarian Republican Peter Schiff honored Milford with his Old Gate Lane HQ.
Even if the pundits and critics succeed in demoralizing and crushing a third party movement, the problem will linger. People yearn to be free, and they will advance their views of liberty and justice with or without the support of the major parties.
Schiff is a classic example of a true Libertarian in a Republican dominated domain. Many of his supporters are expected to switch parties, join RTC's and do whatever they must to give Schiff the advancement they so desperately want.
While the cards may be stacked against Independent Republicans like Peter Schiff, the expected $2,000,000.00 he will spend will further seed the Independent third party movement.
Thus far in Milford the numbers have gone from 10% in 2008, to 11.5% in 2009 and are expected to grow again to 13.5% in 2010. By 2012, and if Celiente is correct Independents should attain 25%-30% of the electorate making them America's first formidable third party. This will be the American epiphany, and the beginning of the end of the mega duopoly unaffectinately known as the "Republicrats."
Not for an instance do I believe it is time to give up, not so long as our numbers are continuing to improve and people are solidly "waking up." We just need to work harder, tell the truth, be honest, and not go away.
The following video was filmed the night of the Milford Board of Education Debate at the Jonathan Law High School Auditorium right here in town.
On stage are members of three political parties spread across all five districts. The video was provided courtesy of Steve Borer who is also an Independent Candidate for First District Board of Alderman.
Republicans: (District 1) James Tranquilli Jr., Mark Stapleton (District 2) James Puvogel, Greg Oliver, (District 3) Jack O'Connel, Bob White (District 4) Diane Kuger Carroll, Allan Cegan (District 5) Sue DiBiase, Joe Jukic
Independents: (District 1) Rocco J. Frank Jr., (District 2) Ronald Funaro (District 3) N/A (District 4) N/A (District 5) Richard Sieron
Democrats: (District 1) Ralph Mastriana (District 2) N/A (District 3) N/A (District 4)David Hourigan, David Amendola (Distric 5)Laura Pinciaro
A recent barrage of news stories has once again proven that even after my candidacy for State Representative the Independent party has not subsided, in fact it looks like it is gaining strength and without added work on my part. This is truly exciting, and today I am urging all those folks who voted for me the nearly 1005 or 10% of the district to visit the the new website and join us for an open house.
Participation and interest is paramount to the success of this fledgling party, and it will be hosted on the celebratory day of former independent Mayor Iovino of Milford. Iovino became world famous when he was elected mayor due to "write in" votes. This was so unusual that Time magazine placed our great city in the spotlight.
Visit this link for the preliminary website, your RSVP details, and mention that Rocco Frank Sent you.
The party is hosted by Peter Spalthoff Former RTC chairman who has officially recognized in numerous press releases the need for a new party. Spathoff feels that the independent party should cater to candidates that are disenfranchised with the local Republican and Democratic parties.
The 2000 U.S Census showed Milford as having 7,796 persons 65 years and older living in Milford however that number has been in a bit of a decline. Recently I learned from the 2008 Connecticut Economic Resource Center Data sheet that the numbers reported for the 65 and older crowd were off. down to 7,622. On the surface this does not look like a dramatic difference, but when its put in a percentage to the rest of the population the number of "65 and overs" shrunk amid a steadily growing population.
Milford's population in 2000 was 52,305 with 7,796 people over age 65. In 2007 that number changed to 53,874 with 7,622 "65 and overs". While I recognize that these numbers do no show a concrete trend, I must point out that we appear to be developing inverse growth here in Milford. Most concerning is that this trend is occurring during a period that is supposed to show "Baby boomer" growth. Milford is not only unaffected by the "Baby Boomer" trend, but rather seems to be dodging it altogether. These numbers must be watched more carefully into 2008 and 2009, as Milford continues to raise its property taxes, energy costs continue to remain high and relief of any kind remains unavailable to Milford's poorest.
Milford is now growing the town with new young blood and is trending toward phasing out the elderly. While I hope this pattern is nothing more than a false alarm I must admit that more needs to be done to ensure the domestic day to day affordability of Milford's finest the 65 and older crowd to remain here in town.
One idea I had to alleviate this problem is to freeze their property taxes until such time as their property is transferred or sold. I believe it is unconscionable to increase the property tax on a senior who is unable or not well enough to vacate their home. I believe the fair thing to do is to defer their property tax increases until such time they vacate or transfer their property.
Seniors are an important part of all communities, they contribute to our tax base and demand little in return from the city as they often have no children in schools. Our town needs to enact proper zoning and planning laws to include seniors as protected and vital to a harmonious tax system capable of sustaining a balanced tax base. No town can tax its way out of economic trouble, but it can foster and encourage zoning and planning laws that balance tax revenues as derived from young homeowners, business, and seniors. I believe that this is the key to taxes and our quality of life, having a harmonious tax base that affordibly, and collectively contributes to fund city services.
My Democratic opponents some time ago questioned the seriousness of my candidacy, until now I have yet to reply. However, with that in mind lets use the old saying that a "picture speaks a thousand words" and one thousand signatures is the milestone pasted on my wall back at our campaign headquarters.
While I understand from the town clerk that no one in the 118Th is aggressively pursuing signatures in the manner that our staff has, I will admit my disgruntled feelings that neither my Democratic or Republican opponent has to collect signatures. As I am told by my campaign advisers major parties are exempt from the signature process, even though the party I represent the Independent party is the largest party by affiliation and admission in Milford.
The photo above represents nearly 20% of the total 5,700 votes cast in the last election for our current popular representative Jim Amann. This, however is not the end of this process as we still have two more weeks of signature collecting ahead of us. The final tally will be confirmed by the Secretary of State in the coming months.
Gayle Slossberg recently sent out an update regarding a demand for public action on alleged energy increases, mainly the DPUC granting permission to United Illuminating to reopen their rate case. To me this was no surprise as it was exactly what they said they would do in their last investor conference call. Unfortunately, for Ms. Slossberg on the same day her card arrived in my mail box, UI issued a press release announcing that the DPUC "nixed" the decision to reopen the rate case. This marked a partial victory for consumers and consequently makes her card a bit confusing to those who received it after this fact.
One thing to point out about Ms. Slossberg is that she allegedly voted in favor of UI's decoupling bill House Bill 7432. This bill deceptive in its name and according to Rep. Robert Megna "If a gas or electric customer conserves and uses less energy to reduce their bill or if consumption drops for other reasons then customers must pay the profits earned during the prior rating period, provided it was higher. Historically profits normally fluctuate based on consumption of gas and electricity. This scheme will cost consumers an estimated additional $25 million per year." Why she voted in favor of this bill is questionable to me and appears to be contradictory to her current position to protect consumers. I would ask that Gayle be crystal clear to the public about whose side she is on.
Personally, (and that one issue aside) I would like to publicly thank Ms. Slossberg for now speaking out in favor of us "the consumers." I would like to also thank her for recognizing that our rates have nearly doubled, and as such I would expect that her future votes reflect more consumer advocacy and less rhetoric. As a candidate for State Representative myself I will be watching exactly how all our local legislators vote, rarely do I listen to their happy jolly words.
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Update:
DPUC Rejected UI's request to re-open their 2006 rate case. UI then followed up by submitting a new request to raise our electric rates, this request can be granted, (although, this can be complicated and hard to follow) Gayle's request for us to complain to the DPUC is "spot on". Follow her links to take action.
When I thought to write this article, I started doing lots of research, only to discover the job of describing this house was done so eloquently and factually by the Milford Historical Society that I decided to include the article in its entirety. They put the story of this house together better than I could have and consequentially wish to give them full credit for their wonderfully written article.
Reprint From Milford Historical Society Website.
"The Eells-Stow House is believed to be the oldest house in Milford and takes part of its name from the Eells family, who arrived in Milford in the later 17th century from the Boston area.
Samuel Eells, born c. 1640, came to Milford with his bride in 1668. After his wife's death, he moved to Hingham, Mass. Upon his death, the Wharf Lane property was inherited by his son, Col. Samuel Eells.
Col. Samuel Eells was very prominent in the affairs of both Milford and New Haven Colony. He married Martha Whiting Bryan (his second wife) who bore him a son, Nathaniel. Nathaniel married Martha Stow who unfortunately only lived for seven months after the wedding. The widowed Nathaniel then moved to Middletown. He eventually inherited the Wharf Lane property from his step-mother (the Col.s third wife) which he then sold to Stephen Stow, his deceased wife's brother.
Stephen Stow was born in Middletown on ww May 1726 and married c. 1752 Freelove Baldwin of Milford. They had seven children, six boys and one girl. Stephen was the captain of a coastal schooner and carried on a trading business up and down Long Island Sound. His day book is in the possession of the Historical Society, and tells an interesting story of his trading business.
Four of their sons, Stephen, Samuel, John and Jebediah served their country in the Revolutionary War, but their father, Capt. Stephen Stow gave his life while nursing 200 smallpox-stricken American soldiers. They had been brought from a British prison ship and cast ashore at Milford Harbor. The full extent of Capt. Stow's heroism can be appreciated only when it is understood that in 1777 very little was known about fighting this disease and its death toll was appalling. Forty-six soldiers died in one month and are buried in a common grave along with Capt. Stow.
Capt. Stow's historic home was saved from destruction in 1930 by the efforts of the Freelove Baldwin Stow Chapter of the D.A.R. The Milford Historical Society was organized shortly thereafter for the specific purpose of saving this, and many other, Milford antiquities.
In 1981, because of serious settling on the north facade, outside sheathing was removed to determine the cause. Complete destruction of corner posts, sills, and other bracing members were found and immediate reconstruction was begun.
During 1981-1982 the Eell-Stow House underwent extensive remodeling, which shed much light on the original plan and structure of this old house. All clapboards, sheathing, window frames and sashes were removed revealing the basic structure of the framing. Tradition had the date of the house late in the 17th century coinciding with the arrival of the Eells family in Milford. Investigation of the revealed framing put the date a little later, possibly as late as c. 1720.
The oldest part of the house has now been restored by replacing clapboards, sheathing, diamond-pane casement windows and interior refurbishing.
This restoration has repaired the Eells-Stow House so that it is now structurally sound and presents an historic building to the people of Milford which, along with the Bryan-Downs House and the Stockade House, represents Milford's proud past.
The Eells-Stow House is listed on the National Register of Historic Houses."
On May 20, 2008 The Independent Party of Connecticut has formally endorsed Rocco J Frank Jr. for Connecticut State Representative in the 118th District in Milford Ct. After acareful scrutiny and strict evaluation Frank demonstrated himself as an impressive and well rounded candidate with real life experiences. Frank is a small business owner and CEO of ComputerFox stores located in several CT Towns, Frank is a past and or current member of the Kiwanis, Milford Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau, International Narcotics Enforcement Officers Assoc. and holds the honor of being a member of the Masonic family organization renowned for their support of children and the elderly, through Ashlar of Newtown, and the Shriner's Childrens hospital.
Frank has also instituted a county wide Identity theft and computer recycling program run in association with several Nature Centers to include the New Canaan Nature Center, and Westport's Earthplace. Frank also donates FREE quality computers to any Milford resident with children receiving state assistance.
On the political spectrum Frank was employed as a CT Deputy Sheriff, and was the spokesman for the Elected High Sheriffs Drug Awareness Program, and Child Identification Program, now modeled by the CT Freemasons. Frank was also President of local chapters of the Young Republicans, Served as finance chairman of the CT Young Republicans, and also was a past member of the Presidents Circle of the National Federation of Young Republicans. Frank has worked on numerous political campaigns, for state, and federal, elections including that of Current Sen. Judy Freedman.
Frank's most recent accomplishment was the abatement of MTBE or (Methyl Tertio Butyl Ether) from CT gasoline. Frank diligently worked behind the scenes to implement organize and obtain a historic unanimous committee vote to have this waterborne toxin removed from our water. Frank is also a graduate of Fairfield University and holds a B.A. in Political science, he has also attended the Connecticut school of Electronics post graduation and lived and studied in Italy for five years.
The Independent party of Connecticut is proud to put forth such a candidate with such true conservative values, Frank falls directly inline with the Independent Party beliefs calling for honest conservative change that focuses on three important core values. These are protecting our States Living Wage Jobs, keeping CT's homes affordable, and providing students with a high quality education. The Independent Party believes it has found an impressive catalyst for change in the 118th, we can all but guarantee that as an Independent Frank will be the first voice in Hartford to represent the large body of Independent's in Milford that currently have no elected Independent representation.
Sincerely;
Mike Telesca, Chairman Waterbury Town Committee Independent Party of CT State Central Committee, Agent for Candidate Endorsement
This is the very question that I started thinking about after the incredible and very controversial accusation made by Obama's Rev Jeremiah Wright. What I do plan on accomplishing today is an overview of an investigation that I have been undertaking to verify if there is any legitimacy to the claim/opinion by Rev. Wright, that our government did in fact create AIDS.
If this were true, then there certainly must be criminal elements at play. First there has to be Motive, a reason why this AIDS crime was committed. Next their must be a propensity for the crime, meaning, that we must prove it is possible to create a virus in the first place. Lastly there must be credible testimony, hard facts, and evidence that such a crime could have been committed. At the conclusion of this blog, it will be entirely up to you to think about the evidence presented, as if you are a juror, I will merely play "the Devil's Advocate." Ultimately it will be you who decides if Rev. Wright's arguments are simply outrageous or have any basis in truth.
To begin we will start with the main question, what motive is there for the creation of a virus that kills millions?
One Possible Motive:
China, has had grave issues about population control, and humans outnumber all mammals on the planet. Unchecked, humans grow in number exponentially. Our founders protected human life with our Bill of Rights and U.S. Constitution, each of which pose serious risks to population control.
The Museum of Natural History in NY predicts that unchecked global overpopulation will lead to a planet that has energy consumption needs that will eventually raze every forest, over fish every sea, pollute the atmosphere to unbearable levels, and lead to wars over simple resources like drinking water, and arable land. This link shows evidence, that not only are humans the gravest threat to the planet, but population control must be attained now if we are to avert a future environmental disaster.
Advances in medicine have also created population control issues as modern medicine has all but cured the ancient plagues that wiped out millions in the last 500 years. Today the mysterious appearance of AIDS has all but done that job too well. The question remains has it surfaced sometime in the 1970's by accident or intent? It is the first of its kind mass killer with no definitive origin.
Another Possible Motive:
Some people believe that money is the driving force behind everything, and we know that America's fiscal health is not in good shape. Social Security is set to run out of money, as well as Medicaid and Medicare in the not so distant future. One deliberate way to solve those problems would be to legislate bad policy and law that shortens the life span of the baby boomers. Since cutting benefits is not politically popular or realistic eliminating the debtor might be tempting. This appears to be happening already as there is grave concern over poor quality health care, unattainable health coverage, rises in cancer, heart disease obesity, and a declining hospital record in preventable deaths. This financial quagmire we are in was noted by Walker of the GAO, and today in the CT Post by our U.S. Treasury secretary Paulson. Of the two greatest concerns one being health care costs, and the other entitlements, each are large Government expenses disbursed to low income poor families in the form of SCHIP programs, Medicare and Medicaid. (For retirees.)
One last point to mention as a impetus or motive would be by the radical elite, those who have enormous power over policy and a overzealous dream of attaining an extended lifespan. In a previous post I mentioned the new emerging science of Senescence as part of the Post Humanist movement. Some corporations have already been established and been aired on popular science channels selling the concept of future preservation. One such company at the cutting edge of this technology is Alcor. This science of aging as a curable disease was also featured in a recent AARP publication where an article appeared by a female scientist on this very subject.
Should any of these radical biotechnology's succeed, than we may have more motive for a carefully orchestrated eugenics program aimed at deliberate population control parallel or equal to a war on the weak, so as the elite may prosper.
A Propensity For Criminal Biological Abuse
This brings me into the next point, and that is does there exist a propensity for such a crime? Sadly the answer is not only yes, but there has been a propensity and history of legislating and violating humans in horrific ways. Throughout history genocide and exterminations have been practiced by global tyrants, who used everything from the Holocaust to the Serbian Genocide to the current Iraqi conflict to random wars. However, In America our first instance of killing through biological warfare was by early settlers using disease tainted blankets to kill Native American Indians with Smallpox.
Our country spared few as America passed early laws, condemning not only Indians, but we categorized African Americans as Property of slave owners, legalized the forced sterilization of people Dr's deemed "Feeble Minded", and put people of Japanese descent in concentration camps after Pearl Harbor. This is just the tip of the iceberg and does not count for the Chinese holocaust involving the death of 25 Million or nearly Five times that of Hitler.
At this point you may again be wondering "what does this have to do with AIDS?" and the answer is "Nothing" this information merely demonstrates that all throughout history powerful world leaders have made deliberate and conscious decisions to kill and harm other people of race in the name of another more just cause. Often, and with the help of nationalism, radical religion, global domination, resource quests, money, and whatever else can be conjured up so these horrific choices can be made. Our world leaders currently get plenty of support from the feeble minded masses who think they are informed by the local news channel.
Staged events, like the Gulf of Tonkin hoax, have been previously used to develop the support of Americas underlings to willingly go along with government killing agendas. (Our most recent the 9/11 attack carried out by mostly Saudi Arabian terrorists.)
Today killing has become more scientific, and often disguised under the umbrella of nature. One of these major scientific differences is our incredible Bio-technology industry and their ability to legally, patent and "Vandalise" DNA through GMO's.
The GMO's or "genetically modified organisms" are here and incredibly you are eating them every day in the form of Soy, Corn and most of America's major crops. These genetic modifications are currently being studied and evaluated as one of the possible culprits behind the major Bee problems and the new phenomena known as "Colony Collapse Disorder." This "Frankenstein" science is not limited to just plants, it has also spread to the cloning of Sheep, family pets, and cattle that look completely un-natural.
Animals are also being injected with bovine growth hormones, and sports players now prefer a similar hormone injection rather than steroids to improve their athletic performance. Meanwhile our children who consume milk tainted with bovine growth hormones often reach puberty years ahead of what should naturally occur. These experiments are currently ongoing right here near Connecticut in a place not far from Lyme CT(Ironically Lyme disease is named after this town) called Plum Island. This is just one of many places such biological research goes on and has been the subject of a popular best selling novel. Other places not readily advertised but generally known to be true are military biological warfare facilities who conduct work that is entirely classified.
These facilities became the subject of debate when alleged strains of a unique Anthrax virus were being mailed out to political heads and created a national scare in 2001. Americans and our leaders were afraid to open their mail and the news paralyzed the nations post offices. Soon after the scare the strain of Anthrax was identified by the scientific community as being connected to the U.S. military and before any more controversy on the subject could be had, the scares stopped and so did the news and coverage on the Anthrax topic.
This information clearly paints a compelling picture that the technology is available, even without mentioning the eclectic work and success of the Human Genome Project of which in and of itself has created enormous controversy regarding personal genetic privacy. But the question now remains what evidence exists that Reverend Wright is correct that the U.S. Government did in fact create the AIDS virus?
Evidence If Any:
The most obvious and deliberate spread of Aids on record is that of the Bayer corporation. Their motive is largely believed to have been profit, but they shook the world when it was discovered they were selling Aids Tainted Drugs to hemophiliac children overseas.
This case alone does not connect the US to a crime, however the U.S. is culpable because officials at the FDA knew these vaccines were tainted, they blocked the sale of the drug in the U.S., however someone "dropped the ball" and allowed Bayer to lie and deliver AIDS tainted drugs overseas. This complacency in authority may be suggestive of a failed policy of lax enforcement and limited interest in curtailing the global spread of AIDS.
One such man Boyd Graves, comes up time and again as having more proof that the Aids virus was created by the U.S. Government and even sites this patent (4647773) as being withheld from the public. He also has engaged in tremendous research uncovering connections between Gallo's Visno, and modern day HIV. Graves is of the opinion that both are one and the same. One is an admitted laboratory creation, the other an anomaly of nature with no explanation of its origin or genesis. Both appear to be identical in appearance under a microscope. Only one (HIV) is denied by the officials in our government as being fabricated. Boyd has tremendous energy and is actively involved in many court battles trying to get his truth out about the horrible disease of Aids.
Boyd Graves has also been a guest on several talk radio shows and is now appearing on Youtube and Internet search engines. His website www.boydgraves.com is an enigma of information, and his energy and dedication to his cause admirable. If there is one shred of truth to Boyd Graves story, America and its elite scientists may be culpable for the greatest human atrocity in history....An Est. 800 million Deaths since the discovery of HIV.
Conclusion:
In conclusion I will say that I cannot attest or verify any of the scientific and patent research as most Americans cannot, but some in the medical community and "in the know" of scientific facts should certainly be sent a link to this post to verify the legitimacy of this claim.
However outrageous the belief that our Government, or some clandestine operation operating within, has purposely created an AIDS virus, SARS or some other epidemic is beyond my ability to prove. However, I do believe that enough evidence exists to remain "open minded" and not "blindly" dismiss the claims of Rev. Wright as "insane." I do agree that at first glance and without looking into the previous conduct of our government The Rev. certainly sounds "insane." But I believe his concerns are deep rooted, he has not taken them back, and he may have poorly explained his opinion in a manner that is misunderstood by common Americans.
In today's post 9/11 world "vigilance" is in all our best interests even if that vigilance is against our own corrupting leaders in government. At the very least we owe it to ourselves to investigate some "outlandish remarks." Our forefathers did not trust the government, and it would not be terribly un-patriotic of you to distrust the government either, as a matter of fact it is what the "Spirit" of the constitution demands.
Boyd Graves Federal Lawsuit has been recently dismissed as "frivolous" but he has refiled again in the hope of having his experts heard.
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.
