Hearing of many cases of Town abuse, experiencing it first hand forcing exploration Town Government, I feel compelled to do what I can to make Hamden the best place it can be without bankrupting its citizens. The wealth of resources, the wide diversity in land and population are reasons enough not to watch government waste, abuse, and corruption take complete control of our town. Someone has to do
something to stop the squabbling and the disorganization, and I realized that someone was me. I decided to run for Mayor to bring back fiscal responsibility to our government, and to make the economical decisions needed to revive Hamden. We can no longer afford the waste of taxpayers’ time and money, or the inefficient spending that has brought Hamden to the brink of bankruptcy. The ice rink is a perfect example of the current administrations poor choices and tax dollar waste. I was at the meeting when the Legislative Council voted on the rink privatization, and spoke out, saying, "There is no reason the town can not run the rink efficiently." The Council, and then Mayor Jackson, approved a $200,000 buyout if the town could not keep the private party running the rink. Even then, it was anticipated that there would be union contract issues. When those anticipated union issues appeared, we, the taxpayers, are stuck giving back pay to the town to pay rink employees who never worked, paying the $200,000 to the private party no longer operate the rink. In addition we will have to pay an undetermined, but guaranteed hefty, legal expenses--all while local people suffer through higher taxes and bad management. This, sadly, isn't the only example, as a similar scenario played out with the landfill. The Board of Education threatening to sue the Town for monies it earned for services it provided and paid to the Town by the State, compares to a marriage of working spouses where the wife threatens to sue the husband for grocery money! Now, the Legislative Council is exploring ways to add the expense of a new Fire Station and new 1.75 million dollar Soccer Complex when we can't properly fund the expenses we already have! As an Independent, I am not beholden to the political games that take over both parties. I avidly feel that it shouldn’t be about parties and politics, but about doing the right thing for our town, and what is best for our residents. We as taxpayers have been taken advantage of, and asked to pay for things that do not benefit us as a whole. Instead, we’re paying for a government that only gives back to few, and to a system that only tries to grow itself. A father of two, and a grandfather, I want the best education possible. Our taxpayer dollars should be going into a system that strengthens the level of schooling for our children. The Board of Education’s frivolous and inefficient spending is hurting our town, and denying our schools the proper tools and supplies needed to better educate our children. Finances are always at issue, the bickering is unacceptable and we should no longer tolerate it. I am a responsible businessman with no debt, an almost paid mortgage, and I am almost finished putting two through college. I am glad to be in a position where I can afford the time to make a positive contribution to put our town back in fiscal solvency. As a successful local businessman, a homeowner and landlord for over 30 years, I know what this town needs. I want to run Hamden like a corporation that is responsible only for the safety and welfare of its shareholders, US! I know how to productively run a company, and what economical decisions need to be made to turn a debt ridden town into the self-sustaining place it deserves to be. Hamden should no longer be putting itself into debt unless it is an emergency of resident health and safety. We no longer should be held hostage by unions that are unwilling to compromise for the benefit of all (if the state of Connecticut can do it, then so can we!). No more unnecessary expenses will allow tax dollars to finally go where they are really needed, and I will give our town back to the people. I’m ready to take the helm and right the ship to bring the positive change we need.
