09/04/14
Economics
This post is more of a local thing.
My town Winsted, is having a special election on Saturday September 13th. Why? Well because the town is a mess. See, there was this guy named Henry Centrella who with the help of other town officials, essentially robbed the town. I haven't been in Winsted long, I moved here in 2013.
Why did I choose Winsted?
-Very low crime.
-Very quiet.
-Main St USA type of town.
-Located right at Route 8, Route 44 and less than 15 minutes from the MA border. 30 minutes to Hartford or Waterbury and great shopping and dining both in and around town.
Winsted is a great town that is worth fixing. I don't really care about paving the roads as much as other people because we realistically need to get our priorities straight. Yesterday afternoon two Democrats who are on the ballot came to my door to talk to me about why I should vote for them. On paper, I'm a Republican but in reality, I'm a political mutt. I lean Libertarian on most social issues and some government issues but I'm a small government conservative who thinks that local gov'ts should be in charge, not the federal gov't. That being said, I told the two Democrats that I vote for the candidate, not the party and I'll do my research before I cast my vote.
What's the reason for the special election?
Well, the way I see it, the Democrats are trying to oust two Republicans who were elected in April of this year. Those two Republicans are Marsha Sterling and Glen Albanesuis . The Democrats are crying foul, claiming that the appointment of Sterling and Albanesuis was undemocratic and illegal. So far, the DTC petition has gotten roughly 430 signatures; none of the signatures have been verified yet.
So in about 5 months time (April to September), the Democrats think that they what it takes to boot out Sterling and Albanesuis.
Let me put it this way...... What would Americans think if Congressional Republicans tried to impeach Obama 5 months into his first term? 5 months? Really? I can understand wanting to elect a new "leader" after 20 months, but 5? Rome wasn't built in a day folks. The special election is a pure political power grab by the Democrats. They are perverting the truth about the all too recent Lambert Kay deal to make it look like Sterling screwed the town out of a manufacturer, tax revenue and job creation.
Sterling was elected by the Board of Selectmen after Mayor Lisa Smith resigned for what she called "personal reasons." Gee, I wish I could just get away from my job, duties and responsibilities by citing personal reasons. Maybe I could pack up all my stuff and leave my fiance and our daughter because hey, I gotta do what I gotta do.
The between the lines reality
The Democrats are chomping at the bit to take charge or Winsted for only one reason: Take control of the town and then borrow money from Malloy and Obama to try and save the town by funding projects that they believe will be good for the town. Then, a few years down the road, Winsted will need to pay back the fed and state. Can you say tax increase? With the Lambert Kay deal still in our memory and the firing of town manager Dale Martin (Which was more than reasonable), the Democrats think that those things are enough to muster support from the registered voters to kick out the Republicans.
6 Steps to Fix Winsted:
-Businesses need to come to Winsted. Businesses lead to job creation and job creation leads to natural revenue generation and non-influenced (meaning government didn't throw money at a problem to provide temp. relief) economic stability. There are several vacant store fronts and locations in town, Winsted should create incentives for new businesses and also the town should work with private financial institutions to get small businesses and start ups the funding they need.
-Organize the community to help with the small stuff like beautification and litter clean up. We can make Winsted look great without spending taxpayer dollars to do so. There are also many jobs that the town should leave to the private sector. If it is cheaper to have a landscaper mow the grass at the parks than it is to pay town workers to do the same thing, hire or contract the private business.
-Sell off any town property that is a source of waste and only spend money and resources on issues that need to be addressed. I remember reading about the town budget and something like 500K was going to be spent on new lights at a sports field. If the lights still turn on, don't change them. When you fix things that are not broken, you are wasting money. Is there an extra plow truck sitting in the garage? Auction it off.
-Give Marsha and Glen a chance. It has only been 5 months, I say give them another 15 months and if nothing gets better, call for a special election.
-Restructure the town government and do whatever you can to create incentives for businesses and families to move to Winsted. Advertise more to draw in tourists and residents from other towns. Make more people aware of what Winsted has to offer, simplify the budget, reduce waste and create efficient protocols and processes.
-Let the taxpayers and town residents have a say in all of this. Put someone in charge of transparency and updates so that everyone has the ability to see exactly what is going on in Town Hall. Release budget information on a quarterly basis and let the tax payers see how their money is being spent.
I'll end this post by saying that if I didn't screw myself with my political activism, I would consider running for some position to at least put good ideas on the chalkboard. I have a lot of experience with politics and also with business. it is very interesting what the media has said about me. People who know me, people who talk to me regularly were shocked at what was said about me. Sure, I should have used different words to vent my frustrations but passionate political speech isn't a crime. 90% of what has been said about me on Facebook and the news is bullcrap. I've said some things that are offensive, controversial and twisted but again, that is the glory of America. I have a right to speak my mind and I want everyone to speak my mind. This special election is essentially something I support on the basis of letting the voters have a say in who is in charge of their town, but I think that it is not something that we need right now. I bet my savings account that I could turn Winsted around. I doubt I ever will get the chance but if someone offered it to me, I would take it. Over the past 3 months, I've been trying very hard to change my course and focus my energy in more productive ways. When we fall, we get back up and keep going and when I finally am a "free man" again, you will see the new me. Maybe then, I will have established a better name for myself.
Thanks for reading. Share your comments and stuff below.
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