Monthly archives: April 2009

 

 

Comments

  • By: Cindy

I did receive a few comments regarding the posting of the State of Connecticut Judicial Branch Civil Actions. All you have to do is click on the link I have provided in the last post and type in “Town of Cheshire” and all sorts of interesting items come up.

I can tell you one thing-I typed in, (just for the hell of it) “Town of Trumbull” and all I can say is Cheshire’s list IS A LOT LONGER.

Here are a few of the comments on this topic.

Dave Rice says:

Cindy,

How come I see different attorneys representing different civil actions? Don’t we have that Murtha Cullina now? I also saw John Knott in one also. Didn’t he retire??

Editors Note: Mr. Knott is “wrapping up OLD business!!”

Inquiring Mind says:

It’s too bad you can’t get the transcripts of what went down, especially that lawsuit a Mr. Mouris filed against the Cheshire Police Department.  I noticed this town uses a lot of high falutin law firms!!!

Cathy Monteith says:

No wonder this town sets aside so much money for the town attorney. It looks to me like there is a lot of legal action going on. And who is our town attorney-is it all these different ones?

Pete Hoight says:

Cindy-where is your lawsuit? I didnt see it-didnt you fall out in front of your house in the street on New Years Eve?

Carla says:

If you just type in “Cheshire” in the last name of Party box on the civil action site you also get some more information-some more lawsuits. One is two Cheshire cops suing each other for that car accident they had when they crashed into each others patrol cars i like to know what all of this is costing this town. i watch the town council meetings and now i know why they are always in these executive sessions.

Editors Note:

Our town does not have that many civil actions that actually get to court, compared to other towns.  Probably because they either settle out of court or the Plaintiff, dropped the action or it was dismissed by the judge.

If you want a LONG read-type in “City of Bridgeport” under “Party Last Name”

If and when you do this, make sure it is over the weekend-because you will be up all night reading it!! But that is typical of any big city. The more people the more court actions.

I was interested in the one involving the Park and Rec in 2008. It involved some sort of defective premIses. I wonder where that was?

Go to the “More Information” post to get “MORE INFORMATION”!!!

Speaking of action: a few weeks ago, I went out and put some potting soil around the hole that the town dug when they put in my new mailbox, after the old one I had got cracked from the plow.

Now mind you-I NEVER called the town and said anything about it-neither did my spouse-I just happened to run some “broken mailbox” photos after a late February storm and things started rolling after that.

I know a few other people who got new mailboxes after theirs were KO’d. I am glad.

So on Monday, as I was getting ready to leave for work, I saw a public works truck pull up in front of my house. Then, I saw two DPW workers shovel out some nice loam and THEN THEY THREW GRASS SEED around the area where they had dug for the new mailbox. Then they raked it out!!

They did really nice job-THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!

P.S.-my driveway needs repaving- (hint hint)!!

TOWN OF CHESHIRE-PLEASE TAKE NOTICE!!

Click here

 

More Information

  • By: Cindy

I know the budget is set in Cheshire and probably in most other municipalities-but the contrails remain.

I did some research and found some interesting articles on the hot subject in Cheshire BESIDES THE COMMUNITY POOL-the teacher salaries.

Here is a GOOD read on “What Teachers are Paid.”

Click here

Despite what many of you think-teachers do work a full day and put in a full weeks work-REMEMBER they do have paperwork to do at night.

But, some of you are correct-I don’t think the teachers union especially in Cheshire can assume that they may NEVER have to give back or freeze or take a furlough. It may come to this, as it has in many towns, including Bridgeport.

Remember, the nation is still under the effects of the Stimulus Package. When this money runs out in two years-LET US SEE WHAT HAPPENS!! It can’t and WON’T continue-the way we spend money on municipal salaries.

The bottom line-the private sector as to start “thinking” like the public sector-like it or not.

And I do agree, that we should NOT have used reserve funds to lessen our tax burden here in Cheshire-THE RAINY DAY is still some ways down the road-THIS IS NOT IT.

Over the weekend, I happened to read about Good Friday services in Elim Parks new chapel-and I got an idea.

Why not make arrangements with Elim Park and use their pool in the off seasons? Then we can make the Community Pool one season and cut down on a LOT of expenses. Worth a thought.

While I am on the subject of teachers, some people who make comments SHOULD DO THEIR RESEARCH BEFORE THEY SPEAK THEIR MINDS.

Connecticut teachers are NOT the highest paid in the nation.

Click here to find out who is

Median Salary Survey Report for ALL K-12 Teachers in the U.S.

If you think Connecticut or the United States for that matter has “high” teacher salaries-consider this:

Click here

One thing I noticed about the top high schools in the U.S. list that I am running again and what states pay teachers the most money-is that these states seem to have the best schools-New York and California.

Also New Jersey has an EXCELLENT public and College School system-the State University of New Jersey-RUTGERS, is an EXCELLENT UNIVERSITY-ranking in the top 20. My son Gordon was accepted into the honors program at Rutgers five years ago-but he decided to go to Concordia in Montreal, rather than go to Camden, New Jersey.

I could understand his choice-I mean Camden is not exactly the greatest place in the U.S.-BUT he was totally impressed with Rutgers-IT HAD EVERYTHING UP TO DATE-and I know he would have gotten a great education there. He still talks about Rutgers, all these years later, that is how impressed he was with the school-but as far as atmosphere and safety, I believe he did better in Montreal.

Many of the schools are magnet, or private schools and many of them DO not have teacher unions and base their pay scales on MERIT-as one of our former Town Councilors suggested happen here when he spoke at the Budget Public hearing last week.

Click here for top high schools story and video

FYI: The town of Southington’s proposed $77 million Board of Education budget includes a 4.9 percent raise for its teachers.

But even, Southington is asking its teachers for wage concessions.

Read here

And lastly-good news- the U.S. finally stopped acting like a bunch of wimps-The Captain of that merchant ship that was held hostage was finally rescued when U.S. Navy sharpshooters shot three of the four pirates DEAD.

Click here for story from CNN

And for all my Republican friends out there-DO I STILL HAVE ANY?? Here-get your fill of anti-Obama tidbits-all day and all night-knock yourselves out!!

Hotair.com

OK I just happened to go on the State of Connecticut Judicial Branch  civil court website out of curiosity because I know there might be some lawsuits I am interested in. When you get to the site-just type in ” Town of Cheshire” in the top box where it says “Party Last Name”-it is pretty interesting.

Click here

I also wanted to link you to an interesting article regarding what metro Kansas City employees make-FYI Kathleen Sebelius, the Governor of Kansas-THE GOVERNOR-makes approximately $106,000 a year!!

No wonder she took the job in DC.!!

Ahem-IS SOMEBODY IN CHESHIRE OVERPAID???

Click here for article

 

Pathetic

  • By: Cindy

I just got through watching the vote on the 09/10 Cheshire operating budget. I don’t know any of the figures-and you know what-I don’t care. All I know is the mill rate is 26.

I am really SAD, because I feel the people that run this town really don’t listen to certain people-like the people who have resided here most of their lives and just did not come here “for the schools.”

I came here BEFORE I was married and BEFORE I had kids. My spouse had a house here-I was living in an apartment in Naugatuck-and we were getting married in several months-so this was the best option.

I am disappointed that not one of my suggestions was even taken into consideration, never mind any of Tom Ruocco’s or Tim White’s or the best one-the request by Councilman Sima to the Town Manager asking for an overview of what would happen in the Community Pool was reduced to a one season pool-NO RESPONSE-unbelievable.

This town needs to understand-the state IS BROKE!! The state of the economy is BROKEN!! Not that much will change-sure, most people who are unemployed will get jobs-BUT WHAT TYPE OF JOBS? Part-time-underemployed? Will they be able to make the same wage or live the same life.

Cheshire really has not seen it too BAD YET!! But what about two to three years from now  when all this stimulus comes to an end? Will the present Town Council not care because maybe they won’t be on the Town Council anymore? WHO KNOWS!!

When I was a young girl OVER 50 years ago-Bridgeport WAS LIKE CHESHIRE-mostly the same socio-economic group-very little crime. I remember when I started at the Bpt Post in 1979, a murder WAS RARE-A SMALL PETTY CRIMINAL OFFENSE WAS RARE-FRONT PAGE NEWS!!

Bridgeport spent PLENTY of cash then-they had it-But then in the mid seventies, things started to change-the gas shortages, the factory closings-the economy took a nosedive. Then Bridgeport was FORCED to make changes-FORCED to cut back. And the rest is history or I should say the rest is: towns like Monroe, Trumbull, Easton, Shelton-even Cheshire.

These were little farm communities that grew because of middle class flight. Taxes skyrocketed-and that was the final blow.

But guess what-there is NO WHERE ESLE TO GO NOW!!  SOON IT WILL BE PAYBACK TIME!!

Of course we cannot compare Cheshire with the surrounding towns-they have DIFFERENT ISSUES.  JUST ABOUT, not everyone, but just about, everyone here is in the same socio-economic group so there is very little crime.

When you read about Bridgeport or other cities spending 10,000 or 11,000 dollars per pupil on education-you have to remember that most of this goes for things not related to education-i.e. free before school breakfast or free or reduced lunches-specialized programs like English as a second language-after school programs-these cost a ton of money. So the comparison is really not fair.

Also, many municipalities have their bus drivers as employees of the Board of Education as Westport does-WE DON’T WHICH IS SMART. It all depends on the union contracts.

But many towns DID obtain union concessions-was it an overreaction, erring on the side of caution?? I don’t know, but I would rather play is safe than sorry in the years to come, which may be the case with this town.

Just like the killer bees have made their way into the southern part of the United States from the African continent, I believe no suburban town will be immune from problems that once only plauged the cities. It just takes time to travel-but it will get here.

My recommendations: reduce the Town Attorney budget from well over $300,000 a year to $136,000 a year-as is budgeted in Trumbull-and that is the figure for FOUR attorneys-get out of Chesprocott and just have our own health director as Southington does-remember, THEY were thinking of joining Chesprocott years ago; make the pool one season in two years-thus giving the town of Cheshire time to make other arrangements-stop funding the Probate Court that is a state entity and INSIST that the State Dept of Corrections PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE OF THE SEWER USAGE-would have saved this town close to a million dollars-NOT EVEN DISCUSSED-oh wait, they did discuss the pool for 30 seconds.

So let us look at some mill rates in different towns:

Fairfield:

Trumbull

Newtown

Glastonbury

Bridgeport

Westport

Cheshire

To see the ENTIRE CERC listing of ALL the towns: type in www.products.cerc.com

On these CERC profiles, you have to scroll down to the second page and look on the right hand side for the mill rates.

CNN’s Top Money Earning Towns in the U.S for 2008

Now a few of you wanted to know why Cheshire’s property tax is sort of high in relationship to VERY AFFLUENT towns like Darien and New Canaan-which are the top three wealthiest towns in the United States according to CNN’s TOP MONEY EARNING TOWNS FOR 2008.

Do you see now why HARTFORD-which literally gives the bird to Fairfield County-Is now shiteing their pants literally-look at all this revenue!!!

Yeah, Hartford, the capitol of CONNECTICUT SHOULD BE IN FAIRFIELD.

You bet your ASS Fairfield County is holding up this state-without Fairfield County-Connecticut would be—-well you finish the sentence.

Well, to be honest, Cheshire overtaxes. It worked out for the better this year-maybe it is what needs to happen as long as the constituency doesn’t complain. I don’t know. But over the weekend, I will be consulting with a tax expert to further explain how the Town of Cheshire pulled off this no mill increase.

Now I did receive a few comments that these people wanted to remain private-so be it-about a tea party rally in the Cheshire area-I don’t know if it would be Cheshire or not-but supposedly on April 15, a few people in the area will be carrying signs saying they want to T-bag people.

YEAH!! I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS OUT IN PUBLIC-AND GUESS WHAT?? SO WOULD THE POLICE.

Click HERE for the definition of T-bagging

 

TO THE POINT

  • By: Cindy

A few weeks ago, I brought to your attention the police dispatch logs of the Berlin Police Department. These are the actual “Police Logs” if you will, of all the calls the police are dispatched to, including ambulance calls.

At the end of each day, the records secretary can print out the log of calls in a 24 hour period. For example: 1:21 a,,m-burglary-123 Main Street; 2:15 a.m. accident-1 Smith Street; 3 a.m burglary-444 Main St; etc, etc.

I TRIED several years ago, to get this printout-every member of the public IS ENTITLED to look at these printouts, they are public information-WHAT IS NOT PUBLIC IS THE DETAILS OF AMBULANCE OR MEDICAL CALLS.

Unfortunately, my intentions were misunderstood and I REALLY GOT POUNDED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TOWN GOVERNMENT-IT WAS UGLY. That request, if you have been following my blog since 2003-resulted in the infamous “email” I received from a town employee basically telling me to back off!!

Since then, it has been an uphill battle, but I believe for every step backward, we have taken two steps forward, although BAD HABITS STILL REMAIN.

You know I didn’t realize it up until a few years ago, but most small or medium sized towns, NOT ALL, but most are like Cheshire, especially if they are upscale towns. They want to PROTECT their image AT ALL COSTS!!

They will go to whatever lenghts it takes, including firing editors of newspapers (like what happened to me) to keep their image.

When I was a reporter years ago and worked for the Bpt Post, we kept the towns we covered feet to the fire-they DID NOT LIKE IT-but they were in a sense used to it-and it was and still is-a cat and mouse game-a challenge to get the news and bring to people the information THEY ARE ENTITLED TO KNOW!!

When I was the editor of a small weekly paper approximately 12 years ago, I went about reporting the news ALL THE NEWS-BOTH SIDES OF THE NEWS AS I WAS TRAINED. When I was fired, I will be honest-I knew it was over my putting back into the paper, information that my editor did not want in-it was the OTHER SIDE OF A VERY CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE in a certain town.

Well, when I did meet my demise at this paper-I did not realize it was because of pressure from certain powers that be in that particular town that objected to my reporting style. I WAS REALLY NAIVE!! I blamed my demise on a close friend whom I thought had backstabbed me-I literally ended a 20 year friendship over my misunderstanding of what really happened.

It wasn’t until YEARS later, that I found out the truth-the paper I was the editor of, was sort of like the Herald. Nothing controversial-or if it was- VERY limited-ONCE OR TWICE-and never seen again.

I remember when I took over the paper-I would meet people-they would stare-or they would come up to me and say “oh what happened to this paper’!! WOW!!

It is not bragging-it isn’t-these people were not used to reading an UNCENSORED NEWSPAPER!!

And you know what-even though I lost my job-I WAS PROUD OF THAT PAPER!! IT WAS WHAT I WAS TAUGHT. AND PEOPLE LIKED IT.

They would tell me “oh I couldn’t wait to get the paper in the mail (for free) I went out and BOUGHT IT!! To me, that was the ultimate compliment.

People KNOW the truth-THEY WANT THE TRUTH-THEY RESPECT THE TRUTH.

Most people are very smart and very savvy. John and Jane Q Public know what is right for their town, their state and this country. Man and Woman on the street-the basic truth!!

This is what is wrong with Cheshire-as far as information goes-this town does not have a paper that holds the town governments feet to the fire-IT NEVER DID!!

The news is censored-and you know what I KNOW I will hear flak about this but whatever-it is controlled by the Town Government-SAD SAD SAD!

I have already had a discussion with the Town Managers office regarding minutes of meetings-HMM!!!

So to get “TO THE POINT,” on Wednesday, I went to the Public Safety Commission meeting to discuss the possibility of putting the “police call logs” onto the Cheshire Police Department website-eliminating the “monthly reports” which to me, are a waste of time because they are “edited,” i.e. no address of where an incident took place, most times no name of the suspect-I could go on and on.

These police call logs would take up less space-and they do not go into specific detail. A person would have to go to the police station and ask for the actual police report.

I also thought this would be a way for the Public Safety Commission to discuss issues with the Police Department representative Lt. Markella, who attends each of these meetings.

I told the Public Safety Commission that they are the most important commission in town-because they interact with the Police Department. I know a few of the members did not like me being there-they don’t feel comfortable-but what can i say-THIS IS SOMETHING I BELIEVE IN-IT IS NOT PERSONAL AS I HAVE STATED BEFORE-THIS IS WHAT I DEDICATED MY LIFE TO-THE PEOPLES RIGHT TO KNOW.

I SINCERELY BELIEVE  IN WHAT I AM DOING AND I ALWAYS HAVE AND ALWAYS WILL

IT IS NOT CHESHIRE-THIS IS WHERE I LIVE-SO I CONCENTRATE ON CHESHIRE-BUT THIS COULD APPLY TO ANY TOWN OR CITY-REMEMBER IT IS THE EVENT NOT THE PERSON.

Now it was brought up at the Public Safety Commission meeting that the Police website does not have enough space to put these call logs in-and also that it would take too much time to type the information in because the PD does not have a scanner.

Come on-get a scanner-number two-my webhoster allows me unlimited pages for $58 a year!! So that argument won’t work.

Then I heard the old system we have prints out the names of the people on a medical call and it would take hours to type in the call log and redact sensitive information out.

Well, I don’t know what type of system the CPD has, but I know when I used to see the call logs in Orange IN 1996, all I saw on a medical call was just that-the time, the incident (medical or ambulance) and address-NO OTHER INFORMATION-NO NAMES NO DETAILS. THIS IS LEGAL!!

Case in point: PLEASE LOOK CAREFULLY AT THE BERLIN PD CALL LOG-NOTICE WHAT IS ON THE LOG!!

click here

I can’t imagine with the amount of gift account money this police department receives every year from Elim Park that they still have a police log computer system that prints out the names of people on a medical call, resulting in the Chief having to redact the names out. UGH!!

A waste of time and man or woman hours!!

And also, when I hear the words “someone has to go over reports, minutes or logs or the like” the word “CENSORSHIP” comes to mind-I AM NOT ACCUSING ANYONE-but human nature being what it is-IT IS RIPE FOR THE PICKING.

Now I know we all do not or will not ever see every piece of information we are entitled to see-THAT IS HUMAN NATURE-NOT JUST FOR CHESHIRE-BUT EVERYWHERE. THERE IS CENSORSHIP or the withholding of information by just about all governmental agencies. This is the nature of the beast in our country and our world.

But it is the job of the newspapers and even the citizen to question to demand the truth.

Remember the secret society speech I ran a few times by Pres Kennedy?

In it he says:

“That is why the Athenian lawmaker Solon decreed it A CRIME for any citizen to SHRINK FROM CONTROVERSY”!!

UPDATE: HOLD IT-I HAVE TO INTERRUPT THIS POST-FOR A SPECIAL DEDICATION:

WHIP IT-by DEVO

Remember: WHEN A PROBLEM COMES ALONG-YOU MUST WHIP-IT!!

Let’s whip Cheshire into shape!! SHAPE IT UP GET IT STRAIGHT-GO FORWARD MOVE AHEAD-IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO WHIP IT-WHIP IT GOOD!!

I love the part where the guy from Devo is cracking the whip-boy would I love to bring that whip to the next Town Council meeting!!

OK I can’t embed it-so I am providing a link:

Click here for WHIP-IT by DEVO

 

A Few Items

  • By: Cindy

Not a long post-mainly because I am tired from work BUT I did want to touch on a few items.

My husband AGAIN went to yet another budget workshop. I don’t know what they talked about but my spouse came home with a handout.

I STILL don’t have a scanner  to scan in the handout, but I did want to mention a few items that caught my eye. Apparently there will be little or no mill increase for this year,

I don’t know HOW this town is doing it-when other towns are having budget problems!!

Is Cheshire selling medical marijuana?? WHAT GIVES??

Apparently, as I stated in the last post, there was $600,000 taxpayer relief fund established out of the $2 million surplus the town had last year. It was used to keep the mill rate down THIS YEAR!!

Question: WHAT HAPPENS NEXT YEAR because the town won’t have this $600,000. But remember, the town has approximately $150,000 in the contingency fund-which isn’t designated for anything in particular. And the town government is stating that next year the tax collection rate will be 99 percent.  I believe in the past it has been in the area of 99.6 percent. And when the town sells the tax liens the town will be getting 100 percent!!

OK, some of the budget items from the General Fund that were interesting to me was of course-you guessed it-THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

Come on, give me SOME CREDIT-talking about the police department, especially several years ago when I first started doing it-it was akin to Yuri Gagarin being the first human to ride into space!! A LOT OF BALLS.

Speaking of Gagarin-I am running a video on his first spaceflight. This guy was REALLY BRAVE!!. I mean figure it-he had to parachute OUT OF THE CAPSULE as it descended back into Earth!!

So for the 09/10 Proposed Budget Adjustments (April 6, 2009) under Police-Patrol-P/FT-our Town Manager Don Corleone recommended a budget of $2,255, 935. The Council proposed $2,175, 194. The Budget Adjustment-$80,641.

The town is also saving approximately $60,000 on this UFO-they “forgot” they had put into the budget!!

WHAT IS A UFO?? UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT?? NO!!

UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OFFICER!!

Oh I CAN JUST HEAR THE MOANING NOW. But you know what-TAKE A CLUE FROM YOUR COUNTERPARTS IN MONTREAL!!

Click here

The Town Manager’s office reduced their overtime from 17,00 to 15,000-WELL IT IS A START!!

And the Town Attorney legal services were reduced $5,000 from $305,000 to $300,000.

Psst-hey come here!!

Go to Trumbull and find out how they have FOUR Town Attorneys at a budget of $136,000 a year!!

NOT GOOD ENOUGH CHESHIRE!!

I am happy to see however, that Cheshire is getting the clue on municipal gas usage-now my fav-OMG I had a g in there, good thing I took it out!!

Now my FAV pals at 500 Highland Avenue proposed 09/10 budget on Police-Administration-Gasoline-Town Manager Recommended: $72,000; the Town Council Proposed: $64,000 for a budget adjustment of $6,000.

BETTER!!!

The Fire Dept Gas/Diesel has been adjusted from $24,000 to $20,000

I have to say that some of these towns BETTER TAKE A LESSON FROM CHESHIRE-on budget issues NOT ANYTHING ELSE.

Because it appears they know what they are doing.

But who knows? No one can tell if the state will cut their allotment to the towns and cities even further-BUT WAIT A MINUTE-I am SURE when Michael and Patty Lynn go up to “Hartford-things will IMMEDIATELY CHANGE!!

Speaking of budget issues, um LISTEN UP TOWN GOVERNMENT OF CHESHIRE–GUESS WHAT??

Here is an interesting anecdote!!

“Asst. Town Manager Position ELIMINATED!!

WHERE?? According to the “Berlin Citizen” the assistant Town Manager position, at a salary of $70,000, has been eliminated as of March 31.

And as some of you know-Southington is toying with the idea of ELIMINATING THEIR TOWN MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT and going with a First Selectman.

Will Tim White move to Southington if this idea goes forward?? Only time or Tim will tell!!

Lastly, I knew it would finally happen-it is taking place in New Haven and now West Haven-these two municipalities are cracking down on OUT OF STATE LICENSE PLATES!!

Story here

It may not seem like A LOT, but I am sure Cheshire is also losing out on thousands of dollars in tax revenue.

In fact, the other day I was driving down a street in Cheshire and saw a black Mercedes parked at the house with Pennsylvania plates!!

I know many of you listened to the podcast in the last post about privatizing education-well, maybe it worked in Chile, but what would happen if we privatized education in this country?

Hint: the Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles!!!