Many of you have asked if I am running again as a write-in candidate for the Town Council.

My answer-NO.

I thought about it-in fact I still have the signs in my garage. I decided to sell them on E-Bay as a collector’s item. Well in all seriousness, as I have said time and time again, I am planning on leaving Cheshire the middle of next year, so that had a lot to do with it.

I did have fun campaigning  two years ago, but it WAS a lot of work and took up an immense amount of time.

The reason I am speaking about this issue tonight is because I received an e-mail from a resident who said they saw the Cheshire Republican Town Committee show: Cheshire Central where newly appointed Republican Town Committee Chairwoman Marilyn Bartoli was speaking about recruiting candidates to run on the Republican slate this coming year.

All well and good.

Marilyn and her husband are classy people.

But Cheshire, do some soul searching-WHOM do you want to run this town? People that question but avoid difficult subjects? People that will follow the status quo and not take an out of the box approach.

I do see a few of our Town Council people question-like Tim White who does have a blog and Jim Sima. Tom Ruocco questions and so does Tim Slocum-but what is happening on the other side of the table. SILENCE for the most part.

Don’t think this is just relative to the Democrats who are the power party right now, especially on the Town Council. This “sound of silence” attitude was adopted by the Republicans for MANY YEARS!!

Don’t question Public Safety-i.e. the Police Department. That is the biggest problem in this town-As was the Scarlet Letter years ago-IF you dare question this department-you face SCORN or even worse, patronization by the powers that be-hoping you will just get tired and go away.

Ask yourself this question-do you think that if what has been transpiring with the Southington Police Chief right now, would to happen here-do you, members of the public think you WOULD EVER HEAR ABOUT IT??

Have you ever heard anyone on the Town Council say:”maybe we should get a Police Commission” or “maybe we should have the Chief or a high ranking official from the P.D. be present at every Town Council meeting to go over the monthly reports and take questions. HAVE YOU?? WILL YOU??

Isn’t questioning ALL ISSUES AND ALL DEPARTMENTS not just the Board of Ed because “you know they are the biggest budget item” isn’t questioning EVERYTHING important??

Whether a budget is %40 million or $4 million, don’t the taxpayers have a right to know where and how their money is being spent?

OKfor SOME but NOT FOR OTHERS-That is the motto in this town.

I am sorry, but please Ms. Bartoli, don’t get on television and say we want people who are interested in Cheshire and making Cheshire the best it can be. Well, we CAN’T make Cheshire the best it can be or have the BEST INTERESTS of this town in mind when we decide some issues are OFF LIMITS or some DEPARTMENTS ARE OFF LIMITS and some aren’t. When we lambast some segments of town government and let others just ride.

When you question, honestly from your heart and you get asked “how dare you”? Like they are above all. No one dares question the MIGHTY OZ!! This is why I won’t be bothered anymore-because it is phony-Every time I go to the Town Council meeting, I feel as if I am attending an off broadway play.

SHH!! This isn’t the time to ask A NON REHEARSED QUESTION!! HURRY UP!! I HAVE TO GO HOME!! PUT IT (your question) IN WRITING!! And then when someone on the Town Council DID act like they had a pulse, all the phonies came out of the woodwork–”oh that is horrible-oh that meeting was out of control’!!

HELLO!! What oxygen tent did you just slip out of?? NO-THAT IS NORMAL!! Asking questions that are not rehearsed at a budget committee meeting-IS NORMAL in many municipalities. NOT THIS ONE!!

And they get away with it, because the majority of the people in this town DO NOT CARE!! “I came here for the schools and the sports, and when my kid graduates I am out.”

They don’t care until it PERSONALLY AFFECTS THEM-then you see them!! “Don’t build that development near MY HOME” “Why did my house value go up this year!!” “We need a sports field”

When I used to cover Amity in the mid nineties, every time I went to an Orange Board of Selectman meeting, the ROOM WOULD BE FILLED TO CAPACITY. Same with the Board of EDUCATION. EVERY MONTH!!

NOT HERE!!

A quote to ponder:

GIVING MONEY AND POWER TO GOVERNMENT IS LIKE GIVING WHISKEY AND CAR KEYS TO TEENAGE BOYS

P.I. O’Rourke

I did find out today that I will have to go into the hospital for my testing. So I will not be posting until the end of the week.