I did go down to the Cheshire Town Hall Registrar of Voters office on Tuesday to ask where they and how they came up with their number of eligible voter figures. Here is the response I received from Aleta Looker, Registrar of Voters (D). I will accept a response from the Republican Registrar of Voters, Betsy Adams, when she returns from her vacation if she so sees fit.

As most of you know by now, Cheshire resident Bob Moran is running for Registrar of Voters as an UNAFFILIATED candidate. Moran used to be a Democrat but has decided to go for it on his own.

Moran, in a recent press release claims the Town of Cheshire Registrar of Voters website cites mis-leading numbers on voter eligibility and turnout

For example: the Cheshire Registrar of Voters website says::

In the Presidential Election of Nov. 2, 2004, 15,064 people voted out of 17,825 eligible. Turnout was 84.5 percent.

Bob Moran claims:

The Cheshire Website should be changed on all the information regarding total eligible voters and turnout for all years posted.   Without using the total eligible but not registered , all numbers and percentages are not accurate.  I challenge the current Democrat and Republican Registrar to update the website. . Numbers and percentages for 2004 should be 15,064 voted out of potentially 20,125 eligible.  Turnout was potentially 74.8% not 84.5%.

In the 2005 Municipal Election, 7,584 people voted out of 17,594 eligible. Turnout was 43.1

percent.

Potential Total Eligible 19,894.   7,584 people voted out of potentially 19,894.  Turnout was really potentially 38% or potentially 2,300 less people were eligible to vote but could not because they were not registered .  All numbers are an embarrassment for Cheshire.

In the general November 7, 2006 election, 12,075 people voted out of 17,496 eligible. Turnout was 69 percent.

Bob Moran claims:

Potential Total eligible 19,796. 12,075 people voted out of potentially 19,796.  Turnout was 61% or potentially 2,300 people were eligible but could not vote because they were not registered.

And as far as the Municipal Elections of Nov. 6, 2007, Moran states:

No information on number of people who voted , eligible or turnout this year? I guess the numbers last time in 2005 for local election were so embarrassing that they did’nt want to put them on the web-site?

The Bottom Line here is were spend 130,000 taxpayers money every year (  84,000 on salaries of the current 6 Democrat and Republican Registrars) and the results are not acceptable. We should leave No Voter Behind and seek 100 percent voter registration and effective civic education.    Cheshire has potentially up to 2,300 citizens not registered to vote but eligible. Once I am elected to Unaffiliated Registrar of Voters in Cheshire this 11/04/2008 , one of my first action steps will be to fight for the following.   I propose we have one Democrat, Republican and Unaffiliated Registrar. Then, take savings to mail out a voter guide (with information on registering to vote, where, how and when to vote, who is running for public office and where they stand on all the issues), to all Cheshire households. This should not be done not just at election time,  a least 4 time a year.

This will make the election season shorter, less expensive ( great campaign finance reform ) and level the playing field for all candidates, who are not the current elected official for the offices up for reelection. The  Democrats and Republicans or any other candidates who are the challengers will have a fair and level playing field and we can reduce the bad effect special interest money has on our national , state and local elections.  This past local election just the Democrat and Republican Parties in cheshire raised and spent 29,000 and 12,000 dollars on the local elections for town council, planning and zoning , board of eduction, etc. That is not counting what the candidates raised and spent on their own .   One Cheshire town council member in 2005 and 2007 local election spent and raised over 18,000 dollars . One plan and zoning member spent over 14,000 dollars. Why?  What for.  One was a democrat and one was a republican.  Follow the money.  ( open secrets .org is a great national website for students to look at ).Some of the most obvious important issues and information are in plain sight, we just need some guidance in life to find them.

I will be contacting the Registrar of Voters on Tuesday to get their side of the story. They do deserve to be heard if they wish and I will make every attempt to make it so.

Someone contacted me about my statements regarding the Confederacy to remind me that yes, our own M. Jodi Rell is originally from Virginia. I knew this. I also knew she attended, not graduated, Western Connecticut State University.

I am not dragging Gov. Rell into my personal beliefs. Despite what I sometimes say or think about Connecticut, I like Gov. Rell. She is always professional and I know puts forth 200 percent in her efforts to keep this state running.

She is not perfect, no one is, but I believe overall she does a good job as Governor. Besides, she is a YANKEE NOW and has been since she moved to Connecticut when she was 21 years old. So she is OK!!

On a final note, I got home around 2:30 this afternoon, and lo and behold, the phone rang, my son answered and yes, it was the CODE RED phone call!!  So at least I know my household was able to be contacted. I hope yours was also.

This bailout failure reminds me a lot of what happens when people play politics. I happened to be at a car dealership today in Watertown, discussing possible business, when I picked up a copy of the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper and started reading the article about how the Charter Revision idea brought up by the Democrats died a natural death. You see, unlike the town council where the Dems only need their 5 member majority to pass any legislation, the Charter Revision requires at least six votes. This means the Dems need one Republican to go along with them.

Did not happen!! The Republicans claim nothing is broken, so it does not need to be fixed!!

That reminds me of that famous Cool Hand Luke Line:

“What we’ve got here:–IS A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE”!!