Shameful, really

I guess New London can't come up with an original "nickname" for Downtown and despite the fact that this name is already being used by the country's Capitol and that the majority of people responding to The Day and here did not like it at all, they are going to use "the district" and have already started to market things with that name on it. Is this the work of Mr. Celli? I certainly hope that this is not an indication of how well he is doing his job, that it appears now Mr. Berliner has worked so hard to save. But I guess this is what you get when you put a Musician where you need a Businessman!!! Now, I do believe we need a way to attract more people to the downtown area (and I will still call it downtown, as that is what it will always be to me and I will refuse to ever call it "the district" as I am sure a lot of people will!) I think that the New London Main Street organization is doing just that. Do we need to pay an employee as well? I don't think he can do more than they have been doing all along. I think thee city will receive such negative response about this that they will again have to change the name and marketing and go back to just calling it "downtown". Wasting the money that they have spent on marketing it as "the district". What a shame. They just don't seem to get it. Don't we have more pressing business in the city than coming up with a new name for the downtown area that has worked that way since it was established in 1658? If there is a change needed here in New London it is new blood on the city council!

Let the cutting begin!

It seems that Mike Buscetto's cutting of the budget is very unpopular. Why? Paying higher taxes is unpopular, but cutting departments and rearranging employees to save money isn't making people happy? Or is it just the positions he wants to cut that makes this decision so controversial? Joseph Celli is too new an employee to have made any difference in the downtown area at all, so getting rid of that position shouldn't make anyone upset. The office of OPD hasn't really been effective, evidenced by all the empty spaces in downtown. This "parade" issue is just one more idea to try and jump start the already lifeless body of New London. No one will want to come to a drug and crime ridden city to visit or to open a business. Mike is correct to want to add more police officers and make public safety a priority. If the way things are now are not working, then a change is in order. Peg Curtin's plan to make a tax free zone is another idea to bring more people into the city, however, this again will only work if the city is safe and clean. No one will want to come to shop if they don't feel safe! Let's make New London the place that businesses want to come to open their doors in and consumers come to spend their money in. We cannot do that by paying big salaries to non-performers or creating positions for musicians. If that means that there are employees of the city (people that work for the taxpayers!) that have to lose their jobs because they either are not performing or we as a city need to re-evaluate the allocation of our manpower so that the city runs more efficiently, then so be it. It is about time that somebody has the courage to sit there and make the cuts necessary even if those cuts are not popular.

Yes the people have spoken...

There is an article (and an editorial) in today's Day that speaks of the victory of the "Magnet Plan" referendum vote. It says things like "widespread support" and "overwhelmingly approved", calling their argument the “no-brainer” campaign. I certainly don't see the 1,006 "YES" votes out of 10,077 registered voters an "overwhelming" success. Once again, it just shows the tilted bias of The Day paper for all things New London Board of Education. Elaine Maynard-Adams "Even New London can't screw this up.'” continued foot in mouth insults to the citizens of New London is just an example of how she views the good people here. If you don't see things the way she does and do as she thinks you should you will be screwing up. The good news is that there is still some skepticism as to how these new buildings will improve education here in New London. And some doubt as to whether these schools will be able to be built "green" within the $61 million budget. The fact that the editorial piece states "It is unfortunate that so few parents took the time to vote Tuesday, because this plan will clearly benefit their children" means that The Day clearly was not reading it's own editorials, op-ed pieces and comments to their web site. Parents know that the new buildings will not improve their children's education because this was never about education...it was about empire building for Clouet and power and influence of the Democratic machine in New London. Build the new buildings, bring upper middle class white kids from the suburbs and it still will not change the education system in New London or the failing test scores. It is sad but true, our Superintendent and our Board of Ed. are failing our kids! “It's good to know that reasonable people prevailed,” Maynard-Adams said Now if we only had reasonable dedicated people in charge over there in the Board of Ed. Elaine, you should resign now, along with your cohorts in crime, Anthony Nolan and Alvin Kinsall. After all the ethics violations, election law violations and Bylaw violations, you all should be hanging you heads in shame!

Some very important meetings

Monday

City Council Budget Workshops

noon-4 p.m

Council chambers

*

Thursday

City Council Budget Workshops (continued)

6-10 p.m.

Council chambers.

*

Go and tell the City how you feel about a 6.5% tax rate increase. That is $200 more taxes on property valued at $100,000. What is your property worth? The Board of Education wants a $2 million dollar raise alone. Why can't they trim their fat. Do they really need 14 secretaries at the central office. This will all be in addition to the added expense of the "Magnet Plan", so please remember, you must speak out.

Be heard by your public officials.

True and Fair Journalism? I think not!

"Comments about Tuesday's referendum in New London will not be posted from now until the vote."

This is what you will see if you read the newest editorial in The Day today. It speaks volumes for their position on the vote Tuesday. It is not fair to the people who want to read both sides to get both views. You can post here, both sides, both views. I will not censor you. I will not block your views. I do believe that an informed decision is the best one. I don't believe that The Day has given all the facts, they have tilted their articles to the side of the New London Democratic Machine. That is not fair and balanced. That is not the way to improve communications of the citizens. It is a sad statement of their confidence in the passing of this referendum. It is censorship at it's best. It is bad enough that all you post does not make it into the pages of the comments but to shut off all comments regarding the referendum is ridiculous. You should use your voice to tell The Day of your displeasure with this decision. As always, I welcome both sides to share repectfully their views here.

Our illustrious BoE President

Open Letter to My Friends

Dear Friends,
Thank you all for your much appreciated comments. I am afraid that it is time for me to share my view on this much discussed Magnet Plan. First let me say, as a “NAYSAYER” myself, I find myself in a difficult position. Being a lifelong Whaler, I feel like we are being harpooned by the Whales of Hartford. To be threatened by our legislators in an attempt to intimidate and coerce the good citizens to vote YES for the Magnet Plan is just over the top. Let’s discuss this plan intimately and you will see all the flaws for yourself without all the propaganda. First let’s start with the $61 million. This figure was the brain child of the committee formed to address the physical needs of our school buildings. The plan then estimated the cost of the plan at $61 million. Ok, that means they made that up! So, that started with garbage. Garbage in, garbage out! Every figure based on that number is fiction!

A gift from the State! Really? If I was to give you a gift certificate for dinner you would be excited until you realized the restaurant is in Paris and it will cost you an additional $2,000 in expenses in order to use this gift. The gift does not really seem like such a gift after all, now does it? “People are watching,” said state Sen. Andrea Stillman, D-Waterford. For the residents to reject what is really a gift from the state in the form of this grant would be a very difficult thing for us to explain.” Just tell the truth Andrea, this would be the will of the people. And isn’t that what real representation is all about- the people? The State commissioned the Cambridge report on NLPS, the report has a completely different view on the buildings condition and maintenance than that of the City Council and Board of Education. This should be easy to explain. The citizens obviously felt it was a waste of $58 million of State taxpayer money to renovate as new school buildings that were in good shape and well maintained. Perhaps Andrea you could apply some pressure to the State Dept. of Education to do a comprehensive review of the continued failing of the education process in New London. It is not the buildings; it is the people in charge. I am sure any state legislator as well as any other reasonable citizen would understand if this were to be voted down. Glad to help you with this dilemma

Now on to the $13 figure that they throw around if the plan fails. That is just a scare tactic as the City of New London will not still be spending $61 to renovate as new these schools if the plan fails. They will renovate the schools as needed. That means what repairs need to be done will be and this estimate has been tossed around at approximately $13 for all 5 of the New London public schools. That means that since we have already closed Edgerton, and plan to close Harbor the actual figure will be even less. With the states contribution of 78% it will be closer to $3.5 million. $9.5 million less than the threats they are making in the newspapers. The lying to the citizens is what will cause this plan to fail.

“Pay Less, Vote Yes,” Buscetto, a developer, has said he will be “intimately involved” with the schools' construction. In his appearance Thursday on the cable-access show “The Renshaw Report,” he pledged that the city's $3 million share would be covered through cost savings and wouldn't increase taxes. “Put it on tape,” Buscetto said. My question is when we get those increased tax bills do we take them to City Hall to have the increase removed or do we forward the bill directly to Mike and he will pay the difference. I am not really sure how this will work. Once the mechanics of this are worked out I would be more likely to vote yes.

Clouet, in a January interview about the plan, accused some critics of being “part of an organized, generalized assault on the young.” Thanks for pointing this out Chris, but you shouldn’t take about your Board of Education like this. Although everybody in New London already knows that the Bored with Ed. is not interested in educating our children, as evidenced by Elaine “no brains” Adams statement “Why is this all about education?”.

And I feel compelled to make a statement after watching the LOT show last night. Jim, as a long time acquaintance, I would have expected that you would have driven to Hartford with copies of that email and statute in hand to present to file your claim in person with either the Secretary of State or the head of her Ethics Commission. Jim, will you not be filing a complaint, are you leaving it up to someone else, you have the documentation. I expect you will be in Hartford bright and early Monday morning. Perhaps the Secretary of State could stop this referendum before it begins based on the violations by the voice of the Board of Education Elaine Maynard-Adams.

Thank you for your time. Keep the comments coming.

Whaling City Man

A bright spot on the Board of Education

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