 |
Democratic District -B- Committee | |
|---|---|
| Home | About us... | News | Meetings - Events | Voters Information | Contributions | Contact us | Links | |
|
DISTRICT ~B~ COMMITTEE SOUTH NORWALK, CT OFFICIAL SITE Robert Burgess, Chairman Joe Newell, Vice-Chair Al Ayme, Secretary Mary R. Geake, Corresponding Secretary Mike Geake, Treasurer We appreciate your contributions. Please send contributions payable to: DEMOCRATIC DISTRICT ~B~ COMMITTEE ~click here~ MAILING LIST 2nd TAXING DISTRICT STREET MAP OF SOUTH NORWALK |
     VOLUNTEER to join our team of members and government officials. You can make a difference. We are glad to hear from Norwalk residents with their ideas, suggestions and/or concerns, and those who recognize the importance of engaging dynamic participation in the political process. ~click here~ |
LOCAL NEWS Democrats regained control of the Common Council By ROBERT KOCH Hour Staff Writer NORWALK (November 10, 2011) - NORWALK -- Democrats regained control of the Common Council in Tuesday's municipal elections, winning a one-vote majority and returning divided government after re-election of Republican Mayor Richard A. Moccia. "There's a lot of possibilities and a lot of potentials for working together. We can bring different perspectives to the table," said Democrat Bruce I. Kimmel, a former councilman elected to a District D seat. "The first order of business, after we go through the (council's) organizational meeting, is next year's budget." Marc J. Bradley, Norwalk Democratic Town Committee chairman, said the Democrats elected to the 2011-13 council will meet in the next couple days to lay out their platform and direction. "We look forward to working with the Republicans that have been elected and we look forward to working with Mayor Moccia," Bradley said. "I absolutely congratulate the mayor on his fourth term." Moccia, speaking to The Hour on Wednesday, reminded that Democrats controlled the council during his first several years in office. He said he knows many of the Democrats who will serve on the 2011-13 council, including Kimmel, Carvin J. Hilliard and Michael K. Geake very well through their past service on the council. Moccia said Democrats did a better job than Republicans in getting their voters to the polls on Tuesday. At the same time, the Republican mayor noted that some of the council races between Democrats and Republicans were close. For instance, barely two-dozen votes separated several candidates in the at-large council race. On advancing his priorities before a Democratic council. Moccia said the Democratic candidates campaigned on many of the same issues that he did as a candidate, such a speeding redevelopment and building infrastructure. "One of the things they campaigned on was they thought the redevelopment projects were stalled, so hopefully they're going to keep moving (the projects) along," Moccia said. "A lot of things they campaigned on, they'll have to deliver on." On other issues, such as the Board of Education budget, Republicans and Democrats have had their differences with Democrats historically seeking a higher expenditures cap. Taxes also have been an issue, Moccia said. "Is it going to be perfect? Probably not, but we'll work through it," Moccia said. On Tuesday, Norwalk voters elected four Republican incumbents (Nicholas D. Kydes, Douglas E. Hempstead, Fred A. Bond and Joanne T. Romano), and three Republican newcomers (Michelle Maggio, Jerry E. Petrini and David T. McCarthy). On the Democratic side, voters elected one incumbent whose seat was uncontested (Carvin J. Hilliard), a former councilman who likewise ran unchallenged (Michael K. Geake), three other former council members (Matthew T. Miklave, Bruce I. Kimmel and Anna K. Duleep), and three newcomers (David A. Watts, John Igneri and Warren Peña). Democrat Nora K. King and Republicans Richard J. Bonenfant, Andrew T. Conroy and John E. Tobin were not returned to office. Garfunkel's comments on police anger GOP By ROBERT KOCH Hour Staff Writer NORWALK (July 18, 2011) - A call by Democratic mayoral candidate Andrew S. Garfunkel for the city to conduct a national search for a new police chief has angered Republicans and shed light on who might succeed Chief Harry W. Rilling. "Harry's contract is up December 2012. We'll start the (search) process well before that -- assuming that I'm still in office, which believe I will be," said Republican Mayor Richard A. Moccia. Deputy Chief "Tom Kulhawik by that time will have hopefully completed the FBI Academy, which means he certainly willhave more credentials, though we have several other ranking officers that might be interested in (becoming chief)." Garfunkel, who's forgoing another bid for town clerk to run against Moccia, said on his campaign website http://garfunkelformayor.com that as mayor he would "conduct a national search immediately upon election for a Chief of Police who will develop and implement programs to reduce crime." According to Garfunkel, gun-related crime has invaded Norwalk neighborhoods, homes and school zones. If elected, he said he will "ensure the Norwalk Police Department has the necessary funds and resources they need to combat and put an end to the gun-related crime." Garfunkel told The Hour that he is not pointing a finger at Rilling, but instead saying that the city needs to prepare itself for the future when Rilling is no longer chief. "(Rilling's) contract has been extended another year, so I believe it's time that we find a permanent replacement," Garfunkel said. "We can start looking at any time. Why aren't we? That's the question. We're looking to the future of Norwalk. That's what I'm looking for. I'm looking for stability. I'm looking for initiating new and future projects and programs for the city." Asked if Kulhawik should fill Rilling's post, Garfunkel said, "I don't know. (My position) doesn't mean that the candidate won't come from within. It just means that it's time that we try to find a permanent replacement." Republican Town Committee Chairman Art Scialabba asked whether Garfunkel "has no confidence in our current (police) chief?" Moccia labeled Garfunkel's comments as "simplicistic" and an insult to police. "You can't have it both ways. You can't say, 'Well, it's not knocking this department, but we should start looking,'" Moccia said. "That's just a simplistic statement that doesn't make sense." Rilling said he was surprised by Garfunkel's statement. He expressed confidence in his officers and said forthcoming statistics from the FBI will demonstrate that crime is down in Norwalk. To date, there have been no murders in the city this year. Choosing a new chief, he continued, will lie with the city's Police Commission. "I stand by our department and our programs. Our department prides itself in developing in-house personnel to their fullest capabilities. You only go outside the department when there's corruption, or when there's nobody inside that's qualified, and neither situation exists," Rilling said. "You don't have to put out a nationwide search. The selection of the police search is the sole determination of the Board of Police commissioners." Moccia's plan at odds with Rowayton's residents wishes. (July 12. 2011) I would like to thank Mayor Moccia for paving my street and the surrounding neighborhood last week. I truly appreciate the service and maintenance provided to Bell Island in the lead up to this year’s coming election. A timely set of repairs for a year in Norwalk where violent crime is up, general services are down, property taxes are soaring, school budgets have been cut, and business growth is stagnant. But today, I would like to speak to the other paving project and road widening resolution that was on the agenda for the July 12, 2011 Common Council Meeting – the proposed expansion of Rowayton Avenue. At a time when our state is dealing with substantial budgetary problems, I’d like to understand why the Mayor and Republicans on the Common Council see it fit to invest $2.8 million in taxpayers’ money on this unnecessary and wasteful project. Some argue that it is a safety issue. What the Moccia Administration doesn’t want you to know is that the construction project already underway on Rowayton Avenue includes comprehensive upgrades to the sidewalks and pathways under the railroad bridge. These are repairs that will be completed by August of this year and are independent of the additional construction proposed. The proposed widening (and deepening) of the Rowayton Avenue is an additional project at an additional expense to taxpayers. Digging out the road under the bridge by nearly 12 inches will do nothing but heavily increase truck traffic to the area – an issue that our neighborhood has fought hard to curb. Most importantly though is the utter disregard for property owners that has been displayed by the city on this issue and more recently during discussions regarding the East Avenue expansion. The use of eminent domain should only be used when absolutely necessary to ensure the greater good. And in the event that it must be used, it should be done with compassion, fairness and understanding – attributes, yet again, sorely lacking from this administration. Voters should know that this resolution passed thanks to Mayor Moccia and a majority of the Republican Council members. Look forward to losing your yard and increased heavy truck traffic in your neighborhoods – who knows where the next mayoral land grab will be. By: Marc Bradley Norwalk Democratic Town Committee Chairman June 1, 2011 Marc Bradley FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MASS DEFECTION WEEK – FADING SUPPORT FOR MAYOR MOCCIA Norwalk, CT – Yesterday’s announcement that Common Council Majority Leader Kelly Straniti will not be running for re-election begs the question, why are Norwalk’s Common Council Republicans walking away from their Mayor? “Frankly, I don’t blame Republican Council Members for deciding not to seek reelection. The past few months have made it crystal clear that Mayor Moccia is taking Norwalk in a direction that nobody agrees with,” said Marc Bradley, Norwalk Democratic Town Chair. “Ms. Straniti is just one of four or five Republican Council Members who will not be seeking reelection this year. When you have a 10 to 5 seat control of the council and the Mayor’s office, it is very peculiar that so many Republicans are walking away.” “It is clear that like a majority of Norwalk voters, the Republican Council Members do not support Mayor Moccia, his platform, and his vision for our City.” |