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DEMOCRATIC DISTRICT ~B~ COMMITTEE SOUTH NORWALK OFFICIAL SITE Robert Burgess, Chairman Sylvester Maultsby, Vice-Chair Al Ayme, Secretary Mary R. Geake, Corresponding Secretary Yvonne Rodriguez, Treasurer We appreciate your contributions. Please send contributions payable to: DEMOCRATIC DISTRICT ~B~ COMMITTEE ~click here~ STATE OF THE CITY | '2005 - '2007 STATE OF THE CITY | '2007 - Present CT. STATE NEWS | ISSUES NATIONAL NEWS | ISSUES MAILING LIST EVENTS | PICTURES VIEW | POST - BLOG STREET MAP OF SOUTH NORWALK |
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PRESS RELEASES 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. |
Democratic Legislators successfully re-introduced the bond package which passed both chambers of the House and
was signed by Gov. Rell. Highlights include, NORWALK: community college system: roof repairs 450,000, 1 million for harbor dredging, 3.005,000 million for flood control, $400,000 for Marine Aquarium,
$153,000 for Norwalk transit, $878,050 for Norwalk Hospital, 100% reimbursement for school construction projects, $250,000 Grant to Norwalk Transit District to construct
bus depot.Congratulations!!! to Norwalk Democratic legislators Bob Duff (State Senator, 25th) Bruce Morris (State Rep. 140th) and Chris Perone (State Rep. 137th) for their relentless efforts and hard work on behalf of the People of Norwalk. Republican Mayor Moccia continues on a path of partisanship and against the best interests of Norwalk's citizens. Mayor Moccia turned his back on city homeowners and taxpayers when he supported Republican Gov. Jodi Rell's prior VETO to the statewide schools system bonding package. Detrimental Results of Gov. Rell's VETO. Stamford, Norwalk, Greenwich and other municipalities welcomed the bond package passed by the Democratic majority. But the lack of a bond package interrupted the flow of state grants for school construction since summer. The fiscal year began July 1, but it was late September before the General Assembly's Democratic majority passed a $4.6 billion borrowing plan. (delay was due to continued opposition by Gov. Rell and Republican legislators) Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell vetoed it (bond bill) in early October, saying it was too expensive. To make amends for the long delay, the General Assembly and Rell estimated how much municipalities lost in interest payments and pledged to provide compensation. The result was adding $2 million to the final package. Some towns were forced to seek "expensive short-term loans" to keep projects moving forward while the bond bill was in limbo. Dick Moccia, "Politics More Important Than Public Service?" Norwalk Republican Mayor Dick Moccia on Mayoral Endorsement before the Fairfield County Building Trades. "Two years ago it was a surprise, Moccia said. This time, I really am overwhelmed by you coming here and advocating my candidacy. The office of the mayor is important to me, but your support and your friendship … is more important, and I appreciate that," Moccia added. Republican Councilman Douglas Hempstead: Republican Solution? Take the funds from the School system. »»» Committee member Douglas Hempstead, a Republican, said "the city could dip into Finance Director Thomas Hamilton's recommended operating budget for the Board of Education to fund a new position in the Department of Public Works to attack the flooding." Democratic Councilman Carvin Hilliard couldn't have said it better when he said "These people are suffering". COMMENT: Mayor Moccia, »»» When people are suffering you take immediate action and make it your priority or, Could it be that your administration and other Republicans have already forgotten the Republican fiasco of KATRINA? NORWALK RECOMMENDED OPERATING BUDGET FY 2008-2009 "Overview" CITY OF NORWALK RECOMMENDED OPERATING BUDGET FY 2008-2009 NORWALK BOARD OF EDUCATION RECOMMENDED OPERATING BUDGET FY 2008-2009 EDUCATION FINANCE: Republican Fred Wilms has provided a list of 40 questions submitted to Board Of Education (BoE) chairperson Susan Hamilton. NORWALK BOARD OF EDUCATION COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSE TO BOARD OF ESTIMATE QUESTIONS ~click here~ |
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Mayor Richard Moccia. "Our crime rate has gone down...," But, read this opposite view from an independent source. Curtis Calls...But is Norwalk interested in having the Guardian Angels patrol its streets? Fairfield Weekly. Thursday, May 22, 2008 (posted Wednesday, May 21, 2008) By Chandra Niles Folsom ~click here for article~ When Michael Geake, chairman of Norwalk Common Council's Health, Welfare and Public Safety Committee announced he had issued an invitation to Curtis Sliwa, founder of the crime-busting Guardian Angels, the displeasure oozing from city officials was palpable. "We don't need the Guardian Angels in Norwalk," says mayor Richard Moccia. "Our crime rate has gone down, we're putting new, younger police on the streets and [we] have expanded community patrols. Both [police chief Harry Rilling] and the president of the police union have gone on record saying the same." Geake, who also serves as councilman at large for Norwalk, informed the mayor and the chief that he'd asked Sliwa to address the May 22 committee meeting as a possible first step in setting up a local chapter of the Angels, due to what he says has been an increase in shootings, drug arrests and stabbings in this city of 80,000. "Both my wife and I are disabled and I thought we should get something like the Guardian Angels in here to set up a chapter," says Geake. "South Norwalk traditionally has a problem with crime and, personally, I don't see an issue with residents becoming proactive in what might be a good thing—especially since the city doesn't fund it. But I invited Sliwa to speak here because I want to have as much information as possible on both sides—instead of having it be adversarial." Although five years ago the Norwalk area was ranked by Sperling's Best Places as having the second-lowest property crime rate in the nation, recent crime stories coming out of the city are causing at least one potential transplant to have second thoughts about moving here. "I was considering buying a co-op on Washington Street," says Queens resident Cornelia Fareedah, "but if the police there can't handle the criminal element, what will happen to property values?" Others are apparently asking the same question, including some cities. Last weekend, Boston sent out its first patrol of local Guardian Angels; closer to home, New Haven recently began a chapter of its own after residents there made the request, according to Jessica Mayorga, New Haven's director of communications. Sliwa founded the organization in New York City in 1979, with the goal of taking back the streets from criminals. Recruiting a multicultural team of volunteers who rode the subways between its toughest stops, the Angels used citizen's arrests to detain bad guys for cops. Initially, the organization encountered resistance and skepticism from transit and local police in New York, not to mention former mayor Ed Koch. Concerns over the Angels' engaging in "vigilante justice" were, however, soon replaced with trust and an appreciation for the Angels' willingness to put their own safety on the line to protect the citizenry. The Angels now field over 100 safety-patrol chapters worldwide and provide training, support and community empowerment programs focusing on community safety, professional development for educators, school-based anti-bullying coursework, and internet safety. So why is there such resistance to starting up a local chapter in Norwalk? "I've only found this to be true in areas that aren't familiar with the Angels," says Curtis Sliwa, a talk-radio host known for his populist-conservative views. "In the brief time I passed through South Norwalk, I thought they could have used a division of Marines coming home from Fallujah. There has been a problem there for a number of years. We are not the Hell's Angels—we are embedded in the city of New Haven, right up the road, and work well with city officials there. So why turn your back on a program that exists in 102 cities and 12 countries? And Angels cost the taxpayers no money." To continue with the war metaphor: Did Sliwa set his sights on "embedding" his organization in Norwalk back when he first visited? continued next column... |
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"Look, I'm the catcher, not the pitcher—I don't advocate my group going anywhere," says Sliwa, recasting the metaphor. "A call came in from a council member to address a meeting and I agreed. It's not
like I said 'Let's stir the pot.' I didn't create the need—it already existed. There has been a constant problem here that people have tried to partition. They say 'oh, that's just South Norwalk—it's the
projects,' but the migratory process has continued up I-95 from the Bronx. When I was in town, a guy called out to me 'Hey, the Bronx is in the house!' And I thought, 'If the Bronx is in the house, you're in
trouble.' Norwalk isn't as bad as Bridgeport was, but it's getting up there. My main point is: What took you so long to call?" How does Sliwa plan on setting city officials' minds at ease? "The key is that we are local," he says. "We are not mercenaries coming in from New York. These will be men and women from the community who go through three months of training before they can become a member." What can Norwalk residents look forward to, should the Guardian Angels set up shop? "The greater Norwalk community will not feel their property values plummet," says Sliwa. "Does bringing in the Angels imply you have a major crime problem? No. It means that people are wanting to get involved to keep their communities safe. They will see the red berets on the streets and know they are safe. The drug dealers and gangbangers will see us too, and know we are here to stay." Moccia remains unconvinced: "I have respect for Sliwa's work," says the Norwalk mayor, "but the matter could have been handled better. This sends the wrong message..." Republican Mayor Moccia "very gratified" about dismal crime statistics. "When you discount some crime categories, the reduction is even greater than seven percent,” Moccia said. These are the crimes that affect the quality of life in Norwalk that Mayor Moccia wants to discount,
Moccia said, "that redevelopment plans will increase the tax base and that a reasonable amount of new tax revenue would go toward public safety departments" (some plans are under construction and most in the planning stages ~this tax base increase is still years into the future!) Mayor Moccia confirms the findings of the Common Council Committee that he chooses to ignore. "Members (of the Common Council’s Public Health, Safety and Wellness Committee) said the police department is not sufficiently staffed to do the work it is tasked with or that it is not supported well enough by the city,” Moccia said. Mayor Moccia labels 80% of Americans, Not Patriotic? Moccia added, "To me, that’s like people who say they support the troops but not the war.” (implying, "If you don't support the war, you don't support the troops") Article by AMANDA NORRIS 6/3/2008 Hour Staff Writer "The police department recently reported a seven percent reduction in crime based on data compiled during 2007. The statistics are based on the numbers (continued page 2)  «««PREVIOUS NEXT»»» |