Holiday Cheer is clearly absent in Indian Trail resident Wayne Farel's attitude towards the employees of the Public Works Department. Police Department sources confirmed this morning that Farel was charged with one count of Breach of Peace that allegedly arises out of his objection to the way that Public Works plows the road in front of his property. Other sources say that this is an on-going problem and that Farel has been involved in other incidents. Based upon what I've heard, it's my opinion that further criminal charges may be made.
It never ceases to amaze me that people complain about snow plowing inTown. I think that the DPW crew does a great job plowing the roads and they take pride in their work. For comparison, drive on some of the local roads in Danbury or the Brewster/Pawling area...what a difference!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Ambulance Association To Pay For New Facility
Mayor Pat Murphy has come up with a real winner in a plan that allows the Ambulance Association to pay for its new facility and relieve New Milford taxpayers of the construction cost.
Supported unanimously by its Board, the Association intends to pay the cost of the 1.5% short-term borrowing by billing insurance companies for its services.
“It seemed to me that the insurance companies have been getting a free ride,” said the Mayor, ignoring her obvious pun.
“Whether its Medicaid, Medicare, the auto insurance companies or private health insurance, a billing company will send a bill for the service but the Association will be responsible for collections. Hardship will be considered so that those who are most needy may not have to pay anything out of pocket.”
This is a win/win for the Community and I applaud the Mayor’s creative thinking in these extremely difficult financial times.
Supported unanimously by its Board, the Association intends to pay the cost of the 1.5% short-term borrowing by billing insurance companies for its services.
“It seemed to me that the insurance companies have been getting a free ride,” said the Mayor, ignoring her obvious pun.
“Whether its Medicaid, Medicare, the auto insurance companies or private health insurance, a billing company will send a bill for the service but the Association will be responsible for collections. Hardship will be considered so that those who are most needy may not have to pay anything out of pocket.”
This is a win/win for the Community and I applaud the Mayor’s creative thinking in these extremely difficult financial times.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Kostes' Grand Investment Advice
Can you imagine? Can you imagine where the pension fund would be today if it was heavily invested in the S & P 500 as former resident Kostes had recommended? Yep, with its decline approaching 50% we'd be in one heckuva situation.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Two Constitutional Issues
I. Obama's "Natural Born Citizen Problem." Those who are challenging the eligibility of President-Elect Obama to serve in that capacity are not crackpots and it is totally appropriate and necessary that the Supreme Court of the United States of America is meeting tomorrow to decide whether or not to hear one of the 17 or so cases that are slowly making it through the judicial systems of so many states.
I have read all of the court documents that I could find on the web and have avoided all other sources of information. I understand the forensics that were done on the document that was allegedly issued by the Hawaiian authority; I understand the allegations about the claims by Obama's grandmother; I understand the argument about Obama's education and the supposed relinquishment of his citizenship. I get all that. What I don't get is Obama's staunch refusal to end all the controversy by disclosing the one document that would theoretically accomplish this with incredible ease: the kind of handwritten ("vault") birth certificate that all of us have access to. You know, the one with such information as the delivering doctor's signature, the time of birth and names of the birth parents. Why not just put an end to all of this?
Weigh the simplicity of the solution against the havoc that could be wrought by a finding of ineligibility months or years from now and you'll get my point. As time passes, more and more laws will be signed by the "poseur." They will all have to be undone and the strain on the Nation -- the world -- will be almost impossible to survive. Think we have a crisis now? Somewhere, somehow, a smart criminal attorney will subpoena the record in the course of his or her representation of a person charged with a federal crime. Doing a good job for the client, the attorney will attempt to show that the law that allowed the arrest was signed by a President who had no authority to do so. While many courts have been able to duck the suits seeking the vault record on procedural or standing issues, this one will be impossible to toss because that criminal defendant has an absolute right to have it. A Constitutional right.
So the moral of the tale for all of us including those of you who think these suits are whacky is very simple. If Obama cares about his Country, he should avoid all of this by simply releasing the record. Any reason for refusing to do so escapes me.
II. Hillary's Ineligibility to Be Secretary of State. Many seek to sweep this lesser known Constitutional problem under the rug. Article I, Section 6 of the Constitution provides that, “No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time.” Simply, the argument is that Senator Clinton is not eligible to be the Secretary of State because she voted to increase the salary for the position.
This isn't the first time that the issue has been raised. In what is known as "The Saxbe Fix," Congress has reduced the salary back to what it was before the vote was taken to increase it. The maneuver was nicknamed after Nixon's appointment of Senator William Saxbe as Attorney General. Clinton got it for his appointment of Senator Lloyd Bentsen as Secretary of the Treasury.
The cure seems simple enough but Constitutionalists and smart lawyers argue that there can be no cure the prohibition was violated and there's no remedy in the Constitution. I agree. But then there are many people who believe that we have a government of men not of laws.
I have read all of the court documents that I could find on the web and have avoided all other sources of information. I understand the forensics that were done on the document that was allegedly issued by the Hawaiian authority; I understand the allegations about the claims by Obama's grandmother; I understand the argument about Obama's education and the supposed relinquishment of his citizenship. I get all that. What I don't get is Obama's staunch refusal to end all the controversy by disclosing the one document that would theoretically accomplish this with incredible ease: the kind of handwritten ("vault") birth certificate that all of us have access to. You know, the one with such information as the delivering doctor's signature, the time of birth and names of the birth parents. Why not just put an end to all of this?
Weigh the simplicity of the solution against the havoc that could be wrought by a finding of ineligibility months or years from now and you'll get my point. As time passes, more and more laws will be signed by the "poseur." They will all have to be undone and the strain on the Nation -- the world -- will be almost impossible to survive. Think we have a crisis now? Somewhere, somehow, a smart criminal attorney will subpoena the record in the course of his or her representation of a person charged with a federal crime. Doing a good job for the client, the attorney will attempt to show that the law that allowed the arrest was signed by a President who had no authority to do so. While many courts have been able to duck the suits seeking the vault record on procedural or standing issues, this one will be impossible to toss because that criminal defendant has an absolute right to have it. A Constitutional right.
So the moral of the tale for all of us including those of you who think these suits are whacky is very simple. If Obama cares about his Country, he should avoid all of this by simply releasing the record. Any reason for refusing to do so escapes me.
II. Hillary's Ineligibility to Be Secretary of State. Many seek to sweep this lesser known Constitutional problem under the rug. Article I, Section 6 of the Constitution provides that, “No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time.” Simply, the argument is that Senator Clinton is not eligible to be the Secretary of State because she voted to increase the salary for the position.
This isn't the first time that the issue has been raised. In what is known as "The Saxbe Fix," Congress has reduced the salary back to what it was before the vote was taken to increase it. The maneuver was nicknamed after Nixon's appointment of Senator William Saxbe as Attorney General. Clinton got it for his appointment of Senator Lloyd Bentsen as Secretary of the Treasury.
The cure seems simple enough but Constitutionalists and smart lawyers argue that there can be no cure the prohibition was violated and there's no remedy in the Constitution. I agree. But then there are many people who believe that we have a government of men not of laws.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Failla Takes Council Seat
Last night's vote was 5-3, with Democrat Walter Bayer breaking ranks and voting in favor.
John Lillis addressed the Shelly Pruss issue saying that the reason he didn't vote for Joe is that he didn't want to make the same mistake twice. You may recall that at the last go-round, John said that he wouldn't vote for Joe because "the voters didn't elect him" to the BOE. A peculiar position in view of the fact that he voted for fellow Dem Shelly after "the voters didn't elect him" either.
I wonder how Shelly feels this morning, knowing that his Party Chair thinks that it was a "mistake" to vote for him.
John Lillis addressed the Shelly Pruss issue saying that the reason he didn't vote for Joe is that he didn't want to make the same mistake twice. You may recall that at the last go-round, John said that he wouldn't vote for Joe because "the voters didn't elect him" to the BOE. A peculiar position in view of the fact that he voted for fellow Dem Shelly after "the voters didn't elect him" either.
I wonder how Shelly feels this morning, knowing that his Party Chair thinks that it was a "mistake" to vote for him.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
BOE "Returns" Surplus
In today's News-Times, you can read Nanci Hutson's story about the Board of Ed's decision to return its $741,000 to the Town's General Fund. In her lead, Nanci wrote, "Tuesday night's split vote of the Board of Education will send the district's $741,000 balance back into the town's general operation fund rather than the board's capital reserve account."
What's wrong with this picture? Simple. BOE Member and attorney Bill Wellman was absolutely right when he said that the BOE had no legal right to have any say whatsoever about the disposition of this money. It had no legal right to keep any of it for its capital reserve fund or for any other purpose. Not $250,000. Not $200,000. Not one cent.
That unexpended money belongs to the taxpayers and should have been "returned" to the General Fund immediately without a stop at a BOE Meeting. And what's amazing is that there isn't a person in the BOE Finance Department who doesn't know it, including old-timer Tom Corbett. Before even allowing it on the Agenda (prepared by the Administration), Board Chairman Lisa Diamond should have asked the Board's attorney about its rights. If he's worth his salt, he'd have confirmed my claim.
Further, the idea of the Board putting the money into its Capital Reserve is illegal. See Section 10-241 of the Connecticut General Statutes and Board of Ed v. City of New Haven 237 Conn. 169 (1996) in which the Supreme Court distinguished between capital and operating accounts. The Town Council controls for former, the BOE the latter. If the BOE wants to add money to its Capital Reserve it must seek COuncil permission as it has done in the past.
Kudos to Chairman Lisa Diamond for breaking with her party and a "thumbs down" to Dave Lawson, Tom McSherry and the other Democrats for their hubris and utter failure to pay attention to their legal obligations and their obligations to the taxpayers-at-large. It just shows you the mind-set.
What's wrong with this picture? Simple. BOE Member and attorney Bill Wellman was absolutely right when he said that the BOE had no legal right to have any say whatsoever about the disposition of this money. It had no legal right to keep any of it for its capital reserve fund or for any other purpose. Not $250,000. Not $200,000. Not one cent.
That unexpended money belongs to the taxpayers and should have been "returned" to the General Fund immediately without a stop at a BOE Meeting. And what's amazing is that there isn't a person in the BOE Finance Department who doesn't know it, including old-timer Tom Corbett. Before even allowing it on the Agenda (prepared by the Administration), Board Chairman Lisa Diamond should have asked the Board's attorney about its rights. If he's worth his salt, he'd have confirmed my claim.
Further, the idea of the Board putting the money into its Capital Reserve is illegal. See Section 10-241 of the Connecticut General Statutes and Board of Ed v. City of New Haven 237 Conn. 169 (1996) in which the Supreme Court distinguished between capital and operating accounts. The Town Council controls for former, the BOE the latter. If the BOE wants to add money to its Capital Reserve it must seek COuncil permission as it has done in the past.
Kudos to Chairman Lisa Diamond for breaking with her party and a "thumbs down" to Dave Lawson, Tom McSherry and the other Democrats for their hubris and utter failure to pay attention to their legal obligations and their obligations to the taxpayers-at-large. It just shows you the mind-set.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Failla Withdraws Council Bid...For Now
Joe Failla withdrew his name last night, facing a negative vote from all four Democratic Council Members and an absence of two Republican Members.
The Democrats said that the voters didn't elect Joe to the Board of Education. Apparently they forgot about Shelly Pruss (D).
Calling it "politics at its worst," Mayor Pat Murphy said, "This is the Town Council, not the Board of Ed. Joe is qualified, I think he'll do a good job and he has the unanimous support of the Republican Town Committee."
Without doubt, Joe's name will be brought up again when Republicans Pete Bass and Bob Guendelsberger return. The Mayor will vote to break the likely 4-4 tie leaving the Dems in a very uneasy position when he sits at their table.
The Democrats said that the voters didn't elect Joe to the Board of Education. Apparently they forgot about Shelly Pruss (D).
Calling it "politics at its worst," Mayor Pat Murphy said, "This is the Town Council, not the Board of Ed. Joe is qualified, I think he'll do a good job and he has the unanimous support of the Republican Town Committee."
Without doubt, Joe's name will be brought up again when Republicans Pete Bass and Bob Guendelsberger return. The Mayor will vote to break the likely 4-4 tie leaving the Dems in a very uneasy position when he sits at their table.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Volinski Resigns From Council, Failla On Deck
Republican Town Council Member Terry Volinski submitted her resignation from the Town Council. Joe Failla will likely be recommended by the RTC to fill her seat. An attorney who practices in New York, Joe is a former Member of the Ethics Commission and Board of Education.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Dr. Py and the Children of New Milford
Some time ago, the Mayor and Town Council cooperated in giving to Medinstill, formerly the Nestles facility on Housatonic Avenue, a five-year tax abatement valued at more than $1,000,000. In addition, at a cost of $4,200,000 in State and Local funds, the Town extended the sewer line to the facility.
Even the Sewer Commission helped Medinstill by granting a special fee to accept its sludge-handling until the sewer system was connected. Finally, the Sewer Commission based its hookup fee on historical water use rather than on a square foot assessment as is the rule for new commercial hookups. Combined, these sewer benefits saved Medinstill hundreds of thousands of dollars. The hookup fee was allowed to be paid over a 10-year period.
The total of these tax and sewer benefits exceeded $5,000,000. The Town of New Milford has never done this before.
All of this was based upon representations from Medinstill’s President, Dr. Daniel Py, that the company would expand its employee base by several hundred people thereby affording job opportunities to many New Milford residents.
It's been more than a year and those jobs have not materialized.
Given this unprecedented financial relief and the value added to the property, I think that it would be appropriate and an indication of Dr. Py’s good faith to donate to the Town of New Milford the existing Bulls and Volunteer fields for the benefit of today’s and tomorrow’s children.
This is Dr. Py’s opportunity to really become a part of the New Milford Community.
Even the Sewer Commission helped Medinstill by granting a special fee to accept its sludge-handling until the sewer system was connected. Finally, the Sewer Commission based its hookup fee on historical water use rather than on a square foot assessment as is the rule for new commercial hookups. Combined, these sewer benefits saved Medinstill hundreds of thousands of dollars. The hookup fee was allowed to be paid over a 10-year period.
The total of these tax and sewer benefits exceeded $5,000,000. The Town of New Milford has never done this before.
All of this was based upon representations from Medinstill’s President, Dr. Daniel Py, that the company would expand its employee base by several hundred people thereby affording job opportunities to many New Milford residents.
It's been more than a year and those jobs have not materialized.
Given this unprecedented financial relief and the value added to the property, I think that it would be appropriate and an indication of Dr. Py’s good faith to donate to the Town of New Milford the existing Bulls and Volunteer fields for the benefit of today’s and tomorrow’s children.
This is Dr. Py’s opportunity to really become a part of the New Milford Community.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
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