Town official and Selectman candidate Michael Freda has said in this blog that he won’t respond to ordinary citizen Bubba anymore, and that he is even considering an end to his participation here, because Bubba referred to him as a “moral fraud” (see Freda’s November 27 comment to one blog entry and his November 27 comment to another.
This same town official Michael Freda referred to me (an ordinary citizen) in a far more public venue (two North Haven weekly newspapers) with the following language (and much more):
“Let me cut through all of his nonsensical claims and accusations and tell you exactly how I view his article. His article is the most irresponsible piece of sensationalistic propaganda that I have ever seen on any level. ... His dizzying display of dubious claims, combined with his total inability to offer constructive solutions, concerns me a great deal.”
Government officials have, I believe, a greater responsibility to refrain from showing disrespect to citizens than citizens have to refrain from showing disrespect to officials. Officials have power to make decisions that affect people’s lives and pocketbooks, and they should be representing, not attacking, citizens. Disrespect for government officials is a great American tradition.
Freda’s attack on me was not a personal attack, despite its language. It was an attack on all critics of Board of Finance policies, an attempt to discredit the critics in the eyes of their community and raise the ante for others to criticize North Haven Republican policies.
Bubba and others think that Freda is discredited due to his votes and his inaction, his lack of criticism when criticism was called for. And they’re angry about it. Bubba expressed this with the phrase “moral and political fraud,” which is rough, certainly, but no reason for Mr. Freda to consider saying goodbye to his participation in this blog.
I don’t think Freda has a thin skin, so why is he so upset? What did he expect when he considered throwing his hat into the Board of Selectmen ring? What does his response say about his view of North Haven citizens? Does he have a right to expect more from them than they expect from him?
Maybe Freda is, as Bubba says right after the fraud phrase, seriously out of touch with North Haveners. They’re angry, and they’re going to take some of that anger out on Freda. If Freda didn’t expect this response, then he is out of touch, and perhaps he won’t be able to accurately and effectively represent the town on the Board of Selectmen.
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29 comments:
C'mon,We all know what happened here. The Republican hierarchy stepped in and said alright ENOUGH.
You're our guy and you have to stop trying to endear yourself to the common people,they don't deserve explainations to begin with, much less on a blog coming from our selectman candidate!
Sound feasible ?? Does to me!
To answer your question-yes, I believe Mr. Freda is out of touch with North Haven, at least the North Haven that voted the Republicans out of office this election. He deigns to join the blog conversation here, then when the conversation doesn't go the way he thinks it should he makes a production of leaving. God forbid he should listen to the people of No. Haven and possibly learn something!
His statement about part-time fast food jobs for kids is unreal-who does he think works there while kids are in school? Also the big push for more retail in No. Haven is a joke-most of these jobs are also minimum wage/no benefit jobs. As far as development in town, our leaders should be thinking outside the box-forget fast food and retail, we should be looking for IT, biotech, alternative energy...we're surrounded by colleges and we're talking retail and restaurants? I guess our kids will have to move away to work after they're done with school and part-time "learn the value of a dollar" jobs. Or they can join the fire dept. here-there's sure to be great job security putting out the frequent fires at Metal Management!
Special Forces:
Freda was obviously taking his marching orders from the Republican "machine" when he was a member of the Board of Finance. He, along with virtually every other GOP member of the BOF, contributed little to the meetings.
That doesn't mean he couldn't make a valuable contribution to North Haven as a member of the Board of Selectman. I find his comments on this blog respectful, thoughtful and well-intentioned.
Let's stop hanging him over and over for the same crime.
Mr. Wechsler,
I mentioned to Mr. Leahy that I was incorrect in my original assessment that my points of view would be of interest on your site.
I do think I am now correct in interpreting that my points of view are of little interest here but I certainly not upset about this. I stated very early on here that neither I nor my views would be popular to your bloggers.
There is one thing that I would like to clarify and that is that I did not say to Mr. Leahy that I would be leaving this site, because I still plan on participating.
I believe that I previously stated to you that I plan on particpating in this site whether or not I become a member of the Board of Selectmen. That also has no bearing on my continued participation.
If you as the blog administrator eventually decide that you would like me to leave this site, then I would do so.
I wanted to clarify my position on this for you regarding my continued participation.
Sincerely,
Michael Freda
Mr. Wechsler,
Bubba's post was certainly not a prize piece of proze, but were the feelings really too strong? During this election I heard much stronger negative feelings from traditional Republicans! The people who followed what was happening in local government were naturally angry (unless they were among the republicronies). Taxes were raised by a secretive, corrupt, and inefficient regime that had been in control (unopposed) much too long . . . "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely." [Mr. W. will naturally point out that it's a misquote from someone unknown.]
Does Mr. Freda not know the mood of the voters that gave him and his cronies the boot? Was the landslide victory in his view just due to some bad press? Was he not paying attention to the mood of the people during the town meetings? It took a lot of mood to motivate anyone to attend those dreadful meetings. Did Mr. Freda not see a significant mood change on this blog when the newspapers announced his candidacy?
Conclusion: Mr. Freda could NOT be that tuned out. Instead, he's pouting (visualize that pursed-lip pose he likes to assume) and pretending that the "rules of discourse" prohibit the exchange of feelings. He will not participate. It's the old view, that "pure reason" should be unfettered by emotion, versus the newer perspective that feelings play an essential role in guiding reason and action.
But I must say, Mr. Freda can become quite the emotional poet in praising low paying, burger flipping jobs for teens. Burger flipping builds character and responsibility, we're told. Maybe we should get rid of all child labor laws. Let's start building that good 'ol "character" , which Mr. Freda seems to love in himself, at the youngest possible age. In Mr. Freda's ideal future, fast-food ad signs will read, "If you can see the top of the stove, you can apply for this job!"
One of the many problems with Mr. Freda's love story is that the kids are being conditioned to eat the unhealthy junk food that they prepare. They should be taught to avoid it like the plague! I submit that early childhood training in a fast-food chain is likely to build an enduring, unhealthy lifestyle. We should be working to decrease the number of sugar & fat chains. Rather than singing odes to these chains, as Mr. Freta does, perhaps a better vision is to plan for a healthier and greener image and environment.
There is nothing positive about the image and perception of a town with lots of fast-food chains.
Dear Marty K,
I appreciate your point of view but that is not the case at all.
I can tell you that there is no Republican hierarchy telling me what to do or what not to do.
Dear Anonymous,
I am listening, please feel free to continue to tell me what you think I should know. I still plan on participating in this site and do not understand your statement that I am making a production about leaving.
Michael Freda
Mr. Freda, I don't think your points of view are unpopular. You've said nothing controversial here.
I think that the controversy (including over what you said about fast food restaurants) comes from anger about what you did as a member of the Board of Finance, and also from how you have presented yourself here (what you have responded to and what you have not, your tone, etc.).
What has bothered me the most is your insistence that you are here to state unpopular views, and then not finding them.
Let's hear some of your unpopular views. I welcome discussion of issues, rather than political back-and-forth.
Dear Charlotte,
After your reading your comments,let me address your conclusion.
I would like to think that I am not totally tuned out to what North Haveners think. I decided to join this site to see what the people who voted us out were thinking because it was such a clean sweep and, also, I am still planning to particate in this site despite the suggestions that I am pouting and am not going to particpate.
I do have to work on eliminating that pursed lip look, however, because many people, friends included, have commented on that to me when they watched the Board of Finance meetings on NHTV.
I was referring to your response to Mr. Leahy where you said you were mistaken in participating in this blog. It seemed like you were ready to leave the discussion. Now I would truly like your opinion on the other points I made in my post regarding retail and restaurant jobs. I worked for a fast food chain during high school purely out of financial necessity-parents were also paying parochial school tuition. I was unable to participate in extra-curricular activities in school, ate that junk all the time, and worked with lots of folks older than me who had some unsavory habits that I was exposed to at 16 years of age. My kid can get a part-time job in high school but it won't be one that will keep him from getting good grades, playing sports, meeting his community service obligations in school and have him hanging out with adult co-workers that drink or do drugs. I've seen lots of good kids in this town change drastically after getting a part-time job and getting in with a bad crowd. Since you seem to believe that manufacturing jobs are in the past and you haven't commented on some of my suggestions, does that mean you really think restaurant and retail are the future of North Haven job development? If not, what are your ideas? We've had a "volunteer" economic development position, and that's what seems to be coming in to our town, along with lots of empty storefronts on Washington Avenue. That seems to be the direction the Pratt and Whitney site will take if P&Z approves the Rabina site plan (the construction jobs won't be permanent positions). Is North Haven simply a bedroom community that those with college degrees must commute from to get a job with decent pay and benefits? I am truly curious-do you have a vision for North Haven, and if so, what is it?
Mr. Wechsler,
I have tried to respond to just about every blogger that has addressed me. As far as the tone of my messages, I am surprised to hear that perhaps this is an issue.
I certainly have tried to be respectful here despite the acerbic tone and various insults that have been directed my way.
Let's try to focus in on the following opinion of mine for your readers and bloggers here in an effort to have some intelligent discourse:
It is my opinion that North Haven is a town that is in fine financial shape right now.
The town currently has a very strong bond rating and has borrowed money at a very low percentage rate of interest.
The tax collection rate is strong and is running about 100.3% of what was forecasted this past fiscal year.
The unappropriated fund balance is very strong and its percentage of the total expense side of the budget is analogous to what surrounding towns with our population have according to the CCM, which is the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities.
The town also had had a greater than anticipated level of earnings on this surplus account.
I do believe, however, that this surplus fund can be reduced this coming fiscal year to a certain extent to help fund capital expenses that need to be approved.
Last year, on the BOF, we received requests for a total of $4.5M and only authorized about $600K due to the fact that we were concerned that it would be too difficult of a burden for the taxpayers to endure this kind of appropriation in year two of a reval.
Yes, taxes have gone up for all of us in North Haven and this is not a good thing.
Inevitably, as the cost of town services, including people and union contracts continue to rise, we are faced with a problem in trying to control taxes moving forward.
This is, as I see it, our biggest challenge.
Michael Freda
Mr. Freda,
You really have not taken many controversial positions. Perhaps the most controversial one is that your future vision entails moving more dollars and product through fast-food and retail chains, which in turn furnish jobs (albeit very low pay and no benefits). So that's one of the areas in which you and some of the bloggers disagree. Perhaps it's worth discussing further.
My sense is that you would prefer scholarly debate. Please offer us your vision and concrete goals for the future. What changes should we be making now in order to have a soft landing on a desirable future community.
Is is a fast-/junk-food & retail community? What type of future resident do we wish to attract? What is the correct image and reality of the future North Haven?
Please just jump right in on your positions on the key issues that will take us to your vision of the future. What are the obvious and achievable goals in this new century? Please list them and your key plans.
For concreteness, consider the implications of Mr. Wechsler's positions regarding the organization of the government. Or any other issue of your choosing. Would you care to begin debating visions of the future of North Haven?
"The tax collection rate is strong and is running about 100.3% of what was forecasted this past fiscal year."
HUUHHHH????? So what is the current actual tax collection rate?
Dear George and Anonymous,
Thank you for the way that each of you outlined your points of view and questions.
Since you both posed to me what my vision of North Haven is or will be, please allow me to respond to both of you in this one blog and then I will respond back to each of you individually regarding some of your other thoughts and observations.
I will try to explain my views by outlining the current state of our town from a business standpoint and then outline what I would like to see for the town in the future from an overall standpoint.
Currently, we have a situation in North Haven where we have become a retail based business environment.
This represents both good news and bad news. The good news is that these retail businesses have considered our town a great location to establish themselves in, both from a demograhic and logistical perspective.
The good news here is also in the creation of jobs for us in North Haven. These jobs might not the be highest paying jobs but they are jobs that keep our local economy humming along.
The advent of a retail based environment creates more interest in our town from adjacent areas which can be both good and bad.
The problem with a retail based environment is that is does not generate great tax revenue for us here in North Haven.
I have previously stated here that it takes 7 TARGET Shopping centers, including all the adjacent stores that are around the TARGET, 7 of these to replicate one PRATT and WHITNEY from a tax revenue standpoint.
I am a huge proponent of the Rabina project and would include this in what I see for the future.
So if we look 2 to 4 years down the road, I would like to see a more diversified portfolio of businesses in which our retail based environment is augmented by a biotech firm, an emergency medical facilty, which could be part of the Rabina project, and the addition of some form of manufacturing facilty.
I have stated previously that there has been a significant demise in manufacturing across many municipalities in Connecticut. There are those that do still exist however and an intense effort needs to take place to seek out those opportunities.
The success rate of attracting more manufacturing may be small but it is my opinion that we are only one manufacturing facilty away from very positively affecting our tax revenue.
I would assign a task force to identify a circumference of 60 to 90 miles and identify which manufacturing facilities exist within this circumference.
I would then identify someone, Ms. McCarty, Mr. Fontana, myself, or all three of us to attempt to schedule meetings with these companies to see if there was an opportunity to offer them incentives to move their businesses to North Haven.
I have not yet identified in my own mind on how to structure those incentives. I have structured many incentives in my business career to bring in new business for my company but it works a little differently in municipalities and I am still neophyte as it relates to my overall experience in town government.
Should Ms. McCarty hire an economic planning development manager that we will have to pay for, then that person should also be involved in a very significant fashion.
I would also look to maximize our remaining square footage space in town to incorporate other businesses that would create a higher tax revenue generator than the average retail business does here in North Haven.
I would also look to identify what those businesses might be and develop a very aggressive game plan to attract those businesses. The answer may very well be that it boils down to the size of those businesses from a square footage standpoint that generates the most tax revenue.
Please keep in mind, that the idea is to maximize revenue from other constituencies other than our tax paying town residents.
The more revenue generated from those constituencies lessens our individual tax burden.
Supporting a healthy tax revenue generating model in North Haven, I am also a big proponent of maintaining the high quality of our police and fire departments for the future.
I look at these two very important departments as the guardians of our town's safety.
I also believe that a strong school system for the future has to be in place to attract those young professionals who have started a family and our analyzing where they would like to live long term.
A high quality school system is a very important component to attract those young professionals to our town that I think are critically important to our town's future.
I also believe for the future that we need to support our senior citizens in the form of energy assistance, quality housing opportunities which I believe we have done a nice job on to date and tax breaks where possible for those that are really living on fixed incomes.
These tax breaks can be supported if we grow our grand list in the manner that I have just stated.
Finally, I believe that watching the cost side of our town is also essential to maintaning a vibrant and healthy North Haven for the future. I will speak more about this on a future blog.
These are just a few of my thoughts.
Sincerely,
Michael Freda
To Anonymous,
The current actual tax collection rate is 97.84%. This represents about 100.35% of our forecasted rate of collection of 97.5%.
Michael Freda
Dear George,
Getting back to your original posting, scholarly debate is certainly a good thing here but that is not the most important thing as I see it.
I believe that the best form of debate here on this site is one where the level of contempt that the participants may have is minimized and the issues that the participants see as being important are maximized.
Michael Freda
Dear Anonymous,
Getting back to your original posting,I am sorry to hear that you have seen many good kids in town change drastically and then get in with a bad crowd after securing a part-time job.
My feeling is that part-time jobs serve our youth well but based on your experience, I can see that there might be another side to this issue that I had not seen before.
Michael Freda
Just read Mr. Freda's comments about the town. The retail positions (jobs) Mr. Kopetz took so much credit for don't allow the workers to afford a home in our great town. Our town needs an independent planner to make it right. For god sake's, we have two highways running throught this town and other major roads and this is all we can show for years of republican leadership. Mr. Freda you were a Democrat and then jumped ship to the be with the winners, the golden boys, they are gone. You are out. You are smart, but it is your spine that is in question. Hard work and dedication to a cause make men, not political free agency.
Steven J.
Mr. Freda, you speak of minimizing the level of contempt, but you don't seem to realize that showing respect is not just about the words people use, it is also about how they respond to what is said.
For example, you say you hope you are not out of touch, but you do not respond to what people mean by your being out of touch. You will not recognize, for example, that the basis for their anger is legitimate. You imply, therefore, that their anger, and the way they express it, is illegitimate.
Discusson of issues is great, but when a Republican member of the Board of Finance discusses issues, what he doesn't say is as important as what he does say.
And when you keep saying that people here are not interested in your views, you are putting them down, as if they're not open to opposing ideas. And yet you still haven't given us any unpopular or controversial views.
We know what those are, because we've been stating unpopular and controversial views for years, and been totally ignored by you and your colleagues. And now you're spouting noncontroversial views and saying people aren't interested. And you wonder why people are upset?
The fact is that everyone here wants good schools, more and better jobs, a good tax base, etc.
But the fact is, for example, that you made the decision not to use one penny of the $900,000 increase in state education funds for education, and without allowing the people of North Haven to vote on it (Janet and I tried to have this put into the budget, and your colleagues spoke and voted against this).
This is one small example of contempt that you have shown for the people of North Haven, and it goes against what you say about wanting the best schools possible. So yes, people are angry and they show contempt for someone who sometimes used his power contemptuously and will not acknowledge this.
Mr. Freda
I personally feel it is a very unfortunate loss to the town of North Haven that you sold your soul to the Republicans(or any other party for that matter). I can see you are an intelligent and well schooled man in the ways of finance especially, and the knowledge and experience you could bring to the table is an asset that could help this town immensely.However, your political alliance with the past regime has cast much doubt on the issues of your sincerity and or your ablity put what you know is right for the town over your partisan loyalty. Many issues were obviously decided in the past, based souly on the premise that it is opposite of what the other party wants. This we have all seen and it became more blatant in recent years.You have dealt with the animosity towards you on this blog like a true gentleman and I commend you for that. I personally think you would make a good solid leader,(which made your silence on the BOF somewhat disheartening),but keep in mind, people will always, in the back of their minds, question your motives because of who you have aligned yourself with politically. Good Luck
Mr. Freda, for the sake of all of of us in North Haven.
"Government officials have, I believe, a greater responsibility to refrain from showing disrespect to citizens than citizens have to refrain from showing disrespect to officials. Officials have power to make decisions that affect people’s lives and pocketbooks, and they should be representing, not attacking, citizens. Disrespect for government officials is a great American tradition."
IMO, disrespect for anyone is unacceptable and to think that being disrespectful to government officals is a great American tradition is sad. I am an unaffiliated voter who has attended or watched (on NHTV) BOF and Town Meetings. Things get heated at times...I realize that. Questioning Government is an American tradition...being respectful in approach, tone, demeanor should be tradition.
Mr. Freda,
Thank you for your response regarding the part-time job issue, I'm glad to see you have an open mind on it. You neglected to answer my question however-is North Haven to become a bedroom community so that college educated people who don't work in retail have to commute out of town for better jobs? I would also like to point out that our proximity to highways and the retail already here attracts crime that puts a strain on our police department (see NH Register re:Target and shoplifting also police logs in the weeklies). How will the Rabina project help this situation? Won't we have to spend the tax $ they bring in on extra police and fire personnel? Isn't this mainly a retail and residential project? My spouse and I both have college degrees and both commute out of town in order to get work in our fields as we have for the 20 years we've lived here-is this what we can expect for our kids if they choose to live in North Haven as adults? If manufacturing is dying out as you expressed, why are you looking to bring more in, and not looking at other businesses? Supporting the Pratt & Whitney project so strongly seems to show that retail is it - why build a huge mall when there are so many empty storefronts and for sale and for lease signs up and down Washington Ave.? We built next to Stop & Shop-brand new stores-where are the businesses to fill them? How do you feel about the Adult Video store with booths that wants to move in on Washington Avenue-it's retail, it's a business moving in to town, it's a taxpayer-shouldn't we aim higher than situations like this? Is this the type of job opportunity you see for North Haven residents? I'm not trying to have an attitude, I am curious about your vision of the future of our town-especially since you so strongly support the Rabina project which many of us don't see in such a positive light.
Mr. Wechsler,
I would like to try to address your observations in two separate blog entries, one here regarding the issue of concept and then in a separate blog entry, address the $900,000 education reimbursement that you referenced.
The issue of contempt in my mind is one where contempt tends to be a reaction that manifests itself in people for what they view to be things that have been done to them.
These could be personal affronts, political affronts, wrong doings to them or their families, insults directed at them in a vicious fashion or many other things.
As it relates to politics here in North haven, I can certainly understand the contempt that many people here have for what went on and the problems that were created.
I can also understand that there is contempt that the people have for the level of arrogance that they might have been the recipient of.
I accept all of this, do not blame the people for it, and totally understand it.
Where you and I differ, Mr. Wechsler,is that I believe the people hold the ultimate power, not people like myself or anyone else who was recently voted out of office.
I feel this way because the people can vote against those they do not like or feel should be in office. In local municipalities, as everyone knows, you have only two years to prove yourself.
The people on this website have spoken, they swept us out with a proverbial broom and there is a new administration in place.
What I do not understand here, and please feel anyone to help me, is should your level of contempt not be mitigated by the fact that you have had an impact?
You have exercised your power and we are out of office as of right now.You should feel good about that.
There is also a a process in place that will deal with those who have allegedly committed crimes here in North Haven and they could very well be punished.
As it relates to this site, or in business or in everday life, I believe that contempt has a corrosive impact on trying to have a healthy debate, a healthy business relationship or a healthy personal relationship.
I accept the contempt that the people may have for me here, I understand the reasons why but if we,on this site, are going to continue to try to have intelligent discussions here moving forward, I believe that we need to break down the walls of contempt here to facilitate those healthy discussions.
I may be wrong, but that is how I see it.
Sincerely,
michael Freda
Dear Mr. Wechsler, Nicky and Anonymous,
Please forgive me, I have some business meetings to attend over the next couple of hours so I might not be able to get back to you for a while.
Mr. Wechsler, I owe you an explanation on the $900,000 education reimbursement, and I owe both Nicky and the most recent anonymous an answer reagrding their most recent blog entries.
Mr. Wechsler, could you publish a response of mine that I sent out last night to an "Anonymous" that was an answer to their question about tax collection rates?
Thank you.
Mr. Freda
I hope I can help with what I see as somewhat of a possible explaination to the animosity sent your way on this blog.
I think much of the contempt you speak of was generated from some of the sour grapes type statements that were made by some ranking Republican officials, after the election, to the effect of, the press cost the Republicans the election. These statements were construed by many(be it intentional or not) as an insult to the intelligence of the North Haven voter. Many people took it as saying we weren't smart enough to see the truth and were blindly led by what was printed in the newspapers. Not acknowledging that there were many more issues than the arrests that led to the demise of the Republican regime. These statements only serving to be a continuation of the perceived arrogance of the Republicans that were in power. It is truly unfortunate that much of the knowledge you are NOW willing to share with us is being looked at through jaded eyes,and thus being responded to in a contemptuous manner. I hope this respectfully sheds some light on why you are sadly the equivalent to the "Republican Whipping Boy"(for lack of a better term) to many on this blog.It is regretful that you had not chosen to speak out sooner rather than later because I stand by my statement that I feel you have quite alot to offer. Once again Good Luck Mr. Freda
Dear Nicky,
Thank you for your two entries here. I can see your point of view and there is no doubt that the biggest challenge that we are faced with moving forward is to shrink the great gap that exists between both parties.
I have had friends of mine ask me why after so many tears as a Democrat and then an Independent, I changed my party status.
Some of them have jokingly, but have seriously, told me that I "sold out".
That change started from what I saw on a national level then what I was seeing on a local level.
For the first time here, I am going to comment on what I saw on a local level. Let me preface my remarks here by saying that I mean no disrespect to anyone with what I am about to say.
I have a lot of business experience, I have been a guest speaker at conferences all over the country and sat on various corporate boards but I have very little political experience.
In looking over the roster of people in town government in the past few years, I had come to the conclusion that I was not impressed with what I saw to be the backround and experience of the Democratic leaders.
What I saw at that time,19 months ago, was a Democratic party that was in dramatic need of a total overhaul here in North Haven.
I saw a disorganized faction that was very good at pointing out problems. This was all prior to the incidents involving our town officials.
I then switched from an Independent status to a Republican status because I liked the way the town was being run from a financial standpoint and I liked Mr. Kopetz.
I was told by Mr. Kopetz that the town, and the Republicans, were looking to bring in some new perspective from the private sector for some fresh ideas.
This came at the exact time that I was really starting to develop an interest in the local political scene.
My first few months on the BOF was
a learning experience and I asked a lot of questions and offered input behind the scenes.
To give you a baseball analogy,Nicky, I was in the Rookie League trying to work my way up to Double A ball.
Even as I write this, I still think that I am in "Double A ball" from a political perspective. I have a great deal to learn.
Then the problems hit, friends of mine said to me "it is just your luck that you got involved with politics at the wrong time".
I remained loyal to the party in an effort to try to help the administration deal with the issues. My track record on the BOF is certainly not one of any accomplishment but I did support the Democrat initiative to film the BOF meetings with public comments because I knew that it was the right thing to do and I worked out the arrangements with NHTV to do so.
I am not going to make excuses to you here regarding the Republican loss. I have made no excuses to date and, in fact, if you searched back on this site you will find that I said that we were beaten, the people spoke and they wanted a change.
That's how I see it.
I remain loyal to the party, I do wish the Democrats success and I hope that they do well for the town resdidents sake.
I believe that they need a "honeymoon" period to prove themselves without people attacking them.
In the final analysis, should they stumble, they will not be immune to criticism. This is where it is no different than in business because if you have the top spot, you are ultimately responsible for the overall performance.
As far as being the "Republican whipping boy" here,it comes with the responsibilty of being engaged in the political process.
It would have been very easy for me to stop particpating in this site once I learned that I was being considered for the Board of Selectman.
Mr. Wechsler once made a fabulous point that there are many citizens that are afraid attend meetings or
be a particpant in town politics for fear of retaliation by those town officials.
I would like to submit to you for your consideration that a mirror image exists of what Mr. Wechsler had to say.
That mirror image, Nicky, is that there are a lot of qualified people, more qualified than I am, who would like to get into politics but are afraid of being belittled, berated and insulted by the people.
I am sure that it is not easy for my wife and children to see their father being called a "Republicrook" and a "moral and political fraud" on this site but they know that I am able to take it and my wife does agree with Charolotte's assessement that the "pursed lip look" has got to go!
Thank you for your perspective, Nicky, it has been a pleasure communicating with you.
Sincerely,
Michael Freda
Mr. Wechsler,
Let me try to give you my thought process at the time, regarding the issue of the $900,000 education reimbursment that was never put back into the education budget.
You and many others were a big proponent of the BOF putting money into the budget for ECS.We did not do so.
The reason we did not do so was despite what you and others were saying at the time, the Board of Selectmen had received a letter from Mr. Fasano, on behalf of him and Mr. Fontana, telling the Board of Selectmen that there was too much uncertainty in the outcome of the Connecticut State budget.
This letter also went on to say that the final figures were too uncertain for them to give the BOF any indication as the what the funding level would be.
We interpreted this at the time to mean that we were getting nothing.
Now, flash forward to the point that we did get something, the $900,000. You and the others were correct. We made a wrong decision, in retrospect, based on the information that we received from the two people who were fighting this battle for us, Mr. Fasano and Mr. Fontana.
They were very honest with us and told us what they saw in Hartford.
The budget gets passed before the money comes in.
My interpretation at the time was that according to Connecticut State statutes, once a municipality badget is passed, that municipality can not change the expense side of that budget.
In other words, we could not increase the expense side of the education budget.
The BOF's interpretation also was that although we could not change the expense side, we could increase the overall revenue side and the money then went into the general fund.
I think that you would have to agree that The Connecticut State Statutes can be very explicit in some areas but very arcane and ambiguous in others.
Mr. Wechsler, if I am wrong with my interpretation at that time, please feel free to set me straight.
Sincerely,
Michael Freda
Dear Anonymous,
I wanted to get back to you on your earlier entry.
You have raised some very specific issues that are, indeed, areas for concern.
In the short term, I do not see North Haven emerging from a retail based environment. The Rabina project, while largely a retail based project, also could feature a hotel, a train station and other
amenities which could help our local commerce.
Yes, there is a parodoxical situation that will also emerge and that is the increased traffic and need for additonal town infrastructure to support this growth.
My assessment of the demise of manufacturing is a bleak one but, I may be wrong, but I think that we only need one big "hit" here and if we get that maunfacturing facility, that could put is over the top from a revenue standpoint.
My point in my earlier blog entry was that although it is a long shot, we can not give up in trying to secure this.
I would not say that North Haven is going to become a bedroom community but I do not see North Haven as a "haven" for employment for the majority of our town residents in terms on fine paying jobs with solid benefits.
So, yes, I think that our children who will live in North Haven in the future will be working in other cities where larger corporations may reside.
I won't get into the subject again that almost incited a riotous response here the other day regarding fast food outlets but I believe that our town leaders drew a conclusion that if manufacturing was going away, let's get as many businesses here as we can to generate as much tax revenue as we can.
They probably concluded that those types of businesses were better than nothing.
This is the very issue that remains our biggest challenge but it is an issue that is just not indigenous to North Haven.
Let's not get too despondent about the future though because all of us are faced with challenges that need to be sorted out.
I do not have all of the answers but there is one thing that I do know from my business experience, people who are talented, organized and possess superior critical thinking skills can solve problems.
On a final note, I am totally against the adult book store on Washington Avenue. I see no value in it and no need for it.
If I did not answer your questions, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Michael Freda
Setting the blog agenda
Mr. Freda,
Many of us are willing to read about and debate your unique vision and novel plans for the future. However, so far there hasn't been much to debate. Since nobody stands for bad schools, taking a position in favor of schools simply isn't a distinguishing issue.
By contrast, we already have some interesting and probably controversial visions on the table. Is it time to revisit the town charter (as required by law)? In the process, should we move to a more modern form of government (as Mr. W has suggested)? Has the political process served us well or might we benefit from professional management?
While pondering some large issues, such as this one, there is no shortage of smaller and easier ones to tackle. Should high-ranking town employees get medical benefits for themselves and family for life? Should they receive a huge retirement pension?
Should the audit be continued? What should be it's scope? Regarding the school budget, is there a better way to vote and decide? Specifically, can changes be made to prevent politicians from pitting education against other interests?
How can we make officials more responsive? One good change is Janet M will be holding meetings at times when more people can attend. I suggest that all elected officials have an email that is available to the citizens. I know that Janet M and Steve F have done so for some time and they are always quick to respond. I am not award that Mr. Freda ever made available his email. For those officials who have office phones, those too should be available. We need to minimize the secrecy tendencies of future politicians.
Then there's the matter that an independent raised. Roughly, the point was that independents can/do determine the outcomes of the elections and yet they are ultimately given no voice in the government. Should we try to change that? Any ideas on how to do it? This issue could be pressing if Janet M chooses not to accept Mr. Freda.
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