The Republicans Fire Back
In response to a comment on the “imposter” (West + Cragg = Higher Taxes) signs showing up, Ken Hjulstrom had this reply.
Is this the pot calling the kettle Black? I do not see them as “Imposter Signs”. These signs carry a valid message that is based on documented votes by Lauren Cragg and statements made by Russ West that he would not have a problem paying more, which implies that he would not see a problem with every taxpayer paying more. You take this statement plus Lauren’s voting record and what do you get….Higher Taxes! It’s simple math.
By comparison, the DTC had no problem with their mischaracterization of the Republican candidates in last week’s insert in the Rivereast. I can’t wait to see what shows up in this week’s paper!
In addition, there has been extensive vandalism of Republican signs in the last couple of weeks and I have reports that someone was observed damaging signs at the North Main Street/Park Road intersection including a sign that was thrown into the brook. Other signs on North Main Street were run over by a car and others were taken from Jones Hollow Road. I would prefer not to report this to the State Police, so perhaps the DTC could reign in their supporters before they get in trouble.
You’re mischaracterizing what Mr. West said and you know it. At the meeting I attended, he was referring to cuts to the proposed BOE budget. You’re distorting the record and making false assumptions.
Still you won’t explain why you had to steal the Democrats policical sign colors to attempt to make your point.
Think you should concentrate on reigning your own team in after the delivery of a message in incredibly bad taste to one of your own. A new campaign low.
No, there is not a mischaracterization. Mr. West said, “he would find a way to pay more taxes”, he has no interest in holding the line on spending.
Frankly is the sign color the best you can do? Rather lame if your political world starts and ends with sign color.
Come on, point out a lie in the Republican message. I’ve pointed out many untruths in the Democrat fliers.
After all is said and done, can anyone notice any difference in Town Services since the $500,000.00 was cut, other than the dump is not open on Thursday night?
Really, given all the crying and tearing out of hair during the town meetings, does any one notice any difference in town services? Other than the dump?
Seems to me, the Democrat leadership has a huge creditability gap considering the pain they put the town through last budget cycle.
The DTC insert in the Rivereast accused Republicans of supporting cuts to a long list of Town services and education.
Let’s set the record straight!
On June 3rd Marlborough’s Democrat First Selectman Bill Black made a presentation to the Board of Finance in which he said that “he feels that we need to control taxes and reduce both the school and the operations budgets so people can still afford to live in town”.
See BOF meeting minutes: http://www.marlboroughct.net/content/Minutes/2009/BOF060309.pdf.
In Mr. Black’s presentation he listed all of the items that the Democrats attribute to the Republican members of the Board of Finance.
Mr. Black’s suggestions included:
• The possibility of having NO lifeguards during the weekdays.
• A 15% to 25% reduction in library hours.
• Not replacing the retiring State Trooper.
• Close the Transfer Station except for Saturday.
• Reduce the Board of Education budget by up to $450,000!
• Cut the $1,000 grant to Fife and Drum.
Yes, these were all First Selectman Black’s suggestions!
Also keep in mind that at any given Board of Finance meeting there are only three voting Republicans out of six voting members. That means in order to pass any motion, there needs to be a 4-2 majority, which would have needed bipartisan support. Yes folks, that means that at least one Democrat would need to vote in support for any cut in order to pass a motion.
The DTC leadership likes to twist the facts in order to frighten the voters and to deflect blame away from their own First Selectman and their own Party. It is time for the taxpayers to realize who is out there looking out for their interests, and it is NOT First Selectman Bill Black nor is it Lauren Cragg.
First off we have someone debating who’s name is original reality check. Reality being that aint their real name !
Sounds like someone I know though
Second off you all make me sick.
‘ba ha ha they stole the color of our sign. Am I watching a chearleading movie hear with sniviling high school students?
Like what color sign a party choses will be causing us to vote accordingly?
third you guys demonstarte how you will be spending your time in office WORKING FOR US, arguing and fighting one another because you don’t like each other and will straign a gnat (like sign color) while feeding a camel (overlooking the choices to be made regarding our future, our childrens future and our prosperity TOGETHER) I’m pretty sure after watching the budget meetings, and getting hammered with hate emails, etc. I am pulling the republican lever accross the board ! And even that seems at times like thelesser of two evils.
And that was a good point. in the question asked, point out a lie in the republican party.
If we the people are not makng money to send to our government we will have to cut thimngs liek a school budget (even if we don;t want to!)
but nobody says how stupid it is to spend our money (we don;t have) on business parks that remain vacant (thanks to some democratic choices) a town green ripped up, and then replanted (thanks to some democratic choices) a swere project manipulated multiple time unitl it is finally passed with a 75 vote margin, and when it actually goes in it is way over budget, and over burdening residents by cloes to 300% more than stated BY THE DEMOCRATIC VOICE to the people when we originally voted for it !
And as I read the river east our town planner is boatsing how we will be moving forward with his growth projects (THAT HAVE COST US MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS) becuase he feels the economy will turn arround. I think the empty road in hebron
shows what business our politicians shopuld have in running our town hall like a business !!!! and it reflects with their RECORD not the color of their signs.
Millions spent and not one single business or tax dollar back to show for iit !!!!!!!!! NOW THERE IS A reality check for you !!!!!!!
I just read the posting by David Durell on his sewer blog. Well worth checking out!
http://marlboroughsewersunfair.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/lauren-cragg-beth-petroni-recipe-for-disaster/comment-page-1/#comment-823
Not to mention do the math on what the DTC has spent money on!
Like an empty business park costing us plenty with nothing in return but an intention of it lowering our taxes.
A sewer project said to clean our lake up. When our lake was measured to be one of the cleanest in the state. While all over the town web site our politicians can be quoted of saying how much the sewer will fall in line with their plans to grow our tax base.
a town green that was taken apart, and rebuilt rite where it was?
Yeah right the DTC is for funfing projects. I do not doubt that. But they only seem to publish the ones like our kids education?
I think it’s odd thet the DTC publishes how the republicans will cut your kids education and other things we need. But don;t mention how they spend our kids money on empty business parks, sewer projectes to supposidly clean up a lake that was proven to be one of the cleanest in the state. As they are being quoted in meetings to say the sewer project will help promote their town growth dreams. Dreams that are costing us more tax dollars than they bring in. To our spending another million on taking down a town green, by way of uprooting the grass taking apart a stonewall, removing a newly paved road. and then yup planting trees. putting a stone wall back, and re planting a lawn. Now there is a reality check !
The ultimate lameness is in using the other party’s political sign color to attempt to make a point …
it’s poor strategic tactics like this that give politics a bad name. Name one other town where a party resorted to this measure. Not to mention the distateful letter and package delivery to one of your own commission members. Things are out of control in our beautiful town and it’s a real shame.
My political experience runs much deeper than sign color – was merely pointing it out as an act of desperation on the RTC’s part. They say Imititation is the sincerest form of flattery. Now the RTC is using the same Rivereast flier format as the Dems to get their message out.
Have no inclination to rehash the issues discussed in detail during the painful budget process – residents are well aware of what the relevant points are on both sides. Think people have noticed the alarming increase in home and business burglaries in town. Would be great to increase our police prescence (local and state) to deter and ideally catch the perpetrators as they grow bolder.
As for all the town projects that you’re against, were you voicing opposition when the Republican BOS was in power and furthering along so many of these same projects?? The first selectman at the time even wanted to make lobbying at the state Capitol for project money her FT job.
Appears the responders on this blog are predominantly from one party which diminishes this as an independent forum to gain information about what’s going on in our town.
See you at the polls …
Dear Original:
We appreciate you reading and commenting, please continue to do so.
I have ALWAYS had an open letter policy. Anyone as long as they are coherent and from Marlborough may write a letter to the editor, and I’ll publish it.
Articles I post, I try to write with a neutral tone. Letters to the editor are under no such burden.
Any time you or anyone else feels the urge to write a letter send it to editor@mainstreet-ct.com
Thanks
Bob
I think that there is a tremendous difference between the inserts that the DTC published in the Rivereast the last two weeks and the RTC insert that was placed in the Rivereast this week. The DTC inserts were essentially attack pieces. The RTC insert focused on the attributes of the Republican candidates.
As far as the “Cragg + West + Higher Taxes” signs go, I would be lying if I were to say that they were not intended to get attention, because obviously that was the intent. Any advertising is intended to get attention. However I fully believe in the message of the RTC flyer in that Lauren Cragg definately has a history of opposing any cost reductions and Mr West stated that he would be “willing to pay more” in support of tax increases.
In regards to the package that Selectman Riva Clark received, I would say this, “In light of the recent events involving a disturbing anonymous package that Selectman Riva Clark received in the mail, as Chairman of the Marlborough Republican Town Committee I am sure I speak for our members when I say that I would like to express my support for Riva and to any person who receives this type of intimidating material. There are many of us, myself included, who have received many anonymous letters over the years. Such materials are non-productive and are often disturbing The Marlborough RTC and its members condemn such practices. We must all work together to promote an environment where people communicate openly and in a respectful manner.”
The Republican BOF candidates have a history of scrutinizing the budget to eliminate waste, while maintaining essential services. They voting record is documented. So is Lauren’s record of voting against cost reductions.
I am optomistic that the voters of Marlborough will see the benefits of having people on the BOF who will watch the taxpayers backs and will support those individuals on November 3rd.
Dear Reality.
Check out the RTC flyer again: http://marlgop.com/2009/10/298/
Nothing like the smear job the DTC did.
Are you suggesting that the RTC sent the package to Riva? If you are, you are as loathsome as your dear leader Fisher.
If not please clean up your English, it’s sloppy.
Your points are all over the place. You bring up topics that were not discussed in previous posts/comments. A debating technique used when you can’t counter another’s arguments.
Yes, no doubt you don’t want to “rehash”.
A lie repeated over and over again eventually becomes “truth”, but no matter how many times you and Fisher bring up the police issue, you’ll be wrong. Bill Black the Democrat 1st selectmen suggested not replacing a state trooper.
Your hammering of “untruths” is hurting the public discourse. Who will be willing to discuss changes when people like you and Fisher are waiting in the wings, ready to take bits and pieces out of context and use them months later for political gain?
Since you are so good at hammering people who are making a difference, what are your solutions? We are waiting!
The Democrats are calling for change, well what change would that be? A change from a reasonable tax increase of 2.4% to what 7%? Been there, done that, THE TOWN IS BROKE AND HAS MORE [debt] PER RESIDENT THAN 80% OF THE REST OF CT TOWNS. Oh, YEAH, let’s have some more of that Obama change!
The Republicans cut 587K$ from the budget, the school is still open with the same number of teachers as before! The class size is the same! After all the crying at public meetings, the class size is the same!
Yes, the town dump is open 4 hours less than before. OK, I can live with that.
And the teachers got a 4% raise per year over the next 4 years to boot!
So WHAT KIND OF CHANGE are the Democrats looking for? Love to hear all about it.
Dear David, you sound quite angry evidenced by your name calling and intolerance of views that differ from your own. I have no idea who sent the package. Like most people, I form my own inferences from the message that was delivered.
I’m merely providing a different point of view than the vast majority of individuals who post on this site.
It’s telling that you chose to critique my posting while forgiving any grammar, spelling, or content mistakes appearing in the posts of others who share your point of view. How convenient.
My points may appear scattered to you as I try to respond to various barbs hurled from all directions. All of my points are related to previous post. Perhaps you should go back in your spare time and review them to see the connections.
This IS the public discourse. I’m not wrong just because you happen to disagree with me.
There’s plenty of room for all of us to move forward, work together and do what’s best for our town. We may disagree about the ideal way to effect change but at the end of the day we have more in common than our differences.
Angry no.
Just tired of kool aid drinkers.
I didn’t correct other people’s grammar because they didn’t make loathsome insinuations. I gave you the benefit of doubt that perhaps you misspoke, evidently not. You meant to accuse the RTC.
Name calling? The only names I used were Obama and Fisher. My bad. Sorry if I insulted you.
Yes, you are providing a different point of view and sincerely thank you for doing so. But its just not “merely” when you slander a group of people to make a political point.
Again, moving forward for change, I’d love to hear what “change” means.
Never was a kool aid drinker. And I didn’t accuse the RTC of any thing or slander them. You’re putting words in my post that just don’t exist to further your own political cause.
And you still sound angry. Time to move on …
Just me chiming in one last time before Election Day. I know I may be considered biased, but the facts are that last spring the DTC said that cutting the budget would result in the elimination of teachers and grow class sizes. Guess what? The Republican BOF members worked to trim $587,000 from the Town and Education budgets while not eliminating a single class.
Now the DTC is once again claiming that the Republicans voted to increase class sizes (which did not happen) and will decrease police protection, let kids drown at the beach and leave our seniors out in the cold. Nothing could be further from the truth.
But what happens if we do not have the checks and balances in place to make sure that the budgets are scrutinized? I know what will happen. We will return to the good old days when the BOF would rubber stamp the budgets! We simply can not afford that. Our home owners can not afford it, least of all our seniors.
And Lauren Cragg along with Beth Petroni have proven over and over again that they will vote against any effort to trim costs. Or did they simply vote NO so that later on they could point fingers at the Republicans for being the ones who cut the budget? Whatever the case, their voting record stands clear.
The taxpayers have a very clear choice today and that is to support candidates who have pledged to watch out for you. Or you can vote for a candidate who says she will do so, but whose record paints an entirely different picture. Who you gonna trust?
Dear Reality:
You words sure sounded like slander.
You were given an opportunity to “clarify” you choose not to.
And true to form, you are accusing David M of using the issue for political gain. When all he was doing was calling you out for your slander of the RTC.
Old habits die hard, eh?
Typical Democrat tactics. I am so tired of you people.
Dear Marl, you’re wrong – my words were not slander. That’s just the skewed perspective you want to attach to them. Have No idea who sent the package. Do you?
This entire forum was used by people for political gain … how can you question otherwise. Check out all the posts and compare how many were to convince residents to vote a certain way.
Why aren’t you calling him out for slandering me. Typical – think we’re all tired at this point.
Looking forward to everyone moving on.
Yes, lets move on. This election will soon be history.
I am particularly sensitive to these kinds of dirty tricks. Goes nowhere good.
And for the record, I have no idea not a clue. I hope the police nail this one.