Monday, October 22, 2012
WALLINGFORD - Fur flies at forum for 85th, 90th
As published in the Record Journal, Friday October 19, 2012
By Russell Blair
Record-Journal staff
rblair@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2225
Twitter:@RussellBlairRJ
WALLINGFORD — Republican Greg Bachand says state spending has grown 700 percent during the 32 years his opponent, Democratic state Rep. Mary M. Mushinsky, has held office.
“Her voting record speaks so loudly, it doesn’t matter what she said here tonight,” he said.
But Mushinsky called Bachand a “tea party aficionado” and said with the cuts he proposes, he’s putting dollars before people.
“There’s a clear choice between the two of us,” she said. “He looks at numbers, not people.”
Bachand and Mushinsky, who are vying for Wallingford’s 85th state House district, were the first of four pairs of candidates to face off in candidate forums sponsored by the Wallingford Community Women at Town Hall Wednesday and Thursday night. The forums were taped and will be rebroadcast on Wallingford Government TV.
On an issue that has financial implications in the millions, Bachand and Mushinsky also disagreed. The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection adopted a phosphorus reduction strategy in response to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and compliance with the current standards will cost Wallingford $19 million.
Mushinsky, who has been a longtime environmental advocate, said the legislature passed a bill to give municipalities more time to comply with the standards and to receive up to 30 percent of the cost of the upgrades from state grants.
“I think more time and good technology should allow us to solve this problem at a reasonable cost,” she said.
But Bachand said unfunded mandates are “not sensible.”
103rd House District: Parts of Wallingford, Cheshire and Southington
Democrat Elizabeth Linehan agreed with her opponent, Republican state Rep. Al Adinolfi, on several issues throughout the forum. Both candidates said they supported reducing state government spending and suspending the Risk Reduction Earned Credits Program, which allows inmates to take courses and earn time off their sentences.
“It’s too inefficient on who they allowed to be released early,” Adinolfi said.
“I may be a Democrat but I am tough on crime,” Linehan said. “I have kids who live in this community ... I’m not messing around.”
But Linehan, a mother of two, said she felt she was more in touch with the concerns of residents in the 103rd District, which includes portions of Wallingford, Cheshire and Southington.
“Mr. Adinolfi, as nice as he is, does not fully represent the values of our district,” she said. Adinolfi said he has been elected five times, and votes based on what he hears from his constituents.
“I know what’s going on up there and I know what needs to get done,” he said.
90th House District: Parts of Wallingford and Cheshire
In one of the sharper exchanges of the night, Republican Guy Darter criticized the record of his opponent, Democratic state Rep. Mary Fritz. Darter said Fritz has been part of Democratic leadership that, through increased spending and taxes, “has driven the state into the ground.”
“Sometimes I wonder how you sleep at night,” he said.
But Fritz defended her record, saying she voted against the state income tax when it was proposed in the early 1990s and also voted against Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s most recent budget, which included $1.8 billion in new taxes.
When Darter called for spending cuts, Fritz pointed out that his company, Darter Specialties, has earned hundreds of thousands of dollars in state contracts.
“Maybe we shouldn’t have spent that money,” she said.
Darter countered that he would be in favor of eliminating his own contract — which covers pens, pencils, coffee mugs and other promotional material for the state.
“It’s one of many of the frivolous ways we’re spending money,” he said.
34th Senate District: Wallingford, East Haven and parts of North Haven and Durham
Democrat Steve Fontana, a former state representative from North Haven, criticized Republican state Sen. Len Fasano for not working hard enough to support the middle class.
“He’s become too close to millionaires and corporations,” Fontana said. “On issue after issue Len sides with millionaires and corporations. What we really need ... are people that side with the middle class.”
But Fasano said that Democrats had supported a budget that increased the sales tax and made clothing purchases under $50 and over-the-counter drugs taxable.
“That hurts the average person.”
He agreed with Fontana that the middle class is in trouble, but said Democrats were to blame.
“We’ve had 26 years of one party rule. ... It wasn’t me, it wasn’t my party that got us here.”
Fontana, who served in the General Assembly from 1997 to 2011, was defeated by Republican David Yaccarino for the 87th state House District seat in 2010. He said in the two years since, he has learned to reconnect with his community. “Too often when you’re at the Capitol, you live in a bubble,” he said.
This year is the first time Fasano has had an opponent since he joined the state Senate in 2002, but the Republican said he wasn’t changing his message or his campaign strategy.
“I want my kids to stay in the state of Connecticut,” he said. “I have to make this place desirable for them to live here.”
AGENDA WALLINGFORD REGULAR TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
TOWN OF WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT
REGULAR TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
Town Council Chambers
TUESDAY
October 23, 2012
6:30 P.M
AGENDA
Opening Prayer –Reverend Dee Ann Dodd, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of Wallingford
1. Pledge of Allegiance and Roll Call
2. Correspondence
3. Consent Agenda
3a. Consider and Approve Tax Refunds totaling $5,446.31 (#266 - #293)Acct. # 001-1000-010-1170 - Tax Collector
3b. Consider and Approve a Budget Amendment in the Amount of $26,800 from Appropriation to Cash to Various Accounts (eleven) – Sewer Division
3c. Consider and Approve a Budget Amendment in the Amount of $4,800 to Appropriation and to Cash from Various Accounts (twenty) – Water Division
3d. Consider and Approve a Transfer – Local 1183 Wages in the Amount of $120,019 from Contingency-Accrued Expenses Acct 10019000-58821 to Various Accounts (twenty-three) – Personnel
3e. Consider and Approve a Resolution authorizing the Mayor to make application to the Department of Social Services for a Human Resource Development (HRD) program in the Amount of $53,844, effective January 1, 2013 to September 30, 2014, to provide additional information as may be requested, to enter into and amend contractual instruments in the name of and on behalf of the Town and to act as the authorized representative of the Town of Wallingford – Program Planning
3f. Consider and approve an Agreement between the Town of Wallingford and SCOW to fulfill all terms and conditions of the Human Resource Development (HRD) Grant - Program Planning
3g. Approve minutes of Regular Town Council meeting of October 9, 2012
4. Items Removed from the Consent Agenda
5. PUBLIC QUESTION & ANSWER PERIOD
6. Consider and Approve a Budget Amendment in the Amount of $80,000 to Appropriation from Cash to Maintenance of Structures & Improvements Acct # 43100651 – Water Division
7. Consider and Approve a Bid Waiver for online services from SchoolDude – Board of Education
8. Report out on performance of the Ambulance Transport Division for 1st Quarter of FY 2012-13 – Fire Chief
9. Acceptance and Appropriation of FEMA Grant to Ambulance Transport Enterprise Fund in the Amount of $151,494 to Grant Revenue Acct (New Line to be established) and to Cardiac Monitors Acct (New Line to be established)- Fire Department
10. Acceptance and Appropriation of Wallingford Energy, LLC Grant to Ambulance Transport Enterprise Fund in the Amount of $3,500 to Grant Revenue Acct (New Line to be established) and to Cardiac Monitors (New Line to be established)- Fire Department
11. Consider and Approve a Transfer in the Amount of $11,650 for Ambulance Transport Enterprise Fund to Cardiac Monitors Acct (New Line to be established) from Regular Salaries and Wages Acct 50020155-51000 – Fire Department
12. Discussion and Possible Action with regard to the latest bid submission for 41 South Main Street property and the former American Legion Building – Chairman Robert Parisi
13. Discussion and Possible Action for Appointing a Town Parking Authority – Councilor Nick Economopoulos
14. Executive Session pursuant to §1-200 (6)(D) of the Connecticut General Statutes with respect to the purchase, sale and/or leasing of property – Mayor
15. Executive Session pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes §1-225(f) and §1-200(6)(B) to discuss the following tax appeals:
(a) Respironics, Inc. v. Town of Wallingford
(b) PMC Realty, LLC v. Town of Wallingford
(c) Plaza 15-5, LLC v. Town of Wallingford
-Law Department
16. Motion to consider and approve the settlement of the Respironics, Inc. v. Town of Wallingford tax appeal matter as discussed in Executive Session – Law Department
17. Motion to consider and approve the settlement of the PMC Realty, LLC v. Town of Wallingford tax appeal matter as discussed in Executive Session – Law Department
18. Discussion and possible action regarding the matter of the Plaza 15-5, LLC v. Town of Wallingford tax appeal matter as discussed in Executive Session – Law Department
Oct. 23 is last day to register to vote
WALLINGFORD — The final day to register to vote by mail is Oct. 23. Applications must be received by this date.
All registrations must be in person from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 24 through Oct. 30, in the registrars’ office, Room 211, Town Hall.
The office will have extended hours until 8 p.m. Oct. 30.
Visitors may enter the Town Hall after 5 p.m.by the automatic doors in the left rear of the building.
For assistance with absentee ballots, contact the town clerk’s office.
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