Reader Response: Letter to the Editor

To The Editor:

For the evening of May 30 at 8 p.m. (after the parade) New Britain Common Council Democrats called for a special meeting of council subcommittees to discuss the mayor’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2008/2009.

The council had 60 days from April 11 to discuss changes in the mayor’s budget. In that 60-day period, the council had made no suggestions for changes in the budget nor were any suggested on May 30.

Two Democrats and the two council Republicans (Lou Salvio and Mark Bernacki) did not attend the hastily arranged meeting. The meeting was recorded electronically.

The next week, both Republicans listened to the recording of the meeting. Anyone can request to listen to a recording of the May 30 meeting. No budget changes were discussed.

Instead, council Democrats used the meeting to hurl accusations of mismanagement or lack of management at the mayor and his entire administration. They even decided to insult the CPOA taxpayer watchdog organization.

Despite these facts, on Friday, Herald columnist Alicia Watkins of Plainville, who attends an occasional council meeting, refers to council Democrats as "… action-movie heroes." She also reports about the Dems, that at council meetings, "They speak in turn and use polite, political turns of phrase, … showing respect for even their political foes." If that wasn’t such a sad statement, it might be laughable.

As required by charter, a special meeting of the council was called for June 5 for the council to take final action on the budget. After the subcommittee reports and to correct an unexpected shortfall in revenue, Republican Aldermen Salvio and Bernacki recommended amendments to the budget that would have brought it into balance. Democrats voted unanimously against the amendments. The two Republicans voted in favor. Since the amendment failed, the two Republicans had no choice other than to vote no on the final vote. Voting yes would be tantamount to the two Rs voting for an unbalanced budget.

Result? After 60 days of inaction the Common Council — with the two Republican exceptions — succeeded in abdicating its responsibilities to the taxpayers. The "polite and heroic" council Democrats succeeded only in insulting the city’s entire work force and the residents and taxpayers of New Britain.

Lou Salvio, Alderman

New Britain