A veteran Republican politician who is trying to jump from the Board of Selectmen to the Planning and Zoning Commission is questioning the Commission’s decision to delay an affordable housing study until after the November election.
Last week three fellow Republicans on the Commission blamed August “Augie” Palmer for spreading rumors about the affordable housing study. They said Palmer is spreading “hoo haa” by tying the study to low-income and federally subsidized housing, which simply isn’t the goal, Planning and Zoning Commissioners said.
Since the study has become the political hot potato of the fledgling election season, the Commission opted to delay the study until after the crazy season ends.
Commissioners Ed Hellauer, Vinny Vizzo and Eric Tichy — each recently passed over for re-election by the Republican Town Committee — also announced they will run for re-election to the Commission as independent candidates.
Palmer, meanwhile, a former First Selectman, opted not to run for re-election to the Board of Selectmen, and instead accepted a nomination for the Planning and Zoning Commission.
With me so far?
This week Palmer, when asked to react to the Commissioners’ move, brushed off the actions of his three Republicans colleagues and questioned whether they have the authority to delay the study.
“I don’t know who they think they are to deny it,” Palmer said.
Regarding the anger directed at him by Republican Commissioners on Planning and Zoning, Palmer said he lobbied local supporters to get him on the ballot for Planning and Zoning — and that he won the spot, fair and square.
“I was not on the ticket and I lobbied and got on the slate,” he said. “Hellauer could have done the same thing but did not have the intenstinel fortitude.”
Tichy was nominated for re-election by the GOP — but was pushed off the slate by Palmer in a paper ballot vote at the Republian caucus.
Palmer is an embarrassment to the Republican Party and it is because of him and others like him (Rasberry with his fake website) that Republicans are viewed so badly in Oxford. Palmer was not even nominated by his own party for the P & Z, so what did he do, he made sure he brought enough people with him to the Caucus so that he would be nominated from the floor and then have enough votes to win one of the spots. This was a completely orchestrated act by Palmer and some of his supporters. Palmer is underhanded and cares nothing about Oxford, only his own personal goals.
Look at his past, he came to Oxford as a DEMOCRAT. When there was an opportunity to further his political goals, he switched parties and ran for First Selectman as a Republican because he had no opportunity to do so as a Democrat. As First Selectman, he divided this town and had lawsuit after lawsuit filed against him. He then blamed everyone else for his shortcomings and for his misdeeds.
Now he blames other Republicans for not being as underhanded as himself. Is he serious? He wants people on Boards and Commissions that are underhanded? Isn’t this why he has been sued time after time, for not being honest?
Palmer, Rasberry, and others have been branded as liars by the non-partisan P & Z Commission for spreading false rumors about the Affordable Housing study. These types of people should be avoided at all costs because it is people like them who divide Oxford rather then work together to make it better.
The three Republican members not endorsed by the RTC are an asset to the P & Z Commission and Oxford should be scared if someone like Palmer gets on and the others do not. Oxford residents will hopefully see through this game by Palmer and the RTC and re-elect the three P & Z members who will be running as Independents. Dave Haversat would do himself some good if he distanced himself from Palmer, Rasberry, and people like them who knowingly spread rumors. If Dave did, he would have a much better chance at winning in November then he does right now.
Why is it that people like Palmer and Rasberry think that what they are doing is normal? Maybe it is because they have nothing to look forward to or appreciate in life? Palmer does it with his actions at Public meetings and Rasberry does it with a fake website that he pretends to be real, but is actually a front for the Republican Party. You really have to feel sorry for people like them because without these types of “things” to keep them going, they would probably just be two grumpy old men, which by the way is no different then they are right now!
Why is it we can’t seem to get rid of this guy (Palmer)? He was voted out of office and in his own words “The voters have spoken” yet he won’t go away. Personally I think he should have been run out of town, not just voted out of office. There are other towns in CT that work on his kind of politics as a rule. Why won’t he go there?