First of all, I would like to thank the Valley Independent Sentinel for the coverage of this year’s election campaigns.
Now my thoughts about Mr. Cassetti’s grand plan: he says that he will do this about a lot of that. Commenting on his figure of one million dollars in city hall administrative salaries? I have no clue who he is talking about with these salaries.
He wants to get rid of our grant writer, among others and combine into one position. Getting rid of a person who has provided the city with over six million dollars in funds – doesn’t quite make a lot of fiscal sense. It appears to be more politically motivated than doing what’s best for our city.
In his plan, Cassetti says he will cut police, fire and education. He said he has ways of getting more funding…well, what are they? His idea of the AHS alumni funding education is a real doozy! This is not Alabama football or UConn basketball where alumni open their checkbooks readily.
Mr. Cassetti spoke to our public works employees promising new trucks and more employees but still plans on cutting all department budgets. How will this be accomplished?
Finally, the gouging of our taxpayers during a blizzard is totally irresponsible for a “fiscal conservative.” I spoke to other municipal public works departments and the rates paid to the city’s other contractors were the norm; to charge more than double, Mr. Cassetti, is inexcusable.
Never mind the late taxes (which did run over the 48 days he is crying about – it is all public information) and the late report filing, this is, again, inexcusable.
As noted in the Connecticut Post’s endorsement of our Mayor; “Mr. Cassetti’s plans are unworkable.”
The writer is a Democrat running for re-election in the Fourth Ward on the Ansonia Board of Aldermen. He is married to the city’s grant writer.
Being married to the city’s grant writer does not diminish her perfomance she has done for the city. Why was this was attached to my article ,there is no mention of Mr. Blackwell’s relationship to our tax collector. Where the whole Team cassette issues are with taxes,. One thing I forgot in my last post was why through the whole budget process no Republican brought up about phase-in. I sat through most finance meetings and it was never brought up. All budget recommendations were unanimous to be sent to full board. The board of Aldermen vote on the budget was 13-0 one was absent. So why are Democrats to blame. So you tell me team cassette. Still waiting for an answer and the Queen Mary.
When a political candidate writes about a city position to which he/she is directly connected, it’s our policy (and we pray any other publication unless journalism is truly dead) to simply point that out in the interest of public transparency.
We meant no offense by it, nor should those eight words be interpreted as such. It is standing operating procedure at any publication worth its salt.
We view it as no different than saying you are running office and that you belong to a political party.
If Mr. Blackwell wrote about the tax collector’s position in some way similar and withheld the fact he’s married (?) to the person in the position for which he is advocating, please explain the relationship between Mr. Blackwell and provide the direct URL, because we may have missed it.
Please note this has nothing to do with bias, we just don’t know to whom everyone guest column is married.
Thank you for reading the site and taking the time to comment and I hope our explanation makes sense.
Eugene Driscoll and Ethan Fry
ValleyIndy.org
203 446 2335
And just to further clarify, readers should not misconstrue the routine disclosure as “bad” or somehow twist the eight words we added at the bottom of the column as a judgment on the person, the candidate or the City of Ansonia.
Mr. Fainer, I can save everyone a lot of time looking for articles that I may have wrote or posted on that have to do with our tax office or police dept, there are none. Just so everyone is clear, my mother is the cities current tax collector and has been a city employee since 1989. My wife, Sarah , is the current Records Administrator for the Ansonia Police Department and has been a city employee since 2007. Both my mother and my wife take their work seriously and serve the City of Ansonia with great pride. Both my mother and my wife took my fathers and myselfs last name, so the corolation is much easier to distinguish than the arrangement you and your wife (Elieen Krugel) have. I dont have to write articles or respond to articles defending my mother or wife and their positions pretending to have no relation to them, then get defensive when it’s pointed out. I have sat back and watched you belittle and bulley Ansonia residents that have voiced their opinions and beliefs that are against the current Democratic administration, regardless if their opinions and concerns were valid. As a current city official you should be ashamed of yourself, the Mayor and the rest of your Democratic team should be embarrassed in the way you have been conducting yourself over the past few weeks. To clarify, the GOP does not have an issue with the current tax collector, the issue is with the former tax collector, the manner the situation was addressed by the administration, and our tax rate which is not set by the tax office. Since you decided to drag myself and my family into your dirty political mudslinging, I think you should explain to the people of Ansonia how your wife went from a janitor at Ansonia Public Works Department to a newly created (full-time) Grant Writer Position while the entire city was under a pay and hiring freeze? Also, maybe you can fill the public in on the back room deals being talked about that are promising you a job as an electrician if the current administration can get the Digester Plant passed through. Mr. Fainer I can go on and on. I strongly suggest that in all your future articles and posts you keep me and my family out of them. If you feel a need to drag us into your negativity and mudslinging you can discuss it with me in person, in private. I’m not hard to find and I will work around your schedule as far as dates and times.