Brian Perkins, left.
With the upcoming Mayoral debate in Ansonia falling apart, there seems to be some rumors and misconceptions plaguing the comments below the Valley Indy’s article covering the timeline of events. I just wanted to clear a few things up.
They Couldn’t Find a Date that Worked
It is believed that the choice of date is what caused this debate to crumble. While this may have played a factor, Mr. Mathew Hough, the man in charge of organizing this event, clearly stated in a comment that both sides accepted Oct. 26. It was only after Mr. Hough realized there was a conflict (which could have been avoided), did Team Cassetti pull out of the debate. The only date that Mr. Raslan denied was Oct. 24.
They Have Already Debated Enough
Another comment I have read, which makes no sense to me personally, is that the first debate was enough, and somehow there is no need for another. I live by the ethos that knowledge is power, and especially to high school students, a public debate would be incredibly beneficial. It gives students, the next generation, an opportunity to get involved in politics and see how things actually work in the city. To say that the candidates have had enough opportunity to debate, and that they have other means of getting their messages across, is an injustice to the youth of this great city.
This Debate Was a Political Stunt
There is speculation that the only reason this debate was to happen would be to put one of the candidates on a pedestal so to speak, and give them an argument-free environment to get their word across. My only response to this is “What?” The original event was a debate between Mr. Raslan and Mr. Cassetti. It is apparent now that Mr. Cassetti has no interest in doing this debate, even though 60% of the people who voted in the Valley Indy’s poll want him to, and a Change.org petition has over 200 supporters. Mr. Raslan promised the youth a debate, or in the case we have now, a meet-and-greet style event. This wasn’t how this event was supposed to go. Mr. Raslan doesn’t want to deprive the students of this great city the opportunity to ask him questions about the city, just as they were going to with Mr. Cassetti. It is on Mr. Cassetti to hold up his end of the agreement, as it is apparent that Mr. Raslan wants to have a scholarly debate, and not an unopposed platform.
This Debate Is a Waste of Taxpayer’s Money
This comment goes back to the comment of “they already debated enough.” Time and time again I see that this debate will be a waste of taxpayer’s money, and that taxpayer money is being used to fund an event run by the Democratic Party. Well, as I’ve stated earlier, this was meant to be a debate between Mr. Raslan and Mr. Cassetti, and it is unfortunate that Mr. Cassetti no longer wants to take questions from the students. But besides that, this debate wouldn’t cost a dime. That’s right; the only thing that this debate would cost would be time to set it up. The entire “it’s a waste of money” argument is nothing more than sheer misdirection.
The writer, a 2015 graduate of Ansonia High School, is currently serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. The views expressed are those of the individual and not those of the Department of Defense.
Views expressed in guest columns (aka ‘letters to the editor’) and press releases do not necessarily reflect the views of ValleyIndy.org. The Valley Indy has a 550-word limit on guest columns.
