MY TAKE on Zandri, Dickinson disagree on using contractors to get through storms

On Monday in the Record Journal, there was an article titled “Zandri, Dickinson disagree on using contractors to get through storms”

At the end of the day, the options are "wait until the work is done by the staff we have" (which doesn't always work well in critical situations like blizzards and hurricanes), hire more people permanently by adding head count (which is a long term salary and benefits cost and can be impacted when there is less work to get done) or continue to use your existing workforce and have people contracted at a locked in bid rate to augment them and offer assistance during emergencies and “as needed”.

I choose the latter option and by working with the union members and management, we can come up with the right solution for all; a solution that gives Wallingford the flexibility to have staff augmentation at a known contracted rate for emergencies and if planned for correctly and with a well negotiated contract, you can have some of the hours roll over to a new year (allowing you to buy a smaller future contract). Also, knowing that bad spring storms are rare, remaining hours may all the town to get caught up on or ahead of schedule on planned projects by consuming contract hours before they expire.

You buy insurance, such as home, life, long term disability, or automobile, with the hopes of never using it; it is a hedge against an unforeseen problem or catastrophe. You expend the money on the policies, and effectively throw it away in most cases, for the security of being able to “pull the rip cord” on it if necessary.

Planning and working in advance of an emergency to correctly procure a well negotiated contract of support hours to augment existing staff for extraneous circumstances and emergencies when they occur is an insurance policy against being shorthanded during those emergencies.

If those emergency situations never occur during a contract period, you have the ability to leverage that support contract proactively near the end of the term to consume those support hours and get a direct benefit in having the “insurance” of the contract when no emergency ever occurred.

It is the best of all worlds.

Wallingford seeking FEMA grant to buy Sheehan generator

This morning the Record Journal is running the story from of last night’s (Tuesday September 25th, 2013) meeting of the Town Council regarding Wallingford seeking FEMA grant to buy a generator for Sheehan for emergency use.

This is a great idea, as a matter of fact, I proposed something similar at the beginning of 2013 – please see the following prior blog post for those details; the Republicans at the time were more than happy to kill the idea and and conversation at the time.

Generator plan divides town council is the first of the two stories.

Wallingford Dems question GOP tactic is the second.

Both articles were written by Record Journal reporter Russell Blair.

 

At the end of the day while this is the proper step in the right direction the whole thing “hangs its hat” on getting that grant – if for some reason the grant monies go to other towns, Wallingford is not prepared to budget for this expense.

Not getting the grant does not make this need for emergency preparedness any less and we should have a back up plan to fund this regardless of our success with this or any other grants we might be eligible for.

The New Haven Building Trades Council today endorsed Jason Zandri for Mayor of Wallingford

PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

The New Haven Building Trades Council today endorsed Jason Zandri for Mayor of Wallingford.

The Council is working with its direct and affiliate members to get additional endorsements for Zandri’s campaign in Wallingford and to engage its membership to take an active participation in the campaign.

“At this point in time they have called me with their support and endorsement” Zandri said “and they are willing to engage with people and other resources to help the entire Wallingford Democrat ticket to have a successful run for this November 5th election.

Zandri continued “The campaign is honored and fortunate to receive this endorsement and we will continue our efforts to take all 13 seats across the Town Council and Board of Education as well as the office of Mayor in Wallingford. Franklin D. Roosevelt has been quoted to have said “Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting” and Democrats near and far hold that as a truth. We hope that ALL the registered voters in Wallingford understand how important all elections are, especially this one, which sets the tone for the cost of their local property taxes as well as dictates the services they will receive.”

Zandri finished with his common call to Wallingford voters “It’s your town; get informed, get involved and vote.”

National Voter Registration Day is September 24, 2013

National Voter Registration Day is September 24, 2013

“Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.”
- Franklin D. Roosevelt

It's your town Wallingford residents
GET INFORMED, GET INVOLVED
AND VOTE!

MY TAKE - GOP vs. Dems: politics vs. environmental issues

BELOW - Political Cartoon from the Record Journal on Sunday September 22, 2013

Not much more needs to be said than what was reported in the GOP vs. Dems: politics vs. environmental issues story (only available for 30 days online) in the Record Journal on September 18, 2013.

“It’s a strategy I guess,” said Republican Tom Laffin. “They try to poke holes in the administration by attacking public works.”

If you read the Wallingford GOP alleges politics as Dems press environmental issue story, you will see, in black and white “McCully told the council the placement of oily material at the site was “not a spill. It was done under direction and control.””

You will also see in the story titled “Wallingford PZC troubled by illegal waste storage” the following:

McCully admitted Tuesday that the oily substance — runoff from the used-oil collection site at the recycling center — was purposely placed at the North Turnpike Road facility on April 8.

“It was not a spill,” he said. “It was done under direction and control.”

I am not poking “holes in the administration by attacking public works” – I am showing the people the facts of what has been going on for YEARS.

The old saying applies here - “if you’re not outraged you’re not paying attention.”


I will leave you with this from the “Wallingford PZC troubled by illegal waste storage” article:

Unpermitted storage of street sweepings and catch basin materials has long occurred at the site. The town has owned the property since 1910, McCully said Tuesday, and uses it to store pipe and other construction material.

DEEP took notice of the site in 2009 after a complaint from Comerford. In response, the Environmental Protection Agency become involved, McCully said, and DEEP required the town to halt all storage of unpermitted materials at the site, also known as the “dog pit.”

But the practice continued, McCully said, as a “very large load of sand from street sweepers” remained stockpiled at the site.

“There’s nowhere else to put the sand,” McCully told Zandri. In a given year, McCully said, the town purchases between 5,000 and 7,000 tons of sand mixed with salt. It needs to be kept somewhere, he said, and another location wasn’t found because “I had higher priorities.”

The final two campaign fundraisers are set for Saturday October 19th and Sunday October 27th

Save the dates – the final two campaign fundraisers are set for Saturday October 19th and Sunday October 27th.

The Saturday October 19th event will be a dinner held at the Portuguese Club at 51 South Colony Road at 7PM.

The Sunday October 27th event will be a brunch held at the Stillwood Inn at 1074 South Colony Road at 10AM.

While we are still working our efforts of getting donations in through calls and emails to supporters, these social events are our best draws to make large headway into our mailer and newspaper advertising campaign expenses that we are budgeting to get the information out to the voters so that they understand more of what is going on in their town and allow them to make informed decisions on how they want to be governed for the next two years.

If you’re doing any planning and budgeting with respect to which social events you’re able to attend over the next few weeks please keep these dates in mind – we’d love to see you at one or both as your budget allows.

Thank you for all your support to date and over the next few weeks on the road to November 5th.

September Wallingford Democratic Town Committee Meeting - Guest Speaker: Ted Kennedy Jr

Wallingford Democratic Town Committee Meeting

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Time: Meeting starts at 7 doors open 6:30pm

Zandri’s Stillwood Inn

1074 South Colony Road

Wallingford, CT

Meeting Agenda

1)  Pledge of Allegiance
2)  Roll call
3)  Minutes
4)  Treasurer report
5)  Vote for Recommendation for the Seat on Housing Authority
6)  Guest Speaker: Ted Kennedy Jr.
7)  Adjournment

 


We are honored to have as a guest speaker Ted Kennedy Jr. He seems as excited to attend as we are to have him. He’s a dynamic speaker whose appearance alone should energize the entire Democratic Party and help us in the upcoming municipal election. Ted has graciously agreed to hang around after the meeting to meet with members individually and answer any questions.(light refreshments will be served).

This should be an enjoyable event for everyone. See you on the 18th
 

Vin Avallone Chairman, Wallingford DTC
 

The Campaign is looking for locations for signs; if you have a location please let us know.

We’ve crossed Labor Day so it’s time to start peppering the campaign signs out.

 

The campaign is looking for additional lawns for signs – if you’re willing to lend us your real estate for signage please drop me an email at Jason@Zandri.net or send me a private message on Facebook.

    

We will be out over the next few days putting them up (and I am sure we’ll be out during the entire campaign replacing them too) so let us know and in most cases my father or I will swing by and get them up. 

Thanks for the support!

More explanation on Wallingford taxes: myth and reality – as offered by one Republican in a Facebook discussion

This is an independent conversation from my prior blog post Wallingford Taxes – MYTH and REALITY (which is what generated Steve Knight’s article in the Record Journal) but as far as I am concerned it only further proves my point