The Power of Bauer: Candidate Declines Endorsement, Clarifies Position on Former Councilmens' Performance

Former Councilman David Bauer seeks re-election

In an article published yesterday in the Hartford Courant three term Councilman seeking re-election this November, David Bauer elaborated on his decision to decline the endorsement from the Realistic Party of Middletown. Bauer was nominated to the Middletown Republican slate as a Council candidate, and in the Courant article,  he discusses his wishes to focus on being part of the GOP slate.

The Courant quotes Bauer as follows: "I am pleased and confident that the Republican slate has such a commitment, and they are the team I wish to associate with."

Republican Town committee executive board members  party Chairman Ken McClellan and vice Chair William Wilson, have said in various public forums that they, and the nominating committee for 2013 GOP candidates, no longer agreed with views held by Pessina and Bibisi. 

Bauer gave a letter to decline the Realistic Balance nomination to the Town Clerk earlier this week to have his name removed from the RB line on the ballot, the letter reads: 

"I was pleased to run on the Realistic Balance Party ticket in 2011 when there was a bipartisan selection of candidates. Sadly, the character of this year's Realistic Balance candidates is dominated by the inclusion of candidates Joseph Bibisi and Philip Pessina.

I was part of the Middletown Republican Town Committee selection process that rejected both Phil and Joe's application to the GOP slate. My personal reason to reject their applications was my disappointment in their performance in the current term of the Common Council. 

Philip Pessina and Joseph Bibisi hold the minority leadership positions, so they must take responsibility that the council minority did not advance a single resolution to the council agenda in the entire term, and rarely, if ever, even met in caucus. They let the council majority do all the work of the council, and simply postured their opinions on the majority's legislative resolutions. 

An entire third of the council was rendered ineffective, and I consider that unacceptable. The council minority did show up at meetings, but they showed up empty-handed. 

If our local government is to work its best, all our elected officials have to work. I am pleased and confident that the Republican slate has made such a commitment, and they are the team I wish to associate with, and they are the team I hope the Middletown Voters will support on November 5th. 

We will reward your trust with hard work and innovative legislation to improve Middletown's services and financial stability in a sustainable manner, insuring that the 'checks and balances' that make our democracy so great, are consistently there the entire term."

An article in the Middletown Patch also elaborates on Bauer's position to run solely as part of the GOP team.