"Dear Mr. Mayor"

Brian E. Clark, Staff Writer

As a journalist, I don’t care what anyone believes, the people that know me, know that I do not write to shock, or awe, or to pick on the Mayor. No, it started to tell the truth, it’s still to tell the truth, and it will always be to tell the truth. Period. So it was that I was really, really conflicted about publishing this letter. Not that the raw primal simplicity shook me to my core, because it did. No, it was that this man is so scared for his family that he wanted his name withheld. Typically, that wouldn’t mean very much to me, I’d just do it, and move on. This time however, it was the belief once I read the letter, that I too believed that if his name was released, I feared retaliation on his family. That’s what Dan Drew has done to Middletown. His actions have now come to a point where no one knows how far he’ll go to achieve the narrative he’s writing, and you, the public, are eating up by the spoonful. Please read with caution; There is some profanity. I did not edit, or proof this letter, because I believe how it is written needed to be transcribed exactly.

-Brian E. Clark, Staff Writer

Dear Mr. Mayor,

You don’t know me. We’ve never met. But I’ve been following you, or rather the path you have gone down. Oh, I suppose I should mention I’m an Inmate in the Connecticut Correctional System, so we’re brothers of sorts, in that both our asses belong to Dan Malloy. I’ve been in here 15 years now for something I ain’t had no business doing in the first place, a robbery. I was young, and dumb, and chasin’ that all mighty dollar. I thought I was invincible, but how wrong I was. My story reminds me a lot of you. How so you ask? I been watching you since you got elected. And one thing I have a lot of is time. Time to read between the lines of the stories they write about you. You’ll run to a TV Camera, or reporter when you want to tell the world about this business or that business that you are bringing to Middletown. But how many people did you trample on to get to that TV Camera? How many of the people that are in the trenches fightin’ for the people of Middletown every day, did you trample on to do the touchdown dance at the end? (Since we’re in football season now)

I phrase it that way, because seeing a Mayor screaming from the rooftops about the businesses they bring to their towns is all too common, but what isn’t common is seeing a Mayor disrespect the employees of the towns, or cities they are tasked to lead, like you have. I really don’t have a fond spot in my heart for cops, but one thing I learned while I’ve been in here, is 99% of the time, they have what’s best for their town in their heart. But routinely, you disrespect the Police in Middletown, when you fired one for being Transgender, and two others for being hurt on the job, and you threw all them out like they were trash. I realize the official reasons for they being “released” is different. Have to make it look good for the public after all. Then, your Police Chief turns out to be a drug addict, buying his stash from other cops, and what do you do? Cover it up! I don’t know how after that you got elected again. But you did. And you give yourself job security, by extending the Mayor’s term to 4 years, and a raise, to $90,000 a year? Correct me if I’m wrong. You gotta understand my angle on this, I may have been in here the last 15 years, and we ain’t never met, but my family lives in Middletown, and ain’t none of them ever benefited from anything you done. That’s because they don’t matter to someone like you. They live in the North End, where you wouldn’t dare step with one of your Italian leather shoes. But, speaking of shoes, it sounds like you about to walk a mile in mine.

Mr. Mayor, the one thing you learn behind these walls, is a crime, is a crime, is a crime. It don’t matter what you did, because when you come in the back door, we all equal. To a degree. To the State of Connecticut, we all criminals. You messed up sending those letters. Remember, we have a law library here, and it’s the most popular place besides the weight room. Since you became Mayor, everyone knew you were a crook. Now you crossed that line, and now you are one of us. You just ain’t got your set of tans and bruce lee’s yet. But your spot is waiting for you. I’m sure you’ll do real well here. You’re smart. That’s how Michael Skakel survived. Keep in mind he was already here when I got here, and then he went home, just to come back. And he cried like a bitch. I imagine you gonna be like that. But Mike Skakel is a perfect example; If you done the crime, you gonna do the time, no matter how rich you are, or who you’re related to, or who you know. They are all gonna unknow you as soon as you’re indicted. And I can’t say I’ll be sad that day. I got 4 Ramen Noodle Soups in a pool about when you gonna be indicted. This is what life is behind the walls. It’s an existence where you can be killed for the most trivial thing, or commit suicide because you can’t handle the pain. I seen it all, and it won’t matter who you were when you get here.

You know, I did a lot more than that one robbery they got me on, but it don’t matter. It seem like God makes you pay for it all when you get here, for whatever reason. I’ll admit it, I was a straight up thug on the street; I cried like a woman every night my first week. Don’t worry, you adapt real quick. You have to. Or you just don’t make it. See you soon.

Sincerely,

(Inmates Name & Number Restricted At Writer’s Request)