Showing posts with label Lisa Santangelo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lisa Santangelo. Show all posts

Sunday, December 29, 2013

TV GUIDE Previews (Part I)

Look Inside!! EXCLUSIVE

  The Middletown Insider gives readers a sneak preview at the new television season for Middletown 2014!   The list has a lot to pick from and if you read real carefully you may find yourself a treat like an Easter egg or two!

1)   The Mayor and His Mom (FOX)- This ½ hour comedy on the FOX network tells the tale of a former Mayor and his Mom who co-habitat together, argue with one another and basically drive one another batty in a style that is reminiscence of Neil Simon’s classic play The Odd Couple.
2)        Devoto and The Man- (Satire/Encore Vineyard Networks) Follow the adventures of a college professor turned politico as he uses his followers, known as the The Villagers, on his quest for domination of the town’s planning and zoning committee.  The  pilot episode focuses on the professor's many ambitions and shameless deal making techniques in order to become chairperson of an organization he  just joined.  Watch as  his beloved Dems chew him up and spit him up while in the same breath he hopes to dodge a political bullet by putting a “Vote Serra” sign on front lawn.
3)       P/Z Commissioner Russo in Charge (BET)- From the team that brought you Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charles in Charge comes P/Z Russo in Charge.  Directed by the DMTC and their minions, after Commissioner Chisem is forced to stop down and settle in at his Common Council seat, the DMTC has a field day with this one by naming Daniel Russo, Chisem’s successor.  Watch as the entitled Villagers write letter after letter hoping to force a change against Russo who they openly dumped on (remember how nasty they were?)throughout both campaigns.  The second episode deals with Karma as it crosses over with Devoto and the Man as the viewers see the professor's reaction when he was told Russo beat him for chair.
4)        Bait Car-(Reality on F/X Network) Watch as Republican Town Committee Vice-Chair person William “Billy” Wilson drives a taxicab all around Middletown looking for trouble with the hopes that he can pick up a few fares while keeping his tire threads from going bald.
5)         Phillip Pessina- (Biography Network) The educational channel looks at former deputy chief Phillip Pessina and his rise to power.  Interviews with William Shatner and Lynn Baldoni are included.
6)         Baywatch- (TV Land) The number 1 syndicated show in America returns for a very special episode that features former State Representative Jim O’Rourke leaving the scene of a boating accident that left one innocent female dead.  Watch as Mitch and the gang attempt to unravel the threads of guilt in Mr. O’Rourke’s remarks and attitudes after the tragedy. The episode is based on an actual event that took place in Rocky Hill, Connecticut a few years back when the Mr. O'Rourke left a young woman to die after picking her up at a Rocky Hill bar.
7)   I Lead Two Lives- (Documentary/NatGeo) starring Tim Lennox as the once and future Republican/Independent who has composite view points on most social issues.
8)   Mr. Santangelo’s Neighborhood:  (PBS/Children) The producers of Mister Rogers Neighborhood have a new resident in the neighborhood, Mr. Santangelo and his wife Lisa.  Lisa talks to the children about all the important work she does with everybody while Bob follows her around and basically does what is asked of him. "Bob, get the dogs off the bed!"  Special Guest: Darryl Lucas as the Pizza Delivery Boy.
9)        Dateline (NBC/News) Keith Morrison takes a deeper look into the mysterious Connecticut Health Center CEO Mark Masselli and attempts to figure out why somebody in the non-profit field is making over $607, 000 a year.  What is Masselli’s hidden connection with Former Speaker of the house Christopher Donovan? Who paid for Masselli's trip to Tibet and his meeting with the Dali Lama?  The news-team will also conduct interviews with former employees that claim Masselli forced them to give Donavan’s campaign $100.00 donations. 
10)       Growing up Micciulla- ( E! Reality/Style Channel) Follow the adventures of a young Italian man running a massage parlor while running for office and hanging out at the Bada-Bing club.  Early episodes include cameos from: Jimmy Smits, The Lombardo Boyz, Kool Moe D,  James Caan, Big Pussy from The Sopranos and Frank Vincent.
Board of Assessment Appeals member 
 stars in the reality show "Growing up Micciulla"
11)                  Star Trek The Middletown Generation (SyFy)- Starring Councilman David Bauer as Spock, Billy Russo as Captain Kirk and John Killian as Q.  Early adventures include: plans to put the budget in space and beam Tribbles into the Mayor’s office with the hopes that the cute cuddly characters won't be eaten alive.
"Damnit Joe these friggin tribbles!!
Get me appropriation for the Council to rubber stamp STAT!!"
12)                  Dr. Fred Carroll is Dr. Who- (BBC/Drama)-  The traveling Doctor is back for his 50th year.  This time the 10th Doctor Who morphs into an American, Fred Carroll.  In this episode, the new Doctor plans to grab a broom and sweep up the solar system.When things get rough, the Doctor fights a Demalak and zooms away in the TARDIS call box.
13)                  Who’s Line is it Anyway? - (GSN/Reunion) Anniversary edition that pits the improvisational skills of Richard Pellitier, Joyce Rossittier, Dan Russo and Stephen Devoto against one another.  Watch as the gang goes after Devoto and his selfish agenda of promoting his self as the expense of anyone. Blue House anyone?  Does anybody know what the hell is going on? Does anybody care? 

14)  Sons of the Village- (Fox/FX) From the Kurt Sutter the creator of Sons of Anarchy.  The show returns in October and Sutter promises fans that all plot lines will be resolved. he The creator told TV GUIDE, “Let’s just say that Ed ‘Jax’ McKeon’s team of bicycle riding social vigilantes attempt to defeat a Starbucks drive through proves to be quite interesting as he tosses tofu bars at cars that refuse to honk whenever the villagers are having a protest.”    Sutter also mentions the final story arch will look at the financial motivations behind some of the Villagers actions as they are forced to admit that are indeed capitalists like those they are publicly protesting.
15)                   Judge Joe Gallo (Court TV/30 Minutes)- Yep, another court show on Court TV, makes sense doesn’t it?  The producers claim unlike Judge Judy, Judge Joe Brown, Judge Alex or The People’s Court this show is different- the judge is worse than the defendants.   The first episode brings us inside Gallo’s court house as we watch Bailiff J. Milardo push Gallo’s eyes back in his head, cartoon style after an attractive paralegal walks by.  “This show is so much fun that after I hid my wife from Gallo, I had to pee,” claimed an employee from Call Before You Dig.
16)                  Little Blue House on the Prairie (PBS)- The award winning investigative news show Frontline takes a hard look at a group of creative capitalist people in a small town in Connecticut who claim they are buying and fixing houses for the joy of it and to bring quality folks into the city.  The special asks serious questions with regard to Blue House: Did the 7 principal owners make money off the deal?  What is their real reason (non-Villager political correct) to buying the property other than money? Could this be a case of elitism gone wrong or something more sinister?

17)                  Blue’s Clues: The Case of the Missing Midnight on Main (PBS)-  Host Donavan Patton as Joe sends BLUES on a special mission to figure out who is responsible for killing the Midnight on Main Street dream.  Did  Masselli pull the plug because he was angry at the Mayor? Was it something else, something more devious?  Be on the look out for money clues and other things that spell out C-O-R-R-U-P-T-I-O-N.

18)                   Somalis: When the Time is Right (Spice Channel/Adult Programming)  For $49.99 viewers can watch as the Mayor’s chief of staff Joseph Sherman Howard Somalis shows the world his inner John Holmes as it’s Wonderland all day and Boogey Nights, well, all night in this steam feast that will make Milton Berle’s third leg look small in comparison. 
19)                   The New Odd Couple (CW)- Starring William Wilson and Grady Faulkner as they live together above Vechitto’s Lemon Ice. Tonight’s episode has Billy refusing to do the laundry and watching the game, while in retaliation, Grady buries all the laundry inside Billy’s bed.  The laughs keep on flowing for 30 minutes of quality entertainment on the CW network.
20)                  Walking Dead: Middletown (MSNBC)- From Robert Kirkland and Dan Pickett comes a new chapter in horror.  It seems the voting machines in Middletown have been contaminated with a toxic waste substance which forces the voters to bitch and moan about taxes, jobs, and other important things but vote the same way.  Watch as the voters slowly become zombies and slaves but continue to keep the status quo the same making sure that a plate of JELLO has more smarts than them.
2 Term Treasurer Que Phipps (D)
on the set of the new Middletown "Walking Dead"
Stay tuned for  TV GUIDE PART II!

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Guest Blog: Middletown Malloy Town Hall Meeting Was a Hoax

  Below is a guest blog sent as a letter to the Editor from resident Gail Whitwright. The essay reflects views and opinions not necessarily shared by the Insider staff, and is published as a courtesy to readers. Last week, Gov. Dannel Malloy came to Middletown for a one hour Town Hall style meeting at City Hall. Mayor Dan Drew was the MC. Many citizens who attended have expressed their disappointment to us at the brevity and the format of the the meeting which when publicized sounded more like it would be an open forum. Local media reported that those in attendance were invited to write down questions which were then pre-screened- by Malloy staffers and from which random questions were selected.  In his blog "Red Notes from a Blue State," write Don Pesci discusses this occurrence in his post titled " How to Pre-Edit a Town Hall Meeting." The Mess did an article in which the reported mentioned former Democratic Town Committee Chair  & current Registrar of Voters Lisa Santangelo asked about the repeal of the local car tax, however upon answering, Malloy gave no in mention of the proposed state car tax that is currently on the legislative floor.                          

  Below is a guest blog sent as a letter to the Editor from resident and founder of www.propositionusa.com Gail Whitwright. The essay reflects views and opinions not necessarily shared by the Insider staff, and is published as a courtesy to readers. Below, in Whitright's own words:
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 IN THE PAST THREE WEEKS I HAVE HAD MY RIGHT OF “FREEDOM OF SPEECH” STOPPED AT THREE DIFFERENT MEETINGS – OR SO CALLED “TOWNHALL” MEETINGS – THE DEFINITION OF WHICH STATES “EVERY BODY IN A TOWN COMMUNITY IS INVITED TO ATTEND AND VOICE THEIR OPINIONS” – IN EACH MEETING I AM USUALLY THE FIRST TO ARRIVE SO I CAN “SIGN UP” TO SPEAK –  AT MALLOYS “MEETING” IN MIDDLETOWN -   WE WERE TOLD WE COULD “WRITE A QUESTION” WHICH, OF COURSE, IS SCREENED – THE STOIC ATMOSPHERE OF COMPLIANCE  WAS FURTHER COMPOUNDED BY GUARDS WHICH I CALL THE “SQUEECH SQUAD” SO PEOPLE WON’T DARE  SPEAK UP – I WAS TOLD BY MALLOY THAT “HE WAS SPEAKING NOW” AND DAN DREW TOLD ME TO BE POLITE (WHICH IN DEMOCRAT LANGUAGE MEANS WE TALK BUT YOU CAN’T) – WELL DANNY  – IT IS MY CONSTITUTIONAL  RIGHT TO SPEAK – THE WHOLE THING WAS A HOAX…KIND OF LIKE THE ELECTION

AT CHRIS MURPHY IN NEW LONDON ON SATURDAY – THE SAME OPPRESSIVE PROCEDURE WAS USED – WE WERE ALLOWED TO “WRITE A QUESTION” WHICH WERE SCREENED AND READ BY HIS PEOPLE (I WAS TOLD MY QUESTION WOULD BE USED AND NEVER WAS) – AFTER LISTENING TO HIS SELF PROMOTING LECTURE  FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF (ZZZZZZZZZZZZ) – WE WERE BULLIED BY THE GROUP FROM WOODSTOCK ON HOW RUDE WE WERE BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY HAD THE AUDACITY TO SPEAK OUT DURING THE PROPAGANDA SESSION – AGAIN THE WHOLE THING WAS A HOAX…

AT ESTYS TOWNHALL MEETING – WE WERE TOLD WE COULD “WRITE A QUESTION” – ULTIMATELY I SPOKE BUT WAS GIVEN THE BUMS RUSH BY THE STAFF MEMBER – WE ARE FIGHTING FOR THE SECOND AMENDMENT AND NOW WE ARE FIGHTING FOR THE FIRST AMENDMENT AS WELL…THEY DO NOT WANT THE TRUTH TO COME OUT…

I WANT TO SPEAK BECAUSE I WANT TO TELL AMERICANS THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS LET IN 2 MILLION ILLEGAL ALIENS AND EVERY DAY 25 AMERICANS ARE KILLED AND 8 AMERICAN CHILDREN ARE ASSAULTED

I WANT TO SPEAK BECAUSE I WANT TO TELL AMERICANS THAT POLITICIANS IN CONNECTICUT, TO ADVANCE THEIR SELF-PROMOTING STANCE, HAVE MADE CONNECTICUT A WELFARE HAVEN WHICH HAS DESTOYED EVERY CITY IN CONNECTICUT

I WANT TO SPEAK BECAUSE I WANT TO TELL AMERICANS HAVING SANCTUARY CITIES SUCH AS NEW HAVEN FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS (WHICH IS AGAINST FEDERAL LAW) WHO WERE GIVEN LICENSES LAST WEEK BY THE MAYOR JOHN DESTEFANO AS THEY WERE  GIVEN INSTATE  TUTION BY MALLOY -  ONE OF ILLEGALS  WAS GIVEN A RIDE HOME AFTER WORK FROM A WAITRESS FROM HAMDEN AND WHO THANKED HER BY RAPING HER, BEATING  HER AND LEAVING HER FOR DEAD

I WANT TO SPEAK SO I CAN TELL AMERICANS THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION WANTS GUN CONFISCATION NOT GUN CONTROL

I WANT TO SPEAK SO I CAN TELL AMERICANS THAT 170 MILLION PEOPLE WERE MURDERED THROUGHOUT HISTORY BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT DEFEND THEMSELVES

I WANT TO SPEAK SO I CAN TELL AMERICANS THAT 8,650 TIMES A DAY ARMED AMERICANS DEFEND THEM

I WANT TO SPEAK SO I CAN TELL AMERICANS OUR COUNTRY IS IN MORTAL DANGER

MY HEART HURTS…WAKE UP AMERICA! – NOT ONLY IS FREEDOM OF SPEECH MY CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT  -   AMERICANS ARE DYING FOR THAT  RIGHT AS WE SPEAK…

We can't expect the American People to jump from Capitalism to Communism,
but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of Socialism,
until they awaken one day to find that they have Communism."


                                                 Nikita Krushchev  1959

                                                 GAIL WHITRIGHT
                                                 MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Mayor Drew Kicks Off Re-Election Campaign

Earlier this week Mayor Dan Drew along side BFF Rep. Matt Lesser and Senator Richard " I forgot I Didn't Serve in Vietnam Like I told Everyone" Blumenthal kicked off Drew's 2013 re-election campaign for Mayor. The event was a pizza party at First & Last Tavern. Pony rides, "Tales of Grandeur" a puppet show  by Councilman Tom Serra & Big Bro Rep. Joe Serra, and face painting were held out back for the Drew's 10 buddies who came out to show support.

To the Editor:
My name is Juan Montalvo and I am a member of several City of Middletown commissions as well as a member of the Middletown Republican Town Committee. First and foremost, I am a litigation advisor. As a litigation advisor, I took an oath to uphold the law and justly serve my community. It is that dedication that leads me to write this letter.
While I am sure critics will claim that this is an attempt to smear the opponent and sling mud, I believe Middletown citizens deserve to know the true nature of Democratic candidate for mayor Dan Drew.
The facts speak for themselves and the inconsistencies in Mr. Drew’s resume should be brought to light. Although not forthright, it is not uncommon for one to show their best face when writing his or her resume and highlight his accomplishments, however; it is despicable for a person to dramatize those accomplishments to almost the point of fiction to make one seem more qualified for a particular position than is remotely plausible based on facts presented.
This over-dramatization of achievement to the point of false portrayal of facts is even more despicable when that person is seeking to hold such a highly esteemed public office as that of mayor of a city. Dan Drew presents awards on his resume both published on independent sites and his own website, as individual awards given only to him based on his sole merit without giving credit as those received by an entire organization.
In one particular case, Drew credits himself with an award that the organization he was employed by received, but he had nothing to do with. Investigating Mr. Drew’s credentials the information below was found:
From: Ginger Stanley [mailto:GingerS@vpa.net] 
Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2011 9:30 AM
 

Subject: RE: Virginia Press Association Awards
I can confirm that Daniel Drew was among a team of reporters that won a first-place award in 2004 for a multi-story series on the armed siege of a middle school. This was a team effort at the newspaper (Potomac News). Second-place award in 2003, football stars dies in shooting, sports news coverage was also a team project at the Potomac News. Our search did not turn up anything with his name on it for 2005, although Potomac News won a first place for 'staff' for sports pages but I have no way of confirming that Daniel was a part of this staff award. We do not have any records on the Media General awards, Donna Reed at 804-649-6000 may be able to help you. Hope this helps.
Ginger Stanley, Executive Director
Virginia Press Association
11529 Nuckols Road
Glen Allen, VA 23059
804-521-7575 Phone
804-521-7586 Fax
And more:
From: Donna Reed, Media General Communications Holdings, LLC,
Sent: October 28, 2011 2:10 PM
Subject: RE: Media General Awards
"These were in-house recognitions that were handed out on a monthly basis at one of the small northern Virginia community newspapers owned by Media General. Mr. Drew was given honorable mention in October 2003 for a local sports story."
Donna Reed
Media General, Inc
Richmond, VA 23219
-----Original Message-----
 
Sent: Friday, October 21, 2011 2:45 PM
 To: Ginger Stanley
 Cc: Kim Woodward; Caroline Cardwell
Subject: Virginia Press Association Awards 
Good afternoon,
I am hoping that you could assist me in some research. A gentleman by the name of Daniel (Dan) T. Drew is running for mayor of our city of Middletown, Connecticut; he is a relative newcomer to our fair city, residing in town less than five years, and there is a lot of curiosity about him.
In his bio, he stated that he is the recipient of three separate journalistic awards from your organization, and I was hoping that you could confirm information. Since an exhaustive search via the internet has failed to reveal any articles published under his name, I hope you could please shed some light on our search. These are the award years and honors he claims:
Awards and Honors:
* Virginia Press Association, 2005, 1st Place award
* Virginia Press Association, 2004, 2nd Place award
* Virginia Press Association, 2003, 1st Place award
Won several writing awards for reporting on the Washington sniper murders, serial killer John Allen Muhammad's life in jail, the armed siege of a middle school by a teenaged boy, and dozens of murders. Wrote an award winning investigative series about corruption in a county sheriff's office that lead to that official's election loss and indictment.
Additionally, these other honors are listed as well; however an internet search has not even resulted in any information about the awarding entity. Is this anything that you are familiar with?
* Media General Mega Award Honorable Mention, 2003
* Media General Mega Award Honorable Mention, 2003
* Ellen Knowles Harcourt Foundation, 1998 Harcourt Scholar
Would you please help....? Thank you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dan Drew appeared on the Bill O’Reiley TV show in 2002 claiming to stand for the First Amendment. However, where was Dan Drew when BOE Chair Ted Radzka pulled the plug literally on the microphone when Ed McKeon was speaking at a public session several months ago? Where was Dan Drew when Councilmen Santangelo, Serra and Councilwoman Kasper walked out on a member of the public who was addressing the Public Safety Committee during a public session only weeks ago?
How is it that such an esteemed, award-winning investigative journalist, and self-proclaimed free speech advocate, Drew failed Middletown in not doing what he himself has professed as his crowning achievements — finding and exposing the the truth in government and standing up for free speech? How is it that Mr. Drew expects Middletown citizens to believe he was such a fantastical investigative reporter when he in fact was primarily a SPORTS writer and provided occasional coverage of the police blotter at the time that some of these awards were given?
Middletown should not want a bystander for a mayor.
It is of my opinion, as they say in the courtroom, that the preponderance of the evidence shows that Dan Drew is not a champion of the truth if he cannot be truthful on his own resume. Dan Drew cannot be a team player in the political arena and bring “transparency and communication” back between the BOE and the city and and the city and the citizens if he cannot be honest about being on a team that received journalistic awards rather than trying stretch the facts to boost his ego and pad his resume.
Failure to recognize reality and be honest with one’s self — let alone the public — is not a quality Middletown should want in a mayor.
Sincerely,
Juan Montalvo,Middletown Resident

Friday, October 26, 2012

Common Council to get Ipads

Councilman Robert Santangelo demonstrates what an ipad is and how the interwebs works.
Common Council members will be issued ipads to receive meeting minutes and agendas on. Cost per year is $20,000 for the program. Meetings will be streamed live on the internet. The Granicus software will cost $118,000 to implement and will include digital archiving. The Granicus system for the ipad is meant to save money, and  offset the cost of paper copies and the delivery of council materials by a police officer as per charter rules. No word if the ipads will have tracking software, keystroke loggers, or cameras to spy on council members in their homes, but tin-foil hat wearing is encouraged.

Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Have You Seen this Middletown Public Servant?

     Sources have told the Insider staff that Democratic Deputy Registrar Voters Lisa Santangelo, and  Democratic Registrar Sandra Faraci , accompanied by personnel from the Common Council clerk's office have on multiple occasions been closing the doors at the Registrars' office during business hours and locking out their Republican counterparts.More disturbing is that by doing so they are locking out the public as well. By state law, the office is to remain open so that citizens may register to vote. Any variation of this practice must follow guidelines set forth by the State Elections Enforcement Commission which determines cases of voter suppression and other violations. Both parties have representatives appointed to the registrar to over see elections are run fairly. The Common Council Clerk office has no official business with the Office of Registrar.
     Sources report that the Mayor's appointed Administrative Assistant Joseph Samolis, has advised City Hall staff to go against City Charter rules which title him "Administrative Assistant," and address him as "Chief of Staff." Not a huge deal? Well we all know where changing "job titles" has gotten us in the past when it comes time to determine salary!    Across town, the Board of Education Administration has permanently hired Josh Berger, son-in-law of Councilwoman Hope Kasper as an Business Administrator after she played a key role in selecting candidates for that position. Berger , who has a work history primarily in real estate, did not rank in the top 10 qualified candidates. He, unlike any other BOE administrator will have a benefits package normally reserved only for teachers. 

More back ground on this and other nepotism here  
     Meanwhile, stacks of papers are piled high on the Mayor's desk as he spends most of his days campaigning  for Democrats running for state offices, posing for photo ops at various events, mainly as part of the campaigning however, in Hartford lobbying, or and doing who knows what.... Drew can be found at work tops 2-3 days a week. The State Democratic Committee and Malloy machine pulled out all the stops to get Drew elected- spending almost $100,000.00.  With no doubt the help of Malloy's crew who wanted to desperately to put another Democratic mayor in a major CT city, Drew received more out of town donations from big Dem donors from around Connecticut such as the Young Democrats, the Working Families political action organization, and labor unions.
      It appears now, Drew has to return the favor to his creators at the expense of the public; Little Dano is obligated to Big Dan to reciprocate the favors, thus taking time away from his duties at City Hall.
     As of late, aside from a few Council meetings, Drew has not been pulling too many late night committee meetings either. Working from home? If the public is not allowed to contact this public servant at home or on the road, then we don't buy it and neither should tax payers! Mayor Drew  receives the full $87K tax payer funded salary no matter how often he chooses to grace City Hall with his presence.

* UPDATE! Your tax dollars at work: Since the initial posting of this piece, the Insider found Drew! Today the Mess published a article that has Candidate for State Rep. Paul Doyle and Matt Lesser cruising down the River in canoes yesterday during work hours with non other than Dan Drew- The event complete with reporter along was under the guise of "helping" DEEP Commissioner Esty check out the biological foray, but appears more like blatant campaigning to us- Wonder why no other representatives or candidates were invited?
Stay tuned for the Deputy chief Position Vote Tuesday- read background here

Friday, September 28, 2012

Suzio calls out Governor Malloy on Tax Hikes

Press Release
Re: Governor Malloy won’t rule out tax hikes.

Senator Len Suzio pledges to oppose all tax hikes when the State Senate reconvenes in January.

At a press conference on Sept 24 Governor Malloy opened the door to tax hikes to help balance the budget for 2013-2014.

"I will be working morning noon and night to slam the door on any tax hikes. Our state's hard pressed taxpayers need an unequivocal commitment that additional tax increases will not be used to balance next year's budget. There is no alternative but to balance the budget the way ordinary Connecticut families balance their budgets - by cutting back expenses to
match revenues. We need to balance the budget the 'old-fashion way' - with responsible budgets that reduce wasteful spending"
, Senator Suzio commented.

"Connecticut taxpayers need and want a firm commitment to hold the line on tax increases
and spending. The days of increasing taxes to make up for budget mistakes are over. I am
pledged to voting against any tax increase as a budget balancing option next year. Every
candidate should make the same pledge to voters this Fall", Senator Suzio concluded.

Senator Len Suzio (203)-530-1544  http://ctsenaterepublicans.com/about-suzio/

_________________________________________________________________________
http://www.middletowninsider.com/2012/03/taxpayers-to-fund-mayor-drews-trip-to.html
Middletown Insider side note:
Photo  & commentary below is a Middletown Insider creation, not part of the official Suzio Press Release above. What does Dannel like to use tax revenue for? Trips to China of course! The Insider has discovered Mayor Drew was not chosen by his BFF Governor Malloy to go to China as a delegate, he applied and begged to join the delegation.Pretty lame to invite folks, but make them fork over the cash to go, in this case taxpayers funded the trip for both. Still no report  from Mayor Dan/Lisa as promised to the Common Council six months ago....

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Letter to the Editor: Haunting Past of Future Deputy & New Chief of MPD

 A reader has sent us the following past news articles regarding the history of Mayor Dan/Lisa's appointment of Officer McKenna to police chief and  the rumored  future appointment of current Captain Michael Timbro to Deputy Chief.  Mayor Drew recently suggested changes to the personnel job criteria to allow for an internal hire. Although the staff of the Insider has not formed an opinion of these appointments, and remains open minded; we offer the following article excerpts submitted by a reader posted for discussion purposes, and consideration by other readers. The Insider staff has received multiple letters and questions regarding the police chief/deputy situation and are aware this is of great concern to our readers. All  authors  of these letters have expressed the same fear of retaliation if public concern is raised; therefore, for their protection, we will not name any of our sources should they choose to come forward and seek our help.

The articles outline the relationship between Councilman and then Mayor Tom Serra ( a former Vinal Tech principal) and the officers, as well as the officers' pasts. Our source points out, which is evident in the news articles cited below, the Serracrat regime has changed the hiring criteria for police officers once before, to benefit officers McKenna and Timbro.

Readers following the police department situation may also be interested in our previous post outlining how wife of an officer voted to make personnel changes in thedepartment:http://www.middletowninsider.com/2012/09/something-about-mary-wife-of-cop-votes.html
 ---------------------------------------------------
From the Hartford Courant, 11/5/05

"Hertler and Morron allege that Thornton, Brymer and Pessina took the side of Timbro following a December 2003 confrontation between the sergeant and the two officers. Timbro was returning home with his family that day when he was stopped at an emergency roadblock where Hertler and Morron were working. Police reports say Timbro was upset because he was denied access.

Hertler, Morron and other witnesses at the scene said Timbro became enraged and ran the roadblock. The officers filed a complaint against Timbro. When they failed to get a response from the police administration, the officers complained to city hall.

The confrontation eventually became the focus of a criminal probe, although Timbro was never charged. He was suspended for three days after an internal police investigation."

 -----------------------------------------------------------

From the Hartford Courant, 4/6/1995

"Mayor Thomas J. Serra on Wednesday defended his hiring of three new city police officers, even though all of them failed to make a recommended hiring list provided by the police department after extensive background checks.

``They met the criteria and they all come from good, decent, long-standing Middletown families,'' Serra said. ``I am a residency person, and they met the qualifications.''

Serra's decision to hire the officers, despite the advice of police professionals, has prompted former political rival Maria Madsen Holzberg to call for sweeping reforms in the city's personnel policies and the mayor's hiring power.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Something About Mary: Wife of Cop Votes on Personnel Changes for Cops

Something about Councilwoman
Mary Bartolotta (D) is that she doesn't
 understand a conflict of interest when
a potential one is staring her in the face.
Taking a play from Councilwoman  Hope Kasper (D)- who got her son in law a pretty sweet deal over at the Board of Education as an illegally hired administrator with teacher benefits (read more here), Coucilwoman Mary Bartolotta (D) decided it was a-okay to vote for altered language in the qualifications for deputy police chief as part of the 3 councilperson Personnel Review Committee, despite the fact her husband is a police officer on the force. By voting, Bartolotta is setting up for a huge conflict, whether her husband is pursuing this position or not, one of his colleagues is.  
All police are on the same force and by that definition in some capacity work together. There is a great deal of trust officers must have for one another after all they are responsible at times for each others lives. Being distantly related with someone vs having a spouse's paycheck, work duty assignments, overtime, etc. related to a position of authority that one us voting on is far different.
Plenty of people who work for the city or hold elected positions are related and there is little to no conflict; we are pointing out a husband wife relationship is far different, and a relationships between officers are far different than that of typical office colleagues by far. Any question of possible strife that could arise from a conflict, even perceived that could jeopardize that relationship is point we were making .The Insider is far from alleging any bad cops here, but we ask: Could  sergeant  under a deputy that was chosen as having qualifications his wife shaped could have negative results? Favortism or lose of trust by other officers?
We hope not, but the conflict is still a possibility. 

The Courant published an article earlier in the week explaining Mayor Drew's "reasons"  for changing qualifications to exclude the need for any college experience, and the substitution of work experience. Earlier this year, Drew hired his unqualified neighbor as a favor for a dispatch position, the hire soon tanked. Let's cross our fingers Dano can be a better judge of  qualifications this time and puts personal feelings aside. If he can't Lisa Santangelo you can bet will have a say! Hopefully, these changes are in good faith to allow a qualified internal hire, and are not being tailored to only to fit someone who the Serracrats owe a favor to.
The only brave soul YET AGAIN, was Councilwoman (and Candidate for the 100th District) Deborah Kleckowski (R) who questioned the conflict of interest on the Council floor,  which yet was again was refuted by the Democrats on the council.
Should Bartolotta have voted?

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Who is Really Running City Hall?

     Who is really running City Hall? If you guessed old guard Councilman Tom Serra and big brother Rep. Joe Serra you are wrong! Although they still hold the reins tight for the in-debt  Water Department run under the leadership of Serra first cousin Director Guy Russo, it appears the grip on Mayor Drew's collar maybe loosening. Move over boys, a new person has taken the throne and SHE isn't going anywhere fast.And nope - not Nepotism Nelly Councilwoman Hope Kasper - , guess again...
      A staff meeting took place on Tuesday September 11 which was meant to discuss issues with how the Registrar of Voters Office is running and its relationship with the Town Clerks Office. Several City employees have expressed concern to Mayor Drew and Administrative Assistant Joe Samolis regarding unprofessional behavior of Deputy Democratic Registrar of Voters appointee and former Democratic Town Chair Lisa Santangelo. Our sources say the only thing the meeting produced was that Lisa Santangelo played on her cell phone the entire meeting while the mayor was speaking to everyone.Before issues where even brought up about Santangelo's behavior and bullying, the Mayor Drew said "This wasn't going to be a meeting where everyone can pile blame on one person." Those  who had privately brought issues with Lisa Santangelo and her unprofessional, combative attitude were immediately shut down and essentially told nothing would be done. City employees have told us Santangelo has even taken a liking to wandering around the building into other offices that have no relationship with the Registrar's office, and  then offers unsolicited advice to employees and directors how to do their jobs- ie her way!

Friday, September 07, 2012

Get Shorty 3 to Film in Middletown starring Lisa Santangelo

Local Middletown resident to star in blockbuster movie!
Middletown- Jersey Films and director Brian Sonnenfeld have announced that the newest chapter in the Elmore Leonard Chilli Palmer series will be lensing in Middletown, CT.  According to the town’s current mayor and Chinese ambassador Dan Drew, the film will star local starlet Lisa “ME” Santangelo in the lead role of ex-shylock turned Hollywood producer.
      “We are going for a different vibe,” Drew said bluntly as he adjusted the pencils on his desk. “John’s (Travolta) version of Chilli was great in ‘Get Shorty’ and ‘Be Cool’, but now with Lisa cast in the role we are going for the gut.”  Drew then revealed the film will called ‘Got Trouble’ and will be based on Santangelo’s real life antics of causing trouble around town most notably in the Registrar of Voter’s office.
http://www.middletowninsider.com/2012/02/was-it-retaliation.html
Find out more about Santangelo's past career moves.
            “I think it’s remarkable casting,” added Benjamin Florsheim, Wesleyan class of 2014, DTC member, and definitely a public figure. “Lisa’s ability to piss off everyone in town is incredible. She is like a bull in a china (pun intended, Dan!) shop and has made enemies with everybody in her way. She also bullies her way onto committees all over town and doesn’t have the decency to show up unless there is something in it for her.”   When asked to press further about Santangelo’s reputed antics with regard to any other wrong doings, the Wesleyan student said with a wink: “Trouble is coming on Monday!”

Lisa Santangelo is the Democratic Registrar of Voters and formerly the chair of the Middletown Democratic Town Committee and campaign manager. She is wife of Councilman Bob Santangelo.

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