Mark your calendar for Tuesday July 23, D-Day. No, not that D-Day, the date Democratic Town Chairman Mario Testa has set to endorse Democrats for mayor, Board of Education, City Council, city clerk, town clerk and city sheriff slots.
It also happens to be the final day of the one-week window for endorsement by major party for municipal office by town committee, according to the election calendar set by the Office of the Connecticut Secretary of the State, limiting the time to two weeks challengers may petition onto the September 10 primary ballot. Call it the machinations of the wily town chairman.
The very next morning after the endorsement primary petitions become available at the registrar’s office for insurgents challenging party-endorsed candidates. Primary petition sheets must be submitted to the registrar’s office by 4 p.m. August 7.
Challengers must bank validated signatures of five percent of registered city Democrats for the respective offices. That means for mayor roughly 2,300 based on the registration.
The larger question looming: will Mayor Joe Ganim’s challengers State Senator Marilyn Moore and State Representative Charlie Stallworth hustle signatures for the September 10 primary? If so, will they run with a slate of candidates such as school board, town clerk, city clerk and city sheriff? For City Council districts the signature requirement is a few hundred. Stallworth has announced he will try to primary. Moore has not been specific about her strategy.
The other option for Moore is bypassing the primary and going straight to the general election as a petitioning candidate. Theoretically she could also have a two-pronged approach, challenge in a primary with a backup plan for a November petitioning candidacy.
Four years ago Ganim and Mary-Jane Foster, both of whom ran in the primary, did both. Ganim didn’t need the November line because he won the primary. Foster was his closest opponent in the general election as a petitioning candidate. The election rules only allow for multiple lines nominated by a party. You can’t run on both a party line and a petitioning line.
Moore, for example, could challenge Ganim in a primary. If she comes up short she could run on the Connecticut Working Families Party line in November, or as a petitioning candidate. She can’t appear on both those lines. If she wins the primary she can then appear on both the Democratic line and WFP line.
The two-pronged approach comes down to money presuming the primary is close. To take out Ganim in a primary Moore must drain all her resources hoping to reload the treasury for another bite in the general election if she loses the primary.
Sunday June 30 is the final day of the next quarter campaign finance report that must be filed by July 10. The next report is a key money watch for Stallworth and Moore.
Stallworth, a city minister, has been leveraging his pastoral contacts around the country to raise money.
There should’ve a number of days on the SOT calendar so that this Mickey Mouse game cannot continue to be played.
But Denise Merrill just doesn’t have the balls to stand up to the likes of Mario Testa.
It is on the the Secretary of State’s calendar. However, there is a number of days to hold DTC and RTC nominations. The respective Chairs can choose any of the dates within the timeframe.
Mario did NOT pick the last possible date when Ganim was going to Primary Finch. Of course, he is going to pick the last possible date this time to protect Ganim and the majority of the City Council
Of course, this leaves only 14 days to gather 2600 to 2800 democratic signatures for city-wide candidates. Is easy enough to gather the requisite number of signatures for a City Council Primary.
The first time I ever circulated petitions was in 2013 for Andre, Howard and Dave. I got 286 signatures by myself in 14 days. I got more petition signatures than every paid canvasser and the candidates themselves.
Since then, I have become much quicker and have a game plan of where I go and when.
Any city wide candidate that just had twenty hard working volunteers/canvassers could easily get 2,600 or 2,800 democratic signatures in 14 days.
John Weldon called another Special Meeting with 25.5 hours notice for tonight.
I notified Dr. Johnson on March 25, 2019 that I was going to exercise my right to have every Special Meeting Notice hand delivered to my home with a minimum of twenty four hours notice as required under the Freedom of Information Act.
I never received a hand-delivered notice and the supporting documents. I had a medical procedure at the Yake Sine Center and was directed by the physician to rest today with minimal movement
I arrived home about 10:15 AM. I was contacted by a constituent around 10:30 AM who wanted to aske me a question about the agenda. I said “what meeting?”
I called the Superintendent’s office and asked why I had not received my hand delivered notice yesterday as requested. She stated they didn’t receive the request by John Weldon to schedule tonight’s meeting until 1:51 PM. They now have to drop everything they are doing to get the agenda and supporting documents together. Joseph Sokolovi.signed the notice and emailed it back at 3:26 PM. It was stamped by the City Ckerk at 3:41.
This gave the staff 19 minutes to have someone come from the stockroom to pick – up my packet, deliver it to my home and return back to work.
John Weldon does this purposefully to give those who oppose him and the public as little notice as possible that he is calling a Special Meeting.
I feel bad for staff, but the FOIA must be followed and my rights as an elected school board member cannot be violated. I will not stand for it.
At tonight’s meeting, the agenda listed ” Discussion Regarding Terms of Employment of Michael T Testani as Acting Superintendent.”
I found this fascinating because the Regular Meeting Notice on Monday stated that we were ” Discussion and Possible Action on Appointment of Interim Superintendent”
The motion made was to appoint an “Interim Superintendent”
Only one problem. There is no such position as as an ” Interim Superintendent ” in the CT state statutes and no such position exists in the CT State Department of Education Regulations.” How can the Board notice that we are voting to appoint someone to a position that does not exist?
I of course asked why John Weldon had noticed tonight’s agenda with the language of “Acting Superintendent” when the language noticed and voted on Monday referenced an ” Interim Superintendent.” He stated that our lawyer said it was similar in nature and really didn’t make a difference. I then asked “if it doesn’t make a difference why did you alter the language?”
He immediately punts to Attorney Floyd Duffas with Berchem & Moses who are hired Ganim mercenaries and major donors to Ganim.
Every time I meet a new member of their firm, as I shake their hand I always ask ” did you donate to Joe Ganim’s campaign, too?” I get them all flustered, red and nervous.
With this critical item on the agenda tonight, Vice President Jessica Martinez, Joe Lombard, and Lamar Kennedy did not even attend. Martinez voted to appoint the highly unqualified Testani and didn’t even show up to discuss contract terms. Lamar Kennedy abstained and didn’t show up.
I think there is going to be interesting activity going forward.
John Weldon announced that Dr. Johnson would be meeting with Mayor Ganim on Friday to discuss our remaining $5.5 million dollar deficit. I asked who else would be attending. Mike Testani stated Dr. Johnson had invited him.
With a straight face I asked if former Mayor Fabrizi and DTC Chair Mario Testa would be intending. John Weldon and his corrupt cohort looked so uncomfortable and confused.
I mean if Testani is going to be meeting with Mayor Ganim shouldn’t the rest of his corrupt cabal who campaigned to get him this position on the slightest of margins be tagging along. I mean Mayor Ganim, Dan Shamus ,Former Mayor Fabrizi and Mario Testa are going to be giving Testani his Marching Orders. Afterall, Testani will be reporting to them.
On a final note, as of today we still have a $5.5 million dollar deficit and we will have nowhere near a balanced budget as of July 1st.
This has only happened twice, both times with John Weldon as Chair and Jessica Martinez as Finance Chair. We have always had a balanced budget or plan ready to vote on by July 1st.
This is the absolute incompetence lead by the Chair and Vice Chair.
I am so worried about how this absolute incompetence negatively impacts our students, parents, families, staff and even taxpayers.
Moore has my vote she should do a primary
The problem is you have two weekends rather than three weekend. And a decision like that should not be left up to a town chair.
Little Joe Ganim pissed away most of his political capital running for governor. All the money in the world will not help him to a second term of Ganim Lite.
Ganim plays hardball. You’re the musical lightweight who refused my guitar player challenge. Lennie said you were fantastic but he never said you were better than the great Local Eyes.
I’m sure you would win a drinking contest.
LE
You are better than Stevie A. You kiss ass for Ganim but the city doesn’t have to pay you.
Such a deal!
I’ve seen your label. You’re not retired, you’re expired .
Bob Walsh plays softball with a wiffle bat.
He can’t hit the ball past the pitcher’s mound.
LE,
You’re ugly and your mother dresses you funny.
But he’s so quick he makes it to first base safely every time.
Batting average 1.000.
Stop flattering yourself. Seven minutes is how long it would you to reach first base!
Batting average: zero
And how long does it take before you ask for a refill?