Yipes There Was News In Them Dar Hills
Nothing like being swamped with deadlines, putting together an arts festival and feeling like being run over by a truck. Hey that last bit really happened. It seems that Volvo really does take that safety stuff seriously, as I was hit by a truck that decided to speed up West Ave. and then hit the brakes hoping to stop instead of ramming into the last car stopped at a red light. It didn’t and I got to experience the paperwork of auto accident amongst other things.
Meanwhile Norwalk news has been generating all on its own. Fred Bondi a Republican? Not so fast, said John Reilly in Sunday’s Hour. It seems that there’s a waiting period before “official” recognition takes place. Yeah, I seem to remember that one too. So Fred is without a caucus, since it’s highly unlikely that the Dems will let him attend theirs. It also makes me wonder when the RTC gets around to nominating their candidates. Before September 2nd?
The week is young, so we don’t know who else is taking out papers to run for Mayor. But last week it was Republican council member Nick Kydes’ brother Andrew. Assuming he actually puts his paperwork in, that would mean Bill Krummel, Otha Brown and Donnie Sellers would be doing something like a primary pretty soon. Guess Bondi isn’t really going to be “saving” the city any money if the Mayoral slot is heading for a primary anyways.
Today’s Advocate recounts the dangerously low, undesignated fund over in Stamford. It seems that Dan Malloy has let the Stamford fund dip to 1% of general fund expenditures or $4.7 million. Nowhere in the article does it mention Norwalk’s undesignated fund balance percentage, which would have been a nice compare and contrast Mayoral management styles. Mayor Moccia and the Common Council should be commended for sharp stewardship of Norwalk’s finances. And this despite, the laissez-faire spending going on over at the BOE. What is Corda thinking?
I will sum up the master budget lack of genius under Corda. He opposed a real finance director. Refused to make anyone in Central Office accountable for their hours or performance. Hasn’t had a handle on union contracts, additional services placed in schools and general enrollment in years and so now picks on Norwalk High’s pool as something to close when he’s busy forcing elementary schools to add trailers as classrooms while other elementary schools have empty classrooms. Can we say mismanaged? Sure, and yet parents are up in arms over perceived “lack of resources” allocated to their schools. The trouble is, no one is holding anyone accountable in BOE land, and there hasn’t been any long term plan in years. Witness how Jefferson, an overcrowded school suddenly became fit for becoming a magnet school so it could magically disappear off the list of in need of racial balancing. But all the blame doesn’t fall on Corda here. The teacher’s union contributed with their contractual requirements of maximum class size. Well, asleep-at-the-wheel BOE, it’s another fine mess you’ve got us in.
There was a bunch of community stuff that happened the last week. A canon was installed on the green. It points at City Hall. Insert First Taxing District vs. City of Norwalk feud here. Or maybe its the next phase of historic district versus those that dare defend property rights. Next we’ll see a moat, drawbridge and trebuchet.
Lastly, mostly because this totally cracked me up, a literal music video. Apparently I missed the phenom that’s sweeping the tubes, as classic and not so classic music videos are crafitly reinterpretated to be exactly what the video depicts. The best of the lot:
