Comments on: Coup De Grace, LWV Special Meeting

By: OLD TIMER

OLD TIMER — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:59:25 +0000

Anybody going to that special LWV meeting tonight ? It will be interesting to read what news comes out of it, if any.

By: OLD TIMER

OLD TIMER — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:05:58 +0000

TG:
What I said was a budget prepared in ’07, the final year of a 20 yr contract, with very favorable rates, could, and should, have anticipated higher rates for a necessary new contract.
I never said it should have anticipated the council would turn down the proposal to lease, for $500,000 a year, City Carting property on Meadow St and run it, under a new 1200 ton per day permit, as a regional garbage transfer facility, with the HOPE that some improvement in recycling would offset the lease expense, even though the city would not get anything from metals recycling. That proposal was sprung on the council, and the public, as the ideal solution, with nowhere near enough information to justify the “approve this tonight” presentation. It was finally the Mayor that pulled that proposal off the table after a lot of inquiry and comment from the public
You sound as if you believe there would have been no need for any special appropriation, in any amount, if that proposal had been approved, as presented. The facts do not support that belief.
As for the tinfoil, ask the State LWV about the letter complaint they got from a local RTC flunkie about Diane speaking at public meetings.

By: turfgrrl

turfgrrl — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 01:25:56 +0000

Old Timer: puhlease. You suggest that budgets prepared in 2007 for 08/09 needed to foresee that the council would nix the proposed recycling and meadow st transfer station? I’m still laughing. As for the tin foil, that’s not for your opinion on the transfer station but rather your theories on what the state LWV is doing. Actually I think you insult the entire credibility of the organization by suggesting they would be influenced by anyone in a local government.

By: NorwalkSpectator

NorwalkSpectator — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 00:53:26 +0000

OldTimer – Diane L. hasn’t been around much lately. Oh, she was very present during the BET/BOE Joint sessions, insisting that the recycling program being introduced into the schools was going too slowly, but other than that, it’s been pretty quiet in her corner.

Of course the BET public hearing on the budget is Wednesday night, so I expect to see her in attendance.

But I can’t see why the administration would want to have her ousted from the LWV. I mean the letter is very clear that she was not and apparently is not fullfiling the duties required by a chapter president. The administration has nothing to do with her calling a slate of candidates or sending in the dues, or sending out the membership letters. That all falls squarely in her court.

By: OLD TIMER

OLD TIMER — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 00:27:02 +0000

TG:
Now that answer suggests you do not have FACTS to refute anything I said and turn, instead, to personal attack that has nothing to do with what we were talking about. I have made it very clear when I was talking about verifiable facts and when I was sharing an admittedly speculative opinion. I could be way off with my suspicion about administration fingerprints all over the LWV thing, and I made that clear, but there is nothing speculative about the Meadow St facts. Only time will tell if my suspicion turns out to be pretty close or just a wild shot in the dark. Take a look at your own notes on who questioned the Meadow St plan and may be a likely target next. You certainly have access to key people who could, but may not, tell you if there is anything to my theory. If you find I am right, I know better than to expect you to tell here, but, you must be curious.

By: turfgrrl

turfgrrl — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 23:32:51 +0000

Old Timer: ROTFLMAO — what else can I say? You’ve got the tinfoil firmly planted on your head and you see dead people.

By: OLD TIMER

OLD TIMER — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:02:15 +0000

If that deal had gone through, as proposed, they would have voted on that $500,000 plus the $500,000 a year for ten years ($5,000,000) for the lease with, at best, the HOPE that improved recycling might reduce some of the actual trash hauling expense, and the two other private tranfer stations would not be competitive. If Hamilton and Alvord were on the ball, the trash hauling money would have been in the budget and they would not need a special appropriation. If you read all the paperwork, you know the City was not getting anything from metals recycling.
I stand by my suspicion the administration had a lot to do with the State LWV sudden interest in how the local LWV was doing, as a way to get even with Diane. My suspicion doesn’t prove anything, but let’s see who else they “get even” with as soon as they can. Could they be trying to muzzle her ? They may be helping her more than they think. She can now claim martyr status, especially if she can show some party flunkie reached out to the state LWV. It could be a mistake to underestimate her once she is no longer restrained by LWV nuetrality policies.

By: NorwalkSpectator

NorwalkSpectator — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:13:55 +0000

OldTimer,

I think it is very simple.

There have been numerous times when Ms. L. would make statements in various meeting that she was “investigating” someone, usually Mr. Alvord. As a private citizen, she is free to “investigate” all she wants. However, when she involves the League of Women Voters by invoking her position, and with all the irregularities, it probably made red flags go up in Hartford. A big flag was probably having to mail out the membership renewals from Hartford. Don’t know about you, but that would indicate that something was seriously awry to me.

I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the State moderator took a minute or two to check the file before coming down to see how the chapter was doing and discovered all these irregularities.

Actually, I don’t think anyone in the administration has time to work up a conspiracy against her simply because they are too busy working on the budget.

By: turfgrrl

turfgrrl — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:18:59 +0000

Old Timer: I’m basing my facts on the actual amount the Council had to vote as a special appropriation to cover the trash hauling costs. Who’s blaming Diane L. over this? The council voted on this, and they are responsible for 1) not approving the contract and 2) approving the special appropriation and 3) not investing in streamlined recycling to reduce the amount of trash we pay to have hauled away.

By: OLD TIMER

OLD TIMER — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:05:32 +0000

TG:
If you believe Alvord’s scheme would have saved half a million a year in trash hauling, you haven’t looked at the hard numbers. A 20 year contract, with very favorable rates, was expiring and anyone who didn’t expect trash hauling rates to go way up was not paying attention. Hamilton and Alvord failed to allow for a predictable increase and then blamed Dianne L. for the extra that was needed for the new contract with City Carting. With or without the lease payments for Meadow St, the trash hauling would have gone way up.