Trumbull Democratic Town Committee

Tony Silber, Trumbull Democratic Town Committee, responds to accusations by the Herbst Administration.

Trumbull Times-June 10, 2010

Dear Editor:

Republican Town Chairman Jack Testani says Democratic political gamesmanship has run amuck, and that Democrats should be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

I say the only thing that’s run amuck is the Republican leadership’s penchant for wild accusations. And because Jack alleges there’s a problem, it’s only fair to challenge him to define it.

Is open and honest political debate the “problem” Jack’s referring to? Every time someone so much as differs with the first selectman, they’re attacked by his named and unnamed surrogates, in the papers and on computer message boards.

Or perhaps the “problem” Mr. Testani talks about consists merely of asking questions about various Herbst Administration policies. As local residents are finding out, asking critical questions of this administration risks massive retaliation instead of fact-based response. Our current leaders either forget or just flat-out don’t get that in a two-party democracy, different viewpoints are a healthy and necessary part of the process.

Maybe the “problem” here is expecting that the administration should have its facts straight.

Jack Testani and First Selectman Herbst last week accused me of sending to the Connecticut Post an e-mail written by Keith Klain. The act would have been innocuous if I’d done it. But I didn’t send the Post anything. That didn’t stop Mr. Testani and Mr. Herbst from proclaiming as loudly as they could, and with absolute certainty, that I did.

Consider what First Selectman Herbst said in a letter to Nichols residents on June 4:

“Planning and Zoning Commission alternate Tony Silber (also a political opponent) contacted the Connecticut Post editorial board requesting that they delve into the matter without verifying the truth or accuracy of the allegations contained in the e-mail.”

Here’s the wonderful irony. The first selectman reprimanded me for not checking out my facts, when he himself didn’t bother to verify “the truth or accuracy” of his own information before he allowed inaccurate hearsay to masquerade as absolute truth.

One thing’s certain: That’s no way to govern.

Then both Mr. Testani and Mr. Herbst criticized Town Council Minority Leader Mary Beth Thornton for filing an FOI request in the matter of the power-plant project. “This was pure politics with the worst of intentions,” Mr. Testani exclaimed. Well, there is one thing worse—and that’s filing six FOI complaints in six months, which is what the Republicans did in 2009.

If the first selectman insists on government that lurches from crisis to crisis, he won’t succeed in the long term. If the Herbst administration insists on parrying mild questions with shrill accusations, it won’t win the confidence of our residents. If the elected leadership insists on divisiveness first and policy second, then its fate is already set.

Trumbull Democrats believe in the power of the outstretched hand, not the pointed finger. Democrats believe in engaging in debate, not in smashing dissent. Democrats believe in embracing all perspectives, not in discrediting those who differ.

Tony Silber

Democratic Town Committee

A Trumbull Land-Use Agenda

By Tony Silber, alternate member of the Trumbull Planning and Zoning Commission

One of the fundamental issues in any town is land use. From land-use policy flows many things that directly impact quality of life, such as tax rates, traffic congestion, use density, environmental quality, open space, recreation, economic development, property values and more. Below are three areas that Trumbull should focus on this year. more

Trumbull Democrats: Herbst's Budget Process Produced The Worst Possible Outcome - Significantly Reduced Services and Higher Taxes

Democrats lay out principles for sound and sustainable budgeting.

Read the Press Release here

Trumbull Democrats: Herbst's Claim of $1 Million in Operational Savings is Misleading

First Selectman Timothy Herbst did not achieve his campaign pledge of identifying $1 million in operational savings in his first 100 days in office, and he misled the citizens of Trumbull in a press release on the topic issued this week, Trumbull Democrats said.

Click here to read the full story

Trumbull Icon Joan Plouffe Honored in Testimonial

See more pictures from the dinner here


STATE DEMOCRATIC PARTY GOVERNMENT Town of Trumbull State of Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd Congressman Jim Himes Senator Anthony Musto CAMPAIGNS Dan Malloy Susan Bysiewicz Ned Lamont Dick Blumenthal Merrick Alpert Jim Himes BLOGS TRUMBULLchat Community Forums Bridgeport In the Know My Left Nutmeg Capitol Report Capitol Watch Connecticut Local Politics MEDIA Channel 17 Connecticut Post Trumbull Times Channel 8	Tony Silber, Trumbull Democratic Town Committee, responds to accusations by the Herbst Administration. Trumbull Times-June 10, 2010 Dear Editor: Republican Town Chairman Jack Testani says Democratic political gamesmanship has run amuck, and that Democrats should be part of the solution, not part of the problem. I say the only thing that’s run amuck is the Republican leadership’s penchant for wild accusations. And because Jack alleges there’s a problem, it’s only fair to challenge him to define it. Is open and honest political debate the “problem” Jack’s referring to? Every time someone so much as differs with the first selectman, they’re attacked by his named and unnamed surrogates, in the papers and on computer message boards. Or perhaps the “problem” Mr. Testani talks about consists merely of asking questions about various Herbst Administration policies. As local residents are finding out, asking critical questions of this administration risks massive retaliation instead of fact-based response. Our current leaders either forget or just flat-out don’t get that in a two-party democracy, different viewpoints are a healthy and necessary part of the process. Maybe the “problem” here is expecting that the administration should have its facts straight. Jack Testani and First Selectman Herbst last week accused me of sending to the Connecticut Post an e-mail written by Keith Klain. The act would have been innocuous if I’d done it. But I didn’t send the Post anything. That didn’t stop Mr. Testani and Mr. Herbst from proclaiming as loudly as they could, and with absolute certainty, that I did. Consider what First Selectman Herbst said in a letter to Nichols residents on June 4: “Planning and Zoning Commission alternate Tony Silber (also a political opponent) contacted the Connecticut Post editorial board requesting that they delve into the matter without verifying the truth or accuracy of the allegations contained in the e-mail.” Here’s the wonderful irony. The first selectman reprimanded me for not checking out my facts, when he himself didn’t bother to verify “the truth or accuracy” of his own information before he allowed inaccurate hearsay to masquerade as absolute truth. One thing’s certain: That’s no way to govern. Then both Mr. Testani and Mr. Herbst criticized Town Council Minority Leader Mary Beth Thornton for filing an FOI request in the matter of the power-plant project. “This was pure politics with the worst of intentions,” Mr. Testani exclaimed. Well, there is one thing worse—and that’s filing six FOI complaints in six months, which is what the Republicans did in 2009. If the first selectman insists on government that lurches from crisis to crisis, he won’t succeed in the long term. If the Herbst administration insists on parrying mild questions with shrill accusations, it won’t win the confidence of our residents. If the elected leadership insists on divisiveness first and policy second, then its fate is already set. Trumbull Democrats believe in the power of the outstretched hand, not the pointed finger. Democrats believe in engaging in debate, not in smashing dissent. Democrats believe in embracing all perspectives, not in discrediting those who differ. Tony Silber Democratic Town Committee A Trumbull Land-Use Agenda By Tony Silber, alternate member of the Trumbull Planning and Zoning Commission One of the fundamental issues in any town is land use. From land-use policy flows many things that directly impact quality of life, such as tax rates, traffic congestion, use density, environmental quality, open space, recreation, economic development, property values and more. Below are three areas that Trumbull should focus on this year. more Trumbull Democrats: Herbst's Budget Process Produced The Worst Possible Outcome - Significantly Reduced Services and Higher Taxes Democrats lay out principles for sound and sustainable budgeting. Read the Press Release here Trumbull Democrats: Herbst's Claim of $1 Million in Operational Savings is Misleading First Selectman Timothy Herbst did not achieve his campaign pledge of identifying $1 million in operational savings in his first 100 days in office, and he misled the citizens of Trumbull in a press release on the topic issued this week, Trumbull Democrats said. Click here to read the full story Trumbull Icon Joan Plouffe Honored in Testimonial See more pictures from the dinner here
	© 2010 Trumbull Democratic Town Committee
	Paid for by the Trumbull Democratic Town Committee, Mary Markham, Treasurer