Dear Felicia

Here we are, honey bunch, another week, another month, and before any of us know it, t’will be Christmas and the snow will be flyin’. Of course, Cobina is worried about this season more than in the past few. Whot with the silliness in DC with Ole Man Creepy at the helm and his “green” energy kick, heating oil and gas have zoomed way up there, and that means the kopecks Cobina has stashed away might not cut it this year.

I guess that’s what happens when certain lefties git into power. Now we hafta pay through the nose. Like we always say, elections – even irregular ones – have consequences. Re-read Molly Ball’s Time Mag piece effen yew wanna know where I come from. It’s still quite an admission of guilt by the guilty but safe.

Tennyrate, things are moving toward Nov. 2, or Election Day. The Wag was in t’other afternoon and reminded Cobina that particular day is known in some circles as the “Day of the Dead,” it bein’ All Souls Day. Well, she can’t think of a better day for most soulless politicos to be put on display than that day, that’s for sure. And, over the years, this town, and this state have had more than its share of soulless types. We can think of a few even now.

Thinkin’ of the Wag, we got a missive from Ed Granfield over the last few days, and thought we’d share it with yew. Some will think it sour grapes, but methinks it’s a good analysis of jest where we are as a community on certain isshews. Granfield and his Charter Revision Commish were rebuffed a year ago, and he still hears from those who talk the talk, but never did the other half of that bromide:

“Hey Cobina remember me. I still read the Voice every week, just cause I’m ‘retired’ doesn’t mean I don’t care or pay attention. Lots of people still whining about change, they had their chance to put educated professionals in charge of the city, but as always Westies beg for change, but never vote for it. In fact, always fight it. The Campbell Avenue project just another example, and the Beach Street battle is on the horizon.

“They still hate smart folks in suits in this town, and they always will. Yup 60 years of the status quo in WH, we are starting to sound/behave like the 1970s and 2017-21 NY Giants, funny how history tends to repeat itself. Where is a good ole bi-plane and banner when you need one? Should have thought about that last fall. ‘60 YEARS OF LOUSY POLITICS IN THIS CITY” would have looked great on the back of an old bi-plane flying around West Haven on election day for sure…LOL.”

He’s right in certain ways. As Granny used to say, some people could’ve been in Eden on Creation Day and still complain, yet when they git a chance to make changes don’t. That’s our little burg in a nutshell. The politicos do their thing every decade or so about charter revision, go through the motions, and then ditch anything that will hurt the status quo.

~~~

Granfield hit the nail on the head with the Beach Street scenario. We see in the local papyrus the city is seeming to “rethink” the project to put the roadbed up about 7-11 feet higher than currently. After years of complaining about flooding, particularly after major storms – not necessarily hurricanes – people seem to be having second thoughts. The city, meanwhile, is allowing the public to air its concerns.

No matter what yew do, there are gonna be people to oppose altering what is there. We wonder why everything around here – heck, everything in politics lately, is an either/or proposition. Can’t it every be a both/and? Things don’t hafta be mutually exclusive, but it seems every time something is brought up, there are 100 reasons not to do it.

Sammy Bluejay was in t’other afternoon and predicts that the nays are gonna outnumber the yeas in this particular instance cuz that’s what happens when it comes to projecks like this. People have a reason to say no,, and raretly go outta their way to say yes. It’s like the old saying in politics, “People don’t do to the polls to vote someone in, they go to vote someone out. The pernt is people lookin’ to change a body have more incentive to get up outta the armchair. That’s why when voting numbers are up, people tend to lose their jobs.

~~~

Meanwhile, as noted above, we are moving toward the witching hour as far as the politicos in the burg are concerned. Nov. 2 is coming up fast, and one o’ the most amusing things we’re hearing via Nelly Nuthatch is the machinations going on behind the scenes over at least one of the debates going on.

Nelly happened by t’other afternoon and sez that one of the debates betwixt herronner and Barry Lee Cohen has taken on almost summit meeting-like status as far as the logistics go. Now, by the time yew git this missive, these bumps in the road will have probably been smoothed out, but let’s jest say how things are supposed to be presented was the topic of quiet a bit of give-and-take.

I don’t wanna git into the weeds on this, but let’s jest say that each candidate wanted the rules to reflect a certain way of doing things, and there was not a lot of agreement up to the last installment Cobina heard. And, as yew might expeck, both candidates wanted things in a way that would most likely play to their strengths.

The days of three or four debates are definitely over! The groups that used to sponsor these things are either no longer around or not anything like they used to be. Soooo, there will probably be one or maybe two “debates,” though the format is probably not going to be a real debate style. I’ll give you more info as I git it.

~~~

Meanwyile, I see that Rosa Richardson is running for school board again, as she was not on the roster of incumbents. Of course, this is an inside baseball thing, and has to do with some of the intramural difficulties in the GOP wagon. It’ll be interestin’ to see how Rosa fares in the run up to Nov. 2. Usually the PTA or PTSA or whatever in Blazes they’re calling themselves this time sponsored a Bored of Ed forum for candidates. Ain’t heard effen that is takin’ place, either. This whole campaign has been a bore so far.

~~~

Iva Lootey had a good question. It seems the city is in some type o’ projeck to git rid of “invasive species” of plants that are along the Boardwalk and shore areas. In fack, this has been goin’ on for more than a decade with swamp grasses and stuff like that. The marshes along the Cove River, for example, have not yet filled in after “invasive species” were eradicated more than a decade ago.

Well, effen yew’ve paid attention of the summer, trees were cut down along the shore, and some other plans and things ripped up, including at Savin Rock itself. Now we git the announcement this city is lookin’ to git rid of “invasive species.”

Iva’s query was rather simple: aren’t all species “invasive” to some degree or t’other? Heck most o’ the plant life is carried along the four winds, and land wherever they land. Ain’t that the way Mommy Nature planned things?

The question, I guess, is when does a plant become “invasive.” Sometimes these terms are used to justify things with the public. Could this be one o’ those times?

~~~

Hmmm. People were questioning the use of COVID funds by the city in paying some workers. Now there is a full-fledged investigation from the feds! Was something in the offing. One day a query, the next a probe with raid and everything. Something tells me there is a subtext to this story. Isn’t it interesting that this is coming up jest a couple weeks before election, and the funds were dispersed months ago? Now there is an audit. Let’s jest say that people should keep their powder dry until some real accusations are made. Right now, there are names and reputations that are being trashed over something that may or may not be. Never liked, never will. Let’s let the law enforcement people do their jobs.

With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,