Well honey bunch, by the time yew git this missive, a new administration will be ensconced in the Actors Colony, and we will see if “change” is really about to happen. The biennial festivities took place at the high school on Sunday and all the newly elected personae were duly given the oath.
To say people are looking at this new group with anticipation is to put it in perspective – somewhat. Whilst the team of Dorinda Borer has got some new faces, there are enough old faces to make some amongst us wonder effen things are just gonna be same old, same old. Cobina wants to be an optimist and wants things to git righted, but some people ain’t the optimist she is.
As I have told you for years, West Haven, like Gaul, is in three parts, and so is the Democratic Party. Always has been. Where there once were people like Allen and Johnson, etc., there is now Borer, Picard (yeah, the faction still holds his name though he’s been outta town for years), and Morrissey.
The Picard faction ruled the roost for the last little while, before that it was the Morrissey group, and now Borer’s minions are back in power. But this time there’s a bit of a twist.
Sammy Bluejay was in t’other afternoon, and he is of the opinion that things really are gonna hafta change in City Hall from what they’ve been. The MARB (Municipal Accountability Review Board) has had it up to its collective bicuspids with the leadership here, and is hoping for a bit more cooperation. Now, Sammy was right when he said part of the problem has been the MARB itself, and its imperious attitude, but in the waning days of the term, there seemed to be a type of reconciliation, or “can’t we all just get alone” moment.
We shall see effen that makes any difference one way or t’other. But to git back to my point. Mrs. Borer has put herself in the position of a mediator, one who gits things done, and somebody who can communicate effectively. That really was the summation of the campaign, and her time in Hartford kind of burnished that reputation.
She’s set a high bar, and now she’s gonna hafta deliver. It’ll be her name at the top of the marquee, and she will become the face of the leadership in our little corner of the universe. We shall see what happens in the next little while. There is a lot to be done, and two years ain’t a lot o’ time. Whilst the majority party was able to put yet another person in the thoid floor of City Hall, whether it can govern is another things. We shall see.
~~~
The Wag was in after Sammy and had his own lamentations concerning the City Council. As yew know, the last election more or less put all of the Borer people into power, and swept out incumbents from both parties. Now we have a 12-1 majority on the council – again. This was a big problem in the 1990s and 2000s, with the minority party not being able to git so much as a second on motion.
What happened was the majority ran roughshod over everything, bonding for this, bonding for that, and putting us in a bigger financial hole than we got ourselves out of. Remember it was found that the city was in arears $10 million in the mid-2000s after being in the hole for most of the 1990s.
The Wag, like a lot of us who watch things politick in this burg, is hoping this new group ain’t like their predecessors. But we hope for the best, and expeck the worst. Absolute power ain’t a good thing.
The only real check on this group is the MARB. Nothing financial can be done by the council without the imprimatur of the MARB. That’s the good news.
How this will all shake out will be known perty fast. The inaugural address by the new mayor, plus the election of the new chairman of the council as well as committee appointments (including the Finance Committee) will tell a tale.
As I said above, we shall see.
~~~
Jest days before the oaths were taken, Dorinda Borer sent her farewell to the peeps up in Hartford. She also tendered her resignation from the seat in the 115th assembly district. That means a special election will hafta be held in order to fill the seat. This is gonna be an interesting sideshow, methinks.
Some names have already been dropped as to who might fill the chair, and we know that discussions about said election were held in the last several weeks. The question before the house is whether it’s gonna be a simple two-candidate race or will there be others throwing their hats into the fracas.
As I said, and Iva Lootey confirmed, names have been dropped, and we know that Herronner supposedly has her eye on one person to take the spot. That name is much different than the one we hoid a few weeks ago.
The other question, besides who will get the nod from the mayor, is whether that means other candidates will petition to be put on the ballot. Usually, these things are a two-person procedure, one from one party and one from t’other. In the case of the 115th that seat has been held by a Demmie since knickers were the trousers of choice.
But, effen people think they have a chance – and other factions git involved, and there is a Republican in the mix, a two-candidate race becomes a multi-candidate race, and all bets are off. Not sayin’ this is gonna happen, but we know with the names that have been bandied about, there is a chance someone might not wanna play nice. Once the dust settles after the first few days of the administration, a lot o’ this stuff will get much clearer.
~~~
Nelly Nuthatch came to tea a day or so ago, and wondered effen the city’s GOP Town Committee will do any soul-searching about its dismal failure in November – much of it through its own decisions. The chances are it won’t. Nelly reminded me that at one time the GOP was the party of young people. The Demmies had become staid and set in their ways. Well, the GOP was the place people took interest – and this was not so long ago.
Well, instead of letting the new blood come in, the old blood redoubled. In a city that had more than 5,000 Republicans – a workable minority – now there are only about 3,000. And, whilst most people are “independent,” the bulk goes toward the Demmies.
The last election was as bad as it could be. We’ve said this before, the party went with the money, and forgot that name recognition and prior service mean something to voters. As expected, the endorsed candidate got swamped, and a lotta resources were used.
Personalities aside, and that was something the GOP couldn’t do in 2023, the GOP did what it always does: be a coffee clatch until a few months before the next election, and then try to get a candidate that might …just might…get a few votes.
Will the leadership of the party take stock in their lack o’ performance? Probably not. They just don’t have it in them. It’ll be a party in name only, put up candidates it never expects to win, and plod along the same way. Until that changes, the Demmies are in the driver’s seat forever.
~~~
Over on Beach Street it looks like things are starting to wind down, but only the birdies can tell. The roadbed is lifted, the sidewalks seem to be getting put down. One wonders how long it’s gonna be before the barriers are taken down and one of the major arteries in our traffic system is put back into service.
It’s been a haul, but it looks like things will be better, and we won’t hafta worry about flooding there. We hear the restaurant that is supposed to be built on the property adjacent to the new condos is waiting for the work to end before the developers can start construction.
Who knows, but spring things might be moving along over there, and with the possibility of the Debonair debacle getting solved, Beach Street will be a pleasant ride once it’s open.
~~~
With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close mitt luff und kizzez,