Tiernan responds
I noted I was labeled “snarky” in the last column. If I was, I apologize. However, as an attorney and former reporter and editor and the father of an award-winning reporter in Spokane, WAI would always defend your right to label me as “snarky”.
However, the column made reference to “yew know full well effen the shoe was on Y’other foot, said barrister would be raising cain over how awful the irregularities were”. Actually the shoe has been on the other foot and I did not raise cain. I was hired by former Mayor Jon Picard in 2006 although I had never met him prior to being hired. In September of2013 I was still the City of West Haven Dep. Corp. Counsel. Then incumbent Mayor Picard lost the Democratic Primary by 13 votes. After a recount, moderated by Michael DiMassa in which over 200 absentee ballot irregularities were identified, there was no court action challenging the election outcome. There was no cain raised. No lawsuit filed.
Moreover, I have said publicly more than once that the City Clerk’s office and the Registrar’s office must do better. I have provided resources from the Corporation Counsel office to make sure that happens.
Still, it’s also worth noting that in the absentee counting room on election night was a selected Democrat who was the mayor’s opponent in the previous election who testified for Candidate Cohen in the election case.
Candidate Cohen was willing to toss more than 700 absentee ballots making sure those voters had no say in the election. Candidate Cohen was willing to publicly identify who certain absentee ballot voters voted for, which is illegal, considered a felony. Candidate Cohen hired a private investigator to investigate the daughter of the Absentee Ballot moderator.
But, the case is over. At this time, I am not the only person who believes democracy requires the defeated candidate, acknowledge and congratulate the winner. We should all ask the Registrar of Voters how we can help them in elections. They are underfunded and especially pressured during the COVID problem.
Last, I did reach out to the State of Connecticut for additional resources concerning the recanvass.
Lee Kennedy Tiernan
Why 6 times?
In the past three years or so the pavement at the intersection of Ocean and Annawon Avenues has been dug up at least a half-dozen times: water company, gas company, UI, and others. It’s 10am on November 17 and they’re at it again.
Maybe there are other intersections in West Haven that have had similar problems but one has to wonder why the need for all the excavation. If it’s a matter of having to correct errors by utilities or contractors then the public should know that.
The time, effort, and money spent on this intersection is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Don’t the taxpayers deserve an explanation?
Michael Scanlon