THIS WEEK ON FACE THE STATE... BE SURE TO EAT BREAKFAST EARLY

photo from http://www.wfsb.com/story/14969552/the-hartfordite

I know that usually I watch Dennis House's "Face the State" program (Sundays, 11:00am, Ch. 3) while getting started for the day and eating breakfast. This Sunday I will have to be sure to eat early to avoid being nauseous while watching one of his segments. Sorry Dennis, it's not you but your guest.

I'm sure most people have noticed that the Republicans in Hartford were thoroughly beat into the ground the last few years, and especially this past November when they lost their remaining seats on the Council. You may have also noticed that the local GOP "leadership", and I use that term lightly, have had plenty of blame for everyone else except themselves.

Even before the loss, you could see the venom spewing from Hartford's Republican Town Chair Michael McGarry anytime he spoke about the Working Families Party (WFP) and in particular WFP Councilperson Luis Cotto. I am not a fan of Cotto's, but McGarry chose to make it personal between himself and Cotto.

McGarry also concocted the deal, or was at least one of the "masterminds" behind the misguided deal to endorse Democrats in the last election. This stripped the Republican's of any ideology or any means of differentiating the GOP from the Dem's. In the end, McGarry should realize that his deal cost him and his party votes.

According to Dennis House's blog "the Hartfordite", McGarry said the election of Working Families candidates to the council instead of Republican candidates, is bad for business and sends a message to investors to stay away from the city. He called the WF party “dangerous.”

I would counter that the attitude of the Republican Party in Hartford for the last several years under McGarry's "leadership", or lack thereof, has been dangerous. Throughout the entire Perez corruption scandal, McGarry and his party remained silent. No press releases, no comments, not a word.

Since 1999 as Hartford's mill rate steadily increased from about 29 mills to the current rate of over 71 mills, not a word was said by McGarry and his party. The only Republican elected to the Council Veronica Airey-Wilson voted for just about every item that increased spending as well as every bloated budget. Although she had to align herself with Perez and his operation since a Grand Jury investigation eventually proved that she was also benefiting from Perez's criminal acts.

Not surprisingly though, not a word from the Republican "leaders" before or after Airey-Wilson's arrest. In fact, they appointed her nephew to replace her on the Council when she left after her arrest on criminal corruption charges. And in the total opposite of Republican beliefs of smaller government and reduced spending, Airey-Wislons nephew, Corey Brinson voted for the illegal raise for the City Treasurer Monday night. Hopefully one of his last official acts as a Councilperson since he was not re-elected.

McGarry himself probably has a hard time as Republican Town Chair criticizing City Hall since he benefits directly from the City and Board of Education's advertising in his periodicals.

Rather than calling WFP dangerous, it mike make more sense to educate potential voters as to what the GOP is about and why it would make sense to vote Republican. I think people are fed up with the negative politics and if you put a message forward that makes sense, people just might listen.

There is no outreach to the community, there is no education and there definitely is no Republican presence in Hartford, other than Mike McGarry spouting his nonsense blaming everyone else.

Buy a mirror Mike and line up your Republican Town Committee members behind you, that's where you should be looking to place blame for the decay of the Hartford Republican Party.

I agree that the WFP most likely will not be good for Hartford for the next four years on the Council. It will most likely mean more fiscal recklessness, more liberalism and attempts to tie the hands of our Police even more and less accountability to the voters.

But McGarry is the one that has to accept the blame. The WFP ran campaigns and got their message out, the Republicans did not.

The Hartfordite also stated that "McGarry predicts the increased power of the Working Families party, will be so detrimental to the city it will actually help rebuild the Republican party in the city.". If only it were that easy what the Democratic controlled Council has done to Hartford for the last 10 years would have voters flocking to the GOP in record numbers.

The Republicans have to grow a back bone and be willing to make some noise and let people know what is happening in City Hall every day, 24/7. In McGarry's case, silence has not proven golden and he has missed many opportunities to gain a voice for the GOP, no one knows what they stand for or what they believe in.

The only thing that will rebuild the Republican Party in Hartford is hard work, and a lot of it. And that hard work will have to come from fresh blood with new ideas and a message the voters can connect with, shouting out the WFP is bad just won't cut it.