I thought I was looking at the comic's page this morning when I saw the Courant was "endorsing Luke Bronin for re-election. But did anyone expect anything different?
The more I see Luke Bronin and his operation, the more similarities I see to the Trump Administration. High turnover, high arrogance, a sense of entitlement and also, much like 2016, the two "front runners" are both terrible choices and I think many Hartford voters will fill out the little bubble on their ballot while holding their noses.
There are alternatives to Perez and Bronin though, and I would hope that as we get closer to the real election in November that the DTC coronation of Luke Bronin will be a distant memory . Distant memories of Luke Bronin and Eddie Perez both. I hope that people would start paying some serious attention to Stan McCauley and take a few minutes to get to know him.
Most people didn't know Luke Bronin until he decided he wanted to buy a Kingdom and be the King, also known as the 2015 Mayoral election. He is trying to buy the King's throne once again courtesy of Greenwich dollars. Just think back, how many of you knew the name Luke Bronin before the 2015 election. I don't see many hands being raised out there, so maybe very few or NONE. While I am asking questions, how many of you have seen Eddie Perez out in the community since he was arrested and bounced from Office in disgrace. Why is he back suddenly? Does he see money in development t on Albany Avenue or maybe it is time to start reconstruction on Park Street since it is falling apart due to his below standards corruption , I mean construction, work performed by his cronies on Park Street. (He did get his home renovated as a result of that corruption, all we got were potholes and defective brick walkways popping out of Park Street , and not to mention huge legal costs for battling him and keeping members of his staff from going to jail)
I think you get my point for the time being, Stan McCauley is someone that just about every member of the Community who has gone outside their homes in the last 25 years have probably met or has seen Stan and his wife and children out in the community, not because he was running for something, but because he is actually one of us.
I really don't think a lot of people have put much time or thought into the members they elect to the Hartford City Council, but I think you really need to.
Do you realize that when you elect a Council person, you are potentially electing the next Mayor of the City. If the elected Mayor ever becomes incapacitated or is forced from Office by a corruption scandal or arrest, the President of the City Council becomes Mayor. Remember Pedro Segarra?
So on the primary ballot under column 1-MAYOR, my vote will be none of the above.
There, that's simple. I will save my bubble for Stan McCauley in November.
As far as City Council, Minority party representation laws apply in Connecticut, so out of 9 Council seats, only 6 can go to Democrats. I've chosen 5, First off is TJ Clarke. TJ has at least remained somewhat independent from the Bronin Administration. That fact probably resulted in his demise as the Council President when the Bronin puppets on the Council orchestrated his demise with a bogus "texting" scandal. TJ deserved our support
Next is a newcomer and someone I will admit I have never met. I am hearing good things about Nick Lebron from people whose opinion I trust, so I will give him a shot. I would prefer the unknown of a newcomer to those who were lackluster or worse their first time on the Council and want to get voted back on.
I was a little on the fence over Jimmy Sanchez, but much like TJ Clarke, I think he deserves the opportunity to hopefully prove himself.
My next choice is someone I can't say enough positive things about and I was thrilled, actually almost ecstatic, the day she called me and said she had decided to run for City Council. If you look up the definition of "integrity" in the dictionary, I am sure you will see the picture of Shirley Surgeon there. I have known and called Shirley Surgeon a friend for many years. If you are having a bad day, just call Shirley and her cheerful voice and accent , and advice, can't help but get you going again. Shirley also has an uncanny knack for being able to relate to just about anyone and make them feel comfortable, exactly what City Hall needs. Shirley was also a very close friend to my late political mentor, John B. O'Connell. Although O'Connell was a diehard Republican and Shirley was a loyal Democrat, they both were able to work together and communicate like adults.
Something else City Hall is lacking is that ability to work together for the good of the City. Shirley has that. Shirley also has a knowledge of City Hall from years of experience. She was the Council Assistant to the late John Stewart, she was the Democratic Registrar for years and then moved on to work in State Government. Shirley would be a great mentor for all Council members and I think we would see some serious work accomplished without the bickering we have become accustomed to.
My Final choice is Eli Mercado. For those of you who don't know Eli, you probably aren't going to enough community meetings. Eli is a permanent fixture at many meetings of people trying to help Hartford. He seems well connected with the Community and I think his concern and community involvement would definitely be an asset for any Council member.
I hope this information helps and I would not be presumptuous enough to do anymore than ask you to educate yourself to the choices and then get out and vote