Mr. Hoff,
Recently you attacked me on your Facebook page for missing Town Council meetings this year. When I answered your unfounded attacks with the truth, you chose to remove my comments from your Facebook page, why are you hiding the truth? Why aren't you attacking any other Town Councilmen or women as they have not attended every meeting including your fellow democrats? As a councilman who only has the best interests of the East Haven residents at heart, I find your political grandstanding offensive and I find your lies to be disgusting. You claim to be a honest candidate, maybe you should start to act like one. Now you chose to spread the same lies here on the East Haven Patch. I encourage all Patch readers and East Haven Voters to look at the Town Council public records and see for themsleves how untruthful Mr Hoff truly is,
Since you are not professional or man enough to discuss any votes or issues you may have with me in person and chose to hid behind Facebook and Patch posts , I need to set you and the record straight.
Firstly, As a Town Councilman, I consider it an honor to serve all of the citizens of East Haven and especially the residents of the Third District. I have lived in East Haven for almost Fifty years and I am well known and respected by members of the Democratic and Republican parties and during that time I have served with members of both parties on numerous Boards, Commissions and various civic organizations and charities. I believe that everyone I have served with will tell you that I am honest, hard working and a non-partisan champion of East Haven. I am proud to be able to work with the current Town Council and have stated on several occasions that I am pleased that the 10 republicans and 5 Democrats work together without any partisan bickering. That being said, all of my votes have been for the well being of the town and for fiscal responsibility. I have been willing and able to reach across party lines for the good of the town; all you do is spew partisan, self-serving hatred.
One thing a Councilman needs to be able to do is to understand the facts before acting. Unfortunately you have time and time and again been unable to do that. Since you want to discuss attendance let’s talk facts. There have been a total of 16 regular and special Town Council meetings this year, not counting the numerous budget meetings in April. I have been able to attend 12 out of the 16 council meetings and all of the budget hearings. My attendance record is on par with the rest of the council. Unfortunately life takes us in many directions and people including council members are not able to make every meeting. That does not mean that a councilman is not committed to the council or East Haven. No current member of the Town Council has perfect attendance and there are council members with a same or worse record than mine. Most Council members have attended 11, 12 or 13 meetings. If you had made the effort to look at the meeting notes you will see that one of your fellow Democrats has made the same number of meetings I have and that one of your fellow Democrats has barely made 50% of the meetings. I respect both of these individuals so they will go nameless and I know that their attendance record does not reflect their commitment to the town. But, you fail to mention their attendance and only mine. Why?
Also, if you were either truthful or had a command of the facts, you would know that I was present at the Oct 2nd Mayors Capital Budget meeting and I was an active participant in the discussion, as I am at every council meeting. Maybe you were just not paying attention. An apology is in order and if you are man enough it will quickly forthcoming. In any case your omissions of the facts and talking out of turn show what a poor Town Council Member you would make.
Now that we have cleared the air about the false accusations you made about the Oct 2nd meeting, let’s discuss the April 26th Council meeting you mentioned. I did indeed miss this meeting. Unfortunately, this meeting was originally scheduled for a day or two earlier and was postponed to the April 26th date. This date fell on my son’s wedding rehearsal date and I had to miss this meeting. I informed the Council Chairperson of my conflict as well as my other council members and apologized for not being able to make it. I surely would have made this meeting if at all possible. If you know anything about the workings of the Town Council you would know that all of the budget work goes on at the numerous council budget meetings held throughout the month of April. I attended all of the budget meetings and those meetings are not reflected in the total mentioned above. Working alongside my fellow councilmen and women and with Paul Rizza the Finance Director we scrubbed the Mayors fiscally responsible budget recommendations and it was clear that the council would vote to approve the budget across party lines. Although I regretted not being able to cast my vote of approval, I knew that my recommendations were included in the budget and that it would pass. Unfortunately we did have to raise the mill rate 4 mills but this was needed to offset the crippling re-evaluations we faced and the gross underfunding of the previous administrations budgets. We are still transferring money to fund accounts that were not funded adequately in last year’s budgets. If you are on top of everything as you imply, you will know this. This is in black and white if you bother to investigate.
Also, I do not see any mention of the numerous Board of Finance meetings that I attend as a Town Councilman throughout the year representing my constituents. Why was that not part of your expose.
Finally, you are supposed to be the Chairman of the Americans with Disabilities Act Committee. An ADA committee meeting is scheduled for the 2nd Thursday of every month. You have only had two meetings all year. That’s 2 out of 10. Your commission has had the fewest meetings of any board or commission in East Haven this year. How does this best serve our disabled citizens when the committee chairman does not hold meetings?
I hope that the good folks on the Democratic Town Committee have the sense not to give you their party’s nomination for Town Council. And if by chance you do get their nomination I hope the voters in the 3rd district see you for what you are and reject your self-serving agenda.
Mr. Richardson clearly stated "I was an active participant in the discussion, as I am at every council meeting. " Mr. Gates Mr. Richardson is clearly capable of speaking for himself and those are his words not mine..If your telling me otherwise does that mean that Mr. Richardson is accepting his stipend as Councilman for not attending the meetings as you would have us to believe and therefore betraying the trust and confidence of East Haven Taxpayers?...Is that what you would have us believe?
Yet you still HIDE yourself, from the truth......sealed as it may be.
Regards
Cyberstalking and imitation only sink you deeper into the muck. Losers mimic and plagiarize. Winners create. You imbeciles can't win so you proceed to merely annoy. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again whilst expecting a different result. Republicans mimic and lose, mimic and lose, mimic and lose again. Now who is insane?
I admit it I am a small man I am only 5' 5 1/2" tall but with twice your intelligence and admit it it scares you.
Thank you for the compliment.
Matthew 23:12 says "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." I hope when Bill Richardson is re-elected that you crawl back under the rock from which you came?
Yes,..with that amount 50.00/month times twelve months equals $600.00 a year. Residents of East Haven serve on various boards and committees without the benefit of collecting one thin dime. They do it because they love their community and want only the best for it. It is these people that I thank for dedicating their time to making their town a better place without the need to line their pockets as they serve on their respective boards and committees but do so because they truly believe East Haven deserves to be the very best it can be for all residents. Just for clarification Mr. McCann you made $600.00 per year x's 7 terms =$4,200
People that know me personally know what I am all about when it comes to volunteering. You demonize people and try to expose them by telling everyone how great you are and that is totally disgusting. I sir sleep very well every night knowing that daily I contribute to society. How about you Mr. Hoff. Tossing and turning in your sleep trying to self promote makes one wonder how sincere you really are. Party Animal!
As I have stated I have a clean police record and you have failed to produce otherwise but yet continue to waste others time insisting there is something there when there when there isn't. I give freely of my time to my communitty because I believe the residents of the East Haven Community deserve to be put first before politics and deserve the very best quality of life. Mr McCann people that know you personally laugh at you and refer to you as the blah blah man because your all mouth. If you think you did such a great job as on the Council allow me to ask you this..Are you willing to offer your services to the community and run once again for Town Council in your district?
I do have a good question for you Mr. Hoff. If you're so into this free time and you're focused on the Town Council why have you not asked the same question of your hero Mr, Ruocco who serves on the Water Polution Authority and gets paid $12k per year. Shouldn't he be held to the same standards? People I know that know you say you need a lot of help mentally and the cast of characters you hang around with aren't the sharpest knives in the draw either. The entire DTC needs to have their head examined for even nominating you. Lastly, I served my 7 years with class and dignity and when I needed to stand up I did. I was the first Republican to stand up against Joe Maturo and voted against his pension. I was also one of the first Republicans to stand up against the Old High School 1st proposal when our Mayor tried to give the building to his friends and buddies. I'd like to see you stand up to a person in your own party and vote against them. I doubt you would because you can't even point out that Gene Ruocco is making money off the Town when you criticize the TC for receiving their earned pay.
Rumor on the street man without a country is that you won't run in the second district at this time because you know in your heart that you cannot beat Joe Santino.
Ive defeated Mr. Santino twice in my day. Once in a general election and once in a primary. Try another one. Just to let you know Diane from the EHPD just called and said my FOI request will be ready by next Friday. Got anything you want to tell the Patch Universe before I do? It is well worth the $20.00...