We believe that Mary Beth Thornton is the right person to lead Trumbull forward. Mary Beth has a track record of protecting the quality of our fine public schools. Mary Beth has served on the Education Committee of the Town Council, and has been a volunteer science teacher at two elementary schools in Bridgeport. In 2008, Mary Beth worked with our state delegation in Hartford to procure a grant to re-open the Hillcrest Planetarium. We believe that Mary Beth Thornton knows how to strike the right balance and determine funding priorities necessary to preserve the quality of our school system while keeping taxes under control. She has a lifetime of work and life experiences and eight years on the Trumbull Town Council, which make her eminently qualified to be Trumbull’s new First Selectman.

We support Rosemary Seaman as the right choice for the two-year seat on the Trumbull Board of Education. Rosemary Seaman has devoted her career to education in Trumbull. She has worked in our public schools for 36 years, first as a teacher, and most recently as the Principal of Hillcrest Middle School. Parents have entrusted her with their children for decades, and she has distinguished herself and touched the lives of thousands of Trumbull’s children. Trumbull voters can continue to trust Rosemary Seaman to make the right decisions on the Trumbull Board of Education.

Please join us on Tuesday, November 8 when we vote for Mary Beth Thornton for First Selectman, and Rosemary Seaman for Board of Education. Thank you for your support!

Ted Lovely, Chairman, Board of Education
Lisa Labella, Board of Education
Tom Kelly, Board of Education
Mike Ward, Board of Education
Steve Wright, Board of Education

I believe we should not be pitting our most vulnerable citizens – seniors and children – against each other. I believe we can have both a strong education system and stable taxes. I believe in creative and responsible economic development to improve our tax base while preserving the character of our town and the undeveloped property we enjoy.  I believe the solutions to our problems lies in always putting people first, not politics.

Our current first selectman has a troubling track record of broken promises and bungled management. This year alone:

• The Board of Finance, for the first time in 17 years, failed to produce a budget.
• The Town Council, in a bizarre, chaotic session, voted to create a “placeholder” account for Board of Education money, then, a few minutes later, reversed itself and voted to actually remove money from the school board’s control, in a violation of State statute.
• Eight members of the Council walked out of a meeting called to consider a veto that they believed is in violation of the Town Charter.
• Increasingly, major decisions are made based on legal opinions, not legislative consensus.
• Trumbull was made smaller when Tim Herbst played political games with the state government—and lost—over the proposed Bridgeport magnet high school. His heavy-handed behavior cost Trumbull at least $3 million in immediate payments, an additional 100 seats for our children, and far more in additional funds over the projected life of the magnet school.
• Because of harsh budget cuts, our school system had to eliminate teaching positions and programs that support student achievement. Think of how that $3 million in foregone funds from the magnet-school inter-municipal agreement would have helped with the school budget this coming year!
• Our taxes have gone up two consecutive years, but our quality of life is declining. That’s a toxic combination.

I refuse to stand on the sidelines as our town is led in a radical new direction, a direction that destroys what we’ve built together over half a century.

It is clear that the only way to change the acrimonious, divisive direction we’re moving in is to change the acrimonious, divisive people in charge.

I have a vision of Trumbull that’s directly in conflict with the current leadership.

I seek a government marked by consensus and respect, not hard-heartedness and small-mindedness.

I run because I refuse to be the first generation that hands its children a diminished Trumbull, not a better one.

• Call your shelter ahead of time to make sure that they can accommodate you.
• Bring your prescriptions and any over-the-counter medications with you.
• If you are on oxygen or use other medical devices that require supplies, be sure to arrange to have your medical supplies delivered to you where you are sheltering.

United Illuminating

• Customer Service Number: 800-7-CALL-UI (800-722-5584)
• United Illuminating Website

• If there is any doubt as to the safety of food, it is best to discard the food rather than risk contracting a foodborne illness. When in doubt, throw it out!

• If an advisory has been issued concerning contaminated water, use only bottled, boiled, or treated water for drinking, cooking, food preparation, and hand washing.

• Prevent fires by using flashlights or battery-powered lanterns whenever possible. If you must use candles, place them in safe holders, away from anything that can burn and never leave them unattended. 

• Never use your generator indoors or in an enclosed area, like a garage. Remember that gasoline-powered generators release carbon monoxide, which can be deadly. If you are using a gasoline-powered generator, please be sure that the generator is safely installed far from your home.

• Watch for loose or dangling power lines. Assume that any downed wire is a live wire, and be careful of entangled wires when clearing fallen trees, especially with a chainsaw.

The data on page 12 shows the cost of teachers, paras, and furniture for implementing full-day kindergarten as $1,086,000. Then there is an offset of $300,000 for the elimination of mid-day buses. For arguments sake, let’s apply this to the cost of the program (although the BOE is not required to do that). That still leaves a total cost of $786,000.

The page then explains that declining enrollment in 11-12 will save 4.0 teachers at an estimated cost of $280,000 (remember, the report was written in August, 2010). What Mr. Herbst fails to understand is that those positions, and that money, have already been absorbed; that funding is no longer available.

Then the report talks about a reduction in 12-13 of 3.0 additional teaching positions, or a savings of $210,000. So even if the BOE chose to apply that $210,000 savings to the program, the net cost is a minimum of $506,000.

Now, does the BOE believe those savings ($210,000) should go to that line item? What about restoring the 6.0 computer paras that were eliminated (resulting in a loss of 2,700 hours of computer instruction)? Or the 1.6 THS teachers (resulting in students being shut out of classes, including World Language, SAT prep, journalism, and science classes)? Or those 2.0 TAG teachers that are currently being funded outside of the operating budget? Or, given declining CAPT scores in reading, those 2.0 reading teachers at the middle school? Shouldn’t there at least be a conversation about that?

And while I appreciate Mr. Herbst citing Dr. Cialfi as a source (who was instrumental in creating the report, and who is held in the highest regard), at our Board of Ed meeting last week Mr. Iassogna was very clear that the cost of implementing full-day kindergarten was a minimum of $786,000, not the $296,000 that Mr. Herbst keeps touting.

Lisa Labella
Board of Education

To the Editor,

I am writing to inform readers of a disturbing incident that took place in January of 2010 involving First Selectman Tim Herbst.  Shortly after he took office, I received a letter from him on official Town stationery threatening me for postings I made on my Facebook page.  The letter enclosed copies of my Facebook posts, which encouraged my Facebook friends who supported the Trumbull High School renovation project to attend that evening’s Town Council meeting, because I had been told that Mr. Herbst was expected to ask that the scope of the renovation be reduced.  (He did so not at that evening’s meeting, but the following week.)  Mr. Herbst’s letter concluded: “Please be advised that any dissemination of such flagrant misrepresentations will be met with an appropriate response from this administration.”

I was absolutely shocked that Mr. Herbst would think that such a letter was appropriate and the best course of action for him to take.  I received no phone call or other indication that he was displeased with my posting, simply a threatening letter.  What’s worse is that Tim Herbst knew me personally and knew my phone number, because years ago when he was just starting out in politics, he called me at home on several occasions to ask my advice!  And now, he felt that a threatening letter was in order?

This is not the only instance of residents being intimidated by Mr. Herbst.  Trumbull residents should be outraged that the leader of our town thinks it’s okay to threaten residents who dare to speak out against him. They should question whether he has the judgment and maturity to govern when he cannot abide the voicing of dissenting opinions.

Herbst supporters have come to his defense, claiming that the stories of intimidation are fabrications.  The letter I received from Mr. Herbst is very real, and was sent on official town letterhead in his capacity as First Selectman.  Its existence cannot be denied, nor has Mr. Herbst denied it.  His supporters have also claimed that those of us who have told our stories of intimidation have done so because we are Democrats who have donated to the Mary Beth Thornton campaign.  Perhaps they should consider that the opposite might be true—that we support Mary Beth Thornton, not only because she displays the leadership qualities of maturity, respect, and the ability to build consensus, but because we were the victims of Tim Herbst’s intimidation.

I urge Trumbull residents to carefully consider whether to cast a vote for a leader who thinks that making threats, intimidation, and bullying of residents are acceptable behaviors.

Cindy Katske
Trumbull

Clearly edited for space, this article referenced at least one name without providing details of any associated  allegations. A letter to the editor a few days later from another Trumbull resident provided further clarification. One has to ask: is this the type of behavior we should expect from our town’s elected officials?

Democratic First Selectman candidate Mary Beth Thornton’s position on charter revision—that the current process is fatally flawed and should be voted down, could not have been made clearer than it was on Monday, when a forum on the topic was sponsored by the League of Women Voters.

In the forum, three Republican supporters of the proposed revisions claimed that opponents of the process don’t trust voters to make key decisions, and that the document hands more power to the residents of town.

This is not true. The Thornton team and all opponents of the revision as currently drafted oppose the sloppy and poorly-thought through provisions. They oppose the budget referendum as written, which could cause financial chaos for the town. What’s more, the explanatory text, which accompanies the document to absentee-ballot voters and others, is similarly riddled with errors and understates the sweeping nature of many of the provisions.

The process was doomed from the beginning when First Selectman Tim Herbst chose to create an imbalanced Commission with four Republicans and two Democrats. Then, the Commission went too far in proposing sweeping changes in the make-up of government. In making those changes, the Commission failed to articulate its reasoning in a timely fashion. The public was not sufficiently engaged in the process and the Commission has done only the minimum with respect to communication with the public. The document now likely to go to the voters is riddled with errors and inconsistencies and may violate state statute because of lapses in following the state-mandated process and timetable.

The Thornton team supports sensible, limited charter revision, including the following:

• Liberalizing the current referendum requirements for the annual budget but rejection of the current recommendations of the Commission, in that they are confusing, serve no real purpose, are expensive and the results will not reflect the will of the people, but rather, of the well financed and organized few.
• The make-up of any commission should be non-partisan, so that  compromise can be reached and even the appearance of partisan politics is removed.
• Actively engaging the public in the process to ensure that they are fully informed.
• Clearly explaining the reasoning behind any recommendations and putting such explanations in writing and making them available before every public hearing.

The Thornton team believes First Selectman Herbst has failed the community with respect to the charter revision process for the following reasons:

• He appointed an unbalanced Commission in direct contravention to prior practice and of his promise to act in a bi-partisan manner on this subject.
• He failed to publicly articulate any position on the more radical proposals of the Commission.
• The Commission put forth radical ideas as part of the process that Mr. Herbst sanctioned.  These radical ideas are outlined in the Democratic members’ Minority Report.
• He failed the public by not insisting on a more open and transparent process rather than accepting the bare minimum.
• He failed the community when, as a candidate, he neglected to articulate the scope of changes he was willing to accept.
• He failed the community by not demanding a clear and timely explanation for the Commission’s reasoning.

Our economic development policy is based on six enduring principles.

• We will work closely with the town’s largest taxpayer and largest employer, Westfield Trumbull, to ensure that we do our part to maintain the mall as Eastern Fairfield County’s showpiece shopping destination.
• We will make economic development decisions with an eye toward reducing the tax burden on residential property owners and providing additional amenities and employment options to our residents.
• We understand that Trumbull has a unique residential and colonial character, and all decisions will be made on the basis of preserving that character—including a residential Main Street.
• We will build on the land-use decisions of the past, where commercial and corporate facilities were placed in clusters, not                 sprawling developments, and where they were located at the town’s periphery, with easy access to highways.
• We will seek partnerships with businesses both local and nationally, with area business advocacy groups, and with commercial real estate developers and brokers to foster win-win situations that result in business expansion and new jobs.
• And we will market the town of Trumbull skillfully and aggressively to maintain and attract desirable and fast-growing industries, including research, academics, and IT.

A Thornton Administration’s 2012 economic development priorities will include:

• Thornton will make it a top priority to fill the position of economic development director with a highly-qualified professional.

• She will continue to follow the Economic Development Plan presently in place.

• Thornton will insist on an update of the 2006 Master Plan of Development. That document spends too much time celebrating the successes of the past—but those successes don’t necessarily address the needs of the next 20 years.

• Thornton will insist on maintaining the Economic Development Commission as a non-political body.

• She will reestablish the Business Advisory Council, a non-town advisory panel of key local business leaders that serves as a sounding board for both the Economic Development Commission and the First Selectman.

• Thornton will work with property owners in all areas of town to market their commercial centers to ensure that vacancy rates are as low as possible.

The Thornton team believes that given the limited amount of available commercial property in Trumbull, the expansion and growth of existing companies must be supplemented with a focus on projects and sites that will provide new facilities and new companies, and ultimately bring tax revenue to the town. Specifically, these include the Trumbull Corporate Park; the Reservoir Avenue-Lindeman Drive corridor; the regional arterial roads north of the end of the Route 25 Connector; and the vacant land on Lower Main Street next to the mall property.

Each of these has different challenges. The corporate park has many attributes, including easy access to Route 8. But after enjoying decades as a vibrant corporate center, it is underutilized today. Given the corporate growth on Bridgeport Avenue, less than two miles away, this is disappointing. A Thornton Administration will develop a site assessment of the corporate park in the first six months of its term, identifying the challenges and the way forward.

The challenge in the Lindeman Drive office complex is that even though it abuts the Merritt Parkway, access is limited. Commercial vehicles seeking to enter the park need to take either Old Town Road or Reservoir Avenue. Both are residential. A Thornton Administration will conduct a similar site assessment with an eye to establishing primary access from Old Town Road. More fundamentally, a Thornton Administration will engage in a comprehensive analysis of whether that section of town would be best suited to a modified revenue-producing purpose over the next 20 years, such as an explicit focus on academic development, or healthcare, research or information technology.

The Thornton Team sees a major economic development opportunity on the arterial roads—Route 25 and Route 111—north of the highway terminus. Thornton will insist on creation of a master plan intended to govern development in that area for the next two decades. As it is now, those critical roads are developing piecemeal, and the zoning does not correspond to what’s developed.

Now that the Westfield revitalization is complete, the Town of Trumbull must work with Westfield to realize its vision for the mall-owned land on the west side of Lower Main Street. Thornton will work with Westfield to achieve development there that is consistent with the town’s own vision for the area. And as commercial development happens, a Thornton Administration will insist on sidewalks, curb cuts and traffic-control initiatives that will help improve the quality of life for property owners on Main Street as well as the other residential streets in the area.

There is much more to be done. A Thornton Administration is committed to the successful realization of the Long Hill Green Mixed Use District. It is committed to development of sidewalks on Whitney Avenue down to the Pequonnock Valley from the Green. It is committed to the successful development of the Quarry Road area, and the completion of the rails-to-trails project—a project that should include consideration of a Riverwalk in Trumbull Center.

The 2011 Thornton team believes that the administration of First Selectman Tim Herbst has failed the community because of a lack of vision for economic development. Tim Herbst, a former Planning and Zoning Commission chairman, ought to have been able to hit the ground running. He ought to have had a vision for Trumbull, not merely a tactical approach marked by tentative half measures. But that’s what we’ve had the last two years. The three major economic-development successes of the last half-decade—the revitalization of the mall, the construction of a Home Depot, and the renovation of Trumbull Center—all were launched under the administration of Herbst’s predecessor.

It’s obvious why Herbst would want to associate himself with Wilson: He served for 10 years and is one of the most popular first selectmen in Trumbull history. Wilson was known for his fiscal discipline, he kept tax increases to a minimum. He was also known for his unyielding support for the school system. Perhaps most importantly, he was loved for his non-political interpersonal skills. In short, Wilson was a nice guy.

But while it’s understandable why Herbst would want to align with Wilson, it’s also characteristic of Herbst that he’s playing fast and loose with the truth. Wilson supports Herbst’s opponent, Mary Beth Thornton. “I want to make it clear,” Wilson said today. “I am supporting Mary Beth Thornton, whom I believe best represents the values that I tried to adhere to in my 10 years as first selectman.”

Herbst has a long record of stretching and mischaracterizing facts to fit his purposes and this is just one more example. “My opponent left readers of that story with the impression that he and Dave Wilson share governing philosophies, and even that Dave Wilson supports him,” Thornton said. “That’s not the truth, but Tim didn’t concern himself with that. This is another warning sign for the people of Trumbull, and it’s an embarrassment to local Republicans that the best Tim Herbst can do is associate himself with a great Trumbull Democrat.”

First Selectman Tim Herbst has claimed that he is widely supported by Democrats in town. He called his Democratic supporters “Dave Wilson Democrats.”

I want to make it clear:  I am supporting Mary Beth Thornton, whom I believe best represents the values that I tried to adhere to in my 10 years as first selectman.

Dave Wilson
October 18th, 2011