Sounds like Fascism to me

"We are not going away,” she said. “We are staying here to liberate this city from the socialists and the burdensome leadership that this governor and that this mayor have placed on this country and what they have tried to insert into the city."

This quote from Homeland Security Security Kristi Noem is not acceptable, under any circumstances. If you believe this is the role of this administration, then you do not support our constitution. If you believe this, then you are at least supporting a fascist.

"In other words, the Trump administration is vowing to get rid of the democratically elected government of California by using military force. That threat is the definition of a coup. It suggests MAGA considers any political victory but their own to be illegitimate and considers themselves justified in removing those government officials with violence: a continuation of the attempt of January 6, 2021, to overturn the results of a presidential election." Heather Cox Richardson

In the past months, the regime has indicted, arrested and/or handcuffed a circuit court judge in Milwaukee, a mayor of a city in New Jersey, a sitting U.S. Congresswoman, and now a sitting U.S. Senator. The pattern is unmistakable, the message loud and clear: “Don’t make trouble, or we’ll come for you.” Jay Kuo

Fascism - a populist political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual, that is associated with a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, and that is characterized by severe economic and social regimentation and by forcible suppression of opposition Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Why shouldn't I believe his words?

I understand the perspective, that no one can be as bad as Hitler.  However, when someone says these things, and I have no reason to believe he won't do these things, a comparison is fair and reasonable. Did the German people know in 1933 what the outcome was going to be? Did my grandparents know they were going to need to flee their country 3 years later? Did my great grandparents know they would die in gas chambers? I don't hear any of his supporters denying he said any of this.  Sure, they are doing some serious gaslighting, to make it go away but why shouldn’t I believe what he says?

Honestly, I find him so reprehensible, so vile and disgusting, a convicted rapist conman, who has convinced people that everyone else is lying except for him and Fox News, spewing lies that are easily disproven. He is a traitor who will turn his back on the country if it helps him. He will sell anything to the highest bidder, to improve his own position, but will not lift a finger to help anyone else, especially those in need or those who oppose him. He has no understanding of country and honor; he only cares for himself. He can’t stand the majority of his supporters, but yet they continue to carry a torch for him because they see themselves in his hateful words. Isnt the president supposed to represents all citizens of our country, not just those who vote for him or those who cow-tow to him.

He is doing nothing to appeal to anyone beyond his base who is primarily white and evangelicals who want to turn the United States into a theocracy. He talks about this country being a garbage can, where conservative hero Ronald Reagan talked about America being the shining city on the hill. He wants to throw out all immigrants who come here simply to make a better a life for themselves. He does not care if they are here legally or not, claiming asylum from persecution in their home country or not. Those immigrants are me, those immigrants are my grandparents, and I am going to continue to believe they have every right to be here, to make a better life for their children because they see the city on the hill, and they want to put their children in a place to succeed for generations to come. These immigrants are not taking our jobs, they are working the one’s that no one else wants.   They work 2-3 jobs, often 7 days a week, with no benefits, unable to collect social security. They are the underbelly of our economic engine that powers our farms, our restaurants, our landscapers, and every other back breaking job that I certainly would not want to do myself. 

"I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it, and see it still." - Ronald Reagan Farewell Address January 11, 1989

Biden is Old

Biden is old, but so is the other guy

Biden has a stutter the other guy doesn't yet he has issues speaking
Biden has the best interest of all Americans, the other guy does not
Biden does not promote hate, the other guy does
Biden supports woman's right to privacy, the other guy does not
Biden tried to fix the border, the other guy said let chaos reign

All the evidence of High Crimes and Misdemeanors brought against Biden have (so far) been fraudulent or non-existent.

Is Hunter guilty? No idea, and I don't care! He is not employed by the government nor is he listed as an advisor to the President. If there is any evidence that the President was involved in any of Hunter's allegedly illegal business dealings or drug usage, then bring it and I will gladly jump on the impeach Biden bandwagon. Until then, kindly STFU because otherwise it is all gaslighting

All the evidence brought against the other guy, have resulted in 2 impeachments, 91 indictments, from Politico "In Washington, D.C., he faces four felony counts for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. In Georgia, he faces 13 felony counts for his election interference in that state. In New York, he faces 34 felony counts in connection with hush money payments to a porn star. And in Florida, he faces 40 felony counts for hoarding classified documents after he left office and impeding the government’s efforts to retrieve them." He has been found guilty of sexual assault, defamation of the victim in the sexual assault case and fraud, for which he has been fined in excess of $500M. This should seem to be enough to disqualify a candidate or at least enough to scare away supporters but not in 2024.

In the past, this would have been a humongous red flag that should have been a non-starter, but people have been fed propaganda around political persecution, which is the biggest load of bullshit ever so he remains the presumed candidate. These same people would happily destroy Biden (see impeachment attempt above), in court if they could, while blindly and hypocritically supporting the other guy who has been convicted of far more egregious crimes. If Mitt Romney can find fault with sexual assault, why cant the rest of the Republican party?

Lets not even talk about Ivanka and Jared getting $2 Billion from the Saudi government while they were employed by the government or why Kushner could not initially get security clearance from our government

There is a reason why a panel of experts specializing in the American presidency, from both sides of the political spectrum ranked the other guy dead last.**

This election with these two candidates should be a no brainer. The other guy was supposed to go away but he didn't. His supporters are frothing at the mouth, and that is concerning to say the least. His party refuses to stand up to him and acquiesces at every single one of his demands. How is a down ticket Republican going to fair this year, when the RNC, now stacked with his daughter in law in charge, has already said they will spend all their money to get the other guy elected. Good for him, bad for other members of the party. It wont matter if they have pledged allegiance to the other guy, all he wants is your money to pay for his campaign and his crimes (see court fines above). It does beg the question of why do people continue to support a guy who lied about being a billionaire, who lied about not taking a salary while president, who lied about donating his salary while president (HINT: STOP GIVING HIM YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY)

The other guy has already told us he is going to be a dictator from DAY 1. That he will put his supporters in high positions, he will fire all opponents from the various ranks of government jobs. He has already tried to invalidate the results of one election, why do we think he will allow any other elections to occur?

You won't see me flying a Biden flag but I am sure as hell going to support the person that has my best interest in mind and has the best interest of the American people, not just the members of his political party.

Biden is not perfect, nor is any other candidate, but he is the best bet for the future of American Democracy. He is the best bet for me, an American Jew to be able to continue to practice my religion as I see fit. If the other guy decides to ban and deport Muslims, what is going to stop him from doing the same to my people? If the other guy decides to deport brown people from south of the border without due process, what is going to stop him from doing that to my people?

A few more random thoughts to conclude my rant:

Do the Democrats have an excellent proven candidate waiting in the wings ready to replace Biden that is a sure fire win? If they did, they would have already thrown him to the curb. Removing Biden will only cause infighting within the Democratic Party as a bunch of people scramble to fill the void. This will drive media ratings, click rates and eyeballs and dollar signs.

Do the Democrats really want to replace Biden? No, look at the write in campaign in NH and the win in SC. I bet you if you were to ask a democrat, they will say similar thing but they will also support him because they know the other guy will turn our country into a fascist dictatorship, while simultaneously killing democracy, and how so many people support this position, is absolutely unbelievable to me, but here we are.

Is the media trying to drive ratings and stir up controversary? YES

Now make a plan to vote on November 5. Not one citizen should stay home this year, there is too much at stake that can impact us for the rest of my lifetime.

Think about it, and have a great Presidents Day

* https://www.politico.com/interactives/2023/trump-criminal-investigations-cases-tracker-list/

** https://thehill.com/homenews/4476288-presidential-experts-rank-biden-14th-among-presidents-in-survey-trump-comes-in-last/

Comments and Letter to BoE - February 1, 2024

Here are my comments from Feb 1 BOE Public Forum on the Budget and an email I sent in support of the budget.

Comments to the Stamford Board of Education:

 Hello, I am Jeff Herz a proud parent of 3, 2 of whom have graduated from Stamford High School and one of which is currently a junior this year at Stamford High. I have come out tonight to support the proposed budget for the 2024-2025 school year

I have been involved and active in the schools and in the district since 2006 and every year I watch as this board or other city boards pick apart the education budget and quite frankly it seems ridiculous that not once has a superintendent proposed budget passed unscathed. This year we must pass the budget through all 3 boards as is or risk significant long-term damage to our city, our schools and most importantly to our children.

To jeopardize parent facilitators, music programs, high school electives and AP courses, school security, support staff would be an absolute travesty that would significantly negatively impact our students and all of our schools. If we don’t preserve these programs now, what will keep demand for our city high?

We have a growing city, as indicated by year over year growth of our schools where all of our neighboring towns and cities are seeing decline enrollment. People want to move here and if we want to keep a high demand then we must continue to invest in the schools, and supporting this budget is the best to do that. I know this is a large percentage increase, but no larger than many other towns in CT who are facing the same sloped cliff as we are here in Stamford. Some of our neighboring towns have already approved budgets with a larger percentage than what is being proposed.

Lets support our kids, our teachers, our support staff and everyone who tries every day to make this district and city great by approving this budget with no changes.

Letter to Friends asking for support and additional details

The SPS Superintendent and CFO have submitted an operating budget of $333,737756 or a 6.43% increase over the previous year. Had they maintained all current programs, services and staff the budget would have been $344,488,841 or 9.95% increase.

Here is a link to the budget presentation some of which I have highlighted below :

•         There is an impending fiscal cliff caused by the expiration of $55M ESSR Funding (Covid related) which currently funds 100+ positions:

o   The fiscal cliff was also steepened by the city boards, holding the schools to a 0.88% increase in 2020-2021, when they were concerned Covid would negatively impact city revenue and spending needed to be reined in significantly.

o   The proposed 6.43% increase brings the 10-year running average back into line with an average of 3% annual increases.

o   This same fiscal cliff is being experienced by most school districts in CT and is not unique to Stamford.

•         The 6.43% budget increase is within the same range as other districts in CT, some of which have already been approved by local municipalities:

o   Norwalk BOE has approved a 8.2% increase;

o   New Canaan BOE has approved a 6.54% increase

o   Danbury is proposing a 17.5%

o   Bridgeport is proposing a 22% increase

•         Stamford ranks 13 out of 22 Fairfield Country School districts in per pupil spending in 2022-23

•         Compared to state average, SPS spends 10% more instruction and student support and 50% less on Central Office (administration)

•         SPS continues to grow, but at a slower .28% annually. Most neighboring towns and the entire state is facing declining enrollment

•         The kindergarten age requirement being implemented this fall, where students must be 5 before Sept 1 are eligible for enrollment. This will reduce the number of incoming kindergarteners and number of teachers needed for this coming year.

•         Costs for transportation, special education and insurance are all rising

•         In the past the Board of Finance and Board of Representatives have cut an additional $10M from the proposed budget. If that happens again the following draconian steps will be necessary*

o   Limited Elective Course Offerings (High School)

o   Limited Special Program Offerings (AP Classes, IB Program, Early College Studies, AgSci, etc.)

o   Eliminate positions (Dean of students, Department Heads, Athletic Directors)

o   Reduce security staff (K-12)

o   Reduce office support staff at schools and central office

o   Reduce school based (Assistant Principals) and central office administrators

o   Elimination of Instrumental Music (elementary)

o   Reduce Parent Facilitators (K-12)

o   Plus additional cuts

(*) - These proposals are mutually exclusive and have no impact on the discussions with the high school teachers regarding the number of courses they teach

What makes America great?

What makes America great?

A quarter of a million people wanting to come to our country every month, willing to leave family and friends behind, everything they have known for their entire lives to make a better life for themselves and for their children.  People who often work 2-3 jobs to support themselves and their families, often getting paid under the table, unable to collect social security or other benefits because they are outside the system, but they know their children will be better here than where they came.  Those children of immigrants are motivated to get ahead, to make better lives for themselves too, not willing to complain about the cards they were dealt or blame others for their misfortune. That desire of people to be here and make their mark here, is what makes us great.

It's 51% of our population being able to get modern healthcare as they need as determined between their doctor and themselves, without government interference.  The United States is supposed to be a free country, where we are allowed to make medical decisions based upon our needs and our beliefs, not those of others forcing their beliefs into our hospitals and bedrooms. There is a reason puritans left England to find freedom on these shores and that very freedom is what makes us great.

It's believing that everyone, including elected officials, are accountable to the rule of law, that we hold all citizens to the same set of standards, that there is not one set of rules for the elite (politicians, entertainers, rich, famous) and one set of rules for the opposition or for us peons. You do not achieve greatness by holding one party to a set of standards, without holding another party to the exact same standard. If you commit a crime, you do the time, regardless of who your daddy is, who you work for, how much you earn, how many movies you make or how much they grossed etc. It’s that all men (and women) are created equal, and that is what makes us great.

It's allowing individuals the freedom to be who they want to be and love who they want to love.  Someone else’s (gay) marriage has absolutely no impact on the sanctity of your marriage, so if you don’t want to be involved, then feel free to not participate.  However, you have no right to tell others how they should be living their life or to tell them who they should love or how they should dress or (see above) what they decide with their doctor about what medicine they can take.  Over the years different groups have fought to prove that they have the right to exist equally in our society and that evolution is what makes us great.

It's understanding that we are all one nation, indivisible, that united we stand but divided we fall.  It’s supposed to be about loving your neighbor, not believing they are your enemy just because they believe something ideologically different from you. Or maybe they believe in a different g-d than you or maybe they do not believe in g-d at all, or maybe they look different than you or speak a different language than you but that does not make them your enemy.  In fact, they love their country just as much as you do, and that should be the first step towards mutual respect and understanding.  Having empathy for your neighbor, understanding their concerns, having a conversation, and being able to talk about the problems facing each of us is what makes us great.

It’s taxing the wealthiest individuals and corporations, so their profits are invested back into the community and into the corporations themselves.  When we had infrastructure that was not falling apart, when we had brand new schools, new roads, new bridges, and we were sending men to the moon, the tax rate was 70%.  Corporations reinvested their earnings into themselves, rewarding their employees, inventing new products which allowed us to go to the moon. When profits are reinvested in the corporation it multiplies and does trickle down so that all employees benefit from the rising tide.  When those profits are not reinvested but rather paid out in dividends and stock buybacks it only finds itself in fewer, larger pockets and not distributed to all those on the boat. It’s that willingness to understand that we are part of a larger community bonded together to make our companies, our neighborhoods, our city, state and nation a better place that makes us great.

 

Support for extending Dr. Lucero's Contract (AGAIN) - June 2023

Hello Stamford Board of Education,

I would like to, once again, voice my support for extending the contract of Dr. Lucero, as I have heard this might come on the June agenda.  Aside from the reasons that I have laid out in previous correspondence for keeping Dr. Lucero, there is another equally important reason to have continuity and consistency at the head of our schools. 

After speaking with a member of the Board of Finance this weekend, they reiterated the need to have a strong leader running our schools who is behind the much-needed infrastructure plan that will dominate our city landscape budgets for the next 10+ years.  If we were to allow Dr. Lucero to leave, we run a significant risk of jeopardizing the entire infrastructure plan that has been laid out and so far, approved by the city and state.  There is no guarantee that a new superintendent would recognize the need or support the current plan, which could cause a massive and costly reevaluation of the entire initiative.  This scenario will cost both time and money, neither of which we can afford as demonstrated by Representative Cottrell here:

 

“In 2009 there was a report that showed the schools needed $174 million in repairs, and less than half that was funded,” Cottrell said. “What was a $174 million problem is turning into a $600 million problem because it was not dealt with promptly. … When we try to go cheap on school repairs, it hits us later.”

Finally, I would like to publicly applaud Joshua Esses for publicly acknowledging that he would likely support renewing the superintendent’s contract.  No person is ever going to be able to satisfy or please all members of our Board of Education, nor are they going to make decisions that please 136,000 residents and 17,000 students but recognizing that we need consistency and continuity to follow the path that the current administration has laid out, will improve the district.  That is a statement I whole-heartedly support.   

World Series Champions 1969 - present (my lifetime)

 World Series Championships in my lifetime (1969-present)

NY Yankees – 8 (1977, 1978, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000. 2009)

Boston Red Sox - 4 (2004, 2007, 2013,2018)

Oakland Athletics – 4 (1972, 1973, 1974, 1989)

Cincinnati Reds – 3 (1975, 1976, 1990)

Los Angeles Dodgers – 3 (1981, 1988, 2020)

San Francisco Giants - 3 (2010, 2012, 2014

St. Louis Cardinals – 3  (1982, 2006, 2011)

Atlanta Braves – 2 (1995, 2021)

Baltimore Orioles – 2 (1970, 1983)

Florida Marlins – 2 (1997, 2003)

Houston Astros - 2 (2017, 2022)

Kansas City Royals – 2 (1985, 2015)

Minnesota Twins – 2 (1987, 1991)

New York Mets – 2 (1969, 1986)

Pittsburgh Pirates –2 (1971, 1979)

Philadelphia Phillies – 2 (1980, 2008)

Toronto Blue Jays – 2 (1992, 1993)

Arizona Diamondbacks – 1 (2001)

Chicago Cubs - 1 (2016)

Chicago White Sox - 1 (2005)

Detroit Tigers – 1 (1984)

Los Angeles Angels - 1 (2002)

Washington Nationals - 1 (2019)

The reality of a new Stamford Superintendent

 Stamford has a history of turning over superintendents every 5 years or so. Assuming we continue down the current path, we are on the verge of running another one out of town.  We will need to go through the process and cost of replacing the role without any real consideration of the timing and consequences of putting another person in that role.  

Let’s start with some basic facts. In a city of ~135,000 people, no superintendent is going to please all of the people. Nor will they please all elected officials in either political party across the various elected boards. Nor will they be able to please all of the teachers or their union.  So maybe we can agree that no superintendent candidate is going to be perfect or acceptable to all constituents or stakeholders in our diverse city.  None of the issues that we currently face are unique to Stamford and are most likely a direct result of a global pandemic which impacted the entire world, not just Stamford or CT or the USA.

I would like to ask those who are so hellbent on ending Dr. Lucero’s tenure a few questions…

• What exactly are we going to achieve by bringing in a new superintendent? 

• How is someone new going to make the changes that the disgruntled citizens, parents, politicians, and teachers are expecting? 

• Having run so many superintendents out of town, who do you think we are going to get to take over that is going to be better than Dr Lucero?

• Why do you think a new superintendent, most likely an outsider, is going to fix all that ails the district?

• Is there an internal candidate you think will succeed where others have failed?

• Who is going to want to come here under these circumstances?

• How much do you think a superintendent should be compensated for running our district? 

Here is what will most likely happen after the next extension is rejected later this year, with Dr Lucero currently scheduled to depart in June 2024 though it is possible that she leaves sooner, as she will be a very viable candidate for another district. If this happens then this will require an interim superintendent for at least one year.  We will begin a lengthy and costly (unbudgeted) search process beginning as soon as July 2023.  After the interview process and negotiations, then we will have someone who is most likely not going to be familiar with Stamford. 

A new superintendent will take at least 2-3 years to assess the situation and to see firsthand what the issues are before even developing any kind of plan to address them.  This assumes that no new issues will have surfaced during this time period.  Any new issues identified during this assessment period will only add additional time before any plan can be formulated and implemented.  Once the assessment is complete, then the superintendent will need to get approval and funding.  This process requires going through not 1, not 2, but 3 elected boards, and they will need to get through this process annually.  We all know it is virtually impossible to get a budget through this process unscathed.  Expecting a newcomer to plan and fund this kind of multi-year assessment during their first few years of their tenure is ludicrous and unrealistic

Even after the assessment is completed, approved, and funded, they will need to spend the next 2-3 years implementing the plan and measuring the impact of these changes.  From there it will take at least another 2-3 years to adjust the plan based upon the initial results before we can begin to see real progress or results.  This type of transformation most likely won’t result in significant changes until year 5 or 6 or about 2030, at the very earliest.  That means our current kindergarteners would be in Middle School or High School before any significant change can be implemented.  

History shows us we don’t have the appetite or attention span or patience to allow anyone that much time.  We expect immediate results which are absolutely ridiculous and unrealistic. By the time 5 years have passed, parents, teachers and elected officials will once again become dissatisfied, asking the same questions and/or raising other concerns and will be ready to throw the new superintendent under the bus that will be driving them out of town.  

We will then repeat the same process again and again because they are not meeting (our impossible) expectations and assume the next person will fix our schools, forgetting all that came before.  It is like we are perpetually doomed to repeat the same mistakes. Isn't it time to break that cycle?  

By no means do I think Dr Lucero is perfect, but she successfully navigated a global pandemic less than 1 year into her tenure, has demonstrated a knowledge of the city process, is the only person in 20 years that has developed and began to implement an infrastructure plan and is already invested in all of our schools’ children, she has also been highly visible, present at forums, sporting events, school performances etc.

Rather than driving her out of town, which is almost inevitable now, let’s ask her to put together an actionable plan to address the issues that the community is upset about and give her an opportunity to develop a plan to address those issues.  At least if we have a plan and remain dissatisfied with her performance we can hand a plan to a new superintendent to review and implement, saving us time and money. Not renewing her contract for another year only kicks the can down the road for another 5-10 years.

 

Another Valentine's Day - Another Mass Shooting

Another Valentines Day Another Mass Shooting

Slaughter in the elementary schools

Slaughter in our high schools

Slaughter on college campuses

Slaughter at a convenience store

Slaughter at a dance club

Slaughter on a farm

Slaughter in the stores

Slaughter in the supermarkets

Slaughter at our parades

Slaughter at our religious center’s

We cannot talk about gun regulation

We won’t support mental health initiatives

What can we do to stop this epidemic?

KFF reports: Firearms recently became the number one cause of death for children in the United States, surpassing motor vehicle deaths and those caused by other injuries.

For the record I support the second amendment. I am not for banning guns. Many friends hunt and feed their families. Some friends have guns for protection. I don’t want a gun registry forcing every gun owner to declare their collection or personal arsenal. Responsible stable people should be allowed to own guns.

A few questions I have that ought to be asked and perhaps discussed:

Do they need military grade weapons?

Should they be required to have insurance to own a gun similar to driving a car?

Should they be required to report their guns when they are stolen?

Should training be mandatory? The NRA used to be all about training and safety before they became a PAC for the gun manufacturers.

If we can’t talk about what can be done and if we won’t support the people who have mental issues and are prone to violence than we have conceded to accept the random acts of violence that are occurring way too frequently in the country. We are accepting that every time we go out a person with a gun could end our life or the the life of a spouse, a child, a parent, a friend or a complete stranger. Is this what we have become and allow?

I’m tired of waking up every morning and seeing these reports. I’m tired of going to bed worried about my kids, my mother, and random strangers that have to suffer this way. Is this the America we want? Is our individual freedom so much greater than the safety of our citizens?

This is not a great way to a start off Valentine’s Day which is supposed to be about love and caring (even if it is a Hallmark holiday and made up for commercial purposes).

So carry on because I doubt that anything will change and another mass shooting will happen again. I will be outraged and sad and disappointed again. Some will offer thoughts and prayers others will be shocked, devastated or sad. I accept this is our fate as we can no longer confront this issues because of our political divides grow deeper and larger with compromise, conversation and discussion being dirty words falling from our national discourse.

Travesty of Democracy in Stamford CT

 To Stamford Advocate

February 7, 2023

The process that the Board of Representatives followed to fill the empty Board of Education seat was an absolute travesty of democracy.  At no point did citizens have any opportunity to comment publicly, They did not adhere to the will of the voter, they were unduly influenced /hoodwinked by a vocal minority and a teachers union who made no effort to evaluate all candidates or actually poll their members before an endorsement was made. 

It is obvious that the Board of Representative’s process is broken.  It has been proven to be  biased, skewed and absolutely not transparent to the public.  The fact that there was never a public hearing is unbelievable and quite a sad statement about those claiming to represent us. There weren't any formal nominees at the time of the January meeting so there was no opportunity for the public to support any candidate.  Last night, the public was prevented from speaking until after the  vote, but what is the point of a public statement if we the public cannot speak about an issue prior to being voted upon?  Heaven forbid someone from the public might actually say something that made someone on the board reconsider their position. Or maybe the vote should have happened in March giving the representatives time to digest and think about each of the candidates instead of rushing through the nomination process. 

There is a process and a precedent that should be followed which again the Board of Representatives chose to ignore in order to fulfill this vacancy.  As the replacement candidate has to be a democrat, the Democratic City Committee met with multiple candidates and overwhelmingly nominated one candidate.  The DCC is made up of people who were elected to represent the citizens of Stamford.   The historical precedent is that the Board of Representatives would accept this nominated candidate and then appoint them to the vacant seat without controversy.  However, the members of the appointments committee chose to nominate another individual then spent 3 hours interviewing her for which she was clearly coached to answer ahead of time. 

The candidate nominated by the appointments committee also has a very vocal minority who support her. This group has a Facebook page that is notorious for bullying and kicking out anyone who shares an opposing viewpoint. They do not speak for the majority of parents and citizens of Stamford, repeatedly struggling to get 500 signatures when they create online petitions.  

Let me illustrate how small of a group this really is:  

·       in a city of ~130k, 500 people represent 00.3% of the entire population. 

·       In a school district with ~17k students and if we assume 1.5 parents per student (25k) than that same 500 represents approximately 2% of the parent population

This group, in conjunction with the teachers union have been spamming the board of representatives with emails and phone calls in support of the alternative candidate, giving the impression they are being flooded by concerned citizens, when in fact it was simply a successful marketing campaign which a majority of representatives bought hook, line and sinker

Speaking of the teachers union, the Stamford Educators Associate (SEA) has been pulling plenty of shenanigans during this vacancy process.  The SEA executive committee unilaterally decided to endorse a single candidate, before any other candidates had even decided to come forward, and then refused to even interview any other candidates including the one ultimately nominated by the DCC.  The SEA executive committee also failed to poll their own members. There are plenty of teachers who were appalled by this action, regardless of who they supported. The union is supposed to represent their members and it begs the question of how they can endorse a candidate without the input of their members.  Once again this is a small minority claiming to represent what is best for the majority.  This process smells like month old fish.

Members of the Board of Representatives also said they were overwhelmed by an outpouring of support by teachers, which is not surprising considering the SEA executive committee spammed members of their union and other local unions with a prefilled form that would automatically submit a letter to the board of representatives in support of the alternative candidate.  In my world, that is good marketing with a good response. 

This begs the question of what percentage of teachers actually reached out via this method?  I am guessing this has skewed the perception of what teachers really want and led many members of the Board of Representatives to believe the alternative candidate had more teacher support than it actually did.  Some teachers wrote to support the mainstream candidate or oppose the alternative candidate, but any student of marketing will tell you it is much easier to participate when someone makes it easy for you, and that is exactly what the SEA did for a subset of its members who agreed with the executive committee.  The rest of the members had to fend for themselves, and had no formal way to wager a complaint with the union or have an alternative mechanism to express any different opinion other than that of the SEA executive committee. 

In the end, none of this matters since a rebel group of representatives did as they saw fit based upon their own preconceived perceptions and opinions, disregarding the actual 2021 vote totals, the vote of the DCC, and ultimately the will of the people.  After witnessing this meeting and the incoherent comments of many of our representatives, I believe their decision stinks to high heaven and I’m hoping their decision doesn’t wind up costing the taxpayers more money in lawsuits revolving around hostile work environments.  Time will tell. 

Sincerely,

Jeff Herz