Village Idiot Days

Tomorrow is the annual town get-together, Village Fair Days (Friday and Saturday, July 30 & 31). Local and regional politicos will be there, so make sure to ask them some "real" questions, as the local media doesn't seem to know what those are. Come back and post your findings here - I'd love to hear it!


If you can't come up with any questions for Village Idiot Days, try a few of these.

• Bob Guendelsberger: Was Terry Pellegrini correct? Are you driving "home" to Brookfield tonight?
• Roger Szendy: You and Beth Falder seem to be good friends; is that why she's now on the Board of Finance? BTW: That's Abe Lincoln's statue - not you.
• Ray O'Brien: If you think it's time for new ideas, then isn't it time for you to go? Have you been on the town council for 30 years?
• Walter Bayer: You don't have email? I'm so glad you're making technology decisions... not! You're a DINO and a dinosaur.
• Lynette Rigdon: Who writes your comments for BOE meetings?
• John Lillis & Liba Furhman: Do you do anything for local Dems? Kissing Chris Murphy's butt does not count, however.
• Clark Chapin: How many of your relatives work in town government (don't include your "girlfriend")?
• Bill Wellman: What do you do on the BOE other than complain? You don't volunteer for any "real" work. And who writes your comments?
• New Milford First: Without Bob Kostes, are you relevant?
• Peter Mullen and Mary Jane Lundgren: Why don't the local Dems have a website? Pull the plug on your current leadership - life support is too expensive for the rest of us.
• Any Democrat on the Town Committee: When have you last run a candidate between the ages of 21 - 50?
• Mayor Murphy: The town finished with a surplus last year (2008 - 2009), so why did you act as if the sky was falling during budget season? Shouldn't town employees be ticked off they didn't get some sort of raise? If I were a town employee I'd be very upset!
• Ray Jankowski: Speak up, Mumbles!

Have fun at Village Idiot Days! And remember to come back and share your experiences.

Dem Dems are Dumb Dumbs

Yep - the local New Milford Democrats are lead by dumb dumbs. Their entire leadership team is continually outmaneuvered and outsmarted by the Republican Town Committee (RTC). Why they seek leadership positions year after year - and why they're re-elected by the membership - is beyond me.

John Lillis and Liba Furhman are so pathetic they claim they couldn't find anyone to take a seat on the Board of Finance. Really? You couldn't find ONE person, among a few thousand registered Dems, who would take a seat on the BOF?

Let's take a look at the record of recent failures to see what the real story is for these dumb dumbs.

The Park and Rec Board has ZERO Dems. 5 R's and 2 U's, but no Dems. The last time an appointment was open, the wife of a Dem elected official asked repeatedly to serve. Because the leadership did nothing, the Mayor put forth another "R." Is this just being lazy - or dumb?

The Board of Ed had an opening in February '10, due to the resignation of Dr. Lisa Diamond. She gave the Dems ample time to find and put up a qualified nominee. In a stroke of unethical genius, the RTC Mayor put up a registered Dem to fill the void. The Dem, Rodney Weinberg, had asked da Dems repeatedly to serve on the BOE or other commission, but his name - or that of any other Dem - was never put up. As usual, Lillis showed up late to the party, and the right-leaning Weinberg was confirmed. Is this just lazy - or dumb?

After months and months of a Dem seat being open on the BOF, the Mayor could wait no more. She put up a "U," Beth Falder, at the last TC meeting (6/28/10). Mrs. Falder might as well be an "R," or a "T" for Tea Party, as she lead the public charge of the anti-school crowd this year. According to a party insider, Liba Furhman claimed there was not one person's name they could bring forward for that seat. Again - lazy or dumb?

If da Dems could lift a finger and type out an email to their membership, maybe they'd get a response from "one or more" volunteers. Or, if da Dems put a two paragraph note in the local papers (just like the RTC does all the time), asking for volunteers for boards and commissions, maybe they'd get a response. Or, if they asked their members to ask their friends and neighbors, I bet dem Dems could get one, sole, single, solitary person to volunteer.

Am I way off base here? Would any of you reading this be willing to step up and take a seat on the BOF, BOE, Park and Rec, or any of the other boards and commissions in town? Let me know.

We don't need to remind everyone of da Dems recent general election success to take a shot at the leadership. They lost control of every board in town, and only by the grace of the Town Charter were they able to cling to a few paltry seats of importance. But, when you run a campaign consisting of nothing, that's what you get. Nice leadership Lillis and Liba!

What do I think is the real problem? Lillis and Furhman are overly controlling, and unwilling to give new people an opportunity. If they don't know you - forget it. If they don't like you - forget it even more. If you have any new ideas... I think you get the point.

If you want a leadership position, then lead. Do something - ANYTHING - to show New Milford da Dems aren't dead.