Politics & Government

Voter: Dems Need 'Good Help'

The following is a letter to the editor.

Democrats are lost and need good help. 

Today we move on from the local municipal elections into the holiday season where faith, family and community should be at the forefront of our lives.  This is also the time where the election winners graciously move on preparing for the work they have ahead and the losers move on with their lives wondering, only if.

This election Tim Herbst was again re-elected to office as our First Selectman along with his whole team. Also, Trumbull decisively elected the citizens of Trumbull who are Republicans to control the Town Council, Boards of Education, Finance, Planning and Zoning and all others. These people, these Republicans are the peoples’ representatives, those who have been tasked to work for the people in their best interest overseeing and working with the First Selectman as they move Trumbull forward governing in concert.

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As a Republican/Libertarian I am quite happy with the outcome. However, I sit and think about this election and try to understand how one Party, the Trumbull Republicans could totally decimate the Trumbull Democrats in a manner not seen here in many an election. Yes, Tim had a strong message of fiscal responsibility, transparency and accountability with a successful track record of management.

Yes, Republican Party chairman, Jack Testani again orchestrated masterfully the Republican message and vast amounts of supporters who wanted to donate their time, money and energy to the Republican platform. Yes, they had the unsung heros such as Loretta Chory, Karen Egri and Bill Chin in the background making the operation run smoothly and effectively. This is a recipe of success that has taken years to put together through good times and bad but it has stayed together.

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The key word here is “Together”. A word that the Trumbull Democrats can’t say is part of their vocabulary. This is a Party that is a mess, it is unorganized, has no leadership and no message. I am not the only one who says that, my wife who is a liberal Democrat (Amazing how that works in marriages) and some other Democrat friends of mine believe the same thing!

They are saying that as Democrats and liberals they are not represented by the Trumbull Democrats. They don’t like that most of this current election ticket are former Republicans who have fiscal conservative values. My wife says “Why should I vote for a fiscal conservative who used to be a Republican that I don’t know over a Republican that I do know?”

Over the past four years it has been obvious that the Trumbull Democrats have taken in disgruntled Republicans, who for whatever reason want to be “Democrats” in order to attack the Republicans and Tim Herbst. Instead of trying to stay with Republicans and shape it, they left it for a Party who philosophies they don’t even believe in.

The platform over these past four years have been be obstructionists with voting against everything the First Selectman asks, abstaining on votes when convenient, create numerous websites and forums on Facebook to complain and attack anyone who doesn’t believe in what they believe. This is sad the sad truth and quite ineffective.  What is even more sad is that they still don’t realize it.

I think the Trumbull Democratic Town Committee needs to clean house of the negativity and vendettas of the past and start anew. My wife and Democrats like her would love to see a Democratic party that has Democratic ideals and philosophies, not anger and character assassinations.

As I mentioned to a number of Trumbull Democrats I told them they need new Leadership, a platform, a message and someone to deliver it. Trumbull Democrats don’t have that and won’t have that until they get rid of those people who have brought them to this all-time low.

So, why should I care? I care because as a Veteran and an American I believe in our Republic and our Democracy. It’s not perfect but it works for us. Great communities grow and flourish with competing ideas, philosophies and objectives negotiated through respectful debate and communication. Losing that competition is not healthy for any community over the long term, even Trumbull.

As I see it right now, Trumbull is in great hands with Tim Herbst and the Republican Party. I wish them all the best and hearty congratulations and hope that they can continue to live up to their past successes.

This Veterans Day take a moment to say Thank you to a veteran.

Mark Edward Smith

Trumbull


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