Submitted by Jennifer Andrews, Greenwich
In his latest Office of the First Selectman Community Connections newsletter, Fred Camillo reminded his constituents that he will be publishing all Freedom of Information Act requests that come into Town Hall.
Mr. Camillo states “…..you can also see some examples this month of partisan political requests and other ones that waste employee time and taxpayer money. I want the public to be able to see what people are asking for. I fully support FOIA and it can be a very useful tool to get information but it can also be abused and we will be running this list monthly in the name of transparency.”
In the name of transparency? This is nothing more than a misguided attempt to silence his constituents from asking relevant questions.
Many in town do not think it is a waste of taxpayer money to enquire about the process of issuing the RFP for the redevelopment of the Havemeyer Building, possibly moving the BOE administration into a rental space for $2.8 million a year, and what channels Mr. Camillo went through to start this process.
I welcome these monthly reports, but you can bet that once light is shed on some of Mr. Camillo’s practices, those lists will stop being published.
Mr. Camillo recently wrote a love letter of sorts to Greenwich, quoting part of Frank Sinatra’s “My Kind of Town.”
I think the lyrics from Sinatra’s hit rendition of “My Way” are much more fitting.
“…The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way… Yes, it was my way”