Letter to the editor from Frank Farricker
I am so disappointed at the First Selectman for writing a very unfortunate letter to the GFP regarding the demise of his Pay as You Throw initiative. (CAMILLO: BET Democrats Unnecessarily Attacked Town Staff on PAYT Feb 27, 2020) Instead of just accepting what appears to be the will of the people who widely opposed his plan, he decided there had to be a nefarious political angle, with shades of political campaign shots that achieve nothing except increase the rancor I believe we are all trying to avoid.
For example, in a bid to create unnecessary enmity between BET Democrats and Town employees, the First Selectman launched a rather long soliloquy about how mean the BET Democrats are to Town employees, first by buttering up government employees, then shedding crocodile tears for their supposedly being beat up by mean BET Democrats.
Of course, the letter the BET Democrats wrote (BET DEMOCRATS: Pay As You Throw Is a Rushed Attempt to Address Budget Gaps Feb 26, 2020) in no way shape or form even mentions Town Employees. In fact, it only cites a paid Town consultant’s potential conflict of interest and questions whether the First Selectman’s office itself has basic data on the issue they are fighting.
And the Democrats are in the minority at the BET, so if the PAYT initiative had full Republican support, it is immaterial how the Democrats felt, so how could they be the cause of obstruction?
The letter continues for a number of paragraphs just tearing down Democrats, accusing them of playing politics just by having an opinion, and castigating the Democrats as being irresponsible for partisan gain. All for opposing his personal initiative that involves residents purchasing $2 bags. I have run as a political candidate in three Townwide elections, and the words felt more like the kind of attacks reserved for the last few weeks of an election instead of the first few months of the First Selectman’s term.
I like Fred Camillo a lot, I found at times that I could work with him well in Hartford, and you’ll never find me saying that Fred doesn’t love his Town and will always put it first. But I hope this most recent letter isn’t the beginning of a trend in his term to attack individuals who don’t agree with his positions as themselves not working in the best interest of the Town and only for unsubstantiated political gain.
We’re all in this together, and the winners and losers are not the politicians but the people. I hope that can be kept in focus for the next two years, and beyond.
Frank Farricker, Greenwich