Letter to the editor submitted by Jack Kriskey, Chairman of Fred Camillo’s “Fred For First” Campaign
Dear Editor:
I knew it would not be a normal local Greenwich election this year when the first question from the media for Rep. Fred Camillo after his Republican Party endorsement for first selectman was will he vote for President Trump.
My head spun with possible responses and after a bit of discussion, Fred and I concluded we would not be getting a fair shake from the media in this race. However, rather than engage in rhetoric that is meant to confuse, divide and distract the public, we will stay on our message and focus on issues facing Greenwich residents.
Most people have had enough of divisive political tactics at the national level. There is nothing we can do to stop certain activist groups, opinion writers or even Democrat candidates in town from making everything about national politics. If they decide that this is their agenda, they should run on it. Based on Fred’s opponent’s comments on the night of her nomination listing national politics as one of the reasons she decided to run, and on Indivisible Greenwich’s recent comment that they are “Mostly focused on the national level,” they have already made that decision.
There have been several opinion pieces written since the nomination by opposition leaders trying to bully and goad us into jumping in the mud with them. We won’t. They cannot define our campaign or dictate how it is run. We have seen these tactics on the national level. Fred has seen them in Hartford, and they have no place here in Greenwich.
Fred has a long history of working with people from diverse backgrounds, in different parties, and with varied ideas. He will, above all else, represent and protect all people in Greenwich no matter who they are, what they look like, what party they support, or where they come from. Having been born and raised here, Fred has a great respect for our values. He also has a vision to reinvigorate Greenwich, streamline government, promote public/private partnerships, lead on environmental issues, and open new lines of communication with the public.
In the coming days and weeks, we will be rolling out Fred’s ideas on these issues, and many others. We will focus on improving the lives of the people of Greenwich. Vision, leadership and community are what really matter in this year’s race. We look forward to the conversations with Greenwich residents to learn how we can improve their streets, neighborhoods and town. We promise for our part to focus on the issues you care about.
Jack Kriskey
Chairman, Fred For First Campaign