If you were underwhelmed by the presidential debates of 2016, your long national nightmare is over.
On Thursday (October 12, 11:30 a.m. to 1:3o p.m., Westport Library), the 4 candidates for 1st selectmen face off. It should be informative — and substantive.
Republican Jim Marpe, Democrat Melissa Kane and independents John Suggs and Timothy J. Elgin will discuss business-related issues. There’s a good reason: The debate is sponsored by the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce.
Moderator Jay Sandak will lead the discussion in areas like the town’s business environment, jobs and taxes.
The event begins with a chance to meet the candidates. At that time, attendees can submit written questions for the debate.
Democrat Jim Marpe?
My bad. It’s been fixed.
Will this be broadcasted somewhere?
Since when is Jim Marpe a Democrat?
Sent from my iPhone
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Since I made a mistake. It’s been corrected.
You’ve probably already been told that you have Marpe as a Democrat!
Yep. See above. Fake news!
I have to ask who attends a lunchtime debate?
Bart asks a good question. Is school in session that day? The more students at political debates, the better.
Nancy, for those who can more easily attend evening debates: League of Women Voters will hold 10/16 7PM debate at Town Hall for P&Z & ZBA (preceded by a 6pm meet and greet for all RTM candidates); 10/24 7PM debate for Selectman & Board of Finance. There will be some students there as volunteers and all would be welcome to attend
Interesting that John Suggs now is an independent (i.e. unaffiliated) voter. He was a member of the Democratic Town Committee earlier this year. He was a registered Democrat until about two months ago when he decided to repackage himself as an independent prior to announcing his candidacy for First Selectman.
Pete Wolgast
Ronald Reagan, Rick Perry, Jesse Helms and Joe Liebermann were once Democrats; Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Michael Bloomberg and Lowell Weicker were once Republicans. People change.
Maybe the Democrats can have another fund raiser at Harvey Weinsteins house. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.
I have a hunch he’s going to be preoccupied in Sexual Harassmemt Awareness Training and Rehibilation classes along with Herman Cain, Vance McAllister, Denny Hastert and Donald Trump.
Really Dave. Don’t compare trump to Clinton or Weinstein. Words don’t convict you actions do that’s why Clinton and Weinstein are a great pair. The funny part is everyone in Hollywood and the Clintons all new the way he was. Money meant more to there campaign than morals.
Ah, the old “guilt-by-association” fallacy — a convenient, though illogical, way to attack someone you don’t like; it’s a lot easier than thinking. Clinton knows Harvey Weinstein, Trump knows David Duke and Paul Castellano . . . This certainly proves they’re both horrible people. I heard rumors that a person I served with in the Marine Corps 30-plus years ago is in jail for armed robbery. I must be guilty! Did you by chance know Edward Falby?
Money, power, then women — American culture. Glad you brought it up.
For the first 39 years of my life I was Canadian. I still have deep connections to Canada, my closest friends are there, and I visit several times each year, most recently less than two weeks ago.
But the thing I have always found insufferable about my former compatriots is the extraordinary smug sanctimony with which they assert their superiority to their southern neighbours. It’s unjustified and unbecoming an otherwise great people, and it reflects an unfortunate character defect.
“superiority”? No. We’re just wondering why it is so hard for you to be happy. It doesn’t take much to be happy.
I’m happy as a wild Raven; maybe because I’m so close to Alberta.
I have found the more we ignore the better chance this will stop.
I have found that the more we pay attention to each other there is a better chance that we will get along.
CT is in real trouble and the future of Westport as we know it is at stake. The State of CT is basically broke and Westport has been highlighted by legislators as a “wealthy” town. What this definition means–Westporters get ready for higher and higher income and property taxes. I hope the debate centers on this #1 issue facing Westport.
Jim Marpe has shown his leadership by making the tough decisions by cutting town costs while still driving the value we expect in Westport. Roads and Longshore Golf Course have been improved while property taxes were held flat for FOUR years as example. His running mate has been on both the Board of Education and Board of Finance. Experience we desperately need. Westport has lost millions in payments from the state, yet with Jim’s leadership, our property taxes have not increased and town services maintained. In addition thru Jim Marpe’s leadership, he effectively managed the towns budget in order to pay down 25% of Westport’s debt.
Melissa Kane has shown her position regarding Westport’s budget by voting against the new police pension plan that was going to save Westporters millions of dollars. Fortunately more members of the RTM felt the new plan was right and it was approved. Somehow after she voted against saving Westport money with the new police pension plan she voted for the new pension plan for the firefighters. I guess she got scared her vote was being noticed.
Her running mate, Rob, has missed 5 out of the last 10 meetings per the minutes on the towns website, on the only Board he has been involved in Westport, the ZBA.
Here are some numbers just published that should scare you about what is happening in CT. I will continue to hope that Westport voters really think about who can lead our town.
Here are five numbers that should scare the socks off Connecticut residents and its legislature:
37,328: The net loss of Connecticut residents ages 1 and older to other states from 2015 to 2016.
7,818: The net loss of 25- to 39-year-olds from Connecticut last year, or 1.22 percent of that entire age range. About 25,000 moved in, but nearly 32,900 moved out, according to the estimates.
3,976: The net loss to other states of top earners, defined by the Census as those who earn more than $75,000.
That represents 0.72 percent of that income group.
8,861: The net loss to other states of people with bachelor’s, graduate or professional degrees.
The brain drain” is worsening. An estimated 26,513 people with the highest levels of education moved into Connecticut from other states last year, but that was more than offset by the 35,374 who moved out, a net loss of almost 1 percent of that population group.
$2,893: The decrease in median household income in the Hartford metro area for 25- to 44-year-olds last year.
That’s a drop of 3.7 percent and Hartford is the only metro area in New England that saw a decrease.