The rights of the Wallingford voters and the general public are trampled and your Republican Councilors could care less and are the direct cause of it

As the political cartoon depicts below, as published in the Record Journal on Sunday January 27, 2013, the Republican majority here in Wallingford has found a way to reach new lows.

In years gone by, they would at least shown the pretense of listening to their fellow Councilors and the public regarding an agenda item before voting along party lines as they would have at 6:30PM.

Now they have gotten so arrogant that they cannot even be bothered to listen.

Cases in point of this occur when the “Call the Question” option is made and it’s happened twice now in critical fashion (and I’ll get to that in a moment) and there are times when the Chair isn’t even following the rules and stretching / breaking his right to use “chairman’s discretion”.

So I’ll start with the motion on the floor at the past meeting (and if you want more back ground please see my prior post on my other blog - Generator Plan and Microgrids: there is more to the story).

I will also state that the procedure is allowed, however, what is allowed and permitted and what is the right thing to do are often two very different things.

When Councilor Laffin made the motion and called the question and it was seconded by Councilor Fishbein, Chairman Parisi indicated “I have a motion on the floor and we have to vote on it” (paraphrased) as if he was hamstrung by the action on the floor.

A year ago when discussing the use of the Wallingford Showmobile by the Wallingford Veterans, a motion was made by Councilor Fishbein and seconded by Councilor Letourneau (if I am remembering correctly, but it was two republican Councilors). The vote never occurred because Chairman Parisi never called the vote. Forget the obvious reasons why not, the simple fact remains – the Chairman either didn’t follow Parliamentary procedure and Robert’s Rules or there is enough wiggle room in the procedure to actually permit the action (as any lawyer will tell you – there are generally multiple ways to interpret things).

So back to the current action.

If Chairman Parisi genuinely felt hamstrung he could have taken the same action and allowed further Council discussion. He did not.

Additionally, Chairman Parisi votes last and all six votes are required to call the question. He voted to call it as well.

Calling the question stops the debate at the Council table but Chairman Parisi could still allow for public comment. He didn’t bother to allow it.

Calling the question also occurred a few weeks ago, stopping the debate regarding the decorative period lighting being replaced downtown.

At that meeting a resident asked during public question and answer period about the lights as was told by Chairman Parisi “we are discussing that topic later and you’ll be able to comment on it then; during Question and Answer we don’t comment on current agenda items” (paraphrased).

The public and Councilor Sullivan never got the chance in that situation because the question was called as well.

So as a public service reminder to all the Wallingford voters out there – these are the representatives you voted into office; I hope that if you voted for these Republicans you feel properly served.

It seems more important to them to get things over with and go out to dinner, which is where the majority of them went after they abruptly ended the meeting.

This wasn’t about the “lateness of the hour” either as it was barely 9PM when this occurred and speaking as the person who has to be up the earliest the next day (4:30AM) to go to work in the city – we can debate into the wee hours of the morning for all I care so long as the public is represented, heard and served.

But that is the difference between us and them and that is all this is coming down to right now.

What has been going on in Wallingford for some time is nothing short of a dictatorship and they aren’t even being bashful about it anymore.

Councilor Zandri undecided on mayoral campaign

As published in the Record Journal Tuesday October 9, 2012

By Laurie Rich Salerno
Record-Journal staff
lsalerno@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2235
Twitter:@LaurieSalernoRJ

WALLINGFORD - Another well-known Democrat may be entering the 2013 race for mayor.

Town Councilor Jason Zandri is mulling whether he’ll join fellow Democratic Councilor Nick Economopoulos in the race to unseat longtime incumbent William W. Dickinson Jr.

After a Democratic Town Committee meeting Wednesday night, Zandri, 43, said he was considering a run but had not yet made a final decision, citing family, work and town committee considerations.

The committee does not officially endorse candidates until the summer before an election, according to town Democratic Chairman Vincent Avallone. Economopoulos announced his intent after the November 2011 town election and reaffirmed it recently to the Record-Journal.

Vincent Testa, who has run twice for mayor and lost, also said recently that he hadn’t decided if he will run again.

Economopoulos said Wednesday night that if his Democratic colleague runs, he would likely throw him his support. If not, he will probably stay in the race.

“I just want a true, transparent, fair government, that’s it. And I’ll support anybody who will run it that way,” Economopoulos said.

Avallone confirmed that he and Zandri had had a discussion about a potential run about a month ago, and the two talked about what it would take, including personal and other sacrifices.

“He’s certainly qualified, energetic and well-known … if he wants to do it,” Avallone said, but added that Zandri had not made a decision and that the committee doesn’t endorse any candidate until the summer. “He has not announced — he has not made a decision.”

Zandri was elected to the Town Council in November 2011, after an initial failed bid in 2007 as an independent. He followed in the footsteps of his father Geno, a 10-year town councilor. The elder Zandri made his own unsuccessful run for mayor in 1999.

The younger Zandri would provide a marked contrast to the incumbent mayor.

While Dickinson has not been a proponent of technology in Town Hall — allowing only a few town departments Internet access — Zandri works as a computer systems engineer at Bloomberg in New York City. A blogger, he is also active on Twitter and Facebook.

He is well known in town, having organized several high profile events through his family’s restaurant, Zandri’s Stillwood Inn, including a recent presidential debate party two weeks ago that got him an interview on CNN. Jason Zandri and fellow Town Councilor Craig Fishbein, a Republican, have also created a fund to pay for the town’s Fourth of July fireworks, since they have been cut from the town’s budget.

Dickinson said Wednesday night that, in the midst of the 2012 election season, the 2013 race for mayor is not yet on his radar.

“I try not to concentrate on that until I absolutely have to,” Dickinson said.

Zandri said whoever runs against Dickinson will likely have to start campaigning soon.

“When anybody’s going to run against an entrenched incumbent you have to start earlier,” Zandri said.

Zandri

Testa

Economopoulos

Full HD version of my CNN appearance discussing the first Presidential Debate of the 2012 campaign

My buddy Nick D'Emanuele was able to pull of his DVR my CNN appearance as well as get me a nice clean HD version so with that I am reposting it below

Thanks again Nick D'Emanuele from Endecom Computer Services

Jason Zandri, Jerry Labriola comment on first Presidential debate

As published in the Record Journal, Friday October 5, 2012

By Russell Blair
Record-Journal staff
rblair@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2225
Twitter:@RussellBlairRJ

WALLINGFORD — The airwaves Thursday morning were full of pundits and politicians discussing the first debate between President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney, and town residents had a chance to hear a familiar face weigh in on the contest.

Democratic Town Councilor Jason Zandri appeared on “CNN Newsroom” with anchor Carol Costello, discussing his own take on the debate and the feeling of the 80 to 90 people who attended a public debate watch party he organized at Zandri’s Stillwood Inn, his family’s banquet facility.

“Voters were there, they were watching Obama, and some people say he appeared rather lifeless, so what was their reaction to his performance?” Costello asked.

“I think a lot of the people that were in attendance, they were set to see a full-on charge by President Obama and I think they were a little bit surprised at how strongly candidate Romney came out,” Zandri said.

Republican State Chairman Jerry Labriola Jr., a town resident, said he believed the strong debate performance would help Romney in the polls.

“I think we’ll see a swing that puts Gov. Romney in the lead nationally and trailing by single digits in Connecticut,” he said.

Polls by Quinnipiac University this week showed Obama leading Romney 49 percent to 45 percent among likely voters nationwide and 54 percent to 42 percent in Connecticut.

“I think Romney did well,” said Republican Town Chairman Robert Prentice, a Romney backer who watched the debate from home. “I think anytime there was a statement he thought was incorrect, he came back quickly. I liked the fact that he wasn’t getting pushed around.”

But Zandri, an Obama supporter, said that even if the president didn’t perform as well as Romney, with the election a month away, most voters have made up their minds, though there are still a small number of undecided voters up for grabs.

“I think, with these debates, the people are already set in who they’re going to vote for,” he said. “They’re there trying to solidify the reason they picked their candidate.”

Zandri’s advice for Obama was to “double down on what he’s already good at, take this as a learning lesson and keep moving forward.”

Taping at CNN’s Manhattan studio at Columbus Circle wasn’t difficult for Zandri, who works at Bloomberg, about six blocks away. The show’s staff found him through the debate watch party, which he organized online.

The appearance lasted about two minutes, but Zandri spent substantially more time preparing, putting on makeup and getting ready for the segment, which started at about 9:40 a.m.

“I was a little bit nervous,” he said. “I think the biggest thing I did prior to this was a little interview on News Channel 8.”

rblair@record-journal.com (203) 317-2225 Twitter: @RussellBlairRJ

CNN

Jason Zandri talks with CNN’s Carol Costello Thursday about the presidential debate.

July 4 display again raises controversy

Fishbein balks at town’s different treatment of fireworks and ‘Celebrate’

As published in the Record Journal Thursday April 12, 2012

By Russell Blair
Record-Journal staff
rblair@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2225

Dickinson Fishbein Zandri

Photos courtesy of the Record Journal

WALLINGFORD — One of the town councilors who helped launch a fundraising effort to save the annual Fourth of July fireworks celebration claims the town doesn’t treat all nonprofit organizations it works with equally.

Republican Town Councilor Craig Fishbein said that the fireworks are being treated differently from events such as Wallingford Symphony Orchestra concerts and Celebrate Wallingford, which is put on by Wallingford Center Inc., the downtown business advocacy group. The town budget allocates $8,500 for an outdoor summer symphony concert that Fishbein said draws only hundreds of people, while the fireworks celebration draws more than 10,000 and receives no funding. For Celebrate Wallingford, Wallingford Center Inc. is able to contract with vendors, Fishbein said.

Fishbein and Democratic Town Councilor Jason Zandri founded the nonprofit Wallingford Fireworks Fund in 2010 after the town dropped funding for the show from its budget. They’ve butted heads with Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. during the planning for this year’s celebration. Zandri and Fishbein raised several issues during a council meeting Tuesday.

For the last two years, Zandri has negotiated with vendors. He said the arrangement allowed a certain flexibility on costs, through discounts from the vendor, and room to accommodate last-minute donations that could improve the show. But this year that process is being handled by the Parks and Recreation Department.

“The town doesn’t contribute one red cent, yet the mayor feels the (donors) should have no part in the coordination,” Fishbein said. “We don’t want total control ... we’re willing to work with them.”

Liz Landow, executive director of Wallingford Center Inc., said the events are treated differently because the town, not the fireworks fund, ultimately puts on the show, even if the fund provides the money. She said Wallingford Center Inc. wasn’t getting special treatment.

“It’s a Wallingford Center production,” she said of Celebrate Wallingford. “It’s put on by Wallingford Center; we hold the insurance. We have the freedom because of the way it was established.”

Dickinson, a Republican, has maintained that the town must handle the purchasing process for the fireworks, and said that comparisons to Celebrate Wallingford aren’t fair.

“The fireworks are clearly put on by the town,” he said. “For Celebrate Wallingford, Wallingford Center provides insurance; they are the hosts of that. They are a separate entity from the town that provides all the groundwork.”

Several members of the Wallingford Center board have Republican ties, including Republican councilors John Le-Tourneau and Rosemary Rascati and former Republican Councilor Stephen Knight. Landow is Rascati’s daughter. But Zandri said he doesn’t believe politics plays a role in the perceived different treatment of the fireworks and Celebrate Wallingford.

“I like to look above and beyond that ... I think it’s not politically motivated,” Zandri said.

Zandri said that he hasn’t thought about the fund taking total sponsorship of the event, but said that if he is continually denied input, it’s an option he may consider.

“I suppose there’s ways to do it,” he said. “But it’s a manpower issue. Right now it’s just me, my father and Craig (Fishbein). It’s hard to say it, but if I have to go that route someday, maybe I will.” Jason Zandri’s father, Geno Zandri, a former six-term Democratic councilor, helps organize fireworks fundraising.

The fund would have to get permission from the town to use the school grounds and pay directly for the cost of the town services including police, fire and public works, and the fireworks. Currently, the town makes the payments and arrangements after receiving a check from the nonprofit.

Democratic Town Councilor John Sullivan said that he thinks Fishbein, Zandri and Dickinson need to sort out their differences, and not at a council meeting.

“We have two sides working toward a common goal,” he said. “They need to sit down, communicate and work together.”

Councilor-elect Zandri eager to begin his term in Wallingford

As published in the Record Journal Sunday December 11, 2011

By Russell Blair
Record-Journal staffrblair@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2225  

WALLINGFORD — After an unsuccessful run for Town Council in 2007 as an independent, Jason Zandri ran as a Democrat this year and won. He’s eager to join the council in January.

Zandri, 42, a computer systems engineer for Bloomberg, said he’s spent the month since the election studying the issues before the council. 

“I’ve been attending meetings since then, and getting the information packet that the councilors get,” he said. “I’m going over the rules, the procedural stuff. I’m trying to get in that mode.”

Even before he began campaigning, Zandri had already made himself known to many in town through a number of different efforts. He has maintained two blogs, “Wallingford Politico” and “Jason Zandri for Town Council,” has written “From Wallingford” for the Record-Journal’s opinion pages, and has helped in the fundraising effort for the town’s Fourth of July fireworks celebration. 

John Sullivan, a Democratic councilor, closed up his political blog after he was elected, but Zandri said he plans to keep both his blogs up and running as a source of information for residents.

“I look at the blog as an ability to communicate with people,” he said. “On Wallingford Politico, I post stories, with very little editorializing. But on my own blog, I’ll express a little detail, some of my thoughts on an issue. It’s a prudent way to get information out there.”

Zandri has a long lineage in Wallingford, and his four children represent the fifth generation of Zandris living in town. He also has a history of political service in his family. His father, Geno, was a town councilor for 10 years.

Democratic Town Chairman Vincent Avallone Jr. said he hopes Zandri will bring some fresh ideas to the council. 

“He’s extremely energetic,” Avallone said. “He’s someone that, when he starts a task, he wants to see it completed.” 

A year before his 2007 run as an unaffiliated voter, Zandri left the Democratic Party. After his failed council bid, he took some time to evaluate his options.

“I had to think about whether to try for another shot,” he said. 

Zandri was able to work out his differences, get involved with the Democratic Town Committee and eventually got on the Democratic ticket for 2011.

“I sat down with Vinny Avallone and I worked out my differences with the party, and became an active part of the group,” Zandri said.

“I’ve known him since he was young,” Avallone said. “He felt comfortable with me.”

Zandri commutes to his job in New York City, and he acknowledged that balancing work, family life and the council will be a challenge. But he said he can handle the time commitment to the council.

“I think being able to campaign for the fireworks allowed me to see if I could handle the burden of both,” he said.

Zandri said he doesn’t expect to put items on the council agenda right away, and wants to take the first four or five months — most of which will be spent on the budget process — to get his feet wet.

But he added that he has a good working relationship with the eight other councilors and won’t be afraid to engage in debate.

“I don’t feel like I can’t express my thoughts and have a discussion,” he said. “We may not agree all the time, but I don’t think it will be an issue. I want to build bridges and work across the aisle.”

Though he understands that he’ll be a freshman councilor in the minority party, Zandri has already identified a few areas he’d like the council to examine.

Zandri said he hopes to see the council look toward adding voicemail and email to Town Hall and also to see action taken on the Wooding-Caplan property. The town purchased the 3.5-acre parcel for $1.5 million in 1992 and it has remained vacant since. A 2006 referendum overturned a decision to sell it to a developer. Other ideas that have been proposed include a parking lot or a new police station.

“If we’re going to put the police station there, I’d like to see that outlined,” he said. “I’d like to see a plan.”

Republican Town Councilor Craig Fishbein, who worked with Zandri on the fireworks campaign, called him “a go-getter.”

“He’s full of ideas and energy,” Fishbein said. “He’s not afraid to speak his mind, and roll up his sleeves to get the job done.”

Sullivan said that Zandri is “an extremely dedicated person” and he’s looking forward to working with him on the council.

“After the election, the council isn’t Democrats and Republicans, it’s nine people that need to work together,” Sullivan said. “I think Jason can be a bridge builder.”

Zandri said he will bring a “can get done” attitude to the council.

“Of course we should be careful and cautious, but if there’s something we want to try to accomplish, we need to look at how we get it to completion,” he said.

Editorial Cartoon from the Record Journal, Sunday December 18, 2011.

This editorial cartoon appeared in the Record Journal on Sunday December 18, 2011.

I have a saying I am fond of “there are only 36 hours in a day to get done what I need to do”; if I could really have that it would be awesome because I could get more done.

Wallingford Final election results as published in the Record Journal

Click on the image to enlarge

Thank you again for the support!

Thank you

I wanted to thank everyone who came out to vote yesterday, first and foremost. Whether you supported me or not, you decided it was important enough to invest the time to come out and be part of the process.

And it is very important.

Beyond that, I want to thank everyone who offered their encouragement, support and who gave me their vote.

Those votes I received, unofficially 5,542 in all, landed me in the #2 spot within my party, just 29 votes behind #1 John Sullivan and and 5th overall.

Those votes were based entirely on faith and goodwill as I have no formal prior record of service to the Town of Wallingford.

Now that the campaigning is over, I will spend the next few weeks prior to being sworn in further preparing to take office and serve the town and all her people to the best of my ability – just as I had promised prior as part of my campaign.

My first pledge now formally as a Wallingford Town Councilor (elect) will be to work hard enough to earn each of those votes I received this past November 8th.

Thank you again.

“Even though I’m a Republican” Jason “has my 100% support”

“I don’t always vote for the party – I always vote for the person”

Thanks for the support Kim – you rock.

(Tell your friends )

Muscular Dystrophy Fundraiser - No more Jerry, but Jim Zandri is still raising funds for MDA

As Published in the Record Journal, Tuesday August 9, 2011

By Russell Blair
Record-Journal staff
rblair@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2225

WALLINGFORD — Jim Zandri said it was Jerry Lewis who inspired him to start his own muscular dystrophy fundraiser, which continues for its 15th year next month.

“His involvement inspired me to do what I did,” Zandri said.

Lewis, who has been the face of the Muscular Dystrophy Association for nearly 60 years. won’t be hosting this year’s national telethon for the first time since 1966, but Zandri said he doesn’t think the departure will hurt fundraising efforts.

“The cause is still there, this is still needed,” Zandri said.

Before last week, when Lewis’ departure was announced, the MDA had already prepared changes to this year’s telethon. The event, which used to last 21 hours, will shift to prime time, from 6 p.m. to midnight on the Sunday before Labor Day. Traditionally, the telethon began Sunday night and continued into Monday.

Steve Fredrickson, executive director of the MDA’s New Haven district, said the changes were adopted for a number of reasons.
“We wanted to bring it into prime time,” Fredrickson said. “It’s the 21st century; we’re trying to capitalize more on Internet donations.”

Fredrickson has been with the MDA since January. He said he joined because he believed in the organization’s mission.

“Sunday I had my first chance to go to an MDA summer camp, and really see our funds at work,” Fredrickson said.

Zandri said that Lewis’ departure didn’t change too much in the planning of the event, and that he’d expected Lewis, 85, to step down from the association in the next few years.

“At some point it had to continue on without him,” Zandri said.

In a statement, R. Rodney Howell, MDA chairman of the board, said, “Jerry Lewis is a world-class humanitarian and we’re forever grateful to him for his more than half century of generous service to MDA. We will not be replacing him as MDA national chairman, and he will not be appearing on the telethon.”

The MDA has become synonymous with Lewis, Zandri said, but it was important that the organization create its own identity. It’s been a slow transition, but Zandri said that he thinks people are aware of the MDA for reasons other than Lewis.

“There’s a need for a transition,” he said. “It’s a new generation. My kids don’t know who Jerry Lewis is.”

Zandri expects turnout for the event to be the same as in years past.

“Most people come regardless,” he said. “I don’t expect anybody to abandon the cause because Jerry Lewis is gone. People support the cause because they’re affected personally by it.”

Fredrickson said that the MDA is expecting viewership of the telethon to be up this year because of the primetime hours.

Zandri’s telethon party will be hosted at Zandri’s Stillwood Inn, 1074 S. Colony Road, from 5:30 p.m. to midnight on Sept. 4. For a $50 donation to the MDA, guests have access to a buffet, an open bar, dancing and a silent auction. Zandri said that in 14 years, the local event has raised more than $300,000.

“There’s no gimmick,” Zandri said. “It’s just a donation, and it’s a good time.”