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The following letter to the editor was written by Norwalk Republican Town Chairman Art Scialabba. The Daily Norwalk welcomes letters from its readers. Send them to nchapman @mainstreetconnect.us.
"The Politics of Decency" that Norwalk's Democratic Town Chair Marc Bradley recently penned is quite ironic, as his letter to the editor clearly lacks civility and decorum. The fact that the DTC chair and the Democrats' mayoral candidate now are leading the charge in this action is not only disturbing to me, but also must be disheartening to their fellow Democrats.
The pattern of "when you don't have a solution to a problem, change the issue and lob some cheap political shots –- even if they are not based on any facts," is not much of a plan for the future, and can be clearly seen for exactly what it is. Norwalk voters know better.
Calling Norwalk's Mayor Moccia every name in the book and hoping something will stick are not actions of a leader. This pattern is nothing short of desperate attempts to divert attention from real issues, since it is obvious they are not offering up any real plans of their own. And the "outrage" Marc Bradley says we should all feel is just simply wrong and totally misdirected.
Mayor Moccia is not the bad guy in the McDowell case, nor should he be treated as such. Outrage should begin at the source –- McDowell's false claims and continuing illegal behavior. To claim that Mayor Moccia is nothing short of an ogre, a heartless man who hurts little children, is shameless and outrageous. What a cheap shot, given his years of efforts to know each of Norwalk's schools, to appreciate our students and teachers, and to respond with sound judgment to their issues, for example, his recent talks with numerous concerned parents about educational and budget concerns.
Marc goes on to say that it is indecent for the law to be followed. Really? Many believe it's indecent to side with a Bridgeport resident's false claims and illegal doings, and then try to spin it into an argument that won't even make for a good "made for TV movie." Norwalkers are smarter than that.
The child in this case was a resident of Bridgeport at the time McDowell herself removed him from Norwalk Schools. I don't know if Marc has done any research, but I have seen the transcripts of the Housing Court case where McDowell had admitted as much.
So is the moral of this story: "when you don't have a solution, change the argument"? Marc Bradley attempted to do this, but his main character shows some fatal flaws. The child is not the only victim in this case; Norwalk taxpayers are victims as well. How naive do you think Norwalk voters really are? Yes, Marc, Norwalk Democrats deserve better.
Art Scialabba
Norwalk Republican Town Chairman
Comments (2)
He is missing the point. The merits of the the arrest will be decided in court. Many of us are betting this charge will be dismissed or seriously reduced.
The decency comments are based on comments the mayor made theat he does not believe she is homeless and she has a prior criminal record. While his comments may be based on fact, it was innappropriate for him to make such public comment and prejudice her chance of a fair trail. The question also arises how would a mayor know about her prior record ?
Art is right on this one. There's genuine compassion and there's phony compassion, and Marc Bradley has displayed the latter.