Wednesday, May 13, 2009

city lawyers resign... happy responds

http://www.bristolpress.com/articles/2009/05/12/news/doc4a0a36f64f950034611377.txt

we have two part timers who don't feel they are getting enough money for the job they are doing, and possibly a situation where we are short-staffed.

i think we have two separate issues here. one: is the city attorney's office understaffed? i can't answer that question. the current setup is for three part timers. perhaps we should look into getting one full time person instead of three part time employees as was suggested. but i do think its probably a good idea to have your legal bases covered when dealing with a city the size of bristol.

two: what to do with our two part-timers who have submitted their resignations? shake their hands and wish them well.
they should NOT be considered for any potential full time position or part-time benefits, and should be excluded from the list of potential candidates should the city decide to hire someone full time down the road. doing so would give the illusion that they have extorted jobs from the taxpayers of bristol.

in the interest of disclosure, i used atty steeg as representation in a traffic case about 10 years ago.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Things I would like to accomplish...

1) remove the winter parking ban. other cities & towns only invoke bans when winter weather in imminent. there is NO reason why that can not be the case here as well.

2) loosen the building requirements in the downtown zone to encourage development.

3) allow more city services to be accessed/purchased via the internet, such as:
- pulling simple building permits (sheds, etc)
- acquiring dump permits

4) enforce zoning/prosecute businesses that advertise illegally by posting signs on public property (such as the "we buy houses" or "bristol singles" signs that are all over town)

5) set up a recreation area for ATV's, dirt bikes, & snowmobiles. there is no reason we can't spare a few acres to allow residents to enjoy their pleasure vehicles legally. require yearly licenses, safety gear, and a waiver for ALL riders. riding allowed noon-sunset. anyone not adhering to those rules would be trespassing and will be prosecuted.

The Happy Campaign

Well, here it is... my first quasi-official announcement that I intend to run for mayor of Bristol, Connecticut.

So, why am i running?
Hmm. Good question. In short, I'm running in the spirit of the movie "Brewster's Millions." just call me none of the above.
I don't believe government should be run by professional politicians - at any level. I believe myself, an average Bristol resident, would make just as good a candidate as anyone else. I propose that someone with NO political experience who has never attended a meeting at city hall can do a better, more thoughtful, and more grounded job running the city of Bristol than someone who is part of the political machine here.

More about me:
I am in my 30's.
I have lived in Bristol since first grade, and attended public school here.
I commuted to college while working full time, and graduated in 2000.
I have been a Bristol homeowner for about 8 years.
I am married but have no children.
I have no criminal record.
I've worked the past 10 years in a supervisory/middle management type role.
Unfortunately I am also a recent layoff victim.

I have not published my name... because it isn't important. my ideas are. you probably don't know me anyway. But you will...

Constructive comments and questions are more than welcome, as are offers of assistance from anyone who wants to help make Bristol a better place. (If you aren't going to be constructive and just want to be a jackass, I expect that too. ;)