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DEMOCRATIC DISTRICT ~B~ COMMITTEE SOUTH NORWALK OFFICIAL SITE Robert Burgess, Chairman Sylvester Maultsby, Vice-Chair Al Ayme, Secretary Phaedrel (Faye) L. Bowman, Corresponding Secretary Yvonne Rodriguez, Treasurer We appreciate your contributions. Please send contributions payable to: DEMOCRATIC DISTRICT ~B~ COMMITTEE ~click here~ STATE OF THE CITY | '2005 - '2007 STATE OF THE CITY | '2007 - Present CT. STATE NEWS | ISSUES NATIONAL NEWS | ISSUES MAILING LIST EVENTS | PICTURES VIEW | POST - BLOG STREET MAP OF SOUTH NORWALK |
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PRESS RELEASES VOLUNTEER to join our team of members and government officials. You can make a difference. We are glad to hear from Norwalk residents with their ideas, suggestions and/or concerns, and those who recognize the importance of engaging dynamic participation in the political process. |
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DEMOCRATIC NORWALK: Monday, September 10, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. Working Families Party Endorses Briggs for Mayor United States of America (Press Release) Saturday, 08 September 2007 NORWALK — The Working Families Party has voted to endorse Democrat Walter Briggs for mayor of Norwalk for the November 6th elections. "I'm honored to accept the nomination of the Working Families Party, and I will never forget my commitment to economic and housing opportunities for our hard-working residents,” said Briggs. “We have to seriously address the squeeze on the middle class if we're going to make Norwalk the best city in Connecticut, and I look forward to working with WFP to bring out the best in our community. “How many of us could afford to live in Norwalk if we were moving into our homes today?” Briggs continued. “My wife and I certainly could not. We have to do better.” “I am proud to announce Working Families’ endorsement of Walter Briggs for mayor, because Briggs will work hard for Norwalk’s working families,” said Daisy Franklin, co-chair of the 4th Congressional District chapter of Working Families, and Norwalk resident. “His work on the Planning Commission has proven he understands what Norwalk needs to grow and prosper. He has experience, integrity, and the skills to make Norwalk a city that works for all of us.” Votes cast on the Working Families Party line for Walter Briggs will count toward his vote total the same as a vote on the Democratic Party line. But Working Families organizers say that voting on the Working Families line gives voters the opportunity to vote their values, and to send a message on key issues like fair wages, access to healthcare, good jobs, and affordable housing. Connecticut Working Families Party is a fast-growing minor party formed by a coalition of community organizations, labor unions and neighborhood activists who united to fight for a fair economy. The Working Families Party was formed to inject issues like healthcare, quality education, and livable wages into the public debate, and to hold politicians accountable on those issues. For more information, contact: Joe Dinkin (860) 523 1699, or (978) 223 5868 (cell) or by email at jdinkin@workingfamiliesparty.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. Briggs Recognizes National Sickle Cell Awareness Month United States of America (Press Release) Saturday, 08 September 2007 NORWALK - Walter Briggs, Democratic candidate for Mayor of Norwalk, issued the following statement today: "I'm pleased to join Mayor Moccia, Rhonda Collins, and Councilwoman Bolden in recognizing September as National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, and applaud their drive to make people aware of this deadly disease. National Sickle Cell Awareness Month provides an opportunity for our community to contemplate our duty in confronting a devastating disease which unfairly impacts minorities, and too frequently goes undiagnosed by those unable to afford medical treatment. If we can rise to the occasion, facing this crisis together will bring out the best in our community, and bring real improvements to the lives of hundreds of young people in the area." National Sickle Cell Awareness Month provides an opportunity for our community to contemplate our duty in confronting a devastating disease which unfairly impacts minorities, and too frequently goes undiagnosed by those unable to afford medical treatment. If we can rise to the occasion, facing this crisis together will bring out the best in our community, and bring real improvements to the lives of hundreds of young people in the area. The commitment required to manage this disease will go beyond what one city can do -- it will require a dedicated investment from our State and Federal governments, and a re-imagining of our current healthcare system -- but we must never underestimate what we can achieve if each of us are personally committed to ensuring that those with sickle cell anemia and their families have the opportunities they deserve. I urge Norwalkers to give generously to Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Southern Connecticut, Inc., and to take advantage of the free testing for the disease on September 13th." Donations to SCDAA can be sent to: 189 State Street Bridgeport, CT 06604 The September 13th Sickle Cell Awareness/Norwalk Health Department/Health Providers Health Fair will occur at: Norwalk Community Health Center 121 Water Street, Norwalk, CT 06854 10 a.m. to 12 noon Contact SCDAA of Southern Connecticut for educational information, upcoming events, or to participate in the 16th Annual Walkathon: On the web: http://www.scdaaofsouthernct.org Phone: 203-366-8610 Email: SRSCA2@aol.com FREE PRESS: Wednesday, September 12, 2007 SOUTH NORWALK BRINGS THE CITY OF NORWALK AND THE COUNTRY TO THE FOREFRONT OF CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY IN WATER FILTRATION PRLOG PRESS RELEASE DISTRIBUTION: Thursday, September 13, 2007 SOUTH NORWALK BRINGS THE CITY OF NORWALK AND THE COUNTRY TO THE FOREFRONT OF CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY IN WATER FILTRATION I-NEWSWIRE DISTRIBUTION: Thursday, September 13, 2007 SOUTH NORWALK BRINGS THE CITY OF NORWALK AND THE COUNTRY TO THE FOREFRONT OF CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY IN WATER FILTRATION CRAIG LIST: Friday, September 14, 2007 through friday, September 21, 2007 SOUTH NORWALK BRINGS THE CITY OF NORWALK AND THE COUNTRY TO THE FOREFRONT OF CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY IN WATER FILTRATION FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE." Briggs Offers Hope, College For Norwalk Students United States of America (Press Release) Saturday, 17 September 2007 Democratic Mayoral candidate Walter Briggs and Common Council candidate Gail Wall held an event in front of the Grumman St. John House at 93 East Avenue Monday, where they unveiled a platform to incorporate Norwalk's history into a long-range vision for our city. Their plan includes,
Hello, thank you for joining us today. I'll be speaking for a few minutes about my experience with historic preservation on the Planning Commission and my platform for preservation as Mayor -- Candidate Gail Wall will be speaking about her vision for preservation in Norwalk, touching on the story of this house and the case which will be moving forward tomorrow. Finally, Lee Levey will be speaking about the kinds of smart proposals that I would like to see more of in Norwalk going forwards. We'll have a few minutes for questions at the end. First, let me say that I engaged a great number of neighborhood and community groups in the Master Plan process, and was impressed by the input provided by those active in the historic preservation community. I was able to learn a great deal from them, and their passion and commitment is reflected in the final plan that we released. Gail Wall especially deserves credit, not just for educating the planning commissioners on the wealth of history contained in Norwalk's buildings, but for showing real leadership in marshalling this community to bring positive change. Historic buildings are important to our city's identity, and make Norwalk look and feel like Norwalk – not Westport or New Canaan or Bridgeport, but Norwalk. Many of these buildings go back to our country's founding or before, but the truth is, that if we do nothing, they will crumble and disappear or be demolished, one by one. In developing the city's new Master Plan, I worked hard to ensure that historic preservation is one of the cornerstones of Norwalk's future development. And this is one of the reasons why I'm running for Mayor -- I don't think Dick Moccia can carry out the Plan of Conservation and Development if this is his idea of what we should be doing in the city. What we need is a mayor capable of planning ahead to protect our heritage, and I will be that mayor. So I'd like to lay out a few issues that I will raise from City Hall to change the status quo on historic preservation. First, we must make it possible to preserve and rehabilitate historic buildings before we lose more of the things that truly makes Norwalk unique. We must bring new incentives to convince developers to include historic buildings in their projects, so that the owners of buildings like this see it as profitable and desirable to partner with the city to protect our heritage. Our historic neighborhoods contribute to Norwalk's quality of life and high property values, so protecting these buildings – and from everything I've heard, the incentives would have little or no impact on our city budget – are a good investment for all of us. Secondly, we need to think long-term about how to make preservation a central value in our planning. I will also support Local Historic Districts to give the city access to new sources of funding for preservation-related activities – our status as the first Preserve America city in Connecticut has opened the door to a variety of new grants, which I will energetically pursue as mayor. However, we must not turn a blind eye to illegal razings: most developers that I know are highly interested in being partners in our community, but we must make sure that the law is followed. To do so, we need a dedicated demolition inspector for the City of Norwalk, to ensure that what happened at 124 East Avenue doesn't happen again. This inspector would be funded by an increase in fees for demolition permits, and will show developers that we're serious about enforcing our laws. We also must seriously challenge the ability of developers to profit from illegal demolitions, and as mayor, I will work to allow the Common Council to withhold building permits from those that flaunt our system. In closing, I want to compliment the historic preservation community for their commitment to bringing out the best in our city: they have done tremendous work starting as far back as the 1920’s in saving the Town House at Mill Hill and, later on, The Lockwood Mathews Mansion, all the buildings on Washington Street and many other buildings we all know and love – but they have also helped to rekindle civic participation for the sake of the common good. That quality — which was apparent to me in the Master Plan process — gives me pride and hope in what we can accomplish together. And with that, let me turn the presentation over to Gail Wall. FREE PRESS: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 SOUTH NORWALK: FOCAL POINT FOR THE CITY OF NORWALK I-NEWSWIRE DISTRIBUTION: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 SOUTH NORWALK: FOCAL POINT FOR THE CITY OF NORWALK FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. Walter Briggs Demands Action on Flooding United States of America (Press Release) Saturday, 05 October 2007 Walter Briggs, Democratic candidate for Mayor, announced that his first commitment to Norwalk homeowners if he should win the post in November is to fix the city's infrastructure and eliminate the flooding problems that have plagued property owners in recent years. "I believe that our city government is not doing all it can to fix the flooding problem, and it's primarily because the current mayor keeps moving the flooding issue down the list of his priorities," he said in a news release issued today. Briggs charged that the Republican incumbent, Richard Moccia, has consistently avoided taking action that would aggressively deal with this issue, thus continuing hardships for the homeowners around the city whose property values are endangered by seasonal rains and other conditions. "Last year, a quarter-million dollars was allocated for the emergency cleaning of storm drains, a quarter-million dollars that was never spent," Briggs charged. "Those unspent funds were rolled into this year's budget, in the hope that we'd finally get around to immediate and dramatic action, and Norwalk's homeowners are still waiting." Briggs pointed out that when the budget came in under the designated cap, a Board of Estimate and Taxation member proposed to direct most of the excess to fix the flooding infrastructure. Moccia opposed the allocation. "Three million dollars from our "rainy day fund" went to tax cuts, but the Mayor stood against $500,000 for protecting Norwalkers from really rainy days," he said. "What good is a tax cut when your house is under water?" Briggs demanded. Further, Mayor Moccia turned his back on city homeowners and taxpayers when he supported Republican Gov. Jodi Rell's opposition to the bonding package. The package included $3.2 million for flood control projects in Norwalk. "And this is the problem," Briggs said. "If Moccia reminds you of Mayor Esposito, who put off repairs on the roads and the schools until they were crumbling, it should. When there's a real and immediate need like this, the mayor must act." Briggs, a member and former Chair of the Planning Commission, noted that the first 100 days of his administration will include the release of his first capital budget, adding that "I will issue a capital plan that brings flood control down to a three-to-five year timeline." Briggs pledged further that he would consult with Public Works Director Hal Alvord about the employment needs in his department in order to plan and implement a flood abatement program. He noted Alvord's staff is half what it once was, leaving the director without the resources to get the job done and protect the city infrastructure and the property owners' investment. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. Briggs Offers Hope, College For Norwalk Students United States of America (Press Release) Saturday, 06 October 2007 Walter Briggs, Democratic candidate for Mayor, unveiled his education and youth services platform today, bringing together a forward-looking college tuition proposal with programs to add after-school activities and educational enhancements to Norwalk's school ecosystem. "The current Mayor is neglecting many of Norwalk's key resources," said Briggs, "but none has longer-lasting or more serious consequences than a failure to bring hope and opportunity to our young people." The Mayor is a member of the Board of Education, but Moccia usually skips these meetings. Briggs has pledged to attend Board of Education meetings as Mayor. Briggs cited his experience as an investor and registered Municipal Securities Principal in his decision to expand Norwalk's educational services. "Investing in hope and opportunity for our students pays tremendous dividends – it ensures that young people can get good-paying jobs, and allows them to live in state and raise their own families." Briggs added "you can only address the growing gang problem and the disappointing test scores in Norwalk by changing the equation and giving kids something to work for." A new report from the Assembly's Permanent Commission on the Status of Women indicates that 19 percent of Connecticut households fall below the Commission's Self Sufficiency Standard, and that public college costs between 37 and 50% of family income for low- and middle-income students. The Commission indicates that bringing additional money to fund college tuition – especially in the CSUS and Community college system – will be among their top recommendations. "If your family is just barely able to pay your bills, a college education might not be an option," said Briggs. "We need to get back to a place in our society where kids understand from an early age that if you work hard, you can get ahead. A high school diploma doesn't cut it anymore." As Mayor, Walter Briggs pledges to:
United States of America (Press Release) October 10, 2007 -- Dick Moccia, "Politics More Important Than Public Service?" Your Words Fit Your Actions. Norwalk Republican Mayor Dick Moccia on Mayoral Endorsement before the Fairfield County Building Trades. "Two years ago it was a surprise, Moccia said. This time, I really am overwhelmed by you coming here and advocating my candidacy. The office of the mayor is important to me, but your support and your friendship … is more important, and I appreciate that," Moccia added. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. United States of America (Press Release) October 10, 2007 -- "Republican Gov. Jodi Rell Short on Commitment for Needed School Projects Democratic legislators defied Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell by refusing her demand that they reduce a $3.2 billion bond package to a few hundred million dollars for school construction projects. It took the Senate several hours to pass a Democrat-backed $3.2 billion bond package on a 21-12 vote that fell along party lines. The House passed the bill on a mostly party-line 84-38 vote shortly before midnight. Gov. M. Jodi Rell VETOED THE BIL". FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. United States of America (Press Release) October 10, 2007 -- "Republican Mayor Moccia turned his back on Norwalk, CT homeowners and taxpayers when he supported Republican Gov. Jodi Rell's opposition to the bonding package. The package included $3.2 million for flood control projects in Norwalk". FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. United States of America (Press Release) October 10, 2007 -- Republican councilman Douglas Hempstead says, "TAKE THE FUNDS FROM THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO ATTACK FLOODING" »»»"Norwalk, CT Committee member Douglas Hempstead, a Republican, said "the city could dip into Finance Director Thomas Hamilton's recommended operating budget for the Board of Education to fund a new position in the Department of Public Works to attack the flooding." FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. United States of America (Press Release) October 13, 2007 -- "BRIGGS AND BRADLEY PROMOTE GREEN BUILDING CAMPAIGN" "Promise Environmental Leadership and Renewable Energy Plan in First Terms" NORWALK - Delivering on a call from citizens across Norwalk, Walter Briggs and Common Council candidate Marc Bradley announced their commitment to implement a "green building" program in their first term in office. "As a coastal community, Norwalk must lead the way in establishing green building practices," said Briggs. Noting the inclusion of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards in the Master Plan, he added "Our city buildings should be the first under the microscope – we're paying unnecessary costs because of a failure to address these problems in a timely fashion." Describing his term as Chair of Norwalk's Planning Commission, Briggs said that "I listened to Norwalk's residents, who were clear that we need a long-term vision for making our city environmentally sound. We can set the bar higher, which will benefit Norwalk's environment and economic health at the same time." Marc Bradley, an At-Large Common Council candidate who has worked professionally in energy conservation, agrees. "As one of the largest cities in the state, we need to make sure that our city is leading the way in energy efficiency and in implementing greener technologies. This is not simply a matter of cleaning up our air or doing our part to curb global warming -- this is about smart government and saving Norwalk’s taxpayers’ money." Added Bradley, "By evaluating our existing municipal buildings and schools, and ensuring that all new development meet LEED energy standards, Norwalk can potentially save over 10% in energy costs." The candidates also pledged to follow through on the Master Plan's promise of enacting a Renewable Energy Plan, including biofuels and other sources such as solar and wind power. "Creative thinking can turn back rising energy costs," said Briggs. "The plan we put together for Oyster Shell Park is a great example of how conservation and renewable energy can be included in an attractive and accessible public space." The park is "off the grid," meaning that it draws no power from the city's energy infrastructure, and as Briggs noted, "in time, this kind of project can even turn into a plus on our city's balance sheet, as we provide energy to the surrounding community." |