Opinion: New London City Council 'Irresponsible'

Editor’s Note: This is an open letter to the New London City Council members, written by Marie Friess-McSparran.

To the members of the New London City Council:

I understand that a question as to the legality of a meeting of the Senior Affairs Commission, as stated by a councilor who claimed to have read the minutes, has been raised. These unfounded attacks on the commission, the seniors, who are also members of the community, must be addressed and a formal public apology is essential.

It is utterly irresponsible for the city council, whole or in part, to refer a matter such as this to the city law director incurring billable legal fees when during a period of more than 5 months have passed without so much as a discussion initiated by anyone of the council with anyone of the commission regarding this issue.

In the current fiscal climate where this council is again going to push upon the taxpaying citizens of New London another double digit tax increase, which will force many citizens to choose between basic necessities and taxes, the council has incurred an unnecessary expense because of their failure to do their due diligence as stewards of the taxpayer’s money.

Not one councilor has spoken to the commission regarding the specifics of this issue- but rather would ask the law director for info that could have easily been provided with a simple phone call. However, Councilor Dominguez continues to hold meetings of an unsanctioned subcommittee and no member of this council questions this, as a point of fact Councilor Dominguez has attended only 1 month’s meeting out of the 16 months of the Senior Affairs Commission, of who he is the liaison to, since he has been elected.

The council has failed over the last 2 years to fill the vacant commission positions, when there have been applications on file.

This action is indicative of an orchestrated and deliberate attempt by the city council to marginalize the seniors of the city of New London by attacking the senior population support structure at its core.

The majority of the current elected officials in the City of New London have either worked aggressively to benefit their own personal agendas through the systematic marginalization of entire segments of our community or by ignoring the marginalization attempts by their elected peers. Neither of these actions can be tolerated by this community any longer. These frivolous and intentional acts by the council or any elected representative of the people can only be viewed as an attempt to render ineffective a protected class of people.

To drive my point home in an email Atty. Londregan states : “the meeting was appropriately held and business was appropriately conducted”.

Every city council member should be ashamed of the wasteful spending the hours it took the city law director to come to this conclusion when the simple consideration of asking the chair of the commission, who regularly attends council meetings, the specifics of this meeting. This was not the action of responsible elected officials tasked with watching the taxpayer’s money.

Marie Friess-McSparran

Letters to the editor may be sent to jaimie.cura@patch.com.