Intellectual Insult of the Day:

Residents who oppose the "Haddam Land Swap" proposal, my wife included, recently sent our governor a letter requesting his help in protecting the public's 17.4-acre property in Haddam that the state purchased for conservation purposes.

He responded amazingly quickly---sort of---he handed that request off to DEP Commissioner Daniel Esty.  Makes we wonder...was Malloy too busy raiding Osama bin Laden’s hideout to talk about the state's preserved properties, and a bill he will be required to consider signing?

Where to begin--what to be most disturbed by? 

1) Firstly- the governor handing off an email sent to him from a constituent to his appointed commissioner of DEP to answer for him; or

 2)That the response from Esty then totally avoided discussing—or even responding in any way to - the questions and comments made in the emails ... and, to just give the meat of it, saying: "discuss it with your local officials and legislators."; or

 3) That Esty avoided accepting any responsibility for the 17.4-acre state property in Haddam even though he is the person who has the primary responsibility for the property and its protection;—or

 4) That this total dodge ball was kicked from the chief of the agency that was responsible for the decision to purchase this land for protection, and the deaprtment that requested to use public funds allocated by the legislature ONLY for that purpose; or

 5) That the email he sent didn’t even come from him—it came from some sort of assistant;

Well-forget all of that,

 Because Esty ( and Governor Malloy) didn’t even bother with a real response. He sent everyone a form letter! The same exact letter has been received by numerous others.

 What an insulting and idiotic excuse for public service. But— it does tell us something:

1) We are up against the executive branch in this fight to hold our elected officials to their avowed commitments to us - including their vow to hold and protect properties - like this 17.4 acres -  purchased in our name, with our money - for conservation and open space. In short, for our use. The  governor is obviously fully behind ignoring that vow and letting the Riverhouse Partnership build a nice profit center there. 

2) Governor Malloy and his new appointed Commissioner of the DEP have no idea of the importance of — or at least have no commitment to — protecting state open space and conserved property. ( Most people realized what that stupid combining of "economic development" and "environmental protection" into one department would result in. I just thought it wouldn't come crashing down on us even before Malloy dusted off his new office chair.)

Maybe Malloy should simplify the initials for Esty’s title, and just go back again to “DEP.”
this time however this will mean: “Dept of Economic Pillaging”

Honestly, I have much more respect for the Riverhouse partners and Steve Rocco. They are just doing what business people do — and that is understandable. It is just normal for them to try to nip off a piece of state property with a nice Connecticut River view for a nice profit. As their spokesman said - "they just want to make money." I hear they even helped Malloy out by providing his election headquarters in Hartford, and that just shows they are smart guys. (hmmmm...was this at a bargain rate? And was that declared as an in-kind donation?) That idea is working out pretty well I would say...!

This response from Malloy—our Governor—has no excuse whatsoever.

And—we must realize—this is Malloy’s response.

The message he sent (well--his DEEP Commissioner's secretary sent):

So--am I unjustly insulting our new Governor, who I admit--I made many phone calls for on election day. ( OK so I'm an idiot - but then why are you reading my drivel?) Well, I feel personally insulted by him by his response to my wife; but his worst insult to me, and everyone else who owns the land in Haddam, and the thousands of other acres of protected state property all across the state, was his cavaleer attitude about our property.

I don't think he knows what he just stepped in.  So, everyone needs to let him know what it was - and then firmly help him to scrape it off his shoes.

More - unfortunately - of that same squishy stuff to come.