How I can tell it’s an election year in Stamford

Can we stipulate in the contract with the paving company that the manhole covers be level with the newly paved surface, instead of the perfectly round man-made potholes that seem to dot many of our roads.

It must be an election year in Stamford.

How do I know this? Because it’s time for the Mayor David Martin smoke-and-mirror show.

Part 1: We will see more road paving done this year than usual. Few things make the populace feel better than freshly paved roads, and Stamford has quite a few that need it. I like a newly resurfaced road as much as the next guy, but the timing certainly is perfect for the incumbent.

Of course if I may make two requests before the paving begins. Can we make sure Aquarion, Eversource or whoever else might need to dig up the street, has no plans to do this right after the job is completed? Seems to happen very frequently. The second request, can we stipulate in the contract with the paving company that the manhole covers be level with the newly paved surface, instead of the perfectly round man-made potholes that seem to dot many of our roads.

My car’s suspension would appreciate it as well as many of my vertebrae. Part 2: You can damn well be sure we are going to have fireworks this year on July 4. Yes some might argue that it will be a welcome return to things normal (and I love fireworks) after 2020’s fiasco of a year, but do the taxpayers really need to foot the bill? With all of the wonderfully successful corporate citizens Mayor Martin is always touting, you mean to tell me that Building and Land Technology, Indeed, WWE, Charter Communications cannot each chip in $25,000 to allow us to have our 20 minutes of entertainment? I’m sure there are even a few more names that could be added to the list to make the check smaller if I’ve asked for too much.

And finally, Mayor Martin why a tax increase in this year’s budget (silly me for even asking). What happens to all the money we save by increasing efficiency in various departments? What happens to the money we save by doing more with less? By changing to LED light bulbs? By decreasing the government fleet of cars? By not replacing certain job positions? Etc. The Board of Education is included in this message.

These efficiencies never translate to the bottom line.

And that my fellow citizens is bureaucracy.

We have to feed the beast. In 2020 the budget was reduced significantly due to the pandemic of course, but guess what? Our garbage was still collected, leaves were still picked up, the street sweepers still cleaned our roads, Christmas trees were still collected, the police patrolled our city, firefighters still responded to calls. There is no incentive for departments to reduce their costs because the following year they will not receive as much budget money, and that might lead to a smaller, leaner government. A guy can dream can’t he?

So enjoy the paved roads (manhole divots notwithstanding), the fireworks show and so many other things Stamford has to over (bureaucracy or not) but please, please, please Mr. Mayor can we at least have another year of flat taxes? (Then next year we’ll take a reduction).