The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Santa’s got a brand new mailbag
The Postman has a red suit and white beard. (Edited for space and clarity, and some spelling errors)
Ken: While no fan of Malloy or what the Democrats have done to what was once a thriving state, I started to read your (Sept. 16) article about the positive things he has done ... then you insulted our president and stopped me cold. This is what is wrong with journalists these days ... Sincerely, A formal CT newspaper editor and reporter.
Dear Edit: It must have been a trial, wearing a tuxedo among the inkstained wretches. I think at this point in the golfing vacation he calls a presidency, Trump is mostly self-insulting.
Mr. Dixon: I’m a strong supporter of Dan Malloy’s determination and achievements. Thanks for laying it out. J. L. Old Greenwich
Ken: Thank you for a most insightful article ... I think one of the reasons that the governor is not well-liked, on either side of the aisle, is because he made the tough decisions and angered everyone who talk big but cave into political re-election concerns. M.F.
Dear Ken: I’m not a huge Malloy supporter, however I feel that he is being unfairly maligned by CT Republicans. I’ve lived in CT since 1966 and the current relationship between the two parties is at an all-time low, with no change in sight ... M.M.
Hi Mr. Dixon: Thank you for giving voice to what I’ve been thinking. For months I’ve been irritated by many Democrats and nearly all Republicans who want to use Malloy as a scapegoat for Connecticut’s longstanding fiscal problems. However, I do wish I liked him better on a personal level. J.B.
Dear J.B.: I don’t think we really have to “like” our governors.
Mr. Dixon never fails to provide a self righteous, scolding tone to his contributions. As an example see (Nov. 11) today’s Trojan Horse. As I have said many times, I will follow my three boys out of the state as soon as I can. T.G.
Ken: On Stefanowski’s Trojan Horse/Pinata governor’s campaign. It’s mind boggling to think that anyone with a bit of intelligence could even consider voting for a candidate who voted once in 17 years, was a Democrat for a year and worst of all, won’t speak to the press. Easier to “run” on tired dogma — that’s proven so wrong in the past — money, and this sad mentality that success in business translates well for the state/country. G.S Cos Cob
Ken: So important for voters to know that you and other reporters faced the same “one-note” campaign from Stefanowski: cut taxes. Most voters expected some proposals on reducing government, some idea of where Stefanowski would find savings. And we were amazed that reporter after reporter said there was no program being offered. Hard to believe so many people disliked Malloy and taxes so much that they’d vote for a pig in a poke. B.H.
Mr. Dixon:Your Sunday column is so much tripe ... discounting your dislike for “Big Bob” (oh so nasty), as you called him, no Republican was ever gonna defeat a Democrat in this state election and you know it! The Democratic candidate as always easily carried the left-leaning cities — Bridgeport, New Haven and Hartford — and the other nine liberal cities. What was it, by 78,000 plus votes? When did a Republican candidate EVER have this kind of plurality? Never. J.K.
Dear J.K. Mmmmm ... tripe. Lamont’s margin of victory was 40,000 votes. Two of the last three governors were Republican. I never got close enough to Stefanowski to establish a subjective opinion on his character. His security detail didn’t let me even get a question in. When someone like that runs for public office you wonder what they’re hiding. So I found out.
Ken: Bob ‘‘bought “the nomination. Then didn’t know what to do with it. You are right, this was our year. Bob dropped the ball bigly. D.M.
Ken: I was introduced to (Republican hopeful Tim) Herbst early on. I ended up voting for (independent) Oz Griebel. T.L. New Haven.
Ken: Great (Dec. 2) column! To acknowledge another human being simply because he/she is human lifts us above the caveman adrenaline response of fight/flight and the defensive stance of racists, homophobes and anti-Semites. M.C.
Ken: I enjoyed your column, particularly the atheist goy menorah shopping at the Christmas Tree Shop and who could argue that courtesy and respect have gone off the rails. While you are a thought-provoking columnist, I want you to know the “Caravan” comments were like a trigger to this conservative snowflake. It’s about time Congress buckled down and addressed this issue instead of both parties using it as a wedge issue. D.O. Bridgeport
Thanks D.O., but it might be safer for us to buckle up than to depend on Washington to buckle down.
From: Bob Stefanowski — Hope you have a nice holiday, Ken.
You, too, Bob, and everyone else.