Simmons meets the moment

I read with interest John E. Fahan’s recent letter endorsing Caroline Simmons for mayor and his telling comments regarding Bobby Valentine.

It bears repeating to anyone thinking of voting for Valentine what the Independent Party discovered when they approached him as a supposedly unaffiliated and independently minded person: “It became evident to us that Valentine does not have the temperament or the experience to be mayor.”

For any thoughtful Stamford citizen, it’s clear that this city faces major challenges in the years ahead. The budget of some $600 million will face tough scrutiny as competing interests seek to allocate that budget. The city’s population is quickly becoming more diverse, which requires its institutions, including schools, government, housing, and law enforcement, to follow suit. National issues of race, policing, sexual diversity and equality, and crippling political polarization are also here in Stamford.

These critical social and budgetary challenges require experienced, educated, and even-tempered leadership that will devise creative and fair solutions for our city. The new mayor must understand these challenges, surround herself or himself with wise counsel, and take advantage of the inventive answers to these questions that other cities in America and around the world have implemented.

That person must also appease overtaxed homeowners who are bearing the brunt of the financial burden. Creative plans are needed.

I do not believe Bobby Valentine, baseball manager, businessman, and celebrity, has the understanding or experience to devise such plans. The historical moment does not call for a “nice guy” or a celebrity. It calls for robust, experienced leadership that is well connected to the federal government, to our government, to commerce, and to women and minorities.

The person who meets this moment must embrace all these requirements. It is now clear to me who that person is: Caroline Simmons.