Letter: Mayor’s actions were an eye-opener

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To the editor,

On Tuesday, Oct. 7, I attended the monthly meeting of the Naugatuck Board of Mayor and Burgesses. It was the first such meeting I had been to in a number of years. What an eye-opener.
Mayor Robert A. Mezzo is one of those fortunate politicians who enjoy very favorable press. Thanks to Republican-American reporter Paul Singley, whose writings are published in the Citizen’s News, the mayor’s image is that of “Mr. Nice Guy.” At the Oct. 7 meeting, he was unmasked.

Local resident Matt Katra, who has been instrumental in bringing this year’s town budget to referendum, asked why the budget had not been published in the newspaper seven days prior to the Oct. 14 referendum as required by law. The mayor responded that it would appear the next day, Oct. 8. When Mr. Katra pointed out that would be six days, not seven, the mayor went ballistic. According to him, the town has never bothered to adhere to the law on that particular point. His point being that if you break the law and get away with it, try doing it again?

Mayor Mezzo then launched a very personal and vitriolic attack against Katra and his “minions.” Mezzo seems to have forgotten that a great deal of Katra’s “minions” are the same taxpayers and voters of Naugatuck who put him (Mezzo) in office.

It’s hypocritical of Mezzo to attack Katra’s “minions” when his own sit alongside him on the borough board. After all, it was Republican Deputy Mayor Tamath Rossi who, along with two other Republican burgesses, crossed party lines to side with the Democratic mayor in blocking the re-appointment of Republican Katra to the Board of Finance.

I served with Mezzo on the borough board when he was a burgess. I got the impression he was, and is, a bit of an elitist (not unlike President Barack Obama) who believes that his intellect is so superior to those of the masses whom he governs, that they, the public, should never have the audacity to question his actions.

Over the years, Naugatuck has been very generous in providing jobs for the mayor (part-time with benefits in the school system while he was pursuing his education, as I recall), as well as jobs for his immediate and extended family. Perhaps it’s his good fortune that prevents the mayor from realizing that for a lot of people, times are tough.

L.A. Ackerman

Naugatuck

2 COMMENTS

  1. “After all, it was Republican Deputy Mayor Tamath Rossi who, along with two other Republican burgesses, crossed party lines to side with the Democratic mayor in blocking the re-appointment of Republican Katra to the Board of Finance.”

    I’m so glad you pointed this out, LA Ackerman. The reason three Republicans crossed party lines to eject Matt Katra was because he quickly gained a reputation as a combative and obstructionist politician — not unlike the clowns that currently control the House of Representatives. It’s sad when your own party has such a low opinion of you that they don’t want to even work with you any more.

    The people of Naugatuck need to wake up. Matt Katra doesn’t have the people’s best interests in mind. He’s only interested in his personal vendetta at the expense of our schools (spending freeze on instructional supplies), our children ($11,655 cut from DARE), and our public safety ($9,117 cut for officer training and $2,114 cut from police officer equipment, including bullets).