Letter: Candidate responds to letter

8
22

letters_flatTo the editor,

I am responding to a letter published last week with Frank Semplenski’s name attached.

I’ve personally known Frank for the past 20 years, and to see him take credit for that letter was shocking. The letter is full of malicious lies concerning Board of Selectmen meetings that do not jibe with either reality or the meetings’ minutes, which can be read on the town website. Frank lent his name to a letter that talked about meetings that he does not attend. I have not chaired a single Board of Selectman meeting with Frank present, and I am sorry that he is being used this way. (He did tell me two years ago that he wanted to vote for me but never would because I’m not a Democrat.)

I stand by my statement in my last campaign: I will not stoop to the tactics that had been the norm of the previous administration. I remain committed to leading the town of Beacon Falls in a professional manner, and Dominick Sorrentino and I look forward to the voters’ support on Tuesday. Beacon Falls is a great town that deserves excellence in leadership.

Gerard F. Smith

First Selectman

Beacon Falls

8 COMMENTS

  1. Lauren –

    Beacon Falls deserves a leader not a liar as chief administrative officer for the town. Smith is vacant of true morals, vacant of any true character and certainly vacant of any leadership skills.

    The community hears you loud and clear as you point out his true character as you witnessed while clerking a meeting. Yes, Smith bailed on the finance board at a critical time—right in the middle of the town budget. Bielik stepped up to the plate, rolled up his sleeves and worked with the team to develop a budget for the town.

    I have worked with Chris Bielik while on the conservation commission. He is a leader with the experience to lead the town as chief administrative officer. His MS Management, Public Administration & Finance from the Naval Postgraduate School will serve this town well. He won’t serve up puffery, as is the case with Smith.

    As for the tax issue, many people struggled during the bad economy; is that all they have on the DEM ticket?

    Smith ‘cleaned’ up his ticket and added a DEM to run on the GOP ticket. One can only assume that no one else would run with him.

    Many people who have volunteered on commissions, boards, and/or committees to serve the town are in disbelief with the way Smith has ‘led’ this town. With this election I place my trust in the Bielik – Betkoski team and the full slate of men and women who stand behind Chris and Peter — they will bring this town back to glory.

  2. Dear JD06403, you post a lot of nonsense. It would appear that you don’t attend meetings or read the minutes for that matter so maybe your purpose is to confuse issues or just plain spew falsehoods. Let me say that at least Mr. Semplensky had the courage of convictions to sign his name to his letter of facts, something he believes in. It would be a bit cowardly if he signed it FS06403 one would think. Second, I clerked for Mr. Bielik while he was Chairman of the BOF for almost a year and a lot longer while he was just a member of the BOF. In fact, he became chairman when FS Smith resigned his position because he was “too busy” – this was the day the budget workshops were to begin. Interestingly enough, you will find that the January 2011 minutes read Mr. Smith asking me to make sure I quote him as saying Gerard F. Smith will NOT be running for First selectman” and if anyone hears that he will be “it is a rumor and lie”. Hmmm!

    Regarding foreclosures in this town, for the $4,000 in back taxes that Mr. Betkoski’s business owes (which includes late fees and penalties) yes……that’s a good idea! Let’s take a business away from beacon falls that has been paying taxes and providing jobs since 1945! Over $4,000? Here’s a thought (thinking out loud now so I could be wrong) but how about having a tax collector that was hand picked and appointed by FS Smith return a few phone calls and work with a businessman to set up a payment plan like Mr. Betkoski is attempting to do? Maybe not responding to 3 different messages left is part of FS Smith’s campaign strategy. Now…..that could be a rumor…….or not.

    FS Smith took a chance directing people to read the meeting minutes because if they do, they WILL find out the truth and it correlates very well with Mr. Semplensky’s letter. What malicious lies could FS Smith be referring to? It looks to me to be all his own words, quoted and documented. And BTW, another recent quote of his “don’t believe anything you read in the newspapers. If you want to know the truth call me directly”. He must be the only one who speaks the truth. His word MUST be the gospel. Everyone else, every other being, every quote and documentation must all be lies and liars? Cult like behavior is unbecoming.

  3. Mr. Smith, it appears that Mr. Semplenski did not need to attend meetings to know some of what was written. From the minutes posted online, you can see there is only one public comment time now, at the end of the meeting. If you have trouble driving at night, you may choose not to go to tbe meeting to say your peace, not knowing how late it may be before you get to talk. And certainly, you do not get to say how you feel about things in the agenda BEFORE they are voted on, only after the fact. Then, if you cannot attend and have trouble driving or cannot get down to town hall when it is open, you need to wait until the volunteer posts the minutes to find out what really happened. I think Mr Smith has limited public participation and should make sure the town clerk, not a volunteer, posts the minutes online as soon as his office gets them.

  4. Dear Mr.Smith as a long time resident of this beautiful town and a proud Republican,Its a shame what you have done to the politics of this town,You didn’t do half of the things you said you were going to do,How about your transparent local government,It’s so transparent we can see rite through it.And how about public works and the way you have treated the workers with your Iron Fist and threatening what a shame,And not to mention how you tried to give your old running mate Dave D’Amico the road formans job once Eddie B. was forced out.And do we need to mention what you did to Mrs.Jurzynski and her family!!! And last but not least HOW ABOUT THE GREAT COVER UP WITH THE TOWN CLERK’S POSITION,I can tell you one thing i will not be supporting the Republican/Democrat ticket this year !What a JOKE. And i also know what you did to Mr.McDuffie when your term started,He is a fine Gentleman and did a wonderful job as chairman of planning and zoning,I’m glad to see him running for Town Clerk he’s a good Man .You should be ashamed of yourself.
    AND YOU CALL THIS LEADERSHIP!!!!!!!!!

  5. So, Mr, S did not write the original letter? But it is the truth because Harold says it is? Harold, so were you at the meetings or are you also just repeating what you were told to say?

    If you are speaking from rumor, then here is another one for you. Chairman Huk, to his credit if he really said this, says that the town should go after scofflaws and foreclose on their property. So I expect that the chairman will endorse foreclosing on scofflaw Peter Betkowski’s property.

    And here is another rumor, I’ve heard that Chris Bielik was only chairman of the board of finance for 2 meetings? Does that qualify someone to run on that claim of experience?

  6. Truth be told, you did exactly what he claims in his letter,no matter who wrote it. And you also know that you had your lackies on the Board of Finance stop the other Selectmen from speaking.This is a democracy not a dictatorship. You should be ashamed of the way you have treated the good people of Beacon Falls