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To the Editor:
I would like to start by stating that I have lived in Stamford for over 50 years. Secondly, I am a registered Democrat. I’m a Democrat, that rightfully so, is second to being an American first. What I see in this debate over the mayor’s dictatorial action, that she has personally undertaken regarding our charter revision, is an unorthodox way of uniting a community by taking away rights that belong to the people.
I see “WE THE PEOPLE” fighting for our rights and freedoms and the opposition of our stance who encourage fear mongering and skewing facts because their message does not resonate. Not only did the mayor trample our freedoms, she also undermined her oversight by intentionally disregarding the Board of Representatives by excluding them from the conversation and not having the decency to let the Board of Reps. speak for their constituents.
Today in this deeply divided country both of our political parties have chosen political ideologies that are counterproductive to a successful America under our great document, The Constitution. Most residents that trust in the American process see the ideological shift as an attack on the rights of “We the People.” This group is referred to as a small faction of residents with “too much time on their hands”, when in reality we are actually the drivers of this great city with “little time on our hands” and almost no money or resources, while we use all of our valuable time that we have pushing back on overreach and exclusion ultimately taking away our precious family time. If our leaders were acting in good faith, there would be no reason for pushback. These leaders feel pandering is actually easier than working together to come to a solution. This takeover of our local zoning decisions is a weak and cowardly attack on the residents who disagree.
We are a wonderfully, strong, diverse group of Stamford residents that have the right to say “NO” because we live in the “Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.” What we have is a leadership problem where politicians think they are voted in for power. They proudly shout this out in their quest to turn Stamford into an overcrowded, welfare state without engaging in community discussion taking in the vested interest of lifelong residents. Yes, we need housing to be affordable but not at the expense of residents whose rights have been stripped by our mayor and not at the expense of residents in need of an affordable city to live in who are being given the false promises of affordable housing as we fill every inch of Stamford with unaffordable and unneeded buildings that block out every bit of natural light in our small city. Our group of committed residents who are diverse in many ways have God given rights and the ability to stand up to self-righteous politicians who virtue signal to needy residents coming up short on building affordable housing for those who need it for decades. We are for responsible growth that will help a community thrive.
As vested residents who have built our community over decades, we have seen the success that a small community can generate when we legislate as a community not as a state mandated, autocratic government. Autocracy only benefits the politicians that can’t see past their political aspirations. The ideological push selfishly benefits the mayor and her politically connected cronies who are not for “We the People” but are for overbearing government. The mayor is not having a revival awakening for diversity but in reality, twisting diversity which entails dragging the needy along and excluding those who do not agree, while having no real intention or plan to change anything for the better. This is overreach perpetrated by the Mayor of Stamford and should be the defining moment in her short, divisive 2 years as mayor. I would like to make a request that the mayor partake in diversity training to improve how she communicates to constituents. Actually, I withdraw my request based on common morals and values. There should be no program that forces any individual to be trained in diversity. If your upbringing didn’t teach you diversity at a young age you will eventually learn the hard way because most people accept diversity without training.
The residents who are called a small faction are from all over Stamford trying to save our community from becoming an overcrowded, tax funded, dystopia with no remaining historical worth. This will collapse our local municipality and continue to turn Stamford into a concrete city from border line to border line, blocking out the sun while building on every grass surface. This direction will destroy the housing market and the sanctity and rights of landowners. Most of the residents who deserve a voice and say about local land use matters have a track record of moving to Stamford for its quaintness. We shouldn’t have to fight against the city for our sanctity and our vested interest as homeowners. If you listen, the voices are from residents who have lived in Stamford for 30, 40, 50, even 60 years. These are the residents who the mayor dismisses and does not include in her wayward attempt to show her unique angle at excluding for diversity. We see the mayor and most of the leadership in Stamford caving to the ideological minority of mostly politicians, demanding a takeover of local zoning decisions and handing them over to the state.
“WE THE PEOPLE,” have more time invested here than the mayor herself, the Superintendent, the rubber stamp Zoning Board leader, and some DCC members among others that feel Stamford is theirs to mold in their form regardless of opposing voices. One member of the DCC stood in front of the microphone at a charter revision meeting and shouted at longtime diverse residents on how she thinks we should live our lives as she denounced our rights as residents. Disgraceful!! This tyrannical passion that the democrat party displays drag along young ideological trainees who read from a script being encouraged to espouse fear mongering while never actually enjoying life before becoming an activist. This is no way to lead, and the mayor is showing her true colors by overstepping her boundaries and enacting a law that takes away the people’s rights and puts power in the hands of state bureaucrats. This handcuffs not just Stamford but the state.
This is a divisive leadership and another reason to make a request for the mayor’s resignation. This is not a unifying way to lead. This is a power grab denying “WE THE PEOPLE” for selfish pride. The mayor should be embarrassed. It’s obvious not having the ability to come up with positive, fruitful, welcoming ideas makes an insecure politician enact their personal thoughts into laws, denying “We the People” of their rights. These last second laws snuck into a bill to circumvent the people must be immediately addressed and overturned by common sense politicians.
This travesty, perpetrated by the mayor took place as we celebrated 247 years of the signing of the Declaration of Independence which the mayor obviously disrespects along with her constituents, in a time when elected politicians are denying “We the People” our rights, forgetting what the Constitution stands for. It’s the peoples document not the politician’s document. You work for us Madame Mayor. This will forever be a stain encrypted into Stamford’s history. History will engrave the mayor’s actions as a permanent record for future generations to see. One last thing, thank you to all board members who truly stand for the people. We must stand against this overreach and vote being as informed as we possibly can. No more voting straight party line as a Democrat. We need to change this direction and vote out this self-interested mayor and vote for competent leadership and a successful Stamford. The mayor obviously is unaware that Connecticut is called the Constitution state for a reason, as she usurps our freedom document for sole authority decision making. Wake up Stamford, you are being fooled into giving up your freedom and your voice over to power hungry politicians. Make your votes count. Hold our elected leaders accountable to our founding documents that espouse freedom. This is the Constitution state. Let’s keep it that way.
Paul Arvoy
Stamford CT