Today we welcome our newest Our Greenwich columnist, Frank Trotta. Trotta, the father of three, has lived in Cos Cob since 1992, and has worked in Greenwich since 1985 — a relative “newcomer” to Town, but a “Townie” at heart. He has been involved on the local, state and national levels in Republican politics and conservative causes since his teens.
Driving to work, contemplating what I should write for my first blog, I noticed dueling signs on Valley Road. Travelling west, on the left (appropriately) was a house with an Obama sign and directly across the street a house with a McCain-Palin sign. I thought I could write about neighbors disagreeing without being disagreeable – much like my next-door neighbor and I with our own juxtaposed McCain-Palin and Obama signs.
But what struck me the next day was the sudden absence of the McCain-Palin sign from the right side of Valley Rd. Hmmmmm. A sudden change of heart? Did McCain say something to change the homeowner’s mind?
Well, it turns out there is a rash of missing McCain signs in town – including mine. Indeed, there is a police department investigation of the apparent thefts. The local McCain coordinator in Greenwich, Joe Romano, reports that at least 21 of the limited number of McCain signs allotted to Greenwich were missing. As he put it, “This was way too many lost signs to be a coincidence.” And his 21 do not include the Valley Road sign, or my sign which the culprit tore up and left in shreds on the corner of my block. Interestingly, he or she walked right past a “Camillo for State Rep” sign on my lawn to get to the McCain-Palin sign.
The missing signs sadden me for so many reasons. Obvious among those reasons is the lack of respect it illustrates – respect for another’s property, but moreover a lack of respect for another’s opinion, an attitude that my freedom of speech stops when you disagree with me. But this also reflects something I have long lamented – a change in the civility that once was the hallmark of our great town.
A lack of civility in our local political discourse is something even those too young to vote have noticed. According to a quote in a recent Greenwich Time article, “‘Camillo was more soft-spoken, though,’ said fellow junior Yui Nobunaga, 16, from Cos Cob. Krumeich, she added, ‘kept on attacking him.’” That was exactly what I observed, myself, when I attended the League of Women Voters debate earlier this month. There were four candidates in two contested races speaking at that debate, and three of them (Republicans Fred Camillo, Scott Franz, and Democrat Mark Diamond) were all polite, focused on issues, and courteous. The sole exception was Ed Krumeich, the Democrat running against Fred Camillo.
Krumeich was constantly criticizing Camillo in the LWV debate and even more so in the Channel 12 debate. He even has a section on his website where he tries to define who Fred Camillo is – and surely not in a positive way. Camillo is not an incumbent, so Krumeich resorts to personal innuendo, about Fred’s family, about Fred’s temperament, and about Fred’s careers. For instance, in debates and on his website he refers to Camillo’s “familial connections” to the carting industry. Krumeich proudly claims he is half-Italian but that half didn’t bless him with a vowel at the end of his name. As a full-Italian who is so blessed, I know a bit abut being stereo-typed. I understand what people think when they hear “family connections” and “carting industry.” Just Google “carting industry” and you will see the top links are about organized crime. Krumeich should know better – and probably does.
Fred started his own garbage collection business in Greenwich. I remember seeing Fred, with his perpetual smile, driving his garbage truck down Greenwich Avenue, waving to friends early in the morning, before going to his other job. Not a silk-suited “don” but an entrepreneur running a start-up and working elsewhere to make ends meet.
In another post I will write about how highly I think of Fred. This post is about the change in the tone of political discourse in our town. The stolen signs and the slurs are symptoms of a change in character. Some in our town have forgotten that the words “civic” and “civility” come from the same root. If the voters of Greenwich reward such behavior then perhaps we deserve what we get.
(For more on this topic see: http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/civility.html. “The word civilité shares the same etymology with words like civilized and civilization. Quite simply, the root word means to be “a member of the household.” Just as there are certain rules that allow family members to live peacefully within a household, so there are rules of civility that allow us to live peacefully within a society. We have certain moral responsibilities to one another.”)
on Oct 15th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Frank, great piece. Politics only tears people apart and forces them to compartmentalize their views about life into neat ideological packages. And it turns normal law-abiding citizens into vandals. Keep up the fine job
on Oct 15th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
I have a hunch Ed Krumeich’s nasty tone, has much to do with his frustration with Camillo’s obvious well deserved popularity in the contested district. The students’ observation of Krumeichs’ nastiness, as opposed to Freds’ more positive demeanor, is no small realization. This is one contest, where civil discourse will result in a Camillo win and the good guy being rewarded.
on Oct 15th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Unfortunately the sign vandalizing goes across party lines. There’s been a rash of Obama sign thefts in Stamford. It’s a really sad state of affairs.
My teen son is starting to get active discussing politics on online message boards, and I’m working hard to get him to stick to the issues and avoid resorting to name-calling. I just remind him how it felt when he read the sorts of nasty things people used to call his Mom when they disagreed with her columns in the Greenwich Time.;-)
on Oct 16th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
Frank: These were not personal attacks but legitimate questions about Fred’s qualifications and his position on the issues. It is legitimate to point out that Fred identifies with the far right of the Republican Party. He wrote “I am tired of holding my nose and voting for typical Northeastern Republicans simply because they are Democrats” in 2007. People can reach their own conclusions by watching the Word on the Channel 79 page of the town website and by comparing our positions on the Project Vote Smart website.
Ed Krumeich
on Oct 16th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
Frank: You could criticize my typing skills. Fred’s quote was “I am tired of holding my nose and voting for typical Northeastern Republicans simply because they are not Democrats.” As you know from reading excerpts from Fred’s quotes on my website EdForRep.com this was not an isolated comment critical of moderate Republicans, not to mention Democrats.
Also, for your information in 2004 all the Kerry signs disappeared one night, in 2006 all the Lamont signs disappeared the same night the Joe signs went up. I agree we need civility in politics including civil discourse.
Ed Krumeich
on Oct 17th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Ed: With all due respect (and civility) I disagree. I’ve seen you and Fred debate. IMHO, you have resorted to personal innuendo, and I’d be happy to discuss it with you face-to-face. Going any further on the blog would be falling into the old political trap of saying “I do not beat my wife.”
So let’s talk, and until then, let me quote John McCain, “I can’t wish you luck, but I wish you well.”
Frank
on Oct 27th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
[...] weeks ago, we had an post on Uncivil Civics here on OurGreenwich, in which the implication was that the uncivility was a one-way street aimed [...]
on Oct 28th, 2008 at 7:58 am
Let’s be fair guys. Drive around. Do an honest survey, not an emotional one. There are NO presidential signs at all – except if they are deep onto a person’s property and most likely they are not stolen because the stealer figures the home owner might have some hidden cameras around to take their picture. The signs left standing are for Shays, and some for other local people running. Nastiness has no political party. Happy Election Day!
on Nov 1st, 2008 at 12:35 pm
See: Greenwich Time website for article on missing signs:
http://www.greenwichtime.com/ci_10833193
=============================================
Political placards go missing
By Colleen Flaherty
Staff Writer
Article Launched: 10/28/2008 02:29:16 AM EDT
From the way the victim had been disfigured and abandoned just feet from home, it was clearly a crime of passion.
“It was all ripped apart like somebody really resented it,” Cos Cob resident Frank Trotta said of the John McCain sign stolen from his lawn and left shredded at Shelter Drive and Benenson Place Oct. 2. Trotta was returning from filing a police report on another stolen sign, that of state Republican House candidate Fred Camillo, when he noticed his other sign lying in the street.
Trotta has since replaced both signs, but said he can’t be sure that either will make it through to Election Day.
Disturbing as it may be, campaign sign snatching, classified as a low-level larceny and punishable by a fine, jail time or both, has a long, bipartisan history in Greenwich. This election season has been no exception, with signs disappearing at all times, but mostly in the middle of the night.
Town Democrats have imposed a curfew on their Barack Obama signs.
“The signs that are stolen most often are Obama signs, to the point that we’ve advised people to bring them inside at night,” said Democratic Town Committee Chairman Dave Roberson.
Roberson couldn’t be sure how many signs had been swiped for political reasons and how many had been taken by people who simply hate signs, but took a hard line against these drive-by bandits, who he said are also keen on signs for congressional candidate Jim Himes signs.
“People should realize that these signs are
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private property and if you steal them, you’re a thief, and if you trash them, you’re a vandal and that’s all there is to it,” he said.
Roberson was unaware of any police reports filed by Democrats who had had their signs stolen.
Camillo himself said Tuesday that approximately 100 of his own lawn signs have been stolen over the course of his campaign, in addition to one large banner stolen off a building a central Greenwich.
“Unfortunately it’s whoever steals the most signs now and it’s getting old now,” he said. “It’s getting very old.”
No arrests have been made so far, and police Sgt. Michael O’Connor said that his department simply doesn’t have the manpower to stake out high-density sign areas of town. Officers are instead asked to look out for sign snatchers during their regular patrols, as they have been in campaigns past.
“I’ve been here for 20 years,” O’Connor said. “This is not new.”
That leaves people like Joe Romano, in charge of McCain signage across town, alone on the front lines of these sign wars.
“I’ve got a running police report with the Greenwich Police,” said the mortgage banker, who’s already had 21 of his own signs stolen and estimates at least 30 have been stolen around town. “We put a McCain sign out there and it’s gone.”
At between $4 and $10 each, these things aren’t cheap, said Romano, who puts up his own money to buy the signs and is later reimbursed by the Republican Town Committee. At this late stage of the game, time is of the essence and Romano said he is already anxious about the fate of the new pink Sarah Palin signs that will arrive this week.
Michael Sandifer, a Riversville Road resident and Himes supporter, must also hold his own through next Tuesday.
“I think someone just lifted it,” Sandifer said Monday at the Democratic headquarters. He’d come replace the Himes sign that went missing from his property one morning last week. “It was clearly on my property, on the strip of road where I have my plants.”
Susan Shea-Gerson of 75 Dingletown Road has responded to the recent theft of a McCain-Palin sign from her property with a new one – plus an original sign of her own.
“On 10/22 Obama supporters trespassed on my property and stole my McCain-Palin sign violating my 1st Amendment right to free speech,” reads her white sign with block red letters. “Do it again and you will find out what the 2nd Amendment is all about.”
Though Shea-Gerson did not see who took her sign, between nightfall and midnight Wednesday, she said she is offended that anyone would try to stifle her political expression on her own property.
“It’s unconscionable to think that, in Greenwich, Connecticut, of all places, that a person cannot freely express their political opinions without concerns about vandalism or other forms of retribution,” said the Oklahoma native, who called herself a “card-carrying member of the N.R.A. (National Rifle Association).”
“I have no way of knowing what other laws these cowards may break in an attempt to intimidate me or my family,” Shea-Gerson said.
on Nov 8th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
From the Greenwich Time
Political placards go missing
By Colleen Flaherty
Staff Writer
Article Launched: 10/28/2008 02:29:16 AM EDT
From the way the victim had been disfigured and abandoned just feet from home, it was clearly a crime of passion.
“It was all ripped apart like somebody really resented it,” Cos Cob resident Frank Trotta said of the John McCain sign stolen from his lawn and left shredded at Shelter Drive and Benenson Place Oct. 2. Trotta was returning from filing a police report on another stolen sign, that of state Republican House candidate Fred Camillo, when he noticed his other sign lying in the street.
Trotta has since replaced both signs, but said he can’t be sure that either will make it through to Election Day.”
for the rest of this article see: http://www.greenwichtime.com/ci_10833193