Smart Growth for Vernon, CT
The ‘Friends of Jason’

Letters to the Editor
Journal Inquirer
September 18, 2009

Republicans and Democrats rejected Mayor Jason McCoy’s absurd nomination of Robert Kleinhans for Vernon’s director of Public Works. Now McCoy is pretending the eight other finalists, selected from 60 applicants, do not exist.

McCoy should bring forth to the Town Council the name of the best of these highly qualified candidates. Instead, McCoy is stalling while he figures out a way to give yet another important town job to an unqualified political friend.

McCoy is improperly keeping the issue off the Town Council agenda. The quorum call, made possible with Republican support and Republican absenteeism, is part of an attempt to pressure the mayor into allowing debate as required by Town Council rules.

I applaud the Republican or two who have had the moral strength to vote against McCoy’s wishes. In most cases almost all of the Republican councillors vote to support the mayor even when they know he’s wrong. When you witness how McCoy verbally abuses his opponents at council meetings you can understand.

Unless voters vote Democratic in this November’s election, the hiring of these unqualified “Friends of Jason” will continue.

Michael Winkler
Vernon

The writer is a member of the Vernon Town Council.