Harry Carboni for Windham First Selectman

Dear fellow citizen:

My name is John McCommas and I want to be your selectman. I am just like you. I am sick of paying for taxes and I sick and tired of getting nothing in return but talk.

Let’s start at the beginning. When I first moved back to Windham my doorbell rang. It was Michael Paulhus looking for the Democrats whom my partner and I purchased our condo from. I told him that if my candidate did not win the Republican primary I would consider voting for him. I thought at the time that Paulhus looked like an honest, reasonable sort of guy who might work well with Republicans to help keep taxes stable. I dared to hope he might even be pro-business.

Well that only proves how false first impressions can be.

Since then Paulhus has heaped one tax increase on us after another and I have finally had enough. I am running for the singular purpose of stopping him from jacking up taxes again. Windham working folks just can’t afford Paulhus anymore.

This year our tax increase for our modest condo is well over 500 dollars. I just paid off my tax bill for my 2-year old inexpensive Chevy which was a week’s pay all by itself.

In order to pay Paulhus’ whopper tax increases our summer vacation plans were cancelled (again).

Remembering Paulhus’ flip response to one of his past years tax increases where he said he felt entitled to jack up taxes because no citizens came to his budget meetings, I went earlier this year. I pointed out to Paulhus that tax and spend liberals like him are making Connecticut unaffordable for the rich and poor alike. Paulhus’ tax policy is killing jobs and making the American dream a nightmare. I told him four members of my family had fled the state because of the high cost of living but did Paulhus listen?

Of course not.

Paulhus and the Democrats went ahead with his reckless spending spree which irresponsibly included even more staff positions. Why I would like to know can’t Paulhus spend the same amount he did last year and be happy with that? It probably won’t concern Paulhus to learn that since then two more members of my family have decided flee Connecticut with a 8th strongly considering joining my parents in more hospitable state of Missouri.

The reason why our taxes always goes up and never down is because Paulhus has never met a spending idea he didn’t like. Big or small, I can’t ever recall Paulhus ever saying any proposed expenditure that he considered a waste of taxpayer money. The latest multi-million dollar boondoggle is this “Whitewater” rip-off. The biggest of all of course was the Windham Mills Disaster. Paulhus keeps calling these dummy corporations which are nothing more than black holes for the taxpayer’s hard earned money the town’s “partners”.

Well with “partners” like these who needs enemies? These “partners” take and take and take but they never give back. What upsets me most about “Whitewater” is we will be providing a regional service at the local taxpayers’ expense and it will net us not one single job.

Paulhus also sees no problem with taking more and more property off the tax rolls. For every non-profit he welcomes in with open arms like "Common Ground" that’s revenue that the rest of us taxpayers have fork-over in their stead.

And let’s not forget the ethical squalor Paulhus is presiding over. Why for example is Tom Divio allowed to serve on the Selectmen’s Board when he has a contract with the town to haul away garbage? Selectman Divio does so much business with the town that it’s just simply improper. Likewise Democrat Chris Marot is both an appointed Finance Board member as well as a substitute teacher for the Windham school system. Marot writes the budget that pays his salary. Thats wrong!

Ironically the most unethical board in Windham is the Ethics Board itself. Paulhus has selfishly stacked the board with his cronies and has denied Republicans even a single representative. The Ethics Board is nothing but a subcommittee for the Democrat Town Committee. Some watch dog! It’s more a fox guarding the chicken coop.

If elected I will work to form a bi-partisan board.

How bad do things have to get in order to break with the past and go in a new positive direction? The Democrat and the so-called “Bottom Line” Party way of doing things has lead to closed store fronts on Main, foreclosures, job loss, homelessness, and most disgracefully of all failing schools.

It breaks my heart to see able bodied forty year old men scrounging around town for nickel deposit cans. That’s no way to make a living! I am proud to be running on the Republican ticket with so many worthy citizen candidates like Lillian Rivera.

We pay tax increase after tax increase with the promise that progress is just around the corner yet it never materializes.

There are no jobs to be had in town for people like me. I have to travel over 20 miles a day to the Killingly Industrial Park.

First Selectman Michael Paulhus said on the Democrat’s cable access show “Windham Works” that he understands the plight of senior citizens on fixed incomes. Well if that’s true than why does he keep shoving tax increases down their throats? They can afford it least of all. Every time I go to town hall I see more foreclosures notices on the bulletin board. Paulhus must see these every day and yet he doesn’t seem to care.

Paulhus has shown no leadership. He is an administrator with no vision. Paulhus just reacts instead of leading the town somewhere. In fact there is no leadership coming from anyone.
I hope if you vote for me you will also vote for my running mates and most importantly of all Harry Carboni for First Selectman.

Harry and Harry alone is prepared to rein in runway spending and lead the board somewhere positive. I am tired of this town always playing the part of victim.

I want a leader! If you want a leader too than elect Harry Carboni.

True that Republicans don't get elected here to often but they do happen every blue moon. Middletown did it. So can we.