What’s really behind the very unusual and very public spat over the funding of the town’s emergency coordinator position?
See article from the Greenwich Time
Greenwich insiders say the rift had nothing to do with the money and everything to do with the man who holds the position, Dan Warzoha. The insiders say several members of the BET simply detest Warzoha. They include some of the most influential and outspoken members of the board whose personal animus for Warzoha goes back years.
The board’s recent actions to cut the funding brought an unusually public rebuke from First Selectman Peter Tesei who heretofore has been joined at the hip with the BET on all matters financial.
But a closer look will reveal that Tesei’s campaign manager in his successful re-election bid last fall was none other than Steve Warzoha, son of said emergency coordinator. The insiders point out that Steve Warzoha is a close friend – if not best friend – of said First Selectman.
Isn’t it comforting to know that while Greenwich suffers from the worst natural calamity to hit the town in almost 20 years – with one fatality and millions in lost property – our elected officials are engaged in such trivial pursuits?
In Greenwich, politics isn’t just local, it’s personal.
But something doesn’t add up. Both Republicans and Democrats on the BET voted to cut his salary. And Larry Simon, a Democrat in only the most nominal of terms who is usually supportive of the Republicans and Republican candidates, led this effort. So the fact that Warzoha’s son worked for Tesei couldn’t be the crux of the matter.
In any case, why doesn’t Hearst’s reporter tell us the whole truth? If animus is involved in this, why doesn’t he get people on record, or at least report what he has been told anonymously? Why isn’t the print edition telling us the whole truth?
And the animus argument doesn’t tell us why he’s on the payroll full-time when this position is only fractional for other towns in our region. Why do we need a full-time coordinator when we have a police chief, a full-time mayor, a fire chief, a head of public health, etc.?
Thanks for the insights, but they don’t tell us nearly the whole story. Nor has the Hearst reporter responsible. Lot’s left to this that we don’t know yet.
Comment by Sean — March 20th, 2010 @ 7:07 pm
Very short sighted of the BET.
Comment by Townie — March 21st, 2010 @ 9:33 am