Mark McQuillan, Connecticut’s commissioner of education under retiring Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell, resigned suddenly Wednesday after having expressed interest in working for Democratic Governor-Elect Dannel Malloy.
In a letter to the state Board of Education, McQuillan wrote, “I realized that I no longer wanted to do this work and saw all too plainly that the stresses of my job are more than they should be and more than I am willing to accept.”
But anyone who thinks McQuillan was a shoe-in for either the commissioner’s job or another education post under Malloy doesn’t remember his role in last year’s controversial closing of J.M. Wright Technical School in Stamford.
Malloy was wrapping up his term as Stamford’s mayor and both he and the individual he tapped last week as his general counsel – state Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford – were vocal critics of how the Wright Tech matter was handled.
McDonald, a close friend and confidant of Malloy’s, in particular was frustrated with McQuillan after our newspapers published an in-depth report about the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that resulted in the school’s closure.
I phoned McDonald, who technically is not part of the Malloy administration until the new governor is sworn in January 5, and asked him if he would have had significant reservations about McQuillan’s remaining education commissioner.
“I’ve had no comment or position on that,” McDonald said. “I will serve as general counsel to the governor and will advocate his positions, not my own.”
McDonald, however, also said, “Wright Tech was an extraordinarily important issue for Stamford and surrounding communities and I was very disillusioned about how the department handled that issue from the very beginning. It was extraordinarily disappointing and heartbreaking for the students and families who had to live through it.”
There was no vote until November, (after the fact) and yes there was some real screw ups, yes, laws were broken. Closing a school must have some due process. Wright tech never had due process. And even the vote to cover tails afterwards is subject to challenge. At the time of the original,(suggested) policy recommendation by the board included the ‘Governor appointed from out of nowhere. board member Linda McMahon was involved in that process. Shortly. At the time McMahon was buying her way through the system and when Wright’s closing began to show signs of a real vulnerability to Vince’s “Big Grand Scheme”, McMahon split pronto, after parachuting in Blond Bombers that failed in their mission attempt to squelch the outcry, infact it was such an outright insult to the children, it was like throwing gas on a small back yard fire, it engulfed the entire state, if anyone recalls. So a vote by state BOE members confirming their knowledge and support of and in culpability, of criminal negligence of duties, is not a real eyeopener, now. It became apparent to all, in a nano second of the incompetent leadership that was stumbling around completely befuddled. The clueless following the clowns. McMahon was long gone after that vote was put pen to paper of their documenting their own incompetence and culpability.
With that said and documented, picture framed but not hung?
Beyond the in “plain view” issues, what really was going on and why?
Well the what, is playing out.
Is it worth precious time, energy and resources to prosecute?
Can we not use those resources more effectively through legislation and areas of actionable efforts?
Ok, check this out, for those mystery fans following along.
Getting to the why, motive can lead us to the who.
Now that,could be very enlightening, especially for puzzle solving fans and investigate journalists.
Which, no one has really taken a gander at, yet.
Well not everyone hasn’t.
This part, of the collusion/conspiracy has not been overlooked by all.
The Why?
We do know, that there were major policy reviews underway to reduce the states expenditures by the executive administration.
We do know, that there was also an operational review of the states assets for possible revenue generation through asset liquidation, by the executive administration.
And we do know that there is an unresolved conflict regarding educational resources and who is responsible for funding education.
And we do know that there are significant efforts underway for privatising/profitizing public services, education included.
Wright was on all three of those lists.
Do we have a cataclysmic collision of events here?
Ok, those list in and of themselves, even together do not posses the energy, the black hole, if can be imagined, to move politicians into a corner of self destruction. More likely, than not, unwitting and unwitted pawns.
As we look at the administration’s, competence concerns, not just possible corruptionable influence’s, were obviously in play.
The former being obvious, as any half witted, elementary school drop out, local yocal, podium bashing, halitosis spouting, greenjeans wearing, dripping wet behind the ears, politician from the third world, could have seen that landmine from quite a distance and steered the ox and cart around it.
Again, definite collusion’s of significance in post incident analysis.
Now here is where it gets interesting.
Wright is on someone else’s list and its not for a new engineering lab.
But where is that driving energy coming from?
Who else has an in depth long range agenda that could have the power, influence and determination, be the energy, the driving force.
Has to be big money.
Who has interests?
Well lets see, Trump is across the street, this play, took cunning. Trumps, has cunning. Trump does have access to the resources needed. Fits his style and agenda for the most part.
But The Donald, when you look closely, is not very bright a light bulb and the motivation? The Donald?
The man is a canoe in an ocean of debt with one oar.
When he passes we will see his illusionary house of magic cards exposed and collpased.
He has been too busy shuttling back and fourth in and out of bankruptcy litigation representatives offices.
This took smarts and hands on management with resources to push through obvious political suicidal maneuvers.
This took someone that knows the backyard.
Local talent. With real deep pockets.
Ok, so we know the, what, the incompetent and possibly corrupt administration officials somewhere.
The why, we know, is the property.
Talking numbers like, nine zeros here, even higher with development.
Now, the as yet to be nailed and hung out to dry, in the town square, the who?
Who has invested interests?
Someone wants that property.
Someone still wants that property.
Its on someones radar screen.
Who are the biggest players?
Who has the organization to plan and bring operational such an undertaking?
Who has the influence?
Who is local?
Who has an agenda on nearly exclusively on waterfront properties?
The Donald isn’t on any of those lists.
One more, who’ to add to the list.
Who is going to break the story?
Stay tuned.