More "Government by Ambush"

There's nothing that can ruin my President's Day celebration faster than more you know what from the office of Mayor Finizio and this time it's just more of the same, the same being back in January 2012 when the mayor, without prior notice to city councilors, called a special meeting to discuss, of all things, "the potential purchase and sale of real estate by the city of New London."

"His administration is governing by ambush!" said a very angry Michael Passero, then City Council President.

This time, on the eve of a Signing Ceremony which Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, New London Mayor Daryl Finizio, Admiral Robert J. Papp, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, and James Coleman, chairman of the National Coast Guard Museum Association will be attending, on the agenda for this week's City Council meeting are three items listed under COAST GUARD MUSEUM PROJECT.

Item 1 has to do with the sale of 6,155 square feet of city owned property to Cross Sound Ferry to build a new ferry terminal and the southern remainder, along with a piece of City Pier Plaza for $1. to the United States Coast Guard (not the CGM Association).

Item 2 regards scheduling a Public Hearing on the potential sale.

Item 3 is a Referral to Planning and Zoning of the potential sale, etc.

Nothing like letting the council, never mind the citizens, know everything at the last minute.

Think on this. There is absolutely nothing that prevents the Coast Guard Museum from being located elsewhere in New London like in Fort Trumbull which was the CG's choice initially and that location does make more sense to many in this community for a number of reasons.

They certainly have the time to reconsider the downtown location since the CGMA is not even close to meeting its goal which is, according to John Johnson, "somewhere north of $100 million" "Governor Malloy has already pledged $20 million. We’re hoping we can convince the [federal government] to come to the table with around $30 million. So that puts our responsibility, on the private side, to raise $50 million.”

None of that is likely to happen this year, or next or even the year after but, in the meantime, Cross Sound Ferry, substantial political donors through the years, will have both the pedestrian bridge and the land it has wanted, but the residents have consistently rejected, for lo these many years.

And maybe that's what this is really all about.