What a Week!

Who would have guessed that what started falling Saturday afternoon would have had such an impact on us.

Chris Buckbee and I were out on the campaign trail hitting the pavement as we have done the last two Saturdays. We were trying to beat the weather by starting early. The flakes started flying around 1pm. By 2 o'clock the snow was coming down so hard it was dangerous to be out.

Like everyone else in town Saturday afternoon, the sound of snapping tree limbs everywhere was something many of us won't forget for some time. Who would have thought an October storm could have taken out almost one million Connecticut power customers. I sure didn't think it was possible. This was indeed a once a century storm!

Sunday looked like a bomb went off in town. The damage in my neighborhood alone looked like something from a disaster film. What happened next is why I want to stay in this town and feel pride as a resident of Rocky Hill.

Many of my neighbors had trees down. I had a good chain saw. We all helped each other clear driveways and get limbs off of phone and cable lines. I didn't hear any complaining. It was just neighbor helping neighbor.

The organization down at the town hall was a feat in itself. Hundreds came in looking for shelter. Every room was utilized for people to sleep or eat. Meals were cooked. A TV was set up. People were made as comfortable as possible.

I try to stay in shape and run at least 3-4 times a week. This week I had some more time to run since we had no power and the other choice was to sit in a dark home. Monday's run was difficult. Lots of snow. Lines down. Generators humming away and many streets were barricaded. Tuesday looked a little more desperate. Caution tape was everywhere and more areas were barricaded. Still no power trucks to be seen. Wednesday looked a little better. Trees were trimmed and power was back to half of my six mile route.

Tonight on my run I saw nothing but smiling faces and the silence and peace that comes form the absence of small engines running. Power was back to most of my route except a 1/4 mile stretch that was being restored as I ran by. A sincere thanks needs to go out to those who made the restoration possible.

When I run I'm alone with my thoughts and I get to reflect a lot. Usually it's about the campaign and work, but this week my thoughts were on my neighbors and the residents of Rocky Hill. I thought about this whole week and how it impacted us. I thought about my neighbors coming together to help each other. I thought about all the people who were driven from their homes by the cold at the community center shelter.

To sum up the week, I'm thankful that the residents of Rocky Hill are alive and able to tell stories of their experiences and return home to their houses. That is truly a miracle in itself. We should all be thankful.

Jeff

Hitting The Pavement

The first thing you must do as a candidate is to let people know who you are and what you stand for. Sure, you can rely on newspaper advertising and candidate profiles in Rocky Hill Life and the Rocky Hill Patch, but how does that allow them to ask you questions about the issues and find out what kind of person you really are?

That's where old fashioned hit the streets campaigning comes into play. It allows residents the opportunity to put a name to the face and ask questions about the candidate's stance on the schools, taxes, or any other concern they would like addressed.



A few weeks ago I started going door to door. As someone who's never held public office, this was new to me. I started off in my own neighborhood one Saturday afternoon and met Ed and Steve who voiced their concerns regarding the old landfill and what's going on there. Later in the day, I spoke to a very nice mother of two children on Old Main Street who is concerned with the quality of education in town. The same concerns were raised by another mother on Parsonage Street who's raising three young boys. Tonight I heard similar school concerns and the disappointment of our current elected officials to get them back on track.

Tonight I met a resident who basically sums up the overall feeling of what the voters in Rocky Hill are feeling. He was outside when I walked up his driveway. I introduced myself and was greeted warmly. Once we started talking I realized we had similar interests. Like me, he's sick and tired of politics as usual in Rocky Hill.

We talked for what seemed like minutes, but in reality was much longer. We spent time discussing the school referendum, taxes, and other issues that concerned him. I came away from our discussion with the same conclusion and feeling I've felt form others.

Rocky Hill needs change.

Unfortunately, the feeling that I and many of the other voters have is that the current majority on the town council is not listening to them. What we need is some people who've hit the streets, talked to people and will make the necessary changes to move Rocky Hill forward in the direction the residents want it to go. We cannot afford any more "vote party line-politics as usual" thinking. It is not fair to our children and the future of our town.

We've had three failed referendums, a big tax increase in 2009, and a development plan that has neglected the historic east end of town. On November 8th, you have a voice to vote for "business as usual" or people like me, Jeff Murray, who's not afraid to speak his mind, represent the will of the voters, and do what is right for the town of Rocky Hill.

Please remember to vote November 8th.

The Democrats-"Less Than One Mill Increase Over Two Budgets". Sounds Good Right? Too Bad They Only Gave You Half The Equation.

I was reading Rocky Hill Life the other day and noticed the Democrat's half page ad for the election. A statement in bold touted a less than a one mill increase over two budgets. That part may be true, but unfortunately they only gave you half the equation.

For anyone not familiar with the mill rate and how your taxes are calculated, here's a simple explanation. All property in Rocky Hill is assessed a value. That value is determined by an assessor that personally appraises your home. The value (or percentage of it) is then multiplied by the mill rate number to determine your tax liability.

In the 2008-2009 tax year there was a town wide revaluation of all properties in the peak of the housing market. For instance, my home at 568 Old Main Street jumped from a tax assessment of $121,900 to $190,610 meaning a 56.4% jump in evaluation. Doing the math this worked out to a 22.6% tax increase for the 2009 tax year.

So on the surface, the "less than one mill" statement may sound good, but it doesn't tell the whole story. The truth is that the Democrats in power now (and were in power during this revaluation) could have adjusted the mill rate downward to reflect the increased evaluation and kept taxes at their current level but they chose not to. What many families received was a tax increase of 20% or more.

To see how much more you paid in 2009 taxes. Click this link and enter your address.

We just can't afford any more fuzzy math and half truths in town. The people who touted a "less than one mill increase" are the same ones who orchestrated one of the biggest tax increases in Rocky Hill's history. Going forward, we need people on the council who offer "common sense leadership" and honesty with Rocky Hill residents..

This election you have a choice to put some new faces on the council and shake up the status quo. We cannot afford more tax increases like the one in 2009.

I promise straightforward leadership you can trust. Please make sure to vote for change November 8th.

Jeff Murray

Last Night's Meeting

Einstein defined insanity as doing something over and over again expecting a different result. I’m afraid that’s what is happening with our school referendum process.

Last night at the special council meeting I could not believe what was being proposed by our Board of Education. Instead of listening to the voters who unanimously rejected the last plan by a ratio of 3:1, they repackaged basically the same proposal with the hopes that the town council would again send it to referendum.

I voted against the $92 million plan last time because I thought it was more of a wish list than a need list of expenditures. The taxpayer waste was into the millions of dollars in extras we simply didn’t need. Seriously, do we really need rip up and move perfectly good tennis courts at a cost of $250,000 and install more student parking costing hundreds of thousands more? Do we need a wellness center at the high school? Do we need to bond for twenty years and pay for technology with a useful life of five? Do we really need a new elementary school or would a simple addition to Stevens solve the problem?

Judging by the margin of defeat in the last referendum, many residents tended to agree with me. But somehow our message didn’t echo load and clear to the BOE and we have what was presented last night. The failure of the BOE to understand the voters in this town truthfully worries me.

The BOE honestly believes that the past referendum failures were because voters were uninformed and uneducated, not based on cost and a large pie-in-the-sky wish list. Their whole “revised” plan last night was to “market” this proposal again and “educate” the voters why they should vote yes this time instead of listening to residents in the first place and doing something sensible with our schools.

Truthfully, I do not need to be educated and neither does the rest of the town. They voted for what they felt was right and the BOE should respect that. If anyone needs to be educated it’s the Rocky Hill Board of Education.

Let’s face it. The issues with the schools didn’t happen overnight and they will not be solved in one grand plan.

So what would I do?

I would support a long-term ten-year strategy to improve the infrastructure of our schools. It starts with looking at the current bond debt and creating a plan to implement new bonding when old bonding for the town hall and police station is retired. We would create a schedule addressing needed and critical upgrades that will directly benefit and improve the education of Rocky Hill’s students. If elected, I refuse to support any short-term items being financed with long term bonding. I will not allow any frivolous spending.

We’re in some tough financial times and we need tough people willing to challenge the school issues on behalf of the hardworking taxpayers of Rocky Hill. I’m willing to get up there and get my hands dirty. I will make sure our schools get the upgrades they need sensibly. I just need you, the person reading this, to show up at your district polling place and vote for real change.

Sincerely,

Jeff A. Murray

Life On the Campaign Trail

It's one month to go before the big election. I have a lot of campaigning to do.

When I'm out talking to people, I feel a connection and bond to the town of Rocky Hill. In one of my previous posts I described a life of constant moves when I was younger and never living in one place for more than a few years. Rocky Hill has been my address and my home for 16 years and I've never felt more at home and a had feeling of belonging more than I do here.

I want to give something back to a town that has been so welcoming to me. My one and only goal going forward is to help make Rocky Hill the best place in Connecticut for my family and other families. That means keeping this town affordable. I want to improve the schools sensibly. I want to make sure seniors that spent a lifetime here can afford to stay here. I want to keep the business climate favorable for businesses already in town and new businesses looking to locate here.

The campaign trail takes a lot of commitment. In the next few months, every morning and evening not spent at work will be attending events, knocking on doors, and standing along the road holding a sign and waving. But honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. This position should be earned with hard work and trust of the voters.

As a newcomer, I understand have a battle against some candidates that have spent years on the council, but I'm not discouraged in the least and eager to take on the challenge. I feel that the council seats should be earned by people that are willing to get out there and go after them, not people who are willing to sit back and ride party coattails like some of my opponents are doing in this election.

I've always said that if you want "more of the same" then vote for the same people. I'm a fighter and someone who refuses to stop until the polls close and the votes are tallied.

I ask for your vote on November 8th. You will not disappointed.

Jeff

Who Are You Going To Vote For?

I added a poll for mayor and council on the right of my page. Who are you going to vote for? The poll is anonymous so please fill it out and let's hear what you think.

Why we need change in Rocky Hill

If you were a CEO and owned your own company, how many people on the council would you trust to run your business?

I don't have anything personal against the six Democrats on the council. I've talked to mayor LaRosa regarding issues several times and I think he's really personable and easy to talk to.

However, just because I like a person doesn't mean I should like the decisions they're making and would trust them with my finances.

However, thats exactly what we're doing by electing the same people to spend OUR tax money. The current electorate has been in power for years and good decisions with our money have not been made. Rt. 3 is a traffic nightmare as a result of poor development planning. We're rolling in portables behind Stevens school because the past referendums were out of touch in terms of cost and scope. The foundry remains an eyesore and the Silas Deane corridor has been neglected for economic development.

When companies stagnate and make the decisions similar to the ones our council has made, a reorganization is needed to get the business back on track. Decision makers are replaced with people that have fresh ideas and a new direction.

Rocky Hill needs to be run like a business. We need a reorganization in Rocky Hill to clean out the stale decision makers and get some fresh faces in there willing to tackle some of the issues I mentioned above and get Rocky Hill back on track.

I'm not a quitter and if elected will work to get Rocky Hill back on the map as one of the most appealing towns for business and families without breaking the bank.

Jeff

What Needs to be Fixed First?

I've added a poll on the right of my page. I'd like to know what the residents of Rocky Hill would like to have addressed first and what are the most important issues in town. If you find an issue that is not listed, please post below and let me know what it is. Your response is anonymous so you don't have to give your name.

Does Party Really Matter?

One thing I noticed as I've been going around town campaigning is people asking what party I'm running under. When I answer "Republican" I get some interesting responses and I feel it needs addressing. To start, I'm a Republican for the following reasons: 1. I believe people should be allowed to pursue their own dreams without government getting involved or over regulating them. 2. I believe people should get hand-up's instead of handouts. 3. Small business is the backbone of the country and we should be supporting and encouraging more small businesses. 4. Government is to govern, not to create jobs. 5. I feel the basis and intent of the Constitution should be protected. Unfortunately, most of these issues are national level issues and really don't apply to town politics. On the local level, people should vote for candidates based on their convictions and what they are proposing to change and improve on the local scene in the town of Rocky Hill. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen and many times people may not vote for the best candidate based on the fact they have a D or an R after their name. I find that unfortunate. Whether I'm a Republican or not really shouldn't make a difference. What should matter is the resolve of the candidate and what they want to accomplish when in office. I decided to run because I feel the majority currently in office has become complacent and we need some fresh faces that have the motivation to enact real change. The path to a new Rocky Hill can happen this November. With your vote, my running mates and I can be empowered to address our school deficiencies, make some tax saving changes to local government, and do it without increasing your taxes. This November you have a choice. I ask that you look at each candidate for what they want to do and thier message instead of simple letter after their name.

Chris Buckbee for BOE

Chris is a 23 year old who's decided to run for BOE in the November elections. It's great to have someone young like Chris willing to get into local politics and making a difference. With a referendum almost certainly coming in the coming year, Chris would be the perfect fit for BOE given the fact he's a recent graduate of RH High. He would offer some good insight on what really needs updating. Chris is what we need; a fresh face with new ideas!

Why I Decided to Run for Council

I think the biggest question I’m asked when people find out I’m running for town council is “Why”?

Well the decision maker for me was at a town council meeting a few months back. A wood furnace ban was being debated and some false information was being passed around during the debate. I came up to the podium and spoke against the ban and brought the facts to the table. My counter points fell on deaf ears because their minds were already made up. The vote went the usual 6-3 and the ban was enacted just because of one Democrat’s misinformation and her party affiliation. I saw firsthand how decisions in town were really being made.

We have the exact same people that are currently in office on the Democratic ballot for yet another term. It’s obvious that by looking at the schools, the numbers of lawsuits the town has defended, and the 6-3 votes that some of the leadership needs to be sent packing and replaced with some new faces. I feel they have not done their jobs.

I know what they’ve done in the past and the decisions that have been made. I can’t stand to see any more of the same.

I asked to be put on the ballot because I have no personal agenda or alliances, I will never sacrifice my convictions to the will of my party, and I will do what is in the best interest of the town.

I know there may be some Democrats reading this that vote party lines every time and some independents wondering who to vote for. My response would be, “Is voting for the status quo is the best decision for your family and this town? Or is change needed?”

Lets make some real change in November. My running mates and I can do it with your vote.

Jeff

First Post

I wanted to start my first blog post by telling a little about myself , where I lived, and how I ended up moving to Rocky Hill.

I was born in Angola, Indiana on June 6th 1969 when my father was due to take his final exams in his last year of Engineering School. Needless to say that even with my arrival he was allowed to finish studies and we moved to Rochester, NY where I spent a few years of my life until 2nd grade.

Later we moved to Lubbock, Texas and braved the tornadoes, dust storms, and tumbleweeds. It was tough moving after making friends in NY especially when some of the people in the south still didn't like "Yankees" in their state.

After a few years in Texas, we moved to Torrance, California. This was by far the toughest and most materialistic place I grew up. If you didn't have the latest in Op (Ocean Pacific) clothing and a tricked out BMX bike it was that much tougher fitting in. Needless to say my parents couldn't afford much of either and I grew up there riding a Huffy Pro Thunder BMX bike I bought with my paper route money and some not so cool clothing. But I managed to eventually make friends and find my niche in the California middle schools.

Most of my High school years were spent in Binghamton, NY where I attended Union Endicott High School . New York had a big football program and I ended going out for the football team where I gave it 100% and hit the sled as hard as I could to impress the coaches in the 90 degree August heat and humidity. I used to come home completely exhausted. As one of the smaller players, my resolve never wavered and I gave it everything until the last practice of the season. I never got to first string as a starter, but I played in games and gave it my all.

In the middle of my junior year of high school, I was uprooted again and we moved to Andover, CT . This had to be my toughest move because friendships are pretty well cemented and it's tough trying to make friends with only one and a half years of school left. Most kids were planning for their junior prom. I was just trying to make new friends. However, the people at RHAM were friendly and I was able to blend in very quickly. I was disappointed they didn't have football, and the art department was lacking (I almost pursued a career in art BTW).

My junior and senior years were busy. I worked three jobs trying to earn money for a car because my parents believed that a car wasn't a necessity and if I wanted one I had to pay for it myself. One job was milking cows on a farm. The other was washing dishes and serving food. The third was unloading wicker trucks and working fairs and swap meets on the weekends. Getting up on Sunday at 5am was rough when you were up on a Saturday until 2am washing dishes but I managed. My transportation was an old 1975 Kawasaki KZ400 motorcycle that I rode year round. It was cheap. It got me where I needed to go, and it served its purpose of getting me to work and back.

I continued to live in Andover until 1995 when I met my wife Cindy Klewicki for the first time and we started dating. If the name Klewicki sounds familiar, it is. Cindy's grandfather moved to Rocky Hill in 1955 with his wife Lucille and they built a home on Old Main Street where where they raised three kids. Cindy's grandfather was a police officer in town and eventually made detective. A plaque with his name on it still hangs in the lobby of police headquarters.

Unfortunately, Cindy's grandparents passed away just before we were married in 1998. This left an empty house that needed some updating and we were asked if we wanted to purchase the home. We did and over the last 13 years we've gone through the whole home and made it our own while still keeping the look and charm of the original house.

My wife and I have grown our roots in this town and we've met a lot of people. We like the charm of Old Main Street and the proximity to shopping and services. We've both invested time as volunteers to make the town a little better for everyone. We were heavily involved with the dog park committee and our efforts were acknowledged with a plaque hung on one of the fence sections.

I decided to run for Town Council because I believe I have a lot to offer the town of Rocky Hill and I want to make Rocky Hill the town that everyone in Connecticut wants to live in. If elected, I plan on giving the same effort and dedication I did in Binghamton, NY when I played for the foot ball team. Nothing less than 100%.

I told my story about my moves across the country because I feel it's important to let the voters of Rocky Hill that I had to face change and was forced to meet new people numerous times as a youth. While at the time it was difficult, I believe it has made me a stronger and more adaptable person in my adult life because of it. I've lived from coast to coast attending different schools and interacting with a lot of different people.

This year marks my 16th year living in Rocky Hill; by far the longest time I've lived anywhere in one place in my life. I hope in the upcoming election, voters make their decisions based on the person, what they have to offer, and their work ethic instead of the party.

I'm ready for the challenge and ask for your vote.