Hope everyone is enjoying their Labor Day weekend.

Posting will resume here on Tuesday as I'm taking in the fun at the U.S. Open this weekend.

Be back soon...

You have to be kidding me right...take a look at this idiotic quote.

"It's disgusting that the Democrats would stoop to destroy someone's reputation like this. I'm sure the public will see through it."

This silly remark comes from Louise Michael, the Republican candidate for Town Clerk who whining and complaining because she was busted for having tax liens and unpaid sewer and water fees her properties totaling over an amazing 7,000 dollars...dating back to 2007!!!!

So let me get this straight Louise...you're running for the position of Town Clerk yet you, a) have outstanding unpaid sewer and water fees on your properties going back to AT LEAST 2007, and b) have tax liens on your properties, YET you have the nerve to accuse others for pointing out your asinine failure to pay your debts to the city BEFORE YOU DECIDED TO RUN FOR ELECTED OFFICE?

Exactly how did this person get the endorsement of the Danbury Republican Town Committee?

I think the editorial form the Aug 19 edition of the Tribuna said it best.

As so often happens in political campaigns, information never before released suddenly comes to light to reveal the candidates' "real" background. About two weeks ago, I received an anonymous envelope at the Tribuna newsroom containing documents that pose serious questions about the ability of a Republican contender for a position at City Hall. These documents reveal public records of tax delinquency, which according to the reports, total more than $7,800.00.

It is a fact that the nation is facing severe economic challenges. But I firmly believe that if one's aspiration is to serve the public, but he or she has allegedly, not fulfilled all tax obligations, then this is not an ideal candidate for the job. Moreover, that candidate, being aware of any delinquencies, risks exposing not only him or herself, but also the party he or she represents, to attacks from the opposing side.

Simply put, the position of Town Clerk is one of the most important elected positions in Danbury which requires great knowledge and responsibility. The Town Clerk ahs to be accountable for the city's public records and MUST file documents in a timely manner in accordance to state law.

If Michael can't pay her taxes on time (to the point where she has liens on her property), how ON EARTH can she expect to be an effective Town Clerk?

Better yet, how can her campaign be taken seriously?

Michael's campaign slogan is "Louise gets the job done!" Well, based on her tax payment history, I think it's fair to say that her slogan is a tad bit ridiculous.

UPDATE: From records at city hall, here's Michael's tax delinquency breakdown (as of 07.27.09).
Click here to download the document (pdf format).

GUESTS: Bob Burke, Bill Slifkin, Republican First Selectman and Selectman primary candidates.

When it comes to the need for full disclosure in news reports, there are two pieces in today's News-Times regarding Bethel First Selectman Bob Burke that I have to highlight.

From today's article on Burke desire to campaign beyond the primary:

Also on Wednesday, Burke picked up the endorsement of the Pro-Bethel Party, guaranteeing him a spot on the November ballot even if he loses the Republican nomination for first selectman in a Sept. 15 primary against the party's endorsed candidate, Lawrence Craybas.

"He's the best first selectman that Bethel has had in many decades," said Robert Crnic, head of the Pro-Bethel Party. "I prefer to be concerned about the town rather than his personal life. It's no one's business but his own."

Let me state this again. Bob Crnic is not only the chairman of the Pro-Bethel party, he's the campaign manager for Burke's previous campaigns and an inner member of the First Selectman's team.

Now, this is how full disclosure should be handled.




Which leads me to this letter to the editor in support for Burke:

Finally a real leader who refuses to "comply" or "abide" by the whims of political special interest. No wonder those from the Bethel Republican and Democratic town committees want Bob Burke gone; he's proven himself a man of the people, not a blind rubber stamp for any political party.

In the most recent article, the Bethel Republican Town Committee members Paul Improta and Paul Szatkowski exposed their personal displeasure with Bob Burke, stating "he did not abide by the party's timeline or support its activities"; "he's confrontational" and no longer "compliant."

To these claims Burke replied "you can't run a town on special interest," and went on to state he'll continue to represent all the people of Bethel, get things done and not worry about a small group of dissatisfied party members.

[...]

As a veteran, a Republican, a father of two and a fourth generation Bethelite I support Bob Burke and encourage those who care about this town, its schools, seniors, veterans and taxpayers to show up Sept. 15 to support Bob Burke and his accomplished running mate Bill Slifkin.

Daniel R. Gaita

BETHEL

As I stated before (in great detail), Dan Gaita is the campaign treasurer for Burke's campaign.

Here's how I handled the situation...



So lets recap:

You have two pieces in today's paper in which the only people who are quoted in support for Burke are people who are connected to Burke's campaign...people whose connection to Burke was not properly disclosed to the public by the News-Times.

This isn't about choosing one side or the other in the situation in Bethel, it's about informing the public about people who are quoted in the media who are politically connected to either the Craybas or Burke camp.

...again, just sayin'

(WARNING: The following post contains EXTREMELY explicit sexual material).

The opening day in the first degree sexual assault case against former Danbury mayoral candidate John McGowan should go down as one of the most bizarre court appearances of all time.

McGowan, the co-founder/former Vice President of the infamous anti-immigration/hate group, United States Citizens for Immigration and Law Enforcement, former treasurer of Paul Streitz's anti-immigration/hate group Connecticut Citizens for Immigration and Law Enforcement, and prominent figure in the xenophobic movement in the greater Danbury area, was arrested last month on a first degree sexual assault charge. According to CT Defense Lawyer website, if found guilty, the former second in command in Elise Marciano's rabid hate movement could be sentenced to 1 to 20 years in prison and fined up to 15,000 dollars for his alleged actions.

---

PART ONE: The hearing

The only word I can come up with to describe John McGowan's actions in court yesterday is bizarre.

Here's how things went at court yesterday.

I arrived at the courthouse in Litchfield (pictured at the right) around 9:30, took a seat in the gallery, and waited for McGowan's case to be called. Among those in attendance to witness the case was McGowan's BFF (and local anti-immigrant racist/pervert/anti-Semite/male chauvinist Tom "Big(o)T" Bennett as well as several friends of McGowan. Those from the media included yours truly, News-Times reporter John Pirro, and Register-Citizens court reporter Tracy Kennedy.

After the judge heard several cases (and took a short recess to talk to the prosecutors), McGowan's case was finally called...and the fireworks began.

From the start, you had the feeling that McGowan, who was representing himself in court, was going to turn the court hearing into a spectacle...and he basically did just that.

Superior Court Judge James Ginocchio called McGowan's name to come forward from the gallery area but McGowan seemed to refuse and made some statement that no one in attendance could understand (I've requested a transcript of the hearing so I can find out what the hell he was talking about). After being called upon several times, McGowan finally came forward and continued his strange and erratic behavior.

Court reporter Tracy Kennedy for the Register-Citizen accurately recounts the silliness.

John McGowan, 43, 8 Fairchild Drive, appeared for the first time in the Litchfield court Tuesday. After being ordered to come forward from the spectator section, McGowan approached, clutching papers and uttering nonsensical phrases.

“I do not grant jurisdiction in this matter, knowingly or willingly,” McGowan said.

When Ginocchio asked if McGown had an attorney or planned to represent himself, McGowan referred to himself in the third person, telling the court, “How can a lawyer represent me in my private capacity?” and “Are these charges directed toward me as a natural man?”

News-Times reporter Pirro echos Kennedy's account of what happened.

The 43-year-old McGowan, who lives in Bethel, where he runs an oil business, responded instead with comments rejecting the authority of the state and federal government, and of the courts over individuals.

"Are the charges directed against me as a natural man?" "I do not agree to grant jurisdiction?" and "How can a lawyer represent me in my private capacity?" were among the statements McGowan made during his brief court appearance Tuesday.

After about 5 minutes of this bullshit nonsense, which included McGowan not entering a plea to his charges and one of his supporters uttering some type of remark (which resulted in a quick admonishment from the court bailiff), Judge Ginocchio stated that McGowan seemed "unable to answer the charges with any semblance of coherence" and ordered a psychiatric examination to do done in order to determine of his competency.

McGowan tried to either read a statement to the judge, or have some papers entered into the record, at which point the judge informed him that he needed to send those files to the clerk office and said something along the lines of get "read a book on law and learn how the process works" (or something like that).

Needless to day that driving the distance to Litchfield was worth the trip...

McGowan is scheduled to appear back in court on September 22nd, at which point, if he does not come back with the required psychiatric report (or refuses to see a psychiatrist), the judge has stated that he will increase the amount of the bond (McGowan posted a 7,500 bond). This could result in McGowan being sent behind bars.

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PART TWO: The arrest warrant affidavit for John McGowan

Although the court hearings might have you scratching your head, one read of the McGowan's arrest warrant affidavit will leave you speechless.

News-Times Pirro described the incident as non-graphically as possible:

In the 13-page affidavit, the woman describes a variety of sexual encounters to which she consented, but she claimed that on Oct. 20, 2008, after attending a meeting at McGowan's church, he assaulted her anally at a house he was building on Juniper Road in New Milford.

The woman told police she said, "What are you doing?" and "Stop," but McGowan instead "put his right arm around her neck and put her in a headlock," according to the affidavit.

After speaking with counselors at the women's shelter in Danbury, the victim went to New Milford Hospital on Oct. 22 and hospital personnel called police, according to the affidavit.

From incidents at Comcast local access studios, references to Faith Church in New Milford, encounters in remote locations, and sexual material that I won't dare get into, the only word that I can come up with after reading the report was "shocking."

You can view a complete copy of the report by clicking on the following link (WARNING!!!!!: PLEASE be advised that the following report contains EXTREMELY disturbing and explicit sexual material).

Upon viewing the report, you'll notice the name of another member of Elise Marciano's klan that comes up quite frequently...one Barbara Keidel. Since it seems that Keidel is referenced several critical times in the victim's sworn written statement to the police within the report, lets just say that here's a possibility that we'll hear her name mentioned more often as this case develops.

In short, if the allegations and statements within the report are proven true, then it might be within McGowan's best interest to get that court-ordered psychiatric examination, hire an attorney, and answer questions with a "semblance of coherence."

...to be continued.

---

Related links:

• McGowan harass marchers, desecrates Mexican flag at 2006 immigration rally


• McGowan joins racist local access personality Tom "Big T" Bennett in inciting people to harm members of the immigrant community.


• Fairfield Weekly mocks McGowan's campaign for mayor.


• Elise Marciano anti-immigrant group members applaud while speaker advocates placing immigrants in WW-II style concentration camps.

Here's a copy of the arrest warrant affidavit for Bethel First Selectman Robert Burke.
This document was made public by the State Superior Court in Danbury on Wednesday and I obtained a copy of the file (via the Freedom of Information Act) today.

The document has been doctored in order to conceal the identity of the victim.

Click here to download (pdf format.)

I know, I know...everyone is waiting for my write-up at what happened yesterday at the trial of John McGowan.

For those who don't know, McGowan, a former Danbury mayoral candidate, outspoken anti-immigrant activist, former co-host of the racist and offensive BigT Talk and Varitey Show and former vice president of Elise Marciano's anti-immigrant/xenophobic hate group, was arrested last month and charged with first degree sexual assault.

According to CT Defense Lawyer website, if found guilty, McGowan could be sentenced to 1 to 20 years in prison and fined up to 15,000 dollars.

From reading the highly sexually explicit and disturbing police affidavit, reading the "documents" McGowan filed with the court clerk, to watching Big(o)T's former sidekick's bizarre action at the trial, I'm still taking everything in...in fact, I'm at a loss for words over everything I've seen in the last 24 hours.

I'll give everyone the play by play of what happened at the Litchfield Courthouse yesterday, as well as where I spotted McGowan at AFTER the court case, later today. tomorrow morning.

Prepare to be stunned, shocked, and totally disgusted.

---

UPDATE: Welcome to those who have found their way to this site from the Register-Citizen's write-up on the McGowan case.

Here's some related material on McGowan:

• From the immigration march of 2005, here's McGowan in action harassing marchers and desecrating a Mexican Flag during a immigration march.
  
  
  
  
• McGowan joins racist local access personality Tom "Big T" Bennett in inciting people to harm members of the immigrant community.



• Bennett and McGowan denies that they advocated people shoot immigrants on Kennedy Ave...while the video proves otherwise.





• Fairfield Weekly mocks McGowan's campaign for mayor.



• Elise Marciano anti-immigrant group members applaud while speaker advocates placing immigrants in WW-II style concentration camps.
  
  

As we get closer to the September 15th Republican primary in Bethel, it's critical that reporters at the News-Times that cover Bethel politics do their research.

For example, lets take a look at today's front page article by Eileen FitzGerald in the News-Times regarding an ethics complaint filed against Bethel Police commissioner Nick Ellis.

The Bethel Ethics Commission will hold a special meeting Wednesday night to hear a complaint from a resident who claims a town commissioner divulged confidential information received in the course of official duties.

[...]

Resident Daniel Gaita filed the complaint Aug. 26 against Police Commissioner Nick Ellis, who said the complaint is not true.

"My whole reason for filing the complaint was the quotes in the newspaper, along with timing of a voice mail from Ellis as it related to my request to the police chief,'' Gaita said.

Now, not withstanding the fact that the reporter didn't question Gaita about why he requested information regarding the victim on June 25 (which could imply that he something about the case prior to the First Selectman's arrest), what FitzGerald failed to disclosure in her article was Gaita's connection to First Selectman Bob Burke's campaign.

According to the First Selectman's website, Dan Gaita is listed as the treasurer.



Unfortunately, FitzGerald failed to disclosure this important bit of information with the public in her article.

From my appearance last week on the public access show "Ideas at Work and Beyond" here's what I do with Dan Gaita when he calls in to question Republican endorsed First Selectman candidate Larry Craybas and Selectman candidate Paul Szatkowski.



As you see in the clip, I made it a point to inform the audience that Gaita was a member of Burke's campaign. Now this isn't because I have a preference towards any of the Republican candidates in the primary...I DO have a preference when it comes to informing the public about the political connections of people who are being quoted in the media.

That's one of the responsibilities of a journalist...which is something Eileen FitzGerald should take not of if she's going to report on news in Bethel.

...just sayin'

UPDATE: FitzGerald steps up and does the right thing in her follow-up article.

The Bethel Ethics Commission adjourned a special meeting Wednesday after a 20-minute closed-door session because it didn't have enough members to vote on whether to investigate a complaint or dismiss it.

About 15 residents showed up at the hearing for a complaint Daniel Gaita filed against police commissioner Nick Ellis, which claims Ellis divulged confidential information received in the course of official duties.

The complaint has to do with First Selectman Bob Burke's Aug. 24 arrest by state police. He was charged with second-degree harassment for alleged telephone calls made to a female victim.

Gaita is Burke's campaign treasurer.

Thanks Eileen for doing the right thing!