What’s the news in West Hartford?

As a longtime resident who has read the papers avidly for years, I always felt that I had only a slim idea what really goes on in this town. That’s one big reason I started this blog, to help fill the gaps in my own knowledge (and, hopefully, to do the same for others).

After almost a year, I’m still irritated at how little real news about West Hartford is published — maybe even more mad, really, since I have a better understanding of what isn’t written about — but this blog has given me much more insight into my town than I ever dreamed possible. I can’t begin to express my appreciation to such people as Kevin Sullivan, Judy Aron, Chuck Coursey, Rick Liftig and many, many others who are sharing their knowledge and opinions so freely. There’s a conversation happening here that ought to be going on as well in the pages of the Courant and the West Hartford News, but isn’t.

Anyway, I want all of you to know that I’m willing to post pieces on this blog that are mostly just news. If you know about things going on in town that are not being reported, drop me an email at whblogger@gmail.com and tell me about it. I can’t launch a big investigation, or even a little one, but I can pass on news that’s not libelous or mean-spirited to whatever readers there are here.

Let’s see if we can’t do even more to fill the gap left by professional reporters who are too busy and distracted to notice much of what’s going on.

News coverage of West Hartford sucks

If I read today’s West Hartford News correctly, and sometimes it’s not easy, the town council this week adopted the property tax freeze for 500 or so allegedly low income seniors. The lost tax revenue is supposed to be made up from a grant, the source of which is entirely unspecified. There’s no indication whether there’s an asset test involved or if this is a giveaway to rich seniors who don’t have much income. But I’ll give the weekly this: at least it mentioned it. The Courant didn’t tell us squat.

We deserve a lot better than this from our town officials, who have a duty to inform us of what they’re doing, and from the reporters who supposedly cover this town. This is a big, big deal that has been so ignored in the press that it’s seemingly slipped right through without anyone knowing anything about it.

It’s sad and infuriating.

As I’ve said before, I’m not against helping struggling seniors. But without an asset test, this is terrible policy and pure political pandering. It’s unfair to the vast mass of taxpayers.