Lily Kazemi
News Editor
Running for any kind of leadership position, whether it’s to be class president or captain of your varsity sports team, you know it can be hard. In most cases, the candidates turn out to be overqualified for the job, making the voting decision even more challenging. This is a sentiment that will be echoed throughout the town this summer when the Republican candidate for First Selectman is chosen. The two candidates running against each other are Paul Giusti and Rob Mallozzi, who are both parents of students at NCHS.
Mr. Giusti, who is currently a Board of Finance member, said that he’s the best man for the job because of the smart choices he will make for the town. “[This is] one of the most important things the First Selectman can do,” he said. “I believe I have demonstrated this quality through my background, business experience, education and volunteer efforts in our community.” Mr. Giusti also added that he runs a very positive, issue-oriented campaign.
Having served as a selectman for the past four years, Mr. Mallozzi feels that he is equally qualified for the position.”I have great experience with how the town has been run and what needs to be improved, and the people know my reputation and my dedication,” he said. “I really love this town and feel like I can make a big difference.” Mr. Mallozzi won his last election with a large popular support and plans to run the same campaign from his previous term.
Mr. Giusti emphasizes his three man policies, which are improvement in education, maintenance of the community’s character, and wise financial management. “I plan on working closely with the Board of Education to maintain the excellence in schools,” he said. “We need to look to areas for more efficiency that don’t affect class size and student/teacher ratios [while providing]great opportunities for our students in academics, sports, music and theater. Our generation has made a promise which we must keep to the next generation: a world-class education.”
Mr. Mallozzi said that one of the major issues that needs fixing is the lack of communication between town hall, the public and elected officials. “I want to improve communication as it is something that I feel is lacking,” he said. “People need to know the leaders are acting in the best interest of all in the town, not just their own.”
However, he believes that our current educational system is in perfect condition and needs minimal changes. “I think we have a phenomenal program of arts, sports and academics in our schools – we were ranked second nationally last year,” he said. “The legacy of people like [Principal] Tony Pavia needs to be continued, and the best thing we can do is just keep our current standards and try to rise to number one.”
Mr. Giusti and Mr. Mallozzi both cite the help that they’ve given others to be the proudest moments in their political pasts. “I am extremely proud that people have called me up at the store [Bob’s Sports] when they may have been too intimidated to call town hall and I have been able to answer some of their questions,” Mr. Mallozzi said. However, he clarified that he doesn’t commit to a task just to please people. “What a person sees in Rob Mallozzi is what they get,” he said.
Mr. Giusti also mentioned his ability to prepare the town in case of a crisis, like the current economic recession. “Before the wheels fell off the economy in 2008, a meeting was held where the major town bodies got together, including the Board of Finance, to discuss ways to improve the budget process and what happens if the economy gets really bad,” he said.
According to Mr. Giusti, ss a result of the team collaboration of recommendations in the summer 2008, there were no real estate closing in January 2009 for the town. “I am proud that we were well-prepared for this downturn and that all the task forces working on it really collaborated well to make improvements. I am glad that, as Chairman of the Budget Master Plan Task Force, I was able to help the town,” he said.
The upcoming Republican caucus between the two has stirred conversation at the high school. According to senior Karl Reinhardt, a candidate needs to have established him or herself well in order to obtain his vote. “I’d vote for someone because of their reputation and how they say they will improve their town,” he said. Junior Maddie Gordon, a registered voter, agreed. “I’d vote for a candidate who I feel could really make a difference in our community,” she said. “They’d need to come up with new ideas even if they don’t fall under my general political ideas.”
Mr. Mallozzi encourages any student of age to participate.”It is your first chance to vote, and I hope you all participate, especially since this is so close to home,” he said.
To learn more about Mr. Mallozzi and Mr. Giusti, visit www.mallozzi2011.com and www.paulgiustiforfirstselectman.com.
