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Democratic mayoral forum canceled

By Nancy Guenther Chapman

NORWALK, Conn. – A Democratic mayoral forum planned for May 23 has been canceled.

The debate, planned for 7 p.m. at Roton Middle School, would have featured all four Democrats competing for the Democratic Party mayoral nomination was organized by District E. Chairman Bill Krummel said he had two reasons for canceling the debate: it was too close in time to a June 7 debate planned by The Hour and The League of Women Voters pulled out of the event over the weekend.

The District E debate was free. The Hour’s debate features a $30 ticket fee, according to an email sent out Wednesday morning.

“If I realized that I might not have canceled it,” Krummel said.

The Hour’s debate will be held at the Norwalk Inn at 8 a.m. June 7. Reservations are required as seating is limited. A full breakfast will be served at 7:30 a.m.

Krummel said he hadn’t gotten much of a response from people as he called around to organize the District E forum. After he canceled it many of the people he couldn’t reach called to say he had done the wrong thing.

“You know how it is,” he said.

He was relying heavily on the League of Women Voters, he said.

Comments

17 responses to “Democratic mayoral forum canceled”

  1. LWitherspoon

    @Nancy and Mark
    Has the Hour ever sold tickets to a debate in the past? Where does the money go? I realize newspapers have fallen on hard times but have to wonder about the practice of charging voters to see their candidates debating. Too few people attend these sorts of events as it is, why reduce the number of attendees by charging?
    .
    Speaking of hard times, what have you heard about the Main Street Connect bankruptcy?

    1. Mark Chapman

      @LWitherspoon

      Jerrod Ferrari at The Hour tells us that the debate will be streamed live on http://www.thehour.com. If he answers the other questions I just sent, I will post them here..

      As for the main Street Connect/The Daily Voice bankruptcy, there have been several stories written about it, including in some nationally circulated venues. The best is this: http://blogs.wsj.com/bankruptcy/2013/05/08/extra-extra-read-all-about-the-daily-voices-bankruptcy/
      In a couple other stories, Tucker was quoted as calling the three former reporters who filed suit as “mad dog predators” who are chasing him and forcing him to spend $500,000 in legal fees. I have a hard time seeing three reporters working for bottom-scale wages — starting reporter pay at MSC was $25,000 to $28,000 a year — being predators for trying to get OT pay from a company founded by and invested in by millionaires from Tucker to George Soros. Tucker was stunned that reporters — who have no authority as to what appears in print, who work at the direction of the company, using company equipment, adhering strictly to company rules and fulfilling company-set quotas — are not exempt from labor laws protecting them from exploitation. I worked for a company is Massachusetts in the ’80s that thought the same and wound up paying out megabucks in back OT to everyone (I, alas, was an exempt employee).

    2. Nancy Chapman

      As I recall, the big debate between Garfunkel and Moccia last time at the Norwalk Inn came with a hefty ticket price. I don’t know where the money goes. I’ll ask.
      They are serving breakfast as part of their ticket fee.

      Update: Mr. Ferrari at The Hour says the money goes to cover the paper’s expenses, and that, other than the League of Women Voters, most debates in the past decade have carried an admission fee. The debate will be streamed live on the paper’s website.

  2. Irish Girl

    Do you know if there is a publicized list of questions that will be asked the day of the debate?

    It will be interesting to see if Tim T will actually follow through and challenge the candidates with his … questions about how these candidates will either support or eliminate police working job sites.
    (This comment has been edited to conform with the comment guidelines)

    1. Mark Chapman

      @Irish Girl
      There is no list that we are aware of. Written questions may be submitted to The Hour. See Nancy’s comment in this string foe the link.

  3. Tim T

    Irish Girl
    Irish Girl

    Not that I owe you a reply but FYI I have already submitted that question to the hour. They have an online form, as the way I understand it the public will not be asking the questions but the Hour will be choosing from the submitted questions. . I would not expect The Hour to ask this question as we all know they will do nothing to go against their Republican Moccia.
    Also Irish Girl why such a concern with me could it be that my posts hurt the agenda of the horrid Republicans.
    Thanks for the compliment.
    …
    (This post has been edited to conform with our comment policy)

  4. Nancy Chapman

    The Hour is accepting submitted questions:
    https://thehour-dot-com.bloxcms-ny1.com/site/forms/online_services/debate_questions/

  5. Irish Girl

    Tim T,
    Please get over yourself; your postings do not in any way “hurt the agenda”(whatever) of the republicans because everyone who reads your posts knows that you are the source and not a very legitimate one at that. Your postings are nothing short of a manic buzz that annoys everyone because you really don’t bring anything to the table. All it is the same old angry tirades, … regardless of what is being discussed.

    All your unadulterated hate postings are just that and it seems like everyone has taken to ignoring what you write.

    No compliments to you, just yanking your chain. You need you to live up to your constant crying and ask your candidates the one issue that gets your craw… because if you don’t, then your true mission in life is exposed; to complain just to complain.

  6. LWitherspoon

    @Nancy and Mark
    Thank you for the follow up. Regardless of one’s politics, it’s hard to get excited about paying $30 for breakfast and some bloviation.
    .
    There shouldn’t be a fee for a candidate’s debate. A poll of Hour readers would probably find that most wouldn’t go if you paid them! The best things in life are free, what does that say about this debate? In any event, glad to know that it will be streamed online.

  7. Admo

    $30 to listen to the candidates? Ridiculous! Where is this money going? Really

  8. NorwalkVoter

    So funny to watch this group fight over free breakfast versus paying your way. The real question is why was this debate cancelled. Nancy and company need to ask the right questions. She does not have the answers in this story. Krummel’s answer is a polite way to cover the intimidation and paranoia that is going on behind the scenes. Do some digging Nancy. Who in District E made this debate impossible and which candidate applied pressure to stop this open forum. It is your job to find out, we know the Hour won’t.

  9. Al Raymond

    $30.00 or $1.00 No one should have to pay to listen to the candidates debate. Norwalk has about 83000.00 people living here and maybe 40000.00 get out to vote.What should be happening is more though should be put into how to get people out to vote. People want to know what each candidate will do to make Norwalk a better place to live & how there going to keep taxs down & how there going to keep a balanced bugget. Not charging people for this info,that should be FREE. There should be MORE DEBATES more often make them easy for people to get to at all different time of the day & night if need be have a couple of busses to go pick up some of those people that can`t get to a debate normaly. People need to realize that the local elections are even more important than national. All that being said we need to incorage people to get out and VOTE not stay home & do nothing while Norwalk falls apart. Just saying.

  10. LWitherspoon

    @NorwalkVoter
    It sounds like you know more than you’re saying. Care to enlighten us?

  11. NorwalkVoter

    That is Nancy’s job.

  12. oldtimer

    The Norwalk Inn is a business and needs to charge for the room use and the service. Therefore, it is the wrong place for a public forum/debate with all the public space that is availale for such an event. Unless, for some reason, the usual public rooms have been made unavailable ?

  13. LWitherspoon

    @Al Raymond
    Excellent points. I suspect your turnout estimate may hold true for national elections. Fewer than 15,000 people voted for Moccia and Garfunkel combined in the 2011 Norwalk municipal elections!
    .
    @NorwalkVoter
    With all due respect, it’s hard to take it seriously when people lob hazy, unsubstantiated allegations and refuse to provide further details when questioned.

  14. 0ldtimer

    The debate between Moccia and Garfunkel was sponsored by the Hour and the League of women voters, held in the community room at City hall, and there was no admission charge.

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