By Thane Grauel
WESTPORT — Culture wars creeping into town, traffic choke points, and rising floodwaters were prominent subjects Monday night as the three candidates for first selectperson met at Town Hall in their third and final debate.
Democrat Jonathan Steinberg, Republican Jennifer Tooker, and Libertarian T.J. Elgin all seek the town’s top post in the Nov. 2 election. With a virtual audience watching, they took part in an event sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Westport.
Following a question from Moderator Sheila Ward, LWV of Westport, about the anonymous anti-Critical Race Theory group that recently sprang up in town, Tooker spoke out publicly for the first time against it.
“I am not in favor of the tactics that have been used by the anonymous parent group,” she said.
“However, I am in favor and do agree with the response that our superintendent, Tom Scarice, gave to the situation … He admitted that there were some issues around transparency and communications in choosing the provider for the D.E.I. (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) study in the schools,” she said, “and then he went on to say, ‘You know what? We’re going to make sure everything we do going forward is incredibly transparent and that we have open communication.’”
“This is not about what the kids are doing this is about what the adults are doing,” Steinberg said. “What we have here are outside forces trying to divide our community with fear-mongering propaganda.”
“I also object to my opponent’s statement that Dr. Scarice admitted any issues with transparency or the process,” he said. “It simply isn’t true.”
Steinberg said the group’s behavior, even though it’s free speech, “cannot be tolerated without people speaking out. We come together as a community when we have shared values of diversity and inclusivity, and also integrity.”
Ward asked for each candidate’s preferred solution for the William F. Cribari Bridge, which carries state Route 136 over the Saugatuck River. It’s been at the center of a longstanding battle between local preservationists and the state Department of Transportation, which has sought to widen it.
“We’ve had many years to fix the Cribari Bridge, which is deteriorating fast and presents a safety risk,” Steinberg said. “The current administration has run away from DOT and having the conversation about what to do with the bridge.”
“They’ve turned down $40 million in federal money, twice, and the bridge is not getting any better,” he said. “We can deal with DOT directly and immediately, find out the facts, get the numbers.
“The state has not declared what their intentions are for that bridge,” Tooker countered, “and until they do, I do not think it’s appropriate for us to accept any money, until we understand what they think they’re going to do to that bridge.”
“If we take control,” Steinberg said, “then we can control both sides of that bridge, put up barriers so 18-wheelers can never come through,” he said. “But doing nothing is not a solution.”
Tooker said the span should stay in the state’s hands, not become a town asset, but that it should retain the same look and feel.
“If we don’t coordinate the right contract with the state, we’re going to lose all rights to that, and the area,” Elgin said, cautioning about the “overdevelopment of Saugatuck.”
“Year after year I see buildings go up, different things go up,” he said, but the area is not prepared with adequate underground infrastructure.
“We want to add more to the community, but are we focusing on our water needs, our water demands?” he said. “Are we focusing on all the things that come with bringing more people to the community?”
“Neighborhoods all over town are now facing flooding issues we never used to have before,” Steinberg said. “It’s the result of global warming, larger houses, poor maintenance of pipes and culverts.”
Tooker concurred, explaining that while the current administration has done a lot of work on local bridge repair to help continue access to properties during emergencies, more still needs to be done.
“We are having more frequent, more severe, storms, whether it be wind, whether it be rain,” she said, noting that drainage issues need to be addressed in tandem with both private residents and local businesses.
The three also were asked about what could be done about traffic on state roads.
Tooker said her administration would set up a neighborhood traffic advisory and safety commission, “to make sure we understand how traffic is backing up on our local roads, how it is affecting pedestrian safety, the safety of our kids and our pets.”
“I find this subject very frustrating,” Steinberg said. “We legislators have been urging this administration to push DOT to address these problem intersections for years, and it starts with the first selectman, who must be an avid advocate on behalf of the needs of the town.”
Elgin said he’d have solar-powered message signs on roadways, pointing motorists to various businesses or shopping plazas during times of heavy traffic.
First selectperson candidates were supported in-person by their running mates, including Democrat Candice Savin, Republican Andrea Moore, and Libertarian Louis D’Onofrio, who were allowed prepared statements.
The event also featured discussion with unopposed Board of Finance candidates, including incumbent Democrats Brian Stern, current chair, and Lee Caney, and Republican newcomer Michael Keller.
Discussions also featured two of the three candidates for the Board of Assessment Appeals, including incumbent Republican Joseph Sledge, who also chairs the Republican Town Committee, and Democrat Lynette Pineda.
Democratic candidate Ifeseyi Gayle was unable to attend.
Steinberg is wrong—It seems to me the only divisive fear mongering going on is by people who are defending a study whose contents the Board of Education refuses to release until AFTER the election. Sternberg’s distraction to cover for the lack of transparency is rather shameful. Let’s release what NYU Metro has gathered and provided to the BoE and let the community review and discuss it. Your running mate Candy Savin sits on the BOE and has FULL ACCESS to these materials and can release them TODAY. To be clear, your running mate’s lack of transparency regarding hiring this DEI vendor with truly disturbing materials on their website and Instagram is at the root of the problem and divisiveness in the town. You should condemn that. Have some respect for your neighbors and constituents and give people the tools to analyze what’s being done and have a real discussion rather than engaging in childish and inflammatory name calling. Our community deserves better than this and so-called leaders who engage and lead this divisive behavior.
Mr Steinberg, based on your commentary I went and reviewed the anonymous website. Have you or Candy Savin actually done the same? Unlike the NYU Metro website, I have not found anything that strikes me as racist. Perhaps you can enlighten everyone. To date no one has articulated anything specifically from the Westport anonymous parent website that is racist. The same cannot he said for the NYU Metro website/Instagram which openly cheered the dismantlement of the gifted and talented program in NYC schools based on race and claims that capitalism is racist. Do you and Savin actually agree with that? Voters should know this answer before voting. Stop the political grandstanding and put the educational needs of our students first.
Regarding the anonymity of the website-did anyone ever consider that the divisiveness you reference could come from your fellow democrat sitting Board of Ed member who openly called a concerned mother’s testimony before the Board of Ed meeting “evidence that racism exists in our town.” If that’s not divisive and pushing people to anonymity, I don’t know what would be. You should condemn this ignorant and divisive behavior.
Steinberg = misinformation
Steinberg as quoted above: “I also object to my opponent’s statement that Dr. Scarice admitted any issues with transparency or the process,” he said. “It simply isn’t true.”
Scarise as quoted in his 10/8/21 email: “Over the past few weeks there have been questions raised about the equity study the district began last year, the timeline of how the study will unfold, whether a public report will be shared, how this works fits into the overall district strategic plan, and the selection of NYU Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools.
In fairness, the district takes pride in high quality communication, yet the communication on this work could have been better and I am ultimately responsible for that.”
Voting for Steinberg/Savin on November 2 is Westport’s death sentence. This town is already on shaky ground being run by TEAM Westport. The BOE, chaired by Savin who can’t string together a coherent sentence, is a disgrace. They are keeping details on the equity study as quiet as possible with one hand and calling parents racist for asking questions with the other. Shame on Westport democrats.
I am disappointed by the reporting of last night’s debate by the Westport Journal. Tooker did not speak out against this anonymous group. She just disagrees with their “tactics,” which implies she agrees with the substance of their stance against an equity study in our schools. The cowardly group of so called Westport parents arguments reek of fear and white fragility. This is not who the vast majority of Westporters are. It was clear from last night’s debate who the clear leaders are, Steinberg/Savin. They clearly won all three debates. They have ideas, vision and a record of getting things done. What has Tooker done? She takes credit for a stable mill rate? You can thank the Democratic led Board of Finance, chaired by Brian Stern.. She takes credit for new businesses moving to Westport? You can thank the Democratic P&Z board, led by the Democratic Chair Danielle Dobin, for streamlining the permitting process for businesses. She claims she hands out business cards and created a website. All I heard out of Tooker’s mouth was the same words, and ideas that Jonathan has said previously. I guess Jonathan should be flattered, but what are Tooker’s ideas? What is her vision? Does she have any? As far as Andrea Moore goes, she says you need to respect view points on both sides of the equity study. I don’t know how anyone can respect a viewpoint that is based on fear, divisiveness and outright lies about our world class teachers and educators. Shame on them!
Michael Kaplan, I am deeply confused about your comments regarding the equity study. The whole premise of the equity study is the pervasive systemic racism in our schools that supposedly needs to be addressed. This means the advocates of the equity study are the ones who believe our teachers and administrators are the ones who are racist and mistreating minority kids. But nice attempt to flip that around…. It’s borderline comical that a Hartford hack like Steinberg thinks he occupies the moral high ground on anything. Everyone in this town knows Jen and Andrea are wonderful big-hearted women of the highest character with the best of intentions. The Dems have run a truly disgraceful campaign trying to smear them at every turn with the most vile insinuations. Any disagreement is twisted into some kind of proof of their moral depravity. It has been sickening to watch this abusive and dishonest behavior. Take your white fragility, and whatever bogus catch phrase you throw around these days to make yourself feel like you’re better than everyone else,-and look in the mirror. Stop the projection. It is yourself and your Democrat leaders who should be ashamed. I expected a rough campaign but they have stooped far lower than I would have imagined.
Anybody acusing westporters of racism needs to have their head examined. White pride is not even a thing. Charles Manson wanted to create a race riot as a means for control. Using the race card is the most disgusting form of political behavior. Talk about fear mongering…. divide and conquer is thae Marxist technique… wake up westport you are being played. I didn’t watch the debates… boring but yeah, calling people racists is a technique for scummy people.. for two reasons … if you disagree then you are a racist… and it takes power away from real race issues…. anything with the term equity is bullcrap…you know why? Because it negates equal opportunity. Equity is what the soviet union proposed… equal opportunity is America… all men are created equal… equity is Joe Bidens campaign slogan.. give me a break.. I have suggested reading if anybody is interested..lmk