What Mayor-elect Finizio meant to say ...

The new mayor-elect of New London got a lesson this week in the need to choose words carefully when you're a public figure.

Daryl Justin Finizio, in announcing that Thomas J. Londregan will not be returning as law director in his administration, made this comment to Day reporter Jeffrey A. Johnson: "I mentioned to him that I think it's time for a new person or a younger person in the post to join the administration."

"A younger person?" That criterion would be age discrimination.

Substitute "a whiter person" or "a heterosexual person" or a "not disabled person" and you get the picture.

Finizio tried to walk back the comment when I asked him about it at a news conference today (Friday) held to announce that Police Chief Margaret Ackley and Fire Chief Ronald Samul will remain.

The incoming mayor said the statement was taken out of context. (Do you notice when politicians say something inappropriate it's always due to a reporter taking it out of context?) The context, Finzio explained, was that he was looking for someone with a longer term commitment and that was probably not Londregan, who is 67 and was first appointed law director way back in 1986 and was apparently not ready to make such a long-term commitment.

Not sure that explains it.

In any event, Finizio, who is 34, went on to apologize and offered assurances that anyone of any age is free to apply for positions in his administration and will receive fair consideration.

Having covered his election for several months and met with him several times, Finizio does not strike me in any way as a prejudiced person in any fashion, age or otherwise. I think you chalk this one up to inexperience. It is one thing to have a discussion around the kitchen table, quite another to talk to a reporter in your official capacity as the next mayor. You have to careful. He wasn't.

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P.S. Since I first posted this blog, Staff Writer Sasha Goldstein has transcribed Finizio's full response to my question:

“That was taken out of context. It was in a conversation with Attorney Londregan about the need for an individual who would be willing to have a long-term commitment to the position and Attorney Londregan himself mentioned his own age and that he had served for a great period of time and that it was a mutual discussion that perhaps someone willing to make a long-term commitment would be a younger person.

But, anyone, of any age, who applies, including someone older than Mr. Londregan himself, who is willing to make a long-term commitment to the administration would be fully considered. This administration does not discriminate at all on the basis of age, on the basis of any ethnicity, racial classification, gender classification or political partisanship. This is entirely a merit based process and that is what it will remain and I regret that statement, it was taken out of context, and I certainly apologize for it. It does not accurately indicate my approach to hiring.”