The Day - | News from southeastern Connecticut

Home
News
Business
Sports
- Columnists
- Local
- High School
  - Saturday Showdown
- UConn
- CT Sun
- CT Tigers
- Colleges
- Professional
  - Auto Racing
  - Baseball
  - Basketball
  - Football
  - Golf
  - Hockey
  - Tennis
Opinion
- Cartoons
- Columnists
- Editorials
- Guest Opinions
- Letters
- Op-Ed
Entertainment
- Advice Columns
- Books
- Celebrities
- Columnists
- Events
- Exhibits
- Food & Dining
  - Restaurant Reviews
- Games
  - Sudoku
  - Crossword
  - Jigsaw
  - More Puzzles
- Horoscopes
- Movies
  - Movie Times
- Music
- Nobody Cartoon
- Stage
- TV
  - TV Listings
Multimedia
classifieds
- Place an Ad
- View Ads
- Cars
- Real Estate
- Jobs
- Pets
deals
coupons
jobs
real estate
business directory
obituaries

Formica puts his political priorities first

Mark Princevalle East Lyme Editor's note: The writer, a Democrat, opposed Formica in the 2011 election.

Publication: The Day

Published 05/26/2012 12:00 AM

Updated 05/25/2012 05:12 PM

I believe that a truism in politics should be that if you run for and are elected to a position, especially in a small town, you should feel a personal and honor-bound commitment to remain in that position and perform your duty to the best of your abilities. East Lyme Paul Formica, as demonstrated by his actions, does not believe in this same truism.

This week past East Lyme has seen our first selectman, whose time, salary, and benefits are paid for by town residents, seek and obtain the Republican nomination to run for U.S. Congress from Connecticut's 2nd District. This campaign is being run full-time, and will, said Formica, require even more effort if he's to win the general election in several months.

Will the residents of East Lyme still pay for his time, salary, and benefits while he works not for us but for himself and his campaign? Does the personal (i.e., campaign-related) use of town facilities, equipment, and even employees constitute a violation of any law protecting townspeople from these types of actions? This week and those beyond should provide real insight into the true character of a man who would be a congressman.