Responding to the sudden announcement that Bristol Hospital will close the Senior Clinic at the Senior Center on July 29th, Gill said “That in difficult economic times like this, these are the types of services that are unfairly cut that effect our seniors”.
“While I understand the Hospitals difficult decision, and the difficulty Mr. Barwis dealt with in making this decision, I do not understand why the City was not involved and some form of compromise was reached.” Gill stated.
“Bristol Hospital is our community based health delivery center and it must remain viable to all our citizens especially our seniors. There have been many budget issues that the current administration has left unattended or over funded that could have easily helped save this service for the hospital and the seniors. All we need to do is to get to the table to figure out how.” Gill said.
“If we have taken money out of the City surplus accounts to fund this year’s budget, which is troublesome to begin with, then the $24,000 needed to keep this vital program in tact is nothing”. Gill went on to say that he admires the work of the volunteer nurses and that they have demonstrated and provided the care and compassion that we can not afford to lose. I call on the City to resolve this crisis immediately and I offer to help in any way I can”
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
54 comments:
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Where from Mr. Gill???
Johnny, you sure sound like a liberal democrat!
Are you an Obama plant?
Tell the State not to fund Uconn and put the money back into community health providers!!
Where was Ward when this was going down? Doesn't he talk with the hospital administration regularly? They have obviously been thinking about this for months...did he know? If not, why? And if so, why didn't he do anything about it?
Where Was Ward???
Good Release Mayor Gill!
I'm sure if the City hadn't given the union such lucrative contracts saving this vital service would be attainable.
Go Mayor Gill!
Take some more away from the Visiting nurses
7:00...GASB 45 for one...at least a $1.8 million savings to the city..nearly 1/2 of a mill. Ward will not do it because the unions think it will hurt them. Ignorance is bliss and now our seniors lose a vital service.
10:04 has the right idea..where was Ward on this issue? Come on Collins dig!
WWW now stands for Where Was Ward!!!
Suddenly he's concerned about all those poor "retreads?"
Gill said it himself, "I don't understand."
private/public?
does this gill guy even know where the senior center is?
Does Mr. Gill realize that we're in a recession? Geesh, maybe Gill is short for Gilligan??? Sounds like he's been lost on an island somewhere...
sure looks like wanna-bee and tj will be deserting gill's ship when it starts to sink after they strand him at sea.
concerned about those "old retreads" because he is already trying to make up for "rookie" flubs.
And it begins...
Gill is at least taking a stand and saying something has to be done for the Seniors in our town. He is not standing back and letting things just happen.
Good start so far. Voters will like a candidate that cares about them and not "retread" politics.
Got to love the naysayers...
And that is just the start!
Well intentioned but naive, ill informed and being led.
Is that what we want?
Doesn't someone in his family work in a nursing home???
I agree completely with Mr. Gill. If we can take from the rainy day fund to balance the budget - millions of dollars, what is $24,000 to aid our seniors and support Bristol Hospital? Maybe if we protect Bristol Hospital and don't give so much to UCONN, or even if we did the GASB 45 tranfer we would be okay. I love this guy already. I also like the comment for what does WWW mean - Where Was Ward?
Touche'
Pandering to the greedy-geezers is usually Ward's specialty. Apparently though his chosen target is the welfare class.
Good shot Coucilman Doof.
Retreads referred to Ward, Nicastro, Minor et all, not elderly people...come on people, get a clue and quit being so negative.
Scares you Dems to death that Gill has already punched another hole in Ward's "amazing" first term. He's going to be Swiss cheese by November
Then why did he not name Ward, Nicastro, Minor??
By the way, the two councilmen are not running, so maybe he was referring to Rimcoski and Cockayne too?
Where was Ward - spending to much time on the blogs & bars. This wellness clinic is vital to these seniors, instead of Ward catering to his union boys, maybe he should take care of the seniors in this town. After all Ward certainly is a senior, but then again he gets great health care from the city, plus his wife's (from the city) and I am sure he sucks off the VA because he is a veteran - so why should Ward care about other seniors? He doesn't.
My vote is for Gill. Sorry Ward but you just don't get it.
W. Holten
8:03am - Typical Ward comment. Hey Mayor enough already - your gig is up!
Senior Wellness Center WWW?
GASB 45 WWW?
Union Contracts WWW?
Tax Increase WWW?
Southeast Industrial Park WWW?
Fiscal Responsibility WWW
All adds up to a big ZERO or in the Unions back pocket
4:09 Scared? No
Amused? Slightly
So far, Gill hasn't even registered a blip on the political radar. He's got a looooooooonnnnngggggg way to go before he's punching holes in anything!
GGG - Gill's gotta go!
I wasn't aware that the Bristol Hospital was under the City's control? Aren't they a private entity?
"And it begins...
Gill is at least taking a stand and saying something has to be done for the Seniors in our town."
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Yep, the BS is beginning alright. Gill's starting to campaign, flapping his gums and chosing his target group (those old retrea...er Seniors). Political science 101. Not a very impressive start at all.
JOhn,
Are you aware that the two republicans voted to take money out of surplus funds?
Any comment?
8:56 As usual - WRONG.
Hey 12:43 PM, You may not be Ward, but heck, you probably could run for mayor if you wanted to. If we believe what they're trying to feed us, any schmuck off the street with a college degree is qualified for the position!
Mr. Gill
Why not offer to donate $24,000 of your mayoral salary to resolve the issue?
I am surprised to see so many people targeting Gill but noone has defended Ward! Interesting. I am impressed that this Gill guy is already making waves. I care about Bristol, this is where I raise my children. I will definitely vote Republican this time around if Gill keeps going in the direction he started in. Like our president said, It's time for a change!
Anybody notice the City of Bristol website where the news is on the right hand side? The website wasn't updated since 2/6/2009. The day of Gill's speech, 7/23/9, when he mentioned adding updates to the website, all of a sudden the website gets an update! Go Gill for already making a change in Bristol!
Would you take money out of surplus for the VNA?
How about $75,000 for a Veterans Service Officer?
And $100,000 for new Police cars?
Where would it all end if you were mayor??
"I am surprised to see so many people targeting Gill but noone has defended Ward"
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There's no need to "target" Gill...it's like shooting fish in a barrel.
Maybe no one is defending Ward cuz there's nothing to defend him from?
Facts are facts and the fact is that taking this service away from seniors who's pension income from investments has been reduced, or for those who are on fixed income penions, an extra $10 here and there hurts. I congradulate MR. GILL for his demonstration of compasion and caring for we seniors. We got sold a bag of (roten) goods from Ward. He cares only about himself. WWW...like somebody said...in the bar or in the union hall!
GGG...GO GILL GO!!
Mr GILL SEES HES THE ONLY ONE WITH EDUCATION IN HIS BACKROUND.
Holten, better register to vote 'cause u ain't listefd on the Voter Registration list in Bristol.
"Mr GILL SEES HES THE ONLY ONE WITH EDUCATION IN HIS BACKROUND."
You make that PAINFULLY obvious...however, book learning just isn't a substitute for experience.
Is this something new, buying votes with taxpayer money?
Gill sure learned fast, or is it his democrat exposure and training?
5:55pm - I plan on it - don't you worry about that.
I guess Ward has his hacks looking through the voters list people to call. I also overheard Ward talking, of all places, the bar, about Gill being "wet under his belly." Go ahead Mayor start putting the man down, he maybe young, but he is educated and he doesn't have to kiss the union boys butts or make promises to buddies like you have been doing. Problem is Mayor you talk out of both sides of your mouth.
It appears Wardie boi knew the hospital was closing the senior wellness clinic on Friday...and did nothing and showed no compassion. His statements in Majerus's article suggest that he "won't commit tens of thousands in tax money to fund a private service"...I guess that means he disapproves of the stimulas deals the democrats are so proud of..(where is that money anyway?). Even after Barwis re-canted, the clinic appears to cost $37,000 not the $24,000 originally reported...but FAR from "hundreds of thousands of dollars". WWW???
Ward stated that nothing is "overfunded". 3% raises to unions in a year when most communities across the state AND the country were either flat or got nothing is a bit of overfunding...especially when he had to take the money out of reserves and he still started the year in a deficit.
If Ward wasn't so owned by the unions he would have passed the GASB 45 issue. It would have saved the taxpayers over $1.8 million this year alone. He knows this but also knows the unions will dump him like a roten egg if he did. Guess the seniors loss the unions win.
9:17, Your anti-Ward rhetoric is old, tired (and totally untrue). If you were eavesdropping on a private conversation in a bar (or anywhere else for that matter), that doesn't exactly speak well of your character now does it? I doubt Ward actually said that Gill was "wet under his belly." I think "wet behind the ears is more like it" (gotta be more careful when you eavesdrop, especially when you're drinking). If he actually said that though, he'd be absolutely correct! He's not putting the man down by stating a fact.
"GGG...GO GILL GO!!"
...and keep on going. Come back when you've learned about Bristol and have some experience under your belt. In the mean time GGG - Gill's gotta go!
The city DID NOT start the year with a deficit!
The new budget is balanced, as well it should be.
Last years budget may end up with a deficit, but where were know it alls Cockayne and Rimcoski when the spending was going on?
Do they even have a clue?
Gee Gill, if you had gotten involved even ONE MONTH ago, you could have alerted the city as to what might be happening, rather than waiting until after the fact..
9:12 - will mommy stay in the car and wait for you to register to vote or does she think that you won't trip trying to decide what party to register for?
Don't fret, it's multiple choice so you don't really have to think.
Yep Ward hacks, and Ward himself for sure on this blog - how sad.
10:54 AM:
Just because some of us like Ward and think he's doing a good job does not make us "hacks." There's really no need for name calling (it makes you look small).
And I don't know for a fact whether or not Ward is on this blog (but then again, neither do you). But it would seem that you're not above making false accusations and innuendos in your rush to discredit the Mayor (again, the actions of a small person).
Hopefully, most bloggers are savy enough to see that some people are willing to lie, spew falsehoods and innuendos in order to get their candidates elected. It really is classless...how sad.
Did the Almighty Gill try to do anything? If so what ? Or did he choose to wait until it was all over then use it as his campaign rhetoric?
Hey CC Complaining again ? What's new ? Or did you and Gill finally crawl out from under the Rock you have been hiding under? Obviously you are still a do nothing complainer!
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