By David Lancaster
Abraham Lincoln, the ever-prudent politician, wisely concluded: “You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all the people all of the time.” Already adept at the first two practices, Greenwich’s Democrat representatives are working hard to disprove Honest Abe’s final warning.
Consider first this simple question: Why do local Democrats relentlessly press local Republican officials to condemn Trump’s policies, irrelevant to town governance, while Greenwich Democratic Representatives Arzeno and Meskers escape scrutiny for harmful legislation from Hartford that directly affects our quality of life?
I’m referring to Hartford House Bill HB 5002, misleadingly titled “An Act Concerning Housing and the Needs of Homeless Persons.” In reality, the bill became a brazen state power grab, stripping Connecticut municipalities of their sovereignty through “Fair Share” housing quotas and mandated transit-oriented development.
Representatives Arzeno and Meskers did vote “no” on HB 5002, a calculated move likely permitted by their party’s supermajority to shield them in swing districts like Greenwich. More than a few Fairfield County Democrats also voted “no,” hinting at a coordinated strategy to protect vulnerable representatives while advancing Hartford’s agenda unchallenged.
Beyond their hollow votes, they also failed to support key amendments that could have mitigated the bill’s impact. These amendments would have allowed accessory apartments to be included as affordable housing units and would have exempted municipalities from submitting housing plans if they met the 10% threshold of affordable housing units under 8-30g “Affordable Housing Land Use Appeals Procedure”. The amendments were tailored to protect zoning autonomy. The other proposed amendments were attempts to extend tight time frames, protect rural areas and watersheds (drainage basins), reduce administrative costs and regulatory reporting burdens. They also sought to eliminate “as of right” development (translation: towns having no say in their development) and soften penalties for non-compliance. Messrs. Arzeno and Meskers repeatedly pledged to defend local zoning on the campaign trail. Yet, there’s no evidence of their advocacy—no speeches, no votes for protective amendments, no effort to safeguard Greenwich’s independence. Their silence stands in stark contrast to Senator Ryan Fazio who backed Senate Schedule A which made transit-oriented development voluntary, freeing towns from state pressure to rezone near train stations for high-density housing. Representative Tina Courpas also spoke out vigorously against the state overreach regarding the sovereignty of Greenwich’s zoning.
If Representative Meskers expressed concerns about HB 5002’s scope, why didn’t he or Representative Arzeno support the amendments to curb the bill’s ambitions? Their inaction betrayed their loyalty to Hartford’s party bosses over Greenwich’s residents. Mr. Meskers praised the previous legislative session’s “Work, Live, Ride” bill, which he and Mr. Arzeno backed after securing minor “local-friendly” amendments only for it to fail in the Senate thanks to Senator Fazio’s filibuster. Their selective engagement raises a critical question: Why didn’t they fight for Greenwich’s zoning rights on HB 5002? Why did Messrs. Meskers and Arzeno vote for the strike-all bill amendments (A and B), which paved the way from a bill with a narrow focus on homelessness to an omnibus housing reform.
Greenwich deserves political leaders who don’t hide behind token “no” votes but fiercely defend our zoning autonomy at every turn. The only Greenwich Democrat to take a stand was Governor Ned Lamont, a Greenwich resident, who vetoed this undemocratic overreach. Messrs. Arzeno and Meskers had clear opportunities to back corrective amendments as Representative Tina Courpas and Senator Ryan Fazio did, but they chose silence. They endlessly boast about having ‘a seat at the table’ as majority Democrats, but they never use their influence to challenge their party’s harmful policies like HB 5002. Their inaction was tantamount to consent to Hartford’s mandates, prioritizing party loyalty over Greenwich’s interests. Our town’s future depends on representatives who prioritize Greenwich’s right to local control over its affairs rather than party ideology and the special interests of developers of every stripe. Lincoln’s timeless warning to public servants about fooling all the people all the time is standing the test of time in Greenwich. These political antics no longer fool some of the people for even a moment.
