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Letter to the Editor: Dangerous Hate Filled Post Card from Barbara Smyth against Opponent for Mayor, Vinny Scicchitano

September 8, 2025
–
Liz Conti

I am writing to inform others about smear campaign literature sent out by Democrat candidate Barbara Smyth against opponent Vinny Scicchitano. His statement says it better than my words here, however I am writing on this so that as many residents of 

Norwalk as possible can see what a disgraceful person Ms. Barbara Smyth is. This is unbecoming of a person holding current office on common council. She should be charged with an ethics violation, and certainly this display of hate and divisiveness make it crystal clear, she is NOT qualified to be the next Mayor of Norwalk. She serves only the one party she represents, and has and will do little to represent all the citizens of Norwalk. She makes it clear who she is, and it is not a person of character and integrity at all. 

See this link for the postcard sent out that photo shops opponent Vinny with national figures that those with the mental illness of Trump Derangement Syndrome love to hate and make an the absurd correlation that all Republicans are to be hated as well. Anyone that spreads such lies is sick and dangerously divisive. Someone so shallow and so filled with an ungodly lust for political power, is absolutely not a person that should be mayor of this town of Norwalk or any other. 

Democrats who run campaigns in a manner that distracts from what they have to offer people to earn their vote and rather smears their opponent with lies and divisive slander offer nothing of benefit to the voters and community they purport to represent. 

Norwalk needs a mayor dedicated to representing ALL the people of Norwalk, affiliated with any party or no party but just call this town home. I don’t see any candidate other than Mr. Vinny Scicchitano that will deliver that type of transparent and honest representation for the residents of Norwalk. Vinny is not a self-serving politician seeking power, rather he is a gentleman who attempts to win the hearts, and souls and votes of like-minded Norwalk residents who are fed up with the woeful leadership that has failed us and leaves most seeking “change”. A change to representation that puts the concerns of residents first, not political donors and hate-mongers with a one-sided view of things who refuse to accept other points of view and literally despise a large segment of the community unjustifiably. We see around us what that attitude has given us, who among us is really foolish enough to keep going down that same road and expecting a different result? 

The only horse in this mayoral race Vinny Scichitano  that is not a part of same tired old representation that has sold this town out and put the expenses on our property tax bill without our blessing, and continues to turn up their noses at us when we present valid complaints is Vinny for the people. Just as his slogan says, he is dedicated to common sense leadership for all Norwalk residents and wants to lead with facts not fear in a 

transparent way where the voices of the people will be heard and regarded, not disparaged. 

I encourage folks to consider their choices in this election wisely and not continue to bow to any political party or political rhetoric. Look at candidate’s character and integrity as people. Listen to what they are offering to citizens regarding their positions on issues. Look at what they do with more scrutiny than what they say; choose someone with the ability to represent all residents of Norwalk with the respect and dignity they deserve. 

Liz Conti 

Norwalk Republican Town Committee District A

Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of NancyOnNorwalk.

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14 responses to “Letter to the Editor: Dangerous Hate Filled Post Card from Barbara Smyth against Opponent for Mayor, Vinny Scicchitano”

  1. Mike Mushak

    This bizarre letter from MAGA Republican Liz Conti is Exhibit #1 of why no one should ever vote for any MAGA Republican including for mayor or any office in Norwalk in 2025, especially to represent our beautiful diverse city that has always been a magnet for immigrants from around the world, and a beacon of tolerance and hope and “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” for its residents since its founding nearly 400 years ago. These are the real patriotic American values that Democrats Barbara Smyth and Darlene Young both bring to the table, who are running in a primary tomorrow on September 9. Both candidates are of high moral and ethical standing, and I wish both of them well!

    The actual “Trump Derangement Syndrome” is what Norwalk’s MAGA Republicans all seem to be suffering from now, quite obvious in this letter, as we can see they are a bunch of frightened snowflakes who can’t run fast enough away from Trump now that they see the reality of what they voted for in action. Oops.

    Is it “buyers remorse”? Too late for that now, but we can all fix it by never voting for any Republican again, ever. That’s why Trump and his cheating Republican enablers are already planning to steal the next election with unprecedented mid-decade redistricting, and other election shenanigans. Don’t forget this is the same political party that has declared the attempted violent coup of January 6 a “peaceful protest”, and pardoned the traitors and cop-beating insurrectionists and even appointed some of them to work in our hollowed-out Department of Justice. It’s unbelievable, but it’s actually happening. Republicans cheat because know they can’t win on their unpopular agenda, and they lie because they know most of their voters weaned on Fox News’ 24/7 racist propaganda are too stupid to know the truth. Why else are they attacking universities and libraries who teach critical thinking, and banning books?

    Voting records indicate close to 15,000 MAGA Republicans in Norwalk voted for Trump, and now they are freaking out when anyone reminds them of that inconvenient truth. MAGA Vinny is so scared he doesn’t even want to be seen on a postcard with the leaders of his own party!

    Liz Conti asks us to look at “character and integrity” in our candidates, and I agree. What kind of “character and integrity” must it have taken to pull that lever for Trump and everything MAGA represents? Now they want you to forget that. Sorry, we will never forget.

    Trump is quickly destroying America from within, with his fully Republican-supported fascist takeover and 180-degree turn away from his campaign promises including his vow to bring down prices. The economy is tanking and prices are still rising and expected to climb higher once the tariffs kick in. Trump is now firing anyone who tells him the truth, and replacing them with his obedient lapdogs who will cook the books to please their master.

    The reality of Republican policies is now millions of families including seniors and the disabled across the nation in blue and red states alike will lose their healthcare and food security, all brought to you by the so-called “Christian Nationalists” of the Republican Party who don’t even know the first rules of Christianity which are “love thy neighbor” and “help the sick and the poor.”

    So I really don’t understand the angry reaction to this totally reasonable political flyer. Vinny is a hardcore lifelong Republican. Over 90% of Republicans approve of Trump including his fascist and corrupt policies. What am I missing here? Is it true Vinny had a “Trump Display” in his auto repair shop? Is it still there, or did he remove it when he decided to run for mayor? Let’s talk about “integrity and character” as Liz Conti demands!

    In fact, we need to know more about Vinny’s positions on all of the national issues that affect every Norwalker every single day, for example Trump’s insisting on tariffs that increase the costs of groceries, clothes, phones, and cars, cutting abortion access and women’s healthcare, eliminating education funding, rewriting history in our museums to make slavery a job-training program, attacking immigrants of color on the streets including US citizens, stopping all wind and solar projects (to help his billionaire oil-pumping friends) that will make all of our electricity bills go up higher than they are, using our military against our own citizens but only in blue states that actually have lower crime rates than red states, cutting Medicaid and food stamps and crucial medical research to pay for tax cuts to billionaires, increasing prescription drug prices, eliminating environmental regulations that protect our air and water quality, gutting consumer protections, attacking unions, pardoning rioters who violently attacked and injured cops while trying to overthrow our government, cutting vaccine access, throwing Ukraine under the bus to help his buddy Putin, running a crypto business while taking secret payments from foreign entities, etc. etc.

    In fact, on every single issue that affects all of us we need clarity from the Republican candidate for mayor. We mostly know where all the other candidates stand on these issues already, so this is only fair. You can’t be a Republican in 2025 and pretend Trump and his corrupt obedient cheerleaders in Congress simply don’t exist. Vinny, just tell us what you support and what you don’t support in the Trump agenda, and enough with the pretend outrage over a simple and factually accurate flyer.

    Here’s a simpler solution. Vote Democrat both locally and nationally, and save America!

    1. Paul Lanning

      Do you believe we’ll even HAVE a national midterm election in 2026?

    2. Bryan Meek

      Political bigotry is still bigotry. Stereotyping half the city isn’t a good look. And please spare us about the environment. The treatment plant has never smelled worse from all the development.

    3. Liz Conti

      What is bizarre, Mike is not my letter but your thinking that national politics and all “MAGA” is some kind of demonic force! That you equate all republicans with what you and others dislike about Trump. That doesn’t serve the entirety of the Norwalk community. Candidates like Barbara Smyth do not wish to serve all, they wish to judge and choose who they wish to serve and demoralize others based on an absurd association to national politics. Running for mayor of Norwalk to serve some with the same kind of rhetoric and cancelling all other voices that want change at the local level tells me Barbara is weak on the issues. Residents in Norwalk want to talk about issues not Trump and MAGA. Incidentally, MAGA means Make America Great Again, and common sense tells us that should be a good goal… trying to associate republicans with what anyone dislikes about the president is a distraction and a cop out because your Democrats have no other solutions for the people on high taxes and reduction of services and creating a town of renters not owners paid for by those who choose to “eat it” and continue to vote for anyone with a D next to their name due to some kind of absurd derangement of thought. Am I really that bizarre in my thinking or are you? Let’s debate on issues, not make it personal and maybe we can get somewhere toward common sense and a better and more diverse representation of all voices in Norwalk!

  2. Elsa Peterson Obuchowski

    The letter writer’s title should be published as Norwalk *Republican* Town Committee District A. The Republican and Democratic town committees in Norwalk each have district subcommittees.
    As the chair of Norwalk’s District A Democratic committee, I hope Nancy on Norwalk will make this correction.

  3. Diane Lauricella

    Have a moment to begin the conversation about Ms. Conti’s LTE.
    First of all, last time I looked, our Constitution allows something called the Freedom of Speech.

    From my perspective, this postcard was premature, ill-timed, and not particularly well-written. But the underlying message was truthful.

    The connection of this postcard to the Trump Administration IS and MUST be made an issue in the Mayoral race, just AFTER the primary!

    However, the pearl-clutching that Ms. Conti attempts here hides the main message, that Norwalk Republicans are directly tied to Trump and all of those portrayed on the postcard.

    The Republican Town Committee has a conundrum on their hands of their own making to be sure. While I know many Republican friends of mine secretly hate many of the things the Trump Administration did in the first term and is doing this term, they have FAILED to speak out officially and publicly.. at all, though for years I asked them to.

    Washington DC policy and rules affect ALL of our lives EVERY DAY, and I do not like when certain politicians in this town pretend there is NO connection. THERE IS.

    Think about your ability to seek health care, to breathe clean air, to stop paying unfair banking fees…the list goes on and on. Wake up!

    Yes, we have many serious issues right here in Norwalk that need reform, and heaven knows folks like me have tried no matter who was in office as Mayor or on Common Council. For years. My point is that the quick and hyper partisan outcry may be more about deflecting and trying to hide the fact that the RTC is connected to the Trump albatross around their neck. No excuses.

    Again, this postcard was not well-crafted or well-timed. But the local RTC must answer for their man in the Whitehouse sooner rather than later…or you are again doomed to lose here at home due to that albatross that we Norwalkers know exists.

  4. David Muccigrosso

    It’s disappointing that Liz chose to resort to pearl-clutching about “divisiveness”, while her own party defends the extremely divisive actions being committed right here in Norwalk by this administration’s ICE thugs. As others have noted, these policies have directly impacted Norwalkers, so yes, it absolutely does matter whether Mr. Scichitano supports them and supports the criminal Trump administration. Making this about “divisiveness” is just a cheap appeal to centrism, in order to distract the extreme actions being taken. Pay no mind to the authoritarian behind the curtain!

  5. John O’Neill

    Liz Conti does not represent to vast majority of Republicans in this town. She has her opinions and good for her that she voices them.
    I’m happy to read the retorts to her opinion piece as well. It gives us all a great view of where our country stands.
    While emotions are a good thing — (As Jim Valvano once said, if you laugh, you think and you cry that’s a full great day.)
    I wish we as a country would call it straight, but I think that’s too much to ask in the current climate.
    On BOTH ends of the political spectrum — Sad.

  6. Jan Degenshein

    Barbara Smyth was courageous to address the elephant in the room in a fashion that would get people’s attention regarding the critical divide between those who endorse MAGA policies and those who reject them. It crosses party lines. To the extent that her mailing opened a dialog, she succeeded.

    I’d like to start with a brief humorous vignette about a couple of other animals, which hopefully, by the end of this response, will be instructive. Years ago, I lived in an apartment “above the store.” An employee owned a Capuchin monkey named Matilda who, on occasional necessity, visited my office (the “store”). Matilda remained quietly in her cage, dressed in an infant’s attire, clutching her favorite blanket in one hand and a little stuffed animal in the other. Other employees admired how much hers resembled human behavior. I had a pet dog, an Akita named Gigabyte. Although her appearance was threatening to some, she just wanted to protect her master and otherwise leave others alone. On the few occasions that the two pets’ paths crossed, Matilda would drape her security blanket over her head, as if to become invisible. Cute. Gigabyte would just walk away and not engage.

    By agreeing to run politically under the mantle of any political party, a candidate is tacitly endorsing the up-ballot agenda of that party. To claim disaffiliation from a national political agenda, claiming it has no local impact, is absurd. As David Muccigrosso pointed out earlier, the national Republican agenda does affect us. We have observed our neighbors being inhumanely pursued and abducted by ICE agents. We are suffering from the threat of withdrawn educational funds, loss of access to health care, higher taxes (except for the superrich), a higher cost-of-living, loss of jobs, the spectre of an invasion of federal troops to our city, and environmental mismanagement (to name just a few subjects). Through the last two local campaign cycles, Norwalk’s Republican candidate for mayor has consistently reposted MAGA ideology. Eventually, he takes it down. The MAGA president conventionally posts divisive, abusive language and images. His MAGA minions will remain loyal to the cause they support. As Americans, that is their privilege.

    I am not appealing to Republicans to change their party affiliation, but if they disagree with the direction that MAGA politics is headed, as a protest to your party’s direction, sit this election out. You can’t pretend, by hiding under a Matilda blanket, that national and local policies don’t connect. Instead, if you can’t see clearly to vote for a Democrat, be like Gigabyte, and walk away – at least as long as it takes to communicate your objections and litigate ideological differences that will improve our well-being. To that effort, we share common ground.

    (Jan is a District D Democrat candidate for Common Council.)

    1. David Muccigrosso

      I don’t even care that local Republicans keep voting for national Republicans. It’s “dog bites man”!

      But (1) they should be open about it.

      And (2) if they really care about “one party rule”, then they should put their money where their mouths are and push for breaking the *NATIONAL* two-party system that reliable gives us LOCAL one-party rule. And NOT pretend that MPR is going to magically make our town better, instead of just reduce their embarrassing margin of loss from 14-1 to 12-3.

      Because if they’re not willing to do that, then all they REALLY care about is keeping the system of one-party rule in place so that they can be the next party to rule.

      1. Thomas Belmont

        I am a Republican Party voter. I believe in MAGA. I am proud of President Trump and voted for him in all the three elections he won. USA first for wealth and prosperity with the divine help from GOD. I support Law and Order, not the aberrations of it from the Left and Democrats. How much more supportive of the Freedom and Liberty Republican Party can I be?

        1. David Muccigrosso

          At least you’re honest about it.

          I for one hate the entire two-party system, I blame it for ALL of the destruction and hatred in our society, and the major reason I support Democrats is because they are the only party that is even remotely close to the correct policies for abolishing its hateful influence on our society. We’d be much better off with a multiparty democracy — about 4-6 parties seems to be most stable, and also would be closer to the Founders’ vision.

          Most of today’s partisan warfare is a pointless distraction when you have an understanding of why it exists (the two party system).

          1. Thomas Belmont

            The Founders deplored democracy. Mob rule always ends in tyranny. Hate? The Democrat Party owns hate. From Aron Burr on is a long line of Democrat-Leftist affiliated assassins who’s deed was hate. The Democrat party propagandize hatred, intolerance, and the compliance to criminal behavior. And lately, the Democrats are redefining crime. Pat Moynihan, a Democrat of another time, called it defining deviancy down; but it’s more than that today. Today it’s defining deviancy and violent behavior down. The two party system? The two parties is all we have that is Real. Washington’s hope for Unity evaporated in the handful of years at the beginning of our Great Experiment. Like the broken Garden Of Eden the snake made his mark. We have two parties. One Good, the other……

  7. John O’Neill

    The one important thing Dems realized from the last Presidential election is Americans prefer the independence of their own eyes, as opposed to
    what politicians are telling them. What’s most interesting is while they realized their misstep they have not corrected. Energy Policy in Ct is a perfect
    example. Local Spending/Taxes in another great example. Success or lack of it within our Schools is just another example.
    Again, while I agree Trump policy has overcorrected the policies of Biden’s acolytes, it is simply a fact Biden caused this mess. Any thought otherwise is
    just historically inaccurate. So, let’s concentrate on what the Mayor can control. Why is it so expensive to live in Norwalk? How are those schools actually
    doing? It seems to me that those wishing to push a certain agenda prefer to make things complicated.
    Yes, this Post Card issue was probably a little out of line, but hey that’s politics…
    For those that think this Post Card is fair game, that’s their prerogative.

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