New Canaan democrats seem to have chosen a shiny polished Columbia grad, Mark Robbins, to make a run for the State congressional seat. It’s a chance to unseat the GOP stronghold Rep. John Hetherington had for so many years and Robbins credentials on paper, including time served on New Canaan’s long range planning board, looks like he could be a contender against the GOP’s man Tom O’Dea. Except the Dem written press release announcing his candidacy left out a few facts.
According to court records Robbins, who’s divorced with one child, has been on unemployment. The small real estate and energy consulting firm he owned was sold to a New York firm that went out of business; so he’s been collecting the max ($500ish) you can get from the state of New York’s unemployment fund. I heard Robbins tell a Stamford court clerk last month that the unemployment payments will actually run out soon so he’s been working the family court justice system to get his child support reduced. Financial affidavits filed in court show Robbins was paying $1540 a month of child support in 2009 but as of last month it has been temporarily reduced to only $111 a week. His income report stated in February he was bringing in $715 gross weekly but now it’s only $528 a week. The ex-wife Jackie, who is remarried, isn’t too keen on the kid care drop and filed her own motions asking for proof of Robbins looking for a job. Her court filings this year also state Robbins won’t pay for non-reimbursed medical expenses, as the parenting plan calls for, nor his son’s extra-curricular activities.
The job market for new building and energy friendly LEED housing is still an economic struggle and with his business apparently nonexistent these days this congressional run reads like Robbins is doing it for hopes of a paid job or the campaign might be a way to pick up a few clients. Except when I asked Ginny Apy, New Canaan Democrat Town Chair, about how Robbins was selected she told me the local Dems actually sought Robbins out for the congressional job. It’s unclear what kind of fact checking the Dems do but Dems involved in the selection told me Robbins at least warned them he was having ‘some difficulty’ with child support right now and clearly that wasn’t an issue for them.
Robbin’s press release and the Dem quotes that announced his run were chalk full of praise about his work in environmental planning but the need for that service in developed towns like New Canaan and Wilton seems slim. So what’s the Dems angle here? If you volunteer for town boards that makes you a hot contender or I have to wonder if it was that difficult to find someone who wanted to run against a seat predominately held by Republicans for years?
Editor’s Note: None of the local New Canaan or Wilton papers bothered to go down to Stamford family court and research this new political man on the scene Mark Robbins. I find it bothersome when they can’t do some simple research and offer local readers insight instead of rewriting press releases and calling it news.
i was introduced to your work via the Keiser Report. Very informative…thanks. Question: Why is it wrong for this guy to run against the incumbent. Does his financial woes make him suspect? My answer would be yes, IF he has no track record of advocacy in the community that he seeks to represent.