Bond Commission Withdraws Big Plans

by Christine Stuart | Oct 30, 2009 2:45pm
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Minutes before the state Bond Commission’s Friday meeting, Rep. Chris Caruso, D-Bridgeport, talked about how plans to build a girls detention and treatment facility in a residential neighborhood came as a complete surprise to him and Virginia Avenue residents.

But he was just as surprised when the Bond Commission, chaired Friday by Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele, withdrew the $15 million bond allocation for the project.

Caruso called Friday’s decision a “victory” for the City of Bridgeport.

Earlier this week, Caruso, who is a veteran legislator known for his candid observations, asked Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell to remove the detention center from the Bond Commission’s agenda citing a number of unanswered questions about the location and the need for the new facility. He said her response was “No.”

So why did the Bond Commission that Rell chairs change its mind?

Fedele, who sat in for Rell at Friday’s meeting, said the agenda is something that’s fluid. He said there were talks throughout the week and this morning about the girls detention facility.

“So we thought the best thing at this point was to withdraw the item and answer those questions so we can move forward,” Fedele said Friday at the end of the meeting.

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal who had sent a letter to Rell’s Budget Secretary Robert Genuario Thursday said he supports the development of a detention facility for girls, but has serious questions about how this project was allowed to move forward without an environmental study. Blumenthal said he had reviewed the related documents and found they lacked consideration for significant watercourses, aquifers, and endangered species.

And while it’s not a legal requirement, Blumenthal and Caruso wondered why community forums or other outreach efforts to residents in the area weren’t made.

Caruso said he learned about the project when Rell traveled to Bridgeport 10 days ago to make the announcement.

“Why should Bridgeport shoulder the lion’s share of social responsibility in the region,” Caruso said.

And while the state Department of Children and Families planned to build the new facility on a now vacant lot, Caruso said it’s in the middle of a residential neighborhood. He said one women who lives in a condominium complex behind the site said if it was built she could walk right out her backdoor into the detention center.

The last secure facility for girls was the Long Lane School in Middletown which closed in 2002.

House Majority Denise Merrill, who wrote a letter to Rell on behalf of Caruso, wondered why the state needs a new facility.

“At a time when your administration is planning the closure of another facility for juvenile boys at High Meadows, it does raise the questions of why we are contemplating building a new facility and simultaneously closing another,” Merrill said.

In addition to withdrawing the girls detention facility, the Bond Commission also revised its agenda to withdraw $26 million in funding for the New Haven-Springfield high-speed rail line.

Department of Transportation Commissioner Joseph Marie told the commission that he thinks they do have a little bit more time before they have to pull the trigger on this project.

He said he is working with Amtrak and the Federal Rail Administration to apply for the federal funds needed for the project. He said the state’s commitment to the project doesn’t have to be made until December or January at the latest.

The final 62-mile line isn’t expected to be completed until 2016. When it’s completed the New Haven-Springfield line is expected to improve commuter service along the I-91 corridor.

The next Bond Commission meeting is scheduled for Dec. 11.

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Lawmakers Adjourn Sine Die

by Christine Stuart | Oct 29, 2009 7:00pm
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Four lawmakers quietly adjourned the longest budget battle in the state’s history Thursday afternoon.

One Republican and three Democratic lawmakers gathered in an otherwise empty House chamber for what was called a “technical session” to adjourn sine die the June and September special sessions. 

But Thursday’s technical session to terminate the legislature’s unfinished business was unusual according to those gathered for the event.

House Speaker Chris Donovan, D-Meriden, called House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero, R-Norwalk, Thursday as a courtesy to let him know they would officially be adjourning the session. In what Donovan called an “unusual move,” Cafero showed up to object to the end of the September special session.

Since the legislature adjourned its September session, Cafero said:
-the governor’s budget office has announced a nearly $390 million deficit;
-the state’s unemployment trust fund went bankrupt;
-the state announced the loss of 6,600 more jobs in September, and;
-9,200 business have closed their doors.

Cafero added that the legislature should be back at the Capitol fixing those problems.

“I have grave concerns about us going sine die,” Cafero said. “To me it is imperative that we as a legislative body get together and handle this crisis.”

“We have a responsibility to prepare this state for the worst,” Cafero said referring specifically to decision by Moody’s to downgrade the state’s outlook from “stable” to “negative.”

Donovan disagreed that the legislature needs to immediately act on new information related to the state’s finances.

“There’s nothing before us right now,” Donovan said, admitting that the decision to adjourn means that he won’t be able to come back and override Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s veto of one of the last budget implementation bills.

He said it takes “two to tango” and the Senate doesn’t have the votes. Earlier this week he had held out hope the legislature would override Rell’s veto of a bill that clarifies language in the state budget.

The bill would have prevent Rell’s administration from privatizing and closing group homes for the developmentally disabled.

It would also earmark about $1.3 million over two years for a needs assessment and service contract for children of incarcerated parents, a $50,000 earmark for the Connecticut Pardon Team Inc., and a $75,000 earmark for the Connecticut Sentencing Commission. In addition it would have exempted the Judicial branch from cutting $7.8 million over the next two years.

Sen. Majority Leader Martin Looney, D-New Haven, and Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield, met around 2 p.m. Thursday afternoon to adjourn the special sessions in the Senate.

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Candidate: I’ll Get 90 Percent Of State Voting

by Paul Bass | Oct 29, 2009 4:16pm
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Gerry Garcia launched a campaign Thursday to become the state’s first Latino on a statewide Democratic ticket and the first New Havener in a constitutional office in 19 years.

Garcia used the Internet to announce his campaign for secretary of the state in 2010. The incumbent, Susan Bysiewicz, has been traveling the state laying the foundation for a run for governor.

Secretary of the state is one of six statewide constitutional offices. The others: governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, treasurer and comptroller.

Click here to continue reading Paul’s report.

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Cocoa Krispies = Health Food

by Paul Bass | Oct 29, 2009 4:07pm
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Posted to: Health Care

Jennifer Harris came across that message in the Shaw’s cereal aisle—as a hot new report she co-authored broke through the hype.

“Now helps support your child’s immunity!” Harris read aloud with disbelief from a new slogan splashed like milk on the cover of a Cocoa Krispies box. She added a fact that doesn’t appear on the box: San Francisco’s city attorney already has put the company on notice that it’s “misleading” parents and children about the healthfulness of all that sugar, chocolate and high-fructose corn syrup in the box.

Click here to continue reading Paul’s report.

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How Many Private Sector Jobs Were Created?

by CTNewsjunkie Staff | Oct 29, 2009 2:59pm
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Posted to: Labor

The state says it has created or retained 6,110 jobs with federal stimulus funds. However, most of those jobs are in the public sector.

State officials say an estimated 300 of the 6,110 jobs are in the private sector. About 5,297 of those 6,110 were teaching or educational staff positions and a majority of those were existing positions.

For more information about how federal stimulus funds are being used in the state visit: http://www.recovery.ct.gov/recovery/site/default.asp.

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Survey Finds Docs Need Help With Health Disparities

by Christine Stuart | Oct 29, 2009 10:08am
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Posted to: Health Care

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Some of the answers a group of Connecticut doctors received were what you’d expect, while others were revealing, Dr. Kathleen LaVorgna said of a survey on health disparities.

The survey released Wednesday in The Journal of the Connecticut Medical Society found doctors need to take more steps to better serve patients with diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.

Funded with a grant by the Connecticut Health Foundation. the survey found fewer than two in five physicians received some kind of cultural diversity training and physicians ages 55-64, and those whose practices were mostly White, gave themselves lower ratings for providing culturally appropriate care.

At a press conference unveiling the survey results, Dr. LaVorgna, president of the Connecticut State Medical Society recalled the first time she practiced medicine with a culturally diverse population. She said she went out to practice at a Navajo reservation in Arizona and had to learn it’s impolite to look a Navajo in the eye or shake their hand, which is what she learned in medical school.

In most cases someone had to translate for many of the elderly residents on the reservation. LaVorgna said she would ask how a patient was feeling and after almost a three-minute conversation with the translator, the translator would turn to her and say, “No.”

“I was left with almost a non-ability to use all the tools I had been given in medical school to try and care for that patient,” LaVorgna said.

But LaVorgna isn’t alone.

“What we realized when we looked at how little data there was out there that we needed to take the pulse if you will of the physicians in our state to find out how each of us feels about the job that we’re doing,” LaVorgna said.

The survey says the most common approach to overcoming language barriers was for a doctor to rely on a patient’s family member to interpret.

Dr. William Handleman, past president of the Connecticut State Medical Society, said when he first opened his practice in Torrington most of his patients worked in factories, but as the factories began to disappear the demographics changed. Now there is a large Hispanic population and for some English is not their first language. The problem is there is only one physician in Torrington who is fluent in Spanish.

Handleman said the survey also found that specialists are even more disadvantaged when it comes to dealing with culturally diverse populations.

But despite the cultural issues the survey also found one of the biggest barriers to patients obtaining adequate care was their access to adequate insurance or their ability to use the insurance they have.

Forty-three percent of doctors cited types of insurance accepted by other doctors or specialists as a “big problem” in obtaining referrals.

The good news from the survey is that physicians were honest with their answers and are telling us they need help, Handleman said.

To that end the Connecticut Health Foundation has provided the Connecticut State Medical Society with enough money to create education programs for doctors.

Recent state legislation mandates adding cultural competency as a required area of medical education.

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Dems Won’t Override Rell On Budget Bill

by Christine Stuart | Oct 28, 2009 7:21pm
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The Democrat-controlled General Assembly won’t try to override Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s last veto this week.

A spokesman for the House Democratic caucus said in an email Wednesday that no session will be scheduled Thursday or Friday this week.

However, it’s an issue that doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.

“We will continue discussing a possible override internally and let you know if anything develops for next week,” Doug Whiting, a spokesman for Speaker of the House Chris Donovan, said Wednesday.

A spokesman for Sen. President Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, confirmed that there won’t be a special session this week

Since there is no expiration on a veto override, Whiting said Democrats will continue to discuss an override of the bill that makes significant policy changes for the Judicial branch and group homes for the mentally disabled.

Sources said the House had the 101 votes it needed for the override. But the Senate, which holds a 24 to 36 majority in the Senate, didn’t have all 24 votes it needed.

The bill would prevent Rell’s administration from privatizing group homes for the developmentally disabled.

It also earmarks about $1.3 million over two years for a needs assessment and service contract for children of incarcerated parents, a $50,000 earmark for the Connecticut Pardon Team Inc., and a $75,000 earmark for the Connecticut Sentencing Commission. In addition it exempts the Judicial branch from cutting $7.8 million over the next two years.

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Rell Puts Controversial Study On Hold

by Christine Stuart | Oct 28, 2009 2:22pm
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The controversial study regarding the streamlining of state government by University of Connecticut Professor Ken Dautrich is on “hold” at the moment Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell said Wednesday.

“That study is on hold right now, so if we don’t deplete it then we will not use the rest of those funds,” Rell said referring to the $223,000 study.

Democratic lawmakers have suggested Rell return the money to the state budget, as part of her deficit mitigation plan.

Obviously frustrated by reporters questions Wednesday Rell said that she would wait for the investigations to be completed before taking any further action.

The state Auditors of Public Accounts are reviewing whether the study, which included a focus group, improperly used state funds for political gain. There is also an ongoing investigation being done by the state Elections Enforcement Commission, which is looking into Dautrich’s work for the governor’s exploratory committee.

Most of the heavy lifting into this issue has been done by reporter Ted Mann of the New London Day who was the first to report about the existence of the study. Most of the information provided to Mann was made through Freedom of Information requests.

Some of the information obtained by Mann included email exchanges between Rell’s Chief of Staff Lisa Moody and Dautrich, which have been the basis for several stories on the issue.

After reiterating her cooperation with the ongoing investigations, Rell warned reporters Wednesday not to piece together emails to find intent.

“I also think it’s a mistake to take individual emails, try to piece them together to find intent to find some kind of something that isn’t there. And so that’s why I think a full review, which is taking place now, is necessary,” Rell said. “Let me make it clear. There was never any polling done using state funds.”

On Tuesday Mann received more information regarding his request for information regarding the poll Dautrich helped Rell’s exploratory committee write.

According to Mann’s report:“Rell has insisted that she did not know Dautrich had helped craft the questions for that poll ‘until I read it in the newspaper,’ e-mails that the chief of staff, M. Lisa Moody, sent to Dautrich suggest otherwise.

“‘Governor thought it was great too,’ Moody wrote to Dautrich on April 7 after approving a draft of the poll, which was paid for by Rell’s exploratory committee.”

In May 2009, Dautrich helped Rell’s exploratory committee come up with questions to be asked as part of a poll conducted Braun Research of Princeton, N.J.

Records show the campaign paid $6,000 for the poll, which was a bargain compared to what it had paid in the past years for polls.

During Rell’s 2006 re-election campaign she paid $29,000 to Public Opinion Strategies of Alexandria, Va. to conduct a poll. Her opponent that year, New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, paid $32,000 and $26,000 on polls.

Rell told reporters in early October that she doesn’t believe the poll analysis Dautrich provided her qualifies as an in-kind contribution. According to state election laws in-kind contributions are not allowed to exceed $375.

If the commission determines Dautrich’s analysis was worth more than $375, then Rell’s campaign may be asked to pay a fine.

Elections enforcement officials were unable to comment on the complaint filed by Democratic consultant Jonathan Pelto and have said only that they had received it. They also refused to comment on if the issue, which was raised by Rell herself, was already under investigation.

Rell said again on Wednesday that she wouldn’t talk about her plans for re-election until after the municipal elections Nov. 3.

Meanwhile, Colleen Flanagan, spokeswoman for the Democratic State Party said the governor’s office just acknowledged receipt of Democratic State Party Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo’s FOI request today. DiNardo requested the information on Oct. 13.

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Immigration Lawyers Take The Fight To ICE

by Thomas MacMillan | Oct 28, 2009 9:51am
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Posted to: Courts

Students from Yale Law School are filing suit against the federal agents behind the 2007 New Haven immigration raids. They claim that the arrests were an unlawful retaliation for the city’s immigrant-friendly ID card program.

Click here to continue reading Thomas’ report.

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State Bond Outlook Lowered; Battle Lines Drawn

by Christine Stuart | Oct 27, 2009 6:12pm
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The longest budget battle in the state’s history was revived Tuesday with news that Moody’s Investors Service was downgrading the state’s outlook from “stable” to “negative.”

The rating company said Connecticut will maintain its Aa3 bond rating for now, but it’s concerned about some of the decisions the state made on its budget.

In this report Moody’s explained that the “negative outlook” is attributed to the state’s decision to borrow close to $950 million to close the 2009 budget deficit and its decision to borrow against $1.3 billion in a “yet-to-be-determined revenue stream.”

In general the report also seemed to disapprove of the state’s decision to rely on one-time “solutions to close slightly over half of the shortfall.”

“These solutions create future structural budget gaps and leave the state with significantly reduced flexibility to address additional fiscal pressures that may arise due to a delayed and/or weaker than expected recovery from the worst economic recession since the depression,” the report says.

In a letter to lawmakers Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell said the negative outlook “is an alarm signal that we clearly cannot afford to ignore.”

“Being forced to pay higher interest rates on our bonds would have serious and lasting financial effects in both the near- and long-term,” Rell said just a few days before the next state Bond Commission hearing.

Sen. President Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, said in a statement that while he shares the rating company’s concern about the structural holes in the budget, “Now is not the time for the governor to try to disown parts of the budget that she initially proposed - such as securitization, borrowing, and one-time fixes.”

Rell did not sign the $37.6 billion two-year state budget passed by the Democrat-controlled General Assembly.  She simply let it go into effect without her signature. A move which a poll later revealed was not popular with the public.

“In essence: Moody’s feels - as I do - that the budget relies far too much on debt and one-shot revenues to prop up continued unaffordable levels of spending,” Rell said in her letter to lawmakers.

But Williams doesn’t believe the governor is able to escape all responsibility for the state budget, just because she decided not to sign it.

“By its own admission the administration has increased spending by more than $200 million,” Williams said in a statement referring to recent numbers released by Rell’s budget office.

But Republican lawmakers who didn’t vote in favor of the budget warn that not even the biggest tax hike in the state’s history was able to kept the budget in balance.

“We can do little about revenue…But we can do something about spending and that’s where the focus must be right now,’’ House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero, R-Norwalk, said, in a statement. He added that the rating by Moody’s disregards politics.

State Treasurer Denise Nappier tried to put the negative outlook into some perspective.

“In the final analysis, both the Governor and the Legislature struggled to strike a balance between what we need and what we can do without,” Nappier said in a statement. “Moody’s perspective reinforces what the State already knows it must do, and that is head back to the drawing board and strengthen the State’s fiscal footing going forward.”

The negative outlook means the state’s credit rating is under review by Moody’s for a possible change over the next 18 to 24 months. It is not as significant as placing the state on a “watch list” which means a credit rating change is pending.

Connecticut joins Arizona, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin in receiving a negative outlook from Moody’s.

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Oxford Company Sells ‘Balloon Boy’ Dad Action Figure

by Eugene Driscoll | Oct 27, 2009 3:46pm
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Posted to: Town News

Oxford—“The guy’s a douche bag! You can print that, right?”

That was the initial reaction of Emil Vicale when asked why he decided to produce a 12-inch tall Richard Heene action figure.

Heene, for those allergic to cable news and screaming mimis on “Access Hollywood,” is the father who allegedly set up the “balloon boy” hoax.

Click here to read Eugene’s report.

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Giving Southington Something To Smile About

by CTNewsjunkie Staff | Oct 27, 2009 8:01am
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Posted to: Health Care

A free dental day will be held Wednesday in Southington as a part of the local dentist association’s continued initiative to help uninsured residents maintain good oral health.

The free dental days have been held about once a month since May when Dr. Ted Zdeblick officially revived the program.

Zdeblick had originally started holding free dental days 10 years ago when Connecticut experienced its last recession. His residency at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford made him more aware of the fact that there was a need for this type of work.

When demand for free dental days slowed Zdeblick stopped holding the events. However, his staff brought it to his attention that free dental days ought to be started again.

According to Zdeblick, since the events’ return, each one has seen 18 to 20 people with a line forming well before the doors opened for the day.

The events, he says, are designed to get patients out of pain. Services include fillings, extractions, and cleanings, but there is also an emphasis on preventative care and teaching patients how to properly care for themselves so they can avoid needing visits in the future.

He estimates that 2 or 3 thousand dollars of services are given away at each event.

This month’s free dental day will be hosted by Dr. Albert Natelli of the Southington Dental Association, a dentist who is no stranger to giving back to the community.

Before getting involved with free dental days in Southington, Natelli worked with Give Kids a Smile, a national program which sets up two day clinics once a year to take care of children’s dental needs.

In addition, Natelli volunteers his time as an unpaid faculty member at the University of Connecticut and has also provided free dentistry in Peru.

“I’ve always believed in giving back to the community and the profession [of dentistry],” said Natelli.

To him, when Zdeblick started the program he was paying it forward to the dentists of Southington. Now, it is their job as dentists to pay it forward again to residents in need.

“I’ve been blessed with a skill,” said Natelli. And I feel that I can serve some other people with that skill, he added.

Natelli and Zdeblick certainly agree that the work they are doing is beneficial, but they are also aware that it is not a permanent solution to the disparity in dental healthcare.

These events are what Natellis calls “little helps.”

“A bunch of a little helps can end up making a solution,” said Natelli.

That is why Dr. Zdeblick would love to see other communities set up similar programs so that the million plus Connecticut residents without dental coverage can have the opportunity to receive needed dental care. However, this he says is a slow process.

In recent years the Connecticut State Dental Association has been doing their part to help cater to the needs of uninsured or underinsured CT residents. Their event, called Mission of Mercy, is another two day event, like Give Kids a Smile, however assisting adults as well.

“No matter how many people we see at these events, there are still people who are not being served,” said Dr. Bruce Tandy, CSDA President and a Vernon dentist.

Because of this, the CSDA has discussed holding smaller more localized events similar to those in Southington, however no concrete plans or timeline have been set at this time.

Tandy says they will continue to work on helping because he does not see the need going away any time soon. These events will also continue because he says they are not just about alleviating pain for patients.

The first goal of these events is to help the citizens of Connecticut, said Tandy. The second goal is to show legislators that there is a need in the state and there is still work to do.

Event Information
Time: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Location: Southington Dental Associates 31 Liberty Street, Suite 311
www.smilesda.com

The event will operate on a first-come first-serve basis and is only for residents of Southington.

If you are a dentist who is interested in holding a free dental day feel free to contact Dr. Ted Zdeblick tzdelick at yahoo.com with any questions.

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Lawmakers May Return To Capitol This Week

by Christine Stuart | Oct 26, 2009 2:58pm
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Speaker of the House Chris Donovan, D-Meriden, has been saying for weeks that he would like to see the General Assembly override Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s veto of a bill passed during special session on Oct. 2.

However, his colleagues in the state Senate have been less than enthusiastic about the prospects of an override.

Derek Slap, a spokesman for the Senate Democratic caucus, said in a phone interview Monday that Sen. President Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, will ask the caucus if they’re willing to return this week to override the bill.

Asked about the Senate’s chance of returning to override a veto on Oct. 2., Williams said “zero.”

Based on the 19 to 14 Senate vote, Capitol insiders are less than optimistic it will happen.

At least three Democratic Senators, Sen. Gayle Slossberg, D-Milford, Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, and Sen. Andrew Maynard, D-Stonington voted against the bill on Oct. 2. Two Democratic Senators, Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford, and Sen. Jonathan Harris, D-West Hartford, were absent for the initial vote.

But even if McDonald and Harris had voted in favor of the bill the Democrats would still need all 24 Democratic Senators to vote in favor of the bill to get the override.

Meanwhile, Donovan has asked members of the House, which day this week they’re available to return for an override session.

The bill passed 96 to 35 in the House and an override will require 101 votes.

So what exactly is it that Donovan is looking to override?

The bill would prevent Rell’s administration from privatizing and closing group homes for the developmentally disabled and psychiatric hospitals.

It also earmarks about $1.3 million over two years for a needs assessment and service contract for children of incarcerated parents, a $50,000 earmark for the Connecticut Pardon Team Inc., and a $75,000 earmark for the Connecticut Sentencing Commission. In addition it exempts the Judicial branch from cutting $7.8 million over the next two years.

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Second Circuit Denies Political Influence Appeal

by Gale Courey Toensing | Oct 26, 2009 11:09am
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NEW YORK - Despite the latest setback in the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation’s long quest for federal acknowledgment, Chief Richard Velky said he will continue to pursue justice and federal status for his people.

A three-judge panel of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a federal district court ruling denying federal recognition to the tribal nation..

Click here to continue reading Gale’s report for Indian Country Today and The Corner Report.

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Dodd, One of Obama’s ‘Favorites’

by Christine Stuart | Oct 23, 2009 10:59pm
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President Barack Obama arrived at U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd’s million-dollar fundraiser Friday to give the struggling senator and state Democrats a pep talk.

America is now closer to healthcare reform than it has ever been because of Chris Dodd, Obama said. The president also credited Dodd with helping to write legislation to create a Consumer Financial Protection Agency.

“So Chris has a lot on his plate these days. And that’s because we’re facing pretty big challenges as a nation right now,” Obama said.

Dodd has been at the forefront of the economic and healthcare struggles. He is chair of the Senate Banking Committee. And, at the request of his then-ailing friend U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, the Connecticut senator stepped in to chair the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee to help usher through a healthcare bill.

“We are now closer to Ted Kennedy’s dream of health care reform than we have ever been,” Obama said.

There seem to be some selective memories regarding the challenges the country faced when I walked through the doors of the White House, Obama said.

“We were losing 700,000 jobs a month. Our financial system was on the brink of collapse,” Obama said.

The president talked about how much the American Recovery Act has accomplished. Prior to arriving at the fundraiser Obama visited Eastern Land Management, a local landscaping business that benefited from a Small Business Administration loan.

“They are now hiring folks, just bought a new building, they are expanding—right here, just next door to this hotel,” he said.

Based on initial estimates, Obama said the recovery act has saved 250,000 jobs just in the nation’s public schools.

“The recovery act wasn’t just about tax cuts . . . it was the largest investment in education in America’s history. It was the largest investment in clean energy,” Obama said as the crowd of close to 700 supporters stood and cheered.

Aside from calling Dodd “one of my favorites.” Obama praised his own administration saying, “we’ve already had one of the most productive first years of any administration.”

But it hasn’t been easy.

“You didn’t get involved in this because it was easy,” Obama said. “We should draw energy from the fact that it’s harder.”

He said there are going to be disagreements about these issues. “This is a democracy. It’s messy. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.” He said he wants non-Democrats to know that he “believes in a strong and loyal opposition.”

Obama said he doesn’t mind cleaning up the mess of the previous administration, but he doesn’t want folks sitting on the sideline telling Democrats to mop faster. Republicans and Democrats, he said, must rise to the occasion and realize this is a critical moment in America’s history.

In light of a potential primary challenge by Merrick Alpert, supporters said they hope Obama’s appearance will help boost Dodd’s popularity.

Alpert, who held a press conference outside the event, said he requested a meeting with the president, but never received a response. He is one of seven candidates challenging Dodd for his seat. There are five Republicans and one Independent candidate hoping to unseat the five term U.S. Senator.

The most recent Quinnipiac University poll in September showed 49 percent of voters disapproved of the job Dodd was doing while 43 percent approved. The poll was an improvement from another in April, in which 58 percent of voters disapproved of how Dodd was handling his job, while 33 percent approved.

The poll also showed former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons beating Dodd 44 to 39 percent.

Click here to read Dodd’s opening remarks introducing Obama. And here to read about the protests outside the event.

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Hundreds Come Out To Dump Dodd, Support Health Care Reform

by Sharon Bass | Oct 23, 2009 7:42pm
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Posted to: Election 2010

Tea Party Patriots and Dump Dodd enthusiasts came to protest President Obama’s pit stop Friday for U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd at the Stamford Hilton. Expected to turn out in the thousands, they numbered about 200.

Expected to put on a loud, lively show like they did in Hartford and Bridgeport in September, they were more subdued in Friday’s rainy, windy weather.

Gathered on Greenwich Avenue just down the hill from the hotel, people from across Connecticut came to protest Dodd’s re-election bid. They were met by a slightly bigger crowd of Dodd supporters. However, the real topic du jour was health-care reform.

“I wanted them (Obama and Dodd) to hear our voice,” said Kristin Ingram of Windsor. Asked what she wanted them to hear, she said “they need to go back to the Constitution and give us our liberties back.” She and her fellow demonstrators are part of the loosely affiliated grassroots group, Hartford Tea Party Patriots.

Ingram said she’s against government taking over health care, which is what she believes to be the Democrats’ agenda. And she said she agrees with corporate insurers that folks with medical problems should pay more for their coverage.

“I’m against the redistribution of wealth,” said Cathy Grippi of Wilton. “I’m against it because it’s not the American way. Capitalism is the American way.”

Across the street were members of Health Care for America Now, Organizing for America, and labor groups. John Murphy, lead organizer for HCAN’s Connecticut operation, and Rich Sivel, health-care organizer for Council 4, AFSCME, stood together in support of Dodd and a government-run public insurance option.

“I’m glad they’re (tea partiers) here, because they’ve made Dodd a better legislator,” Murphy said. “The more they act up, the better (Dodd) gets.”

Elsa Peterson Obuchowski of Norwalk stood with the two men. She had a personal reason to be there—her late husband.

While he laid in a hospital bed dying of a rare form of cancer, Obuchowski said her husband’s health insurer, United Health Care, was the boss of what treatments he would and wouldn’t get. According to Obuchowski, those choices were made for her husband regardless of medical need.

“There were fights in the hospital every day about whether he could stay. All the doctors have their hands tied, day in and day out, because the nurse case manager (at the hospital) has to constantly negotiate with the insurers about what each patient is allowed,” she said.

A week before he died, Obuchowski said, United Health won. She said her husband had to leave the hospital despite being too sick to go home. The next day, she said, he was sent back to die.

“His health was compromised in many ways because of his insurance,” Obuchowski said Friday afternoon as it began to rain on the demonstrators. “What I have learned from all this is (the importance of) having Medicare for everyone.”

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Obama Comes To Give Dodd A Boost

by Christine Stuart | Oct 23, 2009 10:57am
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Posted to: Election 2010

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It’s no secret that President Barack Obama is coming to Connecticut Friday to help raise money for U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd’s re-election campaign.

The state’s senior senator and chairman of the Senate Banking Committee has been struggling with low poll numbers and faces a potential Democratic primary. There are also five Republicans and one Independent candidate who have announced plans to challenge Dodd.

Friday’s event has prompted both Dodd’s challengers, supporters, and “Dump Dodd” enthusiasts to turn out for the event.

A group that identifies themselves as “Dump Dodd” will be holding a large Tea Party near the entrance of the Stamford Hilton. According to the group’s web site, they are a “grass roots group of independent Connecticut residents intent on removing Chris Dodd from the U.S. Sen. In 2010.”

Organizing for America, the successor organization to Obama for America, will also be outside the event to support Obama’s visit.

A number of Dodd’s opponents in 2010 will also be outside the event. Including his Democratic challenger Merrick Alpert, who wrote to Obama and asked for a brief meeting. Alpert will be outside the hotel at 6 p.m. to hold a press conference.

Linda McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, will be airing a television ad that talks how few jobs the stimulus package created for the state.

Former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons sent out an emailed statement Thursday night claiming Dodd is the “antithesis of everything President Obama campaigned on and promised.”

Tom Foley, another of the Republican candidates, said in a statement Friday morning that he wants to know “why they are spending time at an exclusive fundraiser in Stamford when the people of Connecticut need them in Washington fixing the economy and reducing unemployment.”

The most recent Quinnipiac Poll from September showed 49 percent of voters disapprove of the job Dodd is doing while 43 percent approve. The poll was an improvement from an April poll, where 58 percent of voters disapproved of how Dodd was handling his job, while 33 percent approved.

The poll also showed Simmons beating Dodd 44 to 39 percent.

And while Obama remains popular in the state his approval ratings in the September Quinnipiac poll also dropped slightly.

Connecticut voters approve 57 to 36 percent of the job President Obama is doing, down from 63 to 32 percent July 23 and his lowest approval in the state since his inauguration.

Check back later tonight for updates from the event and the protests in Stamford

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Lawmakers Consider Changes To Campaign Law

by Christine Stuart | Oct 22, 2009 7:44pm
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Connecticut lawmakers heard a number of suggestions Thursday about how to address a federal judge’s ruling that struck down the state’s fledgling campaign finance law more than a year before the 2010 election.

But it was still unclear after the more than two-hour forum how exactly the legislature should proceed.

“We should be careful when and to what extent we make a move because the legal landscape could change,” Rep. James Spallone, co-chairman of the legislature’s General Administration and Elections Committee, said.

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has appealed U.S. District Court Judge Stefan Underhill’s decision to the U.S. Second Circuit Court, but on Thursday no one was certain when the case would be heard.

“In an ideal world we’d wait until the court finished,” Spallone said.

However, there’s a provision in the law that says on April 15 or if the decision to delay enforcement of the lower court’s ruling is lifted, the fundraising system will revert back to the way it was in 2005 within 168 hours, or seven days.

Shannon Kief, an attorney with the state Elections Enforcement Commission, said that’s not a lot of time for the legislature to act to avoid complete dissolution of the program.

If the reversion clause is triggered, Kief said candidates that already received their public grants would get to keep them and the candidates that qualified for the grants, but had not yet received them, would not get the money.

“Election day is coming up and some action is warranted, but what exactly that is remains to be seen,” Spallone said.

“The highest risk is doing nothing,” Beth Rotman, executive director of the Citizens Election Program, told the legislature’s General Administration and Elections Committee.

The state Elections Enforcement Commission and Common Cause, a public financing advocacy group, want lawmakers to make changes immediately and, if nothing else, repeal the reversion clause so the entire system doesn’t just disappear.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut, which represents the minor party candidates that are the plaintiffs in the case, want the legislature to fix the problems Underhill pointed out in his decision.

Underhill found the law was unconstitutional because it imposed an unfair burden on minor party candidates seeking to qualify for matching campaign funds.

The ACLU advocated two changes to the law in a yellow flyer distributed Thursday. One will allow all ballot-qualified candidates who meet relatively modest qualifying criteria to participate in public financing. Secondly it wants the independent expenditure provision eliminated because it gives major party candidates more money every time a minor party candidate spends money.

State Sen. Ed Meyer, D-Guilford, said he found Underhill’s decision compelling.

Maybe minor party candidates should be held to the same qualifying standard as major party candidates?, Rep. Thomas Drew, D-Fairfield, wondered. He said just because the same rules are applied doesn’t mean it will create the same result.

Rotman reminded Drew that the provision was written that way to protect the public funds in the program.

Former Elections Enforcement Commissioner Jeffrey Garfield has said when the legislature wrote the legislation, it was “rightfully concerned with fringe candidates and the possible drain on the public fisc.” That was one of the areas on which Underhill focused when he wrote his decision.

The myriad issues raised Thursday should be discussed in a special session, Spallone said. A special session before the February regular session would give lawmakers time to focus on this one issue, he said.

“It’s worth that kind of close scrutiny,” Spallone said.

Click here to read Aldon Hynes’ blow-by-blow account of the hearing.

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McMahon Previews Friday’s TV Ad

by CTNewsjunkie Staff | Oct 22, 2009 5:12pm
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Posted to: Election 2010

Click the play arrow and watch the television ad U.S. Senate candidate Linda McMahon plans on airing Friday in anticipation of President Barack Obama’s fundraising trip to Connecticut on behalf of U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd.

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Gubernatorial Candidates Face Off In Hartford

by Christine Stuart | Oct 22, 2009 10:18am
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All five Democrats running for governor in 2010 gathered at Hartford City Hall Wednesday night to let Hartford’s Democratic Town Committee know who they are and how they expect to change state government.

Some were familiar faces, like Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy, who ran for governor in 2006, and Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz, who has held statewide office for more than a decade. Others weren’t as familiar to the Hartford crowd, like state Sen. Gary LeBeau, D-East Hartford, Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi, and former House Speaker James Amann of Milford.

Following what was a mostly cordial exchange of views, each of the candidates were given approximately one minute to answer questions from the audience.

Former Hartford City Councilman Al Marotta asked the candidates how they expect to unify after what could be a bitter primary battle.

It has been more than two decades since a Democrat has been in the governor’s office and Marotta wanted to know what each candidate planned to do to overcome that inevitable obstacle.

Under the new campaign finance system Bysiewicz said she doesn’t think it’s going to be a problem. The new system “is going to force all of us to only be positive about what we want to do for the state,” she said. “We’re going to have a $1 million, it’s going to depend on grassroots and I don’t know about them, but that’s why I’m here.”

“The strength of the Democratic Party is our diversity. Our weakness has always been our division,” Amann said.

“We cannot divide our base,” Amann said. “We have to get behind one candidate.”

Malloy suggested they vote for the person they see as governor. He said they haven’t always done that, it’s not always the person who has come through the primary. Malloy lost the primary by a slim margin in 2006 to New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, who went on to receive just 30 percent of the vote in the general election.

“We need somebody with a vision about creating jobs and we have to be laser-like about talking about jobs,” Malloy said.

LeBeau said he agreed with Bysiewicz that the new public financing system changes the game. In the past he said the winner of the primary had about eight weeks to raise more money to compete against their Republican opponent. The day after the primary next year the winner is going to get $3 million. “That’s going to change the game,” LeBeau said.

The voters of Connecticut do not trust Democrats, LeBeau said. Since 1990 the state has had a Democratic legislature and Republican governor, “Why? because the voters don’t trust us to govern,” LeBeau said. He said the person who pulls through the primary is going to need to govern from the center and prove they can grow jobs in the state.

But that’s not always what happens.

“We get to the end, we fight, we walk away and we lose the race,” Marconi said. “We need to pull together.”

“We need to give up our egos, we need to check them at the door,” Marconi said. And after the primary the group of five candidates needs to get behind the one that wins the primary. “That’s my pledge, that’s how we’re going to change this state,” he said. 

All of the candidates talked about how they would change Connecticut’s economy, improve its infrastructure and mass transit systems, and grow jobs.

There was also a far share of criticism of Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell.

“In terms of being a nice lady, she fills out her dress,” LeBeau said. “But in terms of being a leader she’s an empty scarf.”

The comment didn’t sit well with former Hartford Mayor Carrie Saxon Perry who said that she hadn’t decided yet who she would support, but took issue with several words and phrases LeBeau used during Wednesday’s debate.

“It’s not so much the issues. Sometimes it’s the presentation,” Saxon-Perry observed.

Aside from criticizing Rell, there was at least one barb launched at Malloy, who is one of the perceived frontrunners in the race.

When Malloy made his opening remarks he talked about what he would do for Hartford as governor and what he’s done since he was mayor of Stamford.

“Let’s understand that he’s from Fairfield County,” Amann said to the Hartford audience.

Malloy sat next to Amann wide-eyed and surprised by the remark, but didn’t return the favor.

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Smilow Ribbon Cut

by Paul Bass | Oct 22, 2009 9:05am
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Hundreds of power brokers past, present, and (they hope) future converged on New Haven for the opening of Yale-New Haven’s new 14-story cancer hospital, as its top doc held out hope for eliminating the disease for good.

The festive ribbon-cutting at the new $467 million Smilow Cancer Hospital took place late Wednesday afternoon on York Street. Pictured: Eponymous benefactor Joel Smilow, a retired Playtex Product CEO; Joan Smilow; and Yale-New Haven Hospital CEO Marna Borgstrom.

Click here to continue reading Paul’s report.

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OP-ED: Courant Expresses First Amendment Concerns
In Defense of Watchdog Lawsuit

by CTNewsjunkie Staff | Oct 21, 2009 6:29pm
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Posted to: Courts, CT Watchdog, Media Matters, Opinion

The Courant has begun its defense in the wrongful termination lawsuit I brought against it last month by claiming that losing this case would have a detrimental effect on all newspapers and other media in Connecticut.

This case, lawyers for The Courant wrote, involves issues “that raise questions…on the freedom of the press and the Defendants’ ability to control the content of their newspaper.”

That claim was contained in The Courant’s request that the suit be transferred to the Complex Litigation Docket.

Click here to continue reading George’s report and the Courant’s request to transfer the lawsuit.

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Updated: Rell Sends Mixed Messages On Budget Deficit

by Christine Stuart | Oct 21, 2009 1:37pm
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(Updated 5:42 p.m.) Just one month after the General Assembly approved the $37.6 billion two-year budget—which ended the longest budget battle in the state’s history—Rell’s Budget Secretary Robert Genuario says there’s already a $388.5 million deficit. 

Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell has started working on a budget mitigation plan, which she is required to do if the deficit is greater than one percent of the General Fund.

In this letter to state Comptroller Nancy Wyman, Genuario said revenue projections in 2010 will decrease $172.1 million. That’s $3.7 million lower than Rell expected just two days ago when her office sent out a press release claiming that a half-percent decrease in the state sales tax on Jan. 1 was realistic.

“The largest revenue change is a decrease in the sales tax revenue estimate of $89.8 million, as year to date collections have been weaker than previously projected” Genuario wrote in his Oct. 20 letter.

Jeffrey Beckham, spokesman for the Office of Policy and Management, said that all tax revenue, which has decreased by $96 million, is still below the one percent trigger. He said it’s still possible a half-percent cut in the sales tax could happen Jan. 1.

In addition to sales tax revenue, tribal gaming revenue, income tax revenue, estate tax revenue, and even cigarette tax revenue is down.

“I will immediately begin preparing a deficit mitigation package to cut spending and reduce the shortfall,” Rell said in an emailed statement Wednesday. “I will also need the commitment and cooperation of the Legislature to finally bring real and lasting reductions to state spending.”

However, while Rell is preparing a deficit mitigation plan and does have the power to reduce spending in some areas, she still has to wait for Wyman to certify the deficit before submitting it to the legislature.

And Wyman is far less optimistic than Rell’s budget office about the numbers she plans on releasing Nov. 1.

“The Governor’s estimate is very optimistic and assumes that the state will see an economic turnaround before the end of the fiscal year,” Wyman said in a statement Wednesday. “While I hope that we see a strong recovery as quickly as possible, there is no evidence right now that the negative revenue trends I pointed out earlier this month are reversing.”

Wyman stopped just short of certifying a $500 million budget deficit last month.

What’s worse than the decrease in revenues is that the state is spending $212 million more than it originally budgeted, according to Genuario’s letter.

“I am troubled by the fact that just three months into the new fiscal year, more than half of the projected state budget deficit - $212 million - is due to increased spending by the governor’s departments and agencies (the governor refers to this spending as “additional expenditure requirements”),” Sen President Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, said.“I will be interested to hear from the governor as to why her departments cannot function within the budgetary allotments that they’ve been given.”

Speaker of the House Chris Donovan said in a phone interview Wednesday afternoon that Rell is “saying two different things, two different days.”

“I’m not sure if she’s optimistic or pessimistic,” he said. “Rather than play politics, we have to be concerned about it.”

Donovan believes the economy is in the early stages of recovery and the “projections are that things will get better.” He said he’ll exercise some patience when it comes to the budget and budget projections.

“We want to have good figures,” he said.

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House Dems Hire Chief Legal Counsel

by Melissa Bailey | Oct 21, 2009 10:04am
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Posted to: State Capitol

After enthusiastically overseeing the rebuilding of schools all over New Haven over a decade, Sue Weisselberg is returning to the Capitol.

Weisselberg, coordinator of the city’s $1.5 billion school construction coordinator, has been named chief legal counsel for the House Democratic Caucus, the speaker of the House announced Tuesday. She is set to start work in Hartford at the end of November.

Click here to continue reading Melissa’s report. Weisselberg replaces Laura Jordan, who left to take a job with the Connecticut Hospital Association.

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Caligiuri Seeks To Change ‘Politics as Usual’

by Christine Stuart | Oct 21, 2009 9:27am
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Posted to: Election 2010

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An underdog in the fundraising race, state Sen. Sam Caligiuri is determined stand apart from his Republican opponents in the U.S. Senate race.

Standing in the atrium of Waterbury City Hall Tuesday morning, Caligiuri talked about how he would change the Washington political system.

“I am committed to changing Washington in ways that career politicians and political insiders simply cannot do,” Caligiuri said.

Just how does he plan on doing that?

He said there’s three things he will do to change “politics as usual,” on Capitol Hill. 

First he would prohibit committee chairs and ranking members from raising Political Action Committee, or PAC, money from industries they regulate. Second, he would ban earmarks. Third he would push for term limits.

The fact that Senators are rewarded with chairmanships just because they’ve been there the longest defies logic, he said. He said the system should be based on merit.

The institutional knowledge lost by imposing term limits on Congressmen should reside with the full-time staff, he said. Since states cannot impose term limits on members of Congress it’s up to members of Congress to address this issue. He said he supports two terms for Senators and four terms for U.S. Representatives.

“Unless we change the political system in Washington we will not be able to do what the people of Connecticut desperately need us to do and want us to do,” Caligiuri said. “We need turnover in government. We need fresh ideas.”

Former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, one of Caligiuri’s Republican opponents in the race against U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd, has embraced similar reforms. He has said he would push to ban contributions to committee leaders from the industries they oversee and would require members of Congress to disclose their mortgages.

But Caligiuri isn’t impressed. In fact, he said he was surprised with Simmons’ reversal last week on two issues that he had supported while he was a member of Congress.

“He said that he realized he was wrong on those two issues because when he came back home to Connecticut he talked to people and realized it would hurt people in Connecticut. While who the heck was he talking to when he was in Washington for three terms? It was the special interests,” Caligiuri said.

“This race is going to quote ‘heat up’ and we’re going to raise relevant issues when the issues are relevant,” Caligiuri said.

Caligiuri was quick to criticize Simmons earlier this week on his change of heart regarding Cap and Trade and Card Check. It was thought that Caligiuri, Simmons, and former Ambassador to Ireland Tom Foley had a gentleman’s agreement not to beat up on each other until after the Republican primary.

“We need someone who is a political outsider, who knows how to make change, but isn’t part of the system that’s been corrupted,” Caligiuri said.

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Annie Le Suspect Back In Court

by Melissa Bailey | Oct 20, 2009 4:52pm
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Yale lab technician Raymond Clark made an appearance in Connecticut Superior Court on Church Street Tuesday afternoon in connection with charges that he killed 24 year-old Yale graduate student Annie Le and hid her body inside a wall at a medical building. At issue: Whether he would plead; whether he’ll seek a probable cause hearing; whether the arrest warrant and eight search warrants should remain under seal. Following is a live minute-by-minute account from the courthouse.

Click here to read Melissa’s live blog of the proceeding Tuesday and here to watch reaction to the unsealing request.

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AG Says Governor Lacks Authority To Close DCF Facility; Rell’s Budget Director Disagrees

by Christine Stuart | Oct 20, 2009 2:36pm
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(Updated 4:50 p.m.) Attorney General Richard Blumenthal opined Tuesday afternoon that Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell lacks the constitutional authority to close a treatment facility for adolescent boys in Hamden.

Rell planned to close High Meadows, which is a 42-bed residential treatment facility run by the Department of Children and Families, to save the state money.

Rell may be able to reduce the facility’s budget by five percent, but Blumenthal said she has no constitutional authority to close the facility. 

“Because the legislature clearly intended High Meadows to remain open, the governor lacks the authority to close it or seek termination of its certificate of need,” Blumenthal said in a press release.

“We are thrilled, but not surprised by the Attorney General’s opinion,” Deborah Chernoff, spokeswoman for SEIU District 1199, said Tuesday.

“It had been clear all along that it was the legislature’s intent to keep it open,” she said.

The opinion comes just days before the Office of Health Care Access hearing on the closure of the facility. In September the hearing on the closure was postponed to give the union workers and parents time to comment on the proposal.

Chernoff said the opinion is significant because it also covers the proposed closure of Cedarcrest, a psychiatric hospital in Newington, and two drug treatment facilities.

“Governor Rell’s attempt to close this facility despite the General Assembly’s provision of funding to maintain these essential services was very troubling, inasmuch as it was a clear overreach of her executive power, in much the same way as the governor recently and wrongly sought to use her line-item veto power in a budget she did not sign,” Sen. Majority Leader Martin Looney, D-New Haven, said Tuesday afternoon. “Today’s decision is an important clarification of the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches of government.”

By closing High Meadows the state would save $6 million in operating costs and $11 million in capital costs, Gary Kleeblatt, spokesman for the Department of Children and Families, has said.

However, Kleeblatt said that’s not the entire reason behind the agency’s desire to close the facility. He said the reality is the “service system for children with complex needs has really changed a lot.”

Many more at-home and community-based services for these children exist and there’s less of a need for residential treatment facilities, Kleeblatt said.

Following an event in New Haven Tuesday afternoon, Rell said she had the Office of Policy and Management review Blumenthal’s decision. She said she doesn’t think Blumenthal’s interpretation is correct, but she would wait to see what her budget office had to say before making a final decision in the matter.

“This opinion represents a fundamental misreading of the budget act and ignores important provisions relevant to the question,” Rell’s Budget Secretary Robert Genuario wrote in this three-page letter. “There is no caselaw supporting use of ‘legislative intent’ to dictate what constitutes ‘fully funding’ a line item.”

“To elevate the opinions of individual legislators to the level of statutory law without the requirement of putting those opinions to the vote of the legislature and subjecting those enactments to the approval or disapproval of the Governor is to subvert the Governor’s constitutional powers,” Genuario wrote.

He said the bill the legislature passed and Rell vetoed would have given them the authority to keep the facility open, but they have failed to override that veto.

“To issue this opinion is to attempt to reverse this veto without putting the veto to an override vote in the General Assembly,” Genuario wrote. He maintained that the governor does have to power to close the facility.

Earlier Tuesday afternoon Rell announced $15 million in bond funds will be allocated later this week for a girls-only DCF facility, which will be built in Bridgeport.

Leonard Honeyman contributed to this report from New Haven

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Revenue Estimates Dip, But Not Below One Percent

by Christine Stuart | Oct 19, 2009 6:27pm
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(Updated) Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s budget office predicted Monday that revenue estimates will dip below projections, but will still be high enough to enact a half-percent sales tax cut on Jan. 1.

The most recent revenue estimates, agreed to by Rell’s budget office and the legislature’s Office of Fiscal Analysis, will not be used to decide whether Rell must submit a budget mitigation plan to the General Assembly. Those numbers will come from state Comptroller Nancy Wyman on Nov. 1.

Both budget offices agreed Monday that October’s revenues for 2010 and 2011 are an estimated $332.5 million lower than originally anticipated in the budget passed by the General Assembly Sept. 1.

In a press release Rell said Wyman still needs to agree to these numbers under the new budget consensus forecasting law, but since the two offices agreed Wyman is not expected to get involved.

Wyman’s spokesman said Monday afternoon that Wyman doesn’t expect to make any predictions until Nov. 1 when her monthly letter on the budget is due.

Wyman stopped just short of announcing a budget deficit in her Oct. 1 letter.

The numbers have the legislature’s Republican leadership sounding the alarm bells again.

Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Southport, said Democrats “ignored” Wyman’s warnings on Oct. 1.

“Now that OPM and OFA agree that the budget is in deficit, Democrats can’t ignore reality any longer. The people of Connecticut need their elected officials to finally lead by making the difficult decisions necessary to reduce the size and cost of state government,” he said in a press release.

Rell is more optimistic than her Republican colleagues and seems to hope the economy will maintain Monday’s budget projections.

“I firmly believe consumers and retailers in Connecticut need - and more importantly, deserve - a break on the sales tax,” Rell said in a press release. “With other taxes and the costs of maintaining a home and family steadily increasing, this is a promise of relief that we cannot afford to break.”

According to Rell’s budget office and the Office of Fiscal Analysis, revenues declined about $168.4 million or 0.97 percent in 2010 and $164.1 million or 0.93 percent in 2011. Both of those estimates are barely below the 1 percent trigger.

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Gloves Come Off In U.S. Senate Race

by Christine Stuart | Oct 19, 2009 5:01pm
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Posted to: Election 2010

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The gloves in the U.S. Senate race have come off and state Sen. Sam Caligiuri, R-Waterbury, has come out swinging at the Republican frontrunner, former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons.

At the end of last week Simmons posted a blog on his campaign Web site explaining how he had changed his position on two pieces of legislation: Cap and Trade and the Employee Free Choice Act.

Simmons had supported the legislation, while in Congress, but on the campaign trail the moderate has moved closer to the right and has decided he’s against these two issues.

“While Rob Simmons can spin this all he wants, he is in a primary battle and is desperate to get the support of real, principled Republicans,” Caligiuri’s spokeswoman, Tiffany Romero Grossman, said in a press release Monday.

“So Rob Simmons, just like Chris Dodd, is more than happy to say whatever it takes to win an election regardless of what the facts are or what their records show. This type of pandering politics is exactly what is wrong in Washington today,” she added.

In his blog post Friday Simmons said he changed his mind about the issue after he saw how the bills would affect businesses. As the state’s business advocate, “I became convinced they would cause more harm than good and I would oppose them in the Senate,” Simmons wrote.

Grossman characterized Simmons’ change of heart on the two issues as business as usual.

“We cannot afford another Chris Dodd. After 6 years in Congress, Simmons is clearly a part of the problem not the solution. His latest epiphany on two key issues that clearly he hopes will fool real, principled Republicans is right out of the D.C. insider playbook,” Grossman wrote.

Simmons’ spokesman Jim Barnett said the blog post “speaks for itself.”

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More Questions Than Answers On Afghanistan

by Christine Stuart | Oct 19, 2009 10:38am
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Posted to: Congress

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“The more you talk to people, the more you read, the deeper you go into the issue, the less you realize you know,” U.S. Rep. John Larson said Sunday at a public forum on Afghanistan.

Larson told about 60 of his constituents gathered at a Wethersfield community center that his two trips to the region—the most recent of which was in February—doesn’t make him an expert on the subject.

In fact, he said the more he reads about Afghanistan, the more his position evolves, and the less he seems to know.

Larson’s question and answer session came Sunday afternoon only a few hours after the White House signaled on “Face the Nation” that President Barack Obama would postpone any decision on sending more troops to Afghanistan until the disputed election there had been settled.

The question that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said still needed to be answered was not how many troops you send, “but do you have a credible Afghan partner for this process that can provide the security and the type of services that the Afghan people need?”

According to Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the mission of an additional 40,000 troops would be to clear and hold specific areas, “but it’s not clear that we can hold,” Larson said Sunday. “And it’s not clear that even after several years of being there that we would be able to hold.”

“Most of the men and women I’ve encountered say five-minutes after we’re gone they will revert back to the same tendencies they’ve had historically,” Larson said. “What may seem intellectually coherent, in terms of a policy that you and I could read, and even though I’ve been there, it’s a mistake for members of Congress, for individuals to claim they’re experts in the area.”

Larson, who represents a mostly Democratic district in favor of leaving Afghanistan, sounds more like the history teacher he used to be and less like the politician he is when he addresses the issue of Afghanistan and discusses differences between the various tribes there.

The mere presence of foreign soldiers in Afghanistan is probably the single most important factor in the resurgence of the Taliban, Larson said.

In order to counter any resurgence of the Taliban or other groups inspired to take up arms, Larson said he voted to send more U.S. soldiers to Afghanistan this past Spring to help with a possible increase in violence and to ensure a smooth election.

However, that election between the current President Hamid Karzai and his rival, Abdullah Abdullah, now is being disputed and a runoff is likely. Larson doubted a new election could be held before the winter. He said the mountainous terrain will make it impossible for Afghans to get to the polls before Spring, which gives the Obama administration a long time to ponder its strategy.

“If the Afghan government is corrupt then how do we proceed forward?” Larson asked.

He said he was happy to hear Emanuel say that until there’s a government that the U.S. can work with, then “we have to be very careful about the policies we’re going to put in place.”

“I believe that the main policy and objective of the United States should be to leave an Afghan government that is capable of surviving the United States’ withdrawal,” Larson said. And as far as the U.S. troops are concerned, “We owe it to them to bring hard-nosed realism to whatever it is we ask them to do.”

Most of those in attendance Sunday said they would like the U.S. troops to come home.

In order for that to happen the U.S. has to come up with an exit strategy, Larson said.

“I believe we are capable of coming up with an exit strategy where we can draw down military support and increase aide. But the only way we can do that is to get these guys in the area convinced they have to take part in this,” he said, referring to neighboring nations like Tajikstan, Uzbekistan, and others.

Flo Woodiel of West Hartford said she thinks the U.S. can hold down the violence with 10,000 to 20,000 troops, instead of the 68,000 troops already there.

“I think we’re trying to do too much. I think we really need to scale down what our objectives are,” Woodiel said. Her comments drew a smattering of applause.

The United States’ objective should be to get an exit strategy that doesn’t include an increased military presence in Afghanistan, Larson said, adding that a “smaller footprint” for the U.S. military in Afghanistan may be beneficial.

“I don’t think it necessarily calls for more troops,” but Larson said he would keep an open mind about it.

Larson opened and closed the more than two hour forum by explaining that he knows these types of foreign policy issues don’t mean a lot to the crowd at Auggie and Ray’s, an East Hartford lunch spot near Pratt & Whitney.

He said most of his constituents are just wondering when they’ll be able to get a job or what happens if they join the ranks of the unemployed.

(26) Comments

Dems Question McMahon’s Finished Product
Video Clips Removed From Web

by Christine Stuart | Oct 16, 2009 7:09pm
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Posted to: Election 2010

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Her loyalty to the Republican Party was challenged last week when two of her Republican opponents criticized her donations to the Democratic Party while she was CEO of the WWE.

Now the state’s Democratic Party is taking on Linda McMahon, questioning the simulated sex and violence prominently featured in WWE’s televised product.

Colleen Flanagan, spokeswoman for Connecticut’s Democratic Party, said as CEO of the WWE, McMahon “presided over programming that showed simulated rape, public sex and necrophilia.”

“People across this state, not to mention the millions of women who are the victims of sexual violence every year, would be horrified and embarrassed to know that the person who seeks to represent them condones this kind of behavior,” she added.

McMahon’s campaign spokesman Ed Patru countered that “Every American understands the difference between scripted television entertainment and real life betrayal of trust by Washington politicians.”

“With 15 million Americans out of work, a jobless rate in Connecticut pushing 9 percent, people want a Senator who knows how to fix the economy and put people back to work,” Patru said. “It’s stunning that Chris Dodd’s supporters are more concerned with PG TV programming than fixing this economy.”

It’s unclear if McMahon was CEO of the WWE when the videos of wrestling matches Flanagan highlighted in the email were created.

The videos have since been taken down from You Tube for copyright violations, but one depicted a WWE wrestler having stimulated sex on a bed in the center of the ring, one included McMahon’s daughter being thrown down on a desk by wrestler Scott Steiner, and yet another depicted a WWE wrestler having sex with a corpse.

Other shortened versions of the videos, like this one and this one that Flanagan highlighted in her email Friday afternoon exist on the web, but the ones she specifically linked in her email have since been taken down for possible copyright violations.

In addition to the ones highlighted in Flanagan’s email, at least two other videos that showed McMahon herself in the ring have been taken down.

The discovery prompted Flanagan to question if the campaign had asked the WWE to ask You Tube to take down the unflattering clips. If the campaign had asked the WWE to have them taken down it could be considered a campaign violation since under federal elections laws corporations are prohibited from giving both monetary and in-kind contributions to campaigns.

Patru said the campaign did not ask WWE to contact You Tube to take down the videos. “No, we can’t do that,” he said.

However, Flanagan said she’s still suspicious since if the company really cared about copyright violations, then why haven’t the other 516,000 WWE videos been flagged for possible copyright violations?

(5) Comments

Dodd On Healthcare, Unemployment & McMahon

by Christine Stuart | Oct 16, 2009 4:38pm
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Posted to: Congress, Election 2010, Labor

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U.S. Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid will meet again Monday with Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd and administration officials to continue negotiating the merger of the two Senate healthcare bills.

The one that came out of the Senate Finance Committee, which does not include a public option, and the one that came out of the HELP Committee, which does include a public option.

Outside the CT Works Center in Hartford Friday Dodd reiterated his support for a public option.

“That’s one that allows you to have a private market and competition,” Dodd said. “When you’re living in a state with only one company that sells insurance that’s not competition, that’s not choice.”

“Medicare, VA benefits, Tri-Care, these are all public options we have,” Dodd said. “We’re not exactly breaking new ground here with this idea.”

One of his Republican opponents, former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons criticized Dodd for meeting with Reid and Baucus behind closed doors to reconcile the two bills.

“With so much at stake, it is critical that Congress make public any side negotiations and conference committee meetings to determine the final content of national health care legislation,” Simmons said in an emailed statement. “This debate and its final product should be conducted in public under the watchful eye of the American people.”

Simmons said Congress should speak out against the closed door negotiations and, “reassure Americans that we will not accept a process that allows for backroom deals cut by a select few.”

“There’s nothing closed door about this,” Dodd said. “I had the longest public markup in the history of that committee.” He said 161 amendments offered by Republicans were part of the bill and comprised over half of the amendments offered on the bill that came out of the HELP Committee. The Finance Committee spent equally that amount of time, Dodd said.

He said the criticism over negotiations happening behind closed doors is a “silly argument.”

Orrin Hatch, the Republican Senator from Utah, “has been behind more closed doors than anyone I know in the Senate,” Dodd said. “I sat with Orrin for five weeks all he ever said was, ‘No’....That’s not an answer for healthcare.”

“What is unacceptable, as hard as this is, is the status quo,” Dodd said. “This is a budget fix that should have been done years ago, it’s got to be done.”

Extending unemployment benefits

As for unemployment insurance benefits, Dodd said the U.S. Senate is looking to extend them an additional 14 weeks.

There are nearly 2 million jobless workers throughout the country who are in danger of losing their benefits by the end of the year. The Senate proposal would give unemployed workers in all 50 states, 14 additional weeks of unemployment. Unemployed workers in state with an unemployment rate greater than 8.5 percent will receive an additional six weeks on top of that.

Connecticut’s unemployment rate is 8.1 percent, so it will unemployed workers will only receive the additional 14 weeks.

Tom Philips, president and CEO of Capital Workforce Partners, said 8.1 percent is the official unemployment rate in the state, but it doesn’t count all the people who have settled for part-time jobs. He said the actual unemployment rate is probably 8 to 9 percent higher than 8.1 percent.

An estimated 15,000 people in Connecticut have exhausted their unemployment insurance over the past three weeks and thousands more will join them if an extension isn’t approved, Dodd said.

One of those is Harry Oram of West Haven.

Oram works in the construction business which has been hit hard by the current recession. He’s worked 10 weeks over the past year.

“We’re not looking for a handout. We want to work. We want to take care of our families,” Oram said.

He said the $465 per week unemployment check isn’t going to pay the heating oil bill. He said it requires families to make tough choices about which bill they will pay this month.

Dodd on McMahon’s wrestling business

“I’ll let the Republican opponents deal with her on that,” Dodd said. “I just want to take credit for ...bringing stimulus money to the state.”

“The media outlets in the state are benefiting directly as a result of my candidacy,” Dodd joked referring to the amount of money his opponent has spent and plans to spend on campaign advertising.

Earlier in the day, Colleen Flanagan’s spokeswoman for the Connecticut Democratic Party, sent out an email criticizing the WWE’s programming decisions. McMahon was CEO of the wrestling empire, but resigned in September to mount her U.S. Senate campaign.

(13) Comments

Student Groups to Attend Anti-War Rally

by CTNewsjunkie Staff | Oct 16, 2009 9:05am
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Posted to: Iraq at Home

On Saturday, students across Connecticut will travel to Boston to voice their dissatisfaction with the escalation of the war in Afghanistan and the deepening of the economic crisis.

The city is one of thirty locations in the country that will be hosting anti-war activities calling for the end of all United States occupations on the same date.

Denisa Jashari, a senior at Trinity College and co-founder of the Trinity Anti-War Coalition is one of the many who will be attending the event to make her opinions heard.

According to Jashari, the election of Obama weakened the anti-war movement because Americans thought they could rely on him to bring peace. However, with the current escalation of the war in Afghanistan, protesters have begun to take matters back into their own hands.

“All of us are responsible for being active and participating in things that have to do with issues that affect our everyday lives,” said Jashari. “If you feel an opposition to the war then show it.” 

Among these issues Jashari is concerned with is the large amount of military spending that these wars require. All this money, Jashari says, should be used to fund education, projects for youth and students, and to open up jobs.

Jeff Bartos, United States Army Veteran and sophomore at Central Connecticut State University, agrees that the money spent on the wars should be going elsewhere.

The main stream U.S. media constantly talks about how, “the economy is in shambles, the taxes are too high, the housing crisis, healthcare, [etcetera] when we could fund all of these if we had never gone to war with Iraq” said Bartos.

Now, the co-founder and secretary of the Connecticut Chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War, Bartos originally supported the war and joined the Army in July of 2003.

“I thought the U.S. was doing good things in response to the events of September 11th,” said Bartos.

That all changed once he was deployed.

While serving in Iraq from 2006 to 2007, there was a two month period during which Bartos was faced with experiences that made sleep difficult, often only allowing him to get three or four hours a night.

After being honorably discharged in 2007, Bartos began a year long process where he continued to reevaluate his feelings and eventually changed his position about the war.

“I’ve taken a bit of a different look at using violence for various measures since I’ve been back” said Bartos. Now having returned, he finds no justified reason for the number of deaths that have occurred or for the many more lives to be lost.

Will Boston Be The Next Pittsburgh?
Though some similar issues will be touched upon in Boston, Bartos doesn’t expect to experience anything like the G-20 protests in Pittsburg, where he was arrested with a group of protestors while helping a journalist who had been pepper sprayed in the eyes.

“Pittsburg was a different thing” he said. “It wasn’t just challenging the war it was challenging the status quo of the group of twenty finance ministers and world leaders and their entire power base.”

The march in Boston is a permitted peaceful march, he said, which happens every six months to a year.

“This is just going to be a bunch of people carrying signs and singing songs” he said.

Jashari agrees.

“Our intentions are just to really exercise our freedom of speech and freedom of free assembly” she said.

How Students Will Get There

As a part of the effort help others voice their opinions against war, The Trinity Anti-War Coalition has organized carpools for approximately 25 people from Trinity to attend the event.

Other university groups from UConn and Eastern Connecticut State University will also be organizing transportation for those interested as well.

According to Wes Strong, a member of Connecticut Students Against the War and graduate of Central Connecticut State University, there is a full school bus going from Central Connecticut State University up to Boston. They also have more requests for seats than seats available, which he said he thinks is very encouraging.

Event Details

Starting at 1:00pm protestors will gather in Copley Square to listen to speakers and musical performances. Afterward the group will proceed to march around the square.

More information about the rally in Boston can be found by visiting http://october17.org/boston/

More information about Iraq Veterans Against the War can be found at http://www.ivaw.org/

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Dodd Challenger: Dem Turncoat Or Dem Savior?

by Thomas MacMillan | Oct 15, 2009 10:10pm
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Posted to: Election 2010

In town to promote his new memoir, Merrick Alpert went about developing the next chapter he hopes to write—in which he deposes a powerful five-term senator from his own party.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd and his party allies aim to prevent Alpert from making that story a reality.

Click here to continue reading Thomas’ report.

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After Ricci Ruling, Black Firefighter Sues City

by Thomas MacMillan | Oct 15, 2009 5:55pm
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Posted to: Courts

First white firefighters sued. Now it’s a black firefighter’s turn.

Michael Briscoe (pictured), a firefighter with the Engine 8 fire station on Whitney Avenue, filed a complaint against the City of New Haven on Thursday morning in U.S. District Court in Connecticut. He argues that he was unfairly denied promotion to lieutenant because of the way that the city scored its 2003 promotional exam for firefighters.

Click here to continue reading Thomas’ report.

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Twitter Sides With Dems Over Fake Accounts

by Christine Stuart | Oct 15, 2009 2:51pm
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Posted to: State Capitol

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Remember those fake Twitter accounts the Connecticut Republican Party created?

Well, Twitter has sided with the Democrats in this cyber battle du jour and has agreed to take them all down because they violate the company’s impersonation clause.

“Impersonation is against our terms unless it’s parody,” Laura at Twitter wrote in an email Wednesday to Speaker of the House Chris Donovan’s policy director.

“The standard for defining parody is, ‘Would a reasonable person be aware that it’s a joke?’ Because this is not the case in your situation, we have removed the profile(s) from circulation,” Laura from Twitter wrote.

Josh Nassi, policy director for Speaker of the House Chris Donovan, wrote to the company early Wednesday morning and asked for all 33 of the fake accounts with names like “MeetRepDonovan” and “MeetRepMerrill” to be removed. Nassi explained in his email to Twitter that state Rep. Matthew Lesser, D-Middletown, was successful in getting his fake Twitter account removed. Lesser does have a real Twitter account, which he uses to post updates from the Capitol and his district.

Republican Party Chairman Chris Healy had contended when the issue came up earlier this month that the sites were indeed parody.

“It’s no secret who is behind these sites,” Healy has said. “If they don’t like it, too bad.”

“The purchase and construction of these websites and Twitter accounts has been transparent and completely up front,” Healy said on Oct. 2. “We are using this technology telling the truth and if  the Democrats don’t like it - too bad.”

“It’s hard to claim you’re telling the truth when you’re breaking rules and operating under false pretenses,” Donovan said Wedneday in an emailed statement. “I am sorry we had to spend even five minutes on this issue, at a time when the people of Connecticut and our economic challenges deserve our full attention.”

“Parody can be flattering. Impersonation is wrong,” Donovan said.  “Some have called their efforts ‘innovative.’ I would call them deceptive and dishonest.”

Each of the 33 fake Twitter accounts set up by the Republican Party have corresponding Web sites.

However, there’s nothing the Democrats can do about the fake Web sites, which each contain a disclaimer at the bottom saying they were paid for by the Connecticut Republican Party.

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Towing Companies Seek Higher Fees

by CTNewsjunkie Staff | Oct 15, 2009 10:08am
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Posted to: CT Watchdog

Connecticut’s 300 towing companies have asked state officials for permission to jack up their minimum rates.

Our good friends who make their living taking away our cars and charging us exorbitant fees (in cash of course) before returning them are asking the Connecticut Motor Vehicle Department for permission to increase the minimum charge for towing and for storing your vehicle.

Click here to continue reading George’s report.

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Simmons Outraises Dodd In 3rd Quarter

by Christine Stuart | Oct 14, 2009 6:25pm
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Posted to: Election 2010

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U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd announced Wednesday that he raised $900,000 for his re-election campaign, about $70,000 less than Republican frontrunner, former Congressman Rob Simmons.

Simmons raised $970,000 during the same period, which is an improvement over the last quarter in which he raised about $754,000.

Dodd’s third quarter fundraising numbers are far less than the $1.2 million he raised in the last quarter, but his campaign was quick to point out that he spent most of July ushering the health care bill through the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in Sen. Kennedy’s absence and spent most of August recovering from prostate surgery.

“Sen. Dodd is fighting hard on behalf of the people of Connecticut and he’s focused on delivering results and doing the job for which he was elected,” Dodd’s campaign manager Jay Howser said in a press release.

“The fact that President Obama would come to Connecticut to campaign on Sen. Dodd’s behalf speaks volumes about the trust and confidence he’s placed in him at this critical time,” Howser added.

Meanwhile Simmons’ campaign manager was pleased by the numbers.

“It is almost unheard of for a challenger to outraise an incumbent, but Rob Simmons has done that not by cutting a massive check to himself, but by gaining the support of literally thousands of supporters who believe in him and know he has the best chance to send Sen. Dodd into retirement,” Jim Barnett, Simmons’ campaign manager said.

In a conference call with Connecticut reporters Wednesday afternoon, Dodd was asked about what he thought about the $30 million Republican challenger Linda McMahon was willing to spend on the race.

“I’ve not spent that much in five races,” Dodd said. He said he’s not likely to raise that much money and doesn’t even know if he’ll come close.

McMahon has already spent $2.05 million on her bid for the Republican nomination and will still had about $1.45 million in the bank at the end of last month.

“Connecticut voters are losing trust in Washington because the economy is in shambles while the politicians are scrambling for every last special interest dollar,” Ed Patru, McMahon’s campaign manager said. “Linda McMahon’s support is growing because she understands how to create jobs and grow the economy, and she will not be bought.”

Greenwich businessman Tom Foley raised $780,000 during the third quarter and had $1.17 million cash in hand at the end of the reporting period.

State Sen. Sam Caligiuri has yet to announce his fundraising totals, but has said his campaign is more about the message than the money.

(13) Comments

Updated: DiNardo Requests More Documents From Rell

by Christine Stuart | Oct 14, 2009 1:39pm
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Posted to: Election 2010, State Capitol

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(Updated 4:30 p.m.) In an attempt to find out what really is going on in the governor’s office, Democratic State Party Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo said Wednesday that under the states open records law she has requested all audio, video, emails, and transcripts related to the contract a University of Connecticut professor has with the state.

The $223,000 contract, which was awarded to UConn’s Ken Dautrich, is said to be a study of ways to streamline state government, but DiNardo and other Democrats have questioned whether portions of the study may have been used for political purposes.

Democratic lawmakers have criticized the nine-member focus group, which according to Dautrich’s report resulted in a conversation on leadership, ultimately comparing Rell to Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.

“It’s disturbing,” DiNardo said at a Capitol press conference Wednesday.

“Is she trying to cover up something or is she not aware of what’s going on?” DiNardo asked. She said it could be either one, but she won’t know for sure until she sees the documents and other related materials.

“This clearly was set out to be one thing, when in fact it was used for something completely different,” DiNardo said specifically referring to the focus group.

According to Dautrich’s Sept. 8 report on the focus group, he had asked the group, which one do you think is a better leader: Rell or Blumenthal.

After being given a list of adjectives, such as “principled” and “honest” the focus group was then asked “if Governor Rell or Attorney General Blumenthal fit these characteristics.”

“Many of the participants agreed that Blumenthal fit the characteristics well,” Dautrich reported to Rell.

DiNardo questioned whether the focus group was used to provide political guidance rather than policy guidance to the governor with taxpayer dollars.

The governor’s office was still deciding Wednesday afternoon whether it would comment on DiNardo’s press conference.

Meanwhile Republican Party Chairman Chris Healy wasn’t timid about responding to the Democratic Party Chairwoman’s request.

“The Democrats are not fooling anyone. Each year, the Legislative Democrats spend hundreds of thousands of tax dollars promoting themselves while passing a record tax increase and deficits as far as the eye can see,” Healy said in an emailed statement Wednesday afternoon.

“My good friend Nancy DiNardo should ask Speaker Chris Donovan and Sen. Don Williams for a full accounting of all their caucuses’ miscellaneous expenses,” he said. “Including travel, mail and the costs of their traveling budget shows.”

“This is nothing more than the convenient application of ethics to cover up the Democrats’ disastrous leadership on the budget and the state’s hostility to business.”

(2) Comments

Rell Fundraising Totals Will Raise Questions

by Christine Stuart | Oct 14, 2009 11:36am
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Posted to: Election 2010

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(Updated 6:49 p.m.) Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell said last week that she would make her intentions regarding her re-election campaign known after the November municipal elections, but her recent fundraising report may be an early indication of her future plans.

From July 1 to Sept. 30 Rell’s exploratory campaign raised a paltry $14,760. The amount pales in comparison to that raised by two of her potential Democratic opponents, namely Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy and Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz, who both raised more than $100,000 during that same time period.

Rell will enter the last 12 months of the race with a little over $82,000 in cash on hand, while the two leading Democrats have more than $200,000 in the bank.

Rell’s low fundraising totals this quarter will fuel speculation amongst political insiders that she may not be interested in another run for office.

However, under the new public campaign finance system, money is not everything. In order to qualify for $3 million public grant, all Rell has to raise is $250,000.

Aside from Bysiewicz and Malloy, Rell’s other potential Democratic opponents include state Sen. Gary LeBeau, D-East Hartford, who raised $28,945 this quarter and Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi who just formed his exploratory committee and has yet to report any fundraising.

Former Speaker of the House James Amann came to the Capitol Wednesday and announced he had raised about $16,000 during the third quarter. He said he has about $63,000 to $64,000 on hand and emphasized that he is the only declared candidate for governor from either party.

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Democrat Files Complaint Against Rell Campaign

by Christine Stuart | Oct 13, 2009 6:27pm
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Posted to: Election 2010

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A former Democratic lawmaker turned consultant filed a formal complaint against Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s exploratory campaign Tuesday afternoon claiming it failed to properly report the contributions of University of Connecticut professor and pollster Ken Dautrich.

The state Elections Enforcement Commission complaintfiled by Jonathan Pelto alleges a handful of possible violations, including the campaign’s failure to report Dautrich’s alleged in-kind contribution regarding a poll conducted in May 2009.

In May 2009 Rell’s exploratory committee hired Braun Research of Princeton, N.J. to conduct a poll. Records show the campaign paid $6,000 for the poll, which was a bargain compared to what it had paid in the past years for polls.

During Rell’s 2006 re-election campaign she paid $29,000 to Public Opinion Strategies of Alexandria, Va. to conduct a poll. Her opponent that year, New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, paid $32,000 and $26,000 on polls.

It’s still unclear at the moment if Dautrich wrote the questions for Braun to ask voters or how much if any analysis he provided on the completed poll.

Dautrich was not immediately available for comment Tuesday evening.

The controversy over Dautrich’s involvement with the campaign comes on the heels of the news that the governor approved a $223,000 contract with UConn to retain Dautrich for a study of state government. Dautrich’s contract with the state started in 2008, prior to the governor’s February budget address, and ends in 2010. The goal of the two-year project is to help give Rell’s administration guidance on making state government efficient.

But it may be difficult for some to believe Dautrich was able to separate his work for the state with his work for the campaign.

The $223,000 contract gives Rell access to “an extremely experienced, well-known and much sought have political advisor and pollster,” Pelto said.

In-turn, Pelto wondered if the contract was in fact a way to get “tens of thousands of dollars worth of advice and information, none of which was paid for or reported, as required on campaign finance reports.”

Since a formal complaint has been lodged with the commission it will begin an investigation and will seek to determine if Rell’s exploratory committee did receive any illegal in-kind contributions from Dautrich.

Rell told reporters last week that she doesn’t believe the analysis Dautrich provided her qualifies as an in-kind contribution. According to state election laws in-kind contributions are not allowed to exceed $375.

If the commission determines Dautrich’s analysis was worth more than $375, then Rell’s campaign may be asked to pay a fine.

Elections enforcement officials were unable to comment on the complaint Tuesday and said only that they had received it. They refused to comment on if the issue, which was raised by Rell herself, was already under investigation. Rell has said that she would ask her campaign treasurer to ask the state Elections Enforcement Commission.

The state Elections Enforcement Commission complaint is the third investigation regarding Dautrich’s work for Rell. 

Last week the Auditors of Public Accounts in conjunction with Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is investigating whether tax dollars were used for anything other than state purposes. And UConn’s Office of Audit Compliance and Ethics is determining whether Dautrich violated its code of ethics which prohibits political activity on the job.

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Rosa Annoints ‘Messengers’

by Allan Appel | Oct 13, 2009 4:49pm
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Posted to: Congress, Health Care

As a critical health care vote neared in D.C., Rosa DeLauro came home to urge activists to keep up the pressure so that women’s concerns make the cut in a final reform bill.

The executive director of Connecticut’s Permanent Commission on the Status of Women, Teresa C. Younger (on right with DeLauro), was among two dozen people who gathered with the U.S. Third District Congresswoman for a breakfast meeting at the Graduate Club on Elm Street.

Click here to continue reading Allan’s report.

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State Laptop Still Missing, Lessons Learned

by Christine Stuart | Oct 13, 2009 2:05pm
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Posted to: State Capitol

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The two year investigation of a stolen laptop containing the information of 106,000 Connecticut taxpayers has come to an end.

State officials say the Department of Revenue Services laptop taken from a state employee’s vehicle in 2007 has never been found, but lessons were learned.

“The information on this laptop should never have been there in the first place,” Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said Tuesday upon the release of the state auditors report.

Prior to the theft, Blumenthal said any DRS employee with a computer network could “see, take, and change any information without any accountability.”

“There’s no question that the Department of Revenue Services botched its response to this data breach,” Blumenthal said.

He said since the theft of the laptop from Tax Unit Supervisor Jason Purlow’s car, procedures and protocols have been put in place to prevent confidential taxpayer information from leaving the office. Purlow is still employed by DRS, but was given a 30-day suspension without pay in October 2007, a month after the laptop was stolen.

According to the joint report by Blumenthal and the state auditors DRS has implemented greater restrictions on access and storage, established more comprehensive procedures to protect taxpayer information, and encrypted laptops and electronic mobile storage devices.

The report recommended that the agency stop using real taxpayer information for testing and training. In addition it recommended that the agency alert both the taxpayers and law enforcement if taxpayer information is ever improperly accessed in the future.

Blumenthal said the report may prompt other state agencies to do an internal review of their procedures too.

None of the taxpayer information, which was on the stolen and still missing laptop, has been misused.

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Malloy, Bysiewicz Announce Fundraising Totals

by Christine Stuart | Oct 13, 2009 12:03pm
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Posted to: Election 2010

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Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy announced Tuesday that he has raised $101,698 from July 1 to Sept. 30. Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz raised a total of $100,460 during that same time period. Both Malloy and Bysiewicz are exploring a run for governor in 2010.

Since forming his exploratory committee in February, Malloy has raised a total of $373,583 and Bysiewicz has raised $338,915.

According to press releases, Malloy received contributions from 629 individuals this quarter, for a total of 1695 individuals since his committee was formed. Bysiewicz received donations from 551 individuals this quarter, while a total of 1,444 individuals have contributed to her campaign.

Other Democrats exploring a run for governor include state Sen. Gary LeBeau and Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi. Former Speaker of the House James Amann is out of the exploratory phase and has officially announced his intention to run for the Democratic nomination.

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Borgstrom: No Simple Reform Fix

by Paul Bass | Oct 13, 2009 9:21am
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Posted to: Congress, Health Care

When health care reform comes up for a crucial U.S. Senate vote Tuesday, Yale-New Haven Hospital’s CEO won’t be counting on “Cadillac” taxes or focusing on whether lawmakers choose a “public option” or purchasing cooperatives.

Instead, Marna Borgstrom is looking at the fine print: Will Congress put enough dollars behind Medicaid as it includes millions of more Americans in the plan?

Click here to continue reading Paul’s report.

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Legislative Forum on Campaign Finance Reform

by Christine Stuart | Oct 12, 2009 5:08pm
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Posted to: State Capitol

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The legislature’s Government Administration and Elections Committee is planning an informational forum to discuss the implications of a federal court ruling that struck down the state’s landmark public campaign finance program.

Even though the state has decided to appeal the decision lawmakers want to maintain confidence in the system while looking at ways to fix it.

“This forum is the first step in assessing and understanding what the federal ruling truly means for our state,” Sen. Gayle Slossberg, D-Milford, said in a press release.

Jeffrey Garfield, executive director of the State Elections Enforcement Commission, unsuccessfully lobbied lawmakers to address the issue during its special session to finalize the budget last month.

“The legislature needs to act immediately; either by amending the reversion clause as we proposed in the budget implementation bill, or by calling an immediate special session to consider a permanent fix to the campaign finance reform legislation,” Garfield said last month.

The reversion clause will take the fundraising system back to the way it was before 2005. The clause isn’t triggered until April 2010 and is triggered only if there’s still a lawsuit pending.

Lawmakers said they want to address the issue methodically.

“We believe it is imperative for legislators, executive branch officials, potential candidates and, most importantly, the public to understand the factual and legal basis for this opinion before undertaking any changes to the law,” Rep. James Spallone, D-Essex, said in a press release.

The forum will be held 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 22 at the Legislative Office Building.

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OP-ED: Connecticut’s Latino Voter

by CTNewsjunkie Staff | Oct 12, 2009 2:12pm
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Posted to: Opinion

Editor’s note: The author of this editorial is the executive director of CAUSA Inc., the Connecticut Association for United Spanish Action, the largest coalition of Latino organizations in the state

As Election day draws nearer, I am reminded of an uninformed conversation about Latinos I heard recently. Two business professionals debating the health care reform issue blamed the “problem” on Latinos.  “They take advantage of the health care system,” one said, “they make believe they don’t speak English so they don’t have to pay for the service.” With my head spinning from the lack of logic of that argument, it occurred to me these misguided views about Latinos are but a symptom of a larger problem - the misconceptions and lack of understanding of this ever-present and rapidly growing segment of our country and our state.

It would be prudent for politicians and elected officials to become correctly informed about who we are and our role in this country. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that there are 40 million Hispanics living in the United States today, and that by 2050, one in every four Americans will be Hispanic—and like all Americans, Latinos in Connecticut will be increasingly voting or not voting for you.

There is no mystique to the Connecticut Latino voter.  They are my relatives, neighbors, and friends.  Our children attend public, Catholic, and even a few private schools.  We worry about our jobs, and making sure our old cars last as we try to ride out this recession.  In short, in many aspects, we are similar to all your other voters.  But unlike other voters, we’ve been viewed too often by office seekers and politicians as one monolithic group. 

I remember an incident years ago during a race in the state, when the Democratic candidate allegedly told his campaign Latino staffer, “we aren’t spending money on advertising, just sign them up they will vote the Democratic ticket.”  The offended staffer resigned and went public with his story.  The Republican candidate in the race, trying to woo the Latino vote in four urban areas in the district, hired a Latino political media consultant, identified which Latino groups in the district would be potential supporters, developed clear messages for this target group, knew which ethnic media to use, and went onto victory. One candidate took the Latino vote for granted, the other understood this was a complex market.

As a few Latino political pundits have said, gone are the days when a candidate can just appear at a festival and say a few words in Spanish to win over the voters. 

Nationally, 2008 U.S. Census figures tell us Latinos are no longer concentrated in the traditional urban areas or even in the traditional states; there is growth in suburban and rural areas. These figures indicate Latinos now have a place in the political geography of those communities.

Keep in mind, with the increase in population, Latinos have encountered various social obstacles, such as anti-immigrant sentiment, and the threat of English-only legislation. The right messages on these issues will resonate.  Correct information about Latinos is key in marketing and politics; misperceptions will derail an officer seeker.

A Brown University report last year, Myths vs. Reality, presents 10 common myths about the Latino community, then debunks them using New England survey data.  Some of those myths include “Latinos do not want to become Americans”  and “Latinos are not politically active.”  Researchers found the majority of Rhode Island Latinos plan to stay in the United States for the rest of their lives, seek to blend fully into U.S. society; and participated in the last election.  While their findings were focused on Rhode Island, much can be learned about Connecticut Latinos from this research. 

Connecticut Latino are here to stay. We are a growing and complex voter bloc. We are soccer moms and baby boomers. We are liberals and conservatives. My advice to those who aspire to elected office? Don’t rely on old myths. Don’t take our votes for granted. You will make policy decisions that affect our lives. You have a responsibility to find out who we are.

Founded in 1975, CAUSA, Inc. is the state’s largest coalition of Latinos community-based organizations. CAUSA is dedicated to enhancing the general well being of the Hispanic/Latino population in Connecticut with special emphasis on Advocacy, Research and Technical Assistance through and with its member agencies

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He Found A Church—& “Radical Inclusivity”

by Allan Appel | Oct 12, 2009 8:50am
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Posted to: Town News

Rob Handy is Catholic-born gay man struggling to recover from an alcohol problem.

He found the door of The United Church on the Green so wide open that it restored a part of his soul—a door that opened extra-wide in New Haven on the same weekend that thousands of gay-rights marchers descended on Washington.

Click here to continue reading Allen’s report.

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Ansonia Arson Not Politically Motivated

by Eugene Driscoll | Oct 12, 2009 8:40am
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Posted to: Local Politics

Ansonia—A 30-year-old man was charged Friday with torching the awning at the Ansonia Republican headquarters on West Street.

Alberto Lamberty, of West Street, was charged with third-degree arson and first-degree criminal mischief.

Lamberty’s alleged act is not thought to have been motivated by politics, police said. Rather, it was a random act, according to information from Lt. Wayne Williams, the department’s spokesman.

Click here to read continue reading Eugene’s report.

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Senate Candidate Talks About Past Contributions
Opponents React

by Christine Stuart | Oct 9, 2009 11:16am
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Posted to: Election 2010

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Much has been made by Republican party insiders about Linda McMahon’s contributions in past year’s to the Democratic party and President Barack Obama’s Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

McMahon, the now former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, is one of the five candidates vying for the Republican nomination in the 2010 U.S. Senate race, against incumbent U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd.

The tens of thousands of dollars given to the Democratic party and Emanuel is simply the cost of doing business, McMahon said Thursday night following a meeting of the candidates at a Windsor restaurant.

“I’ve been the CEO of a publicly traded company, which has given money to both Democrats and Republicans,” McMahon said.

McMahon said it had nothing to do with politics or personal beliefs. She said she has known Rahm Emanuel’s brother, Ari Emanuel, for years.

Ari Emanuel  runs a talent agency in Hollywood, California, which does business with WWE, she said. She said he called up and let her know his brother would be in Stamford and “may do a little arm twisting.” She said when she gave money to Emanuel, he was still a Congressman from Illinois, not the current president’s chief of staff.

Some of her opponents for the Republican nomination struggled with the explanation Thursday night.

“For me it’s not just business,” former U.S. Congressman Rob Simmons said.

McMahon gave $15,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee between the years of 2006 and 2007. Emanuel was head of the committee during the 2006 midterm election cycle.

In a hard fought campaign, Simmons was defeated in 2006 by U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney by 83 votes.

“I’m disappointed somebody would be working against those efforts,” Simmons said.

State Sen. Sam Caligiuri, another candidate for the Republican nomination, who was standing next to Simmons at the time took the opportunity to add his opinion to McMahon’s campaign donation history.

“We don’t need another person who puts expediency over principle,” Caligiuri said.

Simmons said McMahon’s donations undermined his efforts in 2006 and allowed his opponents, who are now expanding government to win elected office.

But McMahon and her husband Vince didn’t only give to Democratic candidates.

In 2006 and 2008 the McMahon’s gave about $8,000 to former U.S. Rep. Chris Shays, a Republican from the Fourth Congressional District, who lost his seat to U.S. Rep. Jim Himes during the 2008 election cycle.

McMahon painted herself Thursday night as a different kind of candidate. One who is not indebted to the special interests or Washington elite.

She opened up her remarks by asking the crowd of Hartford, Bloomfield, and Windsor Republicans if they were going to elect and Republican and Dump Dodd in 2010. The room responded by saying “Yes.”

She said she cannot sit on the sidelines anymore. And her main focus, she said, is the economy and growing jobs.

“I think Connecticut needs a different kind of senator,” she said.

She said she knows Dodd will be a formidable opponent and will probably raise about $25 million. She said she’s funding her own campaign and will not be taking PAC or special interest money. She will however accept contributions of $100 or less from individuals.

“I will be in this campaign matching, dollar-for-dollar what it takes to retire Dodd,” she said.

Tom Foley, the Greenwich businessman also vying for the Republican nomination, said he also isn’t going to be taking any PAC money. He said he knows Dodd will be “very well-funded,” but doesn’t believe he will raise $25 million.

Foley, who has already raised about $1.7 million, most of which is his own money, said he hopes to raise $10 to $15 million to mount his campaign against Dodd. He said he expects to raise a majority of the money from supporters.

Caligiuri says he is running a truly grassroots campaign and will also not accept special interest of PAC money, even though he knows he has a significant fundraising disadvantage. Caligiuri believes his message will carry his candidacy.

Peter Schiff, the financial investor from Weston, was unable to attend Thursday’s forum.

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Hot Dogs And Health Care

by Christine Stuart | Oct 9, 2009 12:02am
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Posted to: Health Care

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The owner of the most popular hot dog restaurant in Hartford wondered what would happen if she ran her restaurant like the health insurance industry runs its business.

“If I ran Woody’s like the present health care system is now being run you’d have to fill out an application before you came in my restaurant, and then if you were lucky you’d get a hot dog with no roll,” Cindy Woods, owner of Woody’s, said Thursday morning.

And forget about a getting a Chili dog.

“Chili is not covered by your policy. To appeal this decision please contact appeals hotline by phone at 1-888-FAT-CHANCE,” the prop for the press conference read.

Woods has been in the hot dog selling business for 32 years.

“In a bad economy our number one worry is about keeping our health care,” Woods said. “We pay what amounts to a mortgage payment each month for our health care coverage, which is approximately $1,500.”

That covers just Woods and her husband Gary. Woods has four part-time employees and is unable to provide health care for them, even though she wishes she could.

As someone who has had a very aggressive form of cancer, Woods said finding coverage is very difficult.

“After the new year my rates will be going up yet again,” she said.

“Even though my form of cancer is not curable I have seriously considered dropping my medical insurance,” Woods said. “People like my husband and I are the backbone of this country and our backs are breaking.”

Woods said she supports health care reform even if it includes a public option.

“I am not a socialist. I am a capitalist,” she said.

According to the Connecticut Public Interest Research Group’s report on 200 of Connecticut’s small businesses, the Woods’ aren’t alone.

Kevin Maggio, a campus organizer for ConnPIRG, said the percentage of small businesses that offer health care coverage has declined from 68 percent in 2000 to 59 percent currently.

Another problem for small businesses is that they pay 18 percent more than larger businesses would for the exact same policy because they have less bargaining power, Maggio said.

This report compiled by ConnPIRG also includes the stories of a handful of other small businesses in Connecticut.

“We are unable to offer healthcare for our employees because of the outrageous cost and very limited choices of insurance plans,” Robert La Perla of La Perla Fine Jewelers in West Hartford stated for the report. “The health insurance plan offered through the local chamber of commerce is too expensive—$13,000 to $15,000 per employee per year.”

“I am at the age when the quality of health insurance really matters,” Frank Perrelli Jr. of FPS Lawn Care in Guilford stated. “I’m getting older and if something happens I am concerned that I won’t be able to afford care. Additionally, as a small business owner, it’s very difficult to get good workers without offering health insurance because it’s so costly.”

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Budget Fallout Hits Legal Aid

by Melissa Bailey | Oct 8, 2009 6:30pm
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Posted to: Legal, State Capitol

Pat Kaplan was about to post an opening for a staff attorney when she heard about the governor’s veto.

Kaplan is head of New Haven Legal Assistance Association, Inc., which provides free legal services to people who can’t afford a lawyer. The organization, which took a blow to its budget when the recession hit, was counting on a $1.5 million lifeline from the state toward legal aid’s statewide umbrella group.

Click here to continue reading Melissa’s report.

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Updated: Two Top Dems Criticize Rell for Focus Group

by Christine Stuart | Oct 8, 2009 3:00pm
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Posted to: State Capitol

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(Updated 9 p.m.) Two of the legislature’s top Democratic leaders Thursday criticized Republican M. Jodi Rell for using $220,000 in state funds for what they believe may have been a focus group, focused more on politics than budget policy.

“We are extremely concerned and disturbed by the report that the governor spent $220,000 of taxpayer money for a pollster basically to determine how best to handle the state’s fiscal crisis and give it political spin,” Sen. Majority Leader Martin Looney, D-New Haven said Thursday.

He said he was especially disturbed with the make up of the nine member focus group put together by Ken Dautrich of the University of Connecticut.

The nature of the focus group was really structured in a way that would examine the governor’s own base rather than examine statewide public opinion, Looney said pointing out that none of the nine members came from Connecticut’s three largest cities.

“We’re disappointed that the governor’s been using state dollars for political purposes,” Speaker of the House Chris Donovan said bluntly Thursday afternoon. “The governor’s employing a consultant to give her political advice.”

“It was not looking for political effectiveness, but political posturing,” Donovan said. 

Rell defended the use of the focus group to help guide the creation of her state budget released in February.

“I am very pleased with the work that Ken Dautrich did to define issues for reducing state spending, working with agency commissioners to identify areas where savings could be achieved, and providing insight and new ideas as we struggled - and continue to struggle - with the most difficult budget situation in modern memory,” Rell said in a statement Thursday afternoon. “We worked very hard to ensure that the work he did and the questions he asked were policy-based, dealing with budget, spending and taxing issues.”

“Ken’s work was invaluable and he helped us to determine ways to save taxpayers money,” Rell added.

But Democratic lawmakers questioned why Attorney General Richard Blumenthal’s name would come up as part of the focus group.

At one point according to the article the New London Day, Dautrich asked the focus group which one do you think is a better leader: Rell or Blumenthal.

After being given a list of adjectives, such as “principled” and “honest” the focus group was then asked “if Governor Rell or Attorney General Blumenthal fit these characteristics.”

“Many of the participants agreed that Blumenthal fit the characteristics well,” Dautrich reported to Rell.

More Democratic reaction

The story reported first by the New London Day gave Rell’s Democratic opponents in 2010 something to talk about.

“This behavior on the part of the Governor’s office is outrageous,” Sen. Gary LeBeau, D-East Hartford said. LeBeau even opined that Rell may not have known that state dollars were used for the poll.

“Significant questions are again raised about the role of her Chief of Staff, Lisa Moody in another possible illegal and certainly unethical action on the part of the Governor’s office,” LeBeau, who is exploring a run for governor in 2010, said.

“It’s beyond outrageous that Governor M. Jodi Rell used more than $200,000 in taxpayer dollars to fund what was, in essence, a focus group to gauge support for her possible re-election bid next year,” state Democratic Party Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo, said in a statement. “At the very least this looks as though it violates state ethics guidelines, and possibly even the law.”

“It certainly appears that Governor Rell used taxpayer money for her own political benefit, which, at the very least, raises serious ethical concerns,” Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy, who is exploring a run for governor in 2010 said. “If true, it means she paid to find out what people wanted to hear, and then she told them exactly that - knowing it wasn’t true, but that it might work for her politically.”

Donovan and Looney were uncertain exactly what step they may take next, but at the very least they want Rell to provide them of a copy of the full report.

DiNardo said at an afternoon press conference that she would not file an ethics complaint herself, but encouraged others to do so. She agreed with Donovan and Looney that any further action, whether legal or ethical, isn’t clear at this point.

Governor’s staff responds

Matthew Fritz, special assistant to the governor, wrote this letter to the New London Day in response to Thursday’s story about the focus group.

Fritz points out in the letter that the focus group was a fairly small portion of the overall cost of the study to reinvent government.

“It should be pointed out that the focus group cost $2,000 - a very small portion of a very comprehensive $220,000 project to examine and reinvent state government,” Fritz wrote.

Fritz defended Dautrich’s work.

“Professor Dautrich’s work has already saved the state millions of dollars through efforts to reduce the state’s fleet, address telecommunications issues, and enhance bottle deposit provisions,” Fritz wrote. “More of these savings can be found in his report - except no one will take the time to read it since there is not enough intrigue and innuendo throughout to merit a few days worth of blogging.”

CTNewsjunkie has requested a copy of the report and was told by Rell’s office that the Sept. 8 memo uploaded to the New London Day’s web site is the extent of the report.

Updated: Apparently there was some confusion about what was being requested and the governor’s office is getting together copies of the report to be distributed Friday afternoon.

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AG Goes After Specialty License Plate Funds

by CTNewsjunkie Staff | Oct 8, 2009 8:21am
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Posted to: State Capitol

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said Wednesday he is seeking the recovery of more than $500,000 and possibly millions more apparently illegally diverted into the General Fund from state specialty license plate funds benefiting wildlife conservation, animal population control and eight other causes.

Blumenthal wrote in a letter to Gov. M. Jodi Rell that transferring specialty license plate moneys into General Fund would violate state laws requiring donations be spent for the promised purpose. Motorists who obtain the specialty license plates pay an extra amount to benefit a specific cause.

Rell’s office said she will have her budget office investigate.

Click here to continue reading George’s report.

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Aid In Dying Or Assisted Suicide?

by Christine Stuart | Oct 7, 2009 1:48pm
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Posted to: Courts, Legal, State Capitol

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Two Connecticut physicians are asking the court to clarify a 1969 law that they believe is vague about whether its proper for a physician to help a terminally ill patient end their life.

“I’ve seen many patients in agony,” Dr. Gary Blick, a plaintiff in the lawsuit, said at a Capitol press conference Wednesday.

The only choice these patients currently have is prolonged anguish, Blick said.

Blick said there are medications that will help ease the pain of dying, but it renders a patient unconscious in the days or weeks prior to their death. He said he would like to be able to prescribe medication that a patient can take on their own to end their life with dignity.

Under the current interpretation of the law, if Blick did prescribe medication to aid in the dying process, then he could be charged with manslaughter.

In 2004, Huntington Williams of Cornwall was charged with manslaughter for supporting his friend John Welles in ending his life.

Welles was living alone and dying from advanced prostate cancer. Williams said his friend made it known that he wanted to end his life. So one day Williams made sure the .38 caliber revolver was operable and handed it back to Welles.

“John loaded the gun and walked, with the aid of a walker, out into his garden. He lay down and I suggested where to aim the gun,” Williams said. “I walked 100 yards up the driveway and called out ‘God Bless…’, but before I got to the ‘you’ out I heard the gun fire.”

He then went back to determine if Welles had been successful and called 911. Six months later he was charged with manslaughter. He was later convicted on the charge, but was given accelerated rehabilitation instead of prison time.

“It’s time for the courts to make it clear that John Welles deserved better, that I deserved better, and that terminal patients and their families in our great state of Connecticut deserve better,” Williams said.

Sheldon Smith, 86, said he hopes for a favorable outcome from the lawsuit because he is concerned about how the end of his life will unfold.

Smith, who has fourth-stage abdominal cancer, said he knows the type of pain his cancer can cause and would like a physician to be able to prescribe medication to help bring about a peaceful death, if the dying process becomes unbearable.

“I’ve still got a pulse so I’m here,” Smith announced as he got to the podium.

He said he wants to keep living as long as he can, but if the pain is too much to bear, “I want to leave this world with the same dignity with which I’ve lived my life.”

Kathryn Tucker, the lead attorney in the case said that this is the first time the Connecticut court will be asked to look at this law.

Tucker said the goal of the lawsuit is to get some clarity on the existing law.

“What is the reach of that statute?” is the question the court will have to answer, Tucker said.

Oregon and Washington are the only two states that allow terminally ill patients to end their lives by taking medications prescribed by a physician. Oregon’s law was enacted in 1997 and Washington’s was approved by voters last fall. In Oregon and Washington the law sent by the legislature to be approved by the voters. No such, ballot initiative exists in Connecticut.

“I certainly think that the legislature can address this issue. I think it has not yet done so in Connecticut,” Tucker said.

There was a bill introduced last year to address this issue, but it was promptly dismissed by the Judiciary Committee, following the dismissal of another controversial bill dealing with the Catholic Church.

Michael Culhane, executive director of the Connecticut Catholic Conference, said the church opposes the initiation of this lawsuit and is considering intervening, however, no decision has been made yet about whether it would get involved.

“Life is sacred from conception to natural death,” Culhane said. “This lawsuit and any legislative efforts that would be forthcoming as a result of the lawsuit is something we would oppose.”

Kim Grzybala contributed to this report.

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Top Political Blog May Come to An End

by CTNewsjunkie Staff | Oct 7, 2009 8:38am
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Posted to: Media Matters

We are very sad to report that Connecticut Local Politics, the state’s top nonpartisan and most influential political blog, is coming to an end after a fabulous five year run.

Click here to read Genghis Conn’s parting words. The site will continue to publish until the end of this year’s November election and it may continue under new ownership depending on what Genghis decides to do. There are many people invested in seeing the site continue, but no final decision has been made.

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Oxford Man Gets Probation for Hiring Illegal Immigrants

by Eugene Driscoll | Oct 7, 2009 8:35am
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Posted to: Courts

New Haven—A federal judge Tuesday reluctantly sentenced an Oxford man to three years probation for employing illegal immigrants in his Mexican restaurant.

“Focusing on one person is not going to stem the tide (of illegal immigration),” Judge Peter Dorsey said, summarizing the case against Andrew Adames, 43.

Click here to continue reading Eugene’s report.

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Community Mourns A Hero

by Melinda Tuhus | Oct 6, 2009 8:30pm
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Posted to: Town News

The brother of a fallen soldier said at a memorial service Tuesday that his family would “love and comfort” the New Haven woman who was to have been the soldier’s wife.

More than 1,300 mourners filled the sanctuary of Congregation Mishkan Israel in Hamden to celebrate the life of U.S. Army Captain Benjamin Sklaver, a New Haven native and Army reservist called to active duty in Afghanistan. He was killed in action last Friday.

Click here to continue reading about the touching memorial service.

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Rally To Save Cedarcrest

by Christine Stuart | Oct 6, 2009 5:02pm
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Posted to: Town News, Health Care, Labor

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Workers and lawmakers rallied outside a state run psychiatric hospital in Newington Tuesday and pleaded with the state to keep it open.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s administration has plans to close the facility and move the patients to other public and private facilities throughout the state.

“The people who will really suffer are the patients,” Sen. Paul Doyle, D-Wethersfield, said.

Doyle and Debra Chernoff, spokeswoman for SEIU District 1199, recalled what happened in the 1990s in Norwich when a similar facility closed.

“People ended up on the street where they couldn’t get the services they needed,” Chernoff said. She predicted the same thing will happen this time, if the closure is allowed to happen.

Rosemarie Tate, who has worked at Cedarcrest for 25 years, said the patients will end up in prison or under bridges if the facility closes.

“The answer is not incarceration, it’s treatment,” Tate said. “I do not believe the budget should be balanced on these people’s backs.”

Tate and other union employees were not rallying for themselves Tuesday. They were rallying for the patients, many of whom are unable to speak for themselves, they said.

“I don’t worry about my job,” Tate said. “It’s about the patients.”

Even if the facility closes, all the union employees will be transferred to other positions in the system based on a two year agreement reached earlier this year with the state.

In light of the current budget situation the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services has been forced to look at how it can streamline costs, Jim Siemianowski, a spokesman for the agency said Tuesday.

In a phone interview, Siemianowski said 53 beds will be transferred to Connecticut Valley Hospital, 10 beds will go to another state run facility, and the rest will be supported with services in the community.

He said all the individuals under the agency’s care will be looked at on an individual basis and some will be transferred back to the community and will be supported with services, while others will remain in state facilities.

Speaker of the House Chris Donovan, D-Meriden, said the legislature’s Democratic majority made sure the money was in the budget to keep Cedarcrest open. He said on the floor of the House last week legislators made it clear that “our intent was to fund Cedarcrest.”

But it’s not clear for everyone.

“It’s unclear whether the funds also include money for the physical plant,” Siemianowski said. He said the department is still reviewing the budget finalized last week by the legislature.

He said the agency has not submitted a letter of intent to close the drug treatment beds at Blue Hills in Hartford or the ones at Connecticut Valley Hospital.

Meanwhile, the fight over other facilities that house developmentally disabled individuals continues.

Last week, the legislature tried to pass a two year moratorium on allowing the state to privatize 17 group homes. Rell vetoed the bill, but Donovan said again Tuesday that he thinks they still have time to change the minds of a few Senators and override her veto.

There is no clock ticking on a veto override because the special session held last week was never adjourned.

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Live Blog: Lawyer for Accused Killer
Wants To See Evidence

by Melissa Bailey | Oct 6, 2009 3:28pm
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Posted to: Courts

Yale lab technician Raymond Clark is making an appearance in Connecticut Superior Court on Church Street Tuesday morning in connection with charges that he killed 24 year-old Yale graduate student Annie Le and stuffed her body inside a wall at a medical building. Following is a live minute-by-minute account from the courthouse.

Click here to read Melissa’s live blog of today’s hearing.

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Can Somebody Say Amen!

by CTNewsjunkie Staff | Oct 6, 2009 10:41am
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Posted to: Local Politics

Middletown Common Council chambers were packed Monday night, mostly by supporters of the St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen, and the concept of feeding the hungry. Sympathetic residents, member of the faith based community, and patrons of the local soup kitchen gathered for an agenda item upon which no action would need to be taken.

Click here to continue reading Ed’s report from The Middletown Eye.

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Judicial Fallout From Rell Veto

by Christine Stuart | Oct 5, 2009 8:16pm
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Posted to: Courts, State Capitol

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Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s veto of a bill which would have exempted the Judicial branch from cutting $7.8 million over the next two years received a strongly worded response from Chief Court Administrator Barbara Quinn.

In a statementsent out Monday evening Quinn said Rell’s veto, “imposes upon the Judicial Branch a disproportionate share of the statewide savings needed, while exempting many Executive Branch agencies from similar cuts.”

“As a result of this veto, we must close not fewer than three courthouses and significantly reduce the funding for legal services for the poor and services to victims of domestic violence,” Quinn said.

Unable to absorb the deep cuts even after the court closings and program eliminations, Quinn said, “we will still have a budget shortfall at the end of the fiscal year that will need to be addressed by the Executive and Legislative Branches.”

“We will continue to work at all opportunities with our colleagues in the other Branches to save money and find economies wherever possible,” Quinn said. “However, implementing a reduction of this magnitude is impossible.”

In a memo to lawmakers last week Quinn warned that if they made these cuts the branch would have to close three courthouses.

The courthouses which are now on the chopping block include the Willimantic Juvenile Court building, Bristol Superior Court, and Norwalk Juvenile Court.

The business in each of those courts will be moved from their leased court space to nearby Judicial branch owned facilities.

According to Quinn’s letter to lawmakers, cuts will also be made to new programs the legislature had intended to start this year, such as the one which allows 16 years olds to be tried as juveniles instead of adults.

Also the Judicial branch had planned to pass through funding from the “other expenses” account to other organizations that work closely with the branch in providing services.

For example, the Connecticut Bar Foundation was slated to receive $1.5 million next year through the bill Rell vetoed. About $500,000 of that $1.5 million was to provide legal services to the poor. Also the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence would have received $750,000 to fund victim service contracts including more than $600,000 in direct services to victims of domestic violence.

It’s still unclear whether the legislature’s Democratic majority will attempt to override Rell’s veto, but Rell has made her stance abundantly clear.

“We can ill afford to provide blanket exceptions to budget cuts for one branch of government while others are asked to shoulder their fair share of the burden,” Rell said in her one-page veto message Monday.

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Committee To Protect Journalists Receives Award

by Christine Stuart | Oct 5, 2009 4:31pm
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Posted to: Media Matters

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“Silence is the ally of evil,” Brad Clift, a former Hartford Courant photographer, told a group of journalists and academics gathered for a dinner that was the prelude to Monday’s presentation of the Thomas J. Dodd Prize in International Justice and Human Rights. This year’s prize went to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Speaking for the first time publicly about his imprisonment in Darfur, Clift said “the reason I risked everything is because I thought it was the right thing to do.”

And while it may have been the right thing to do, Clift never imagined that he would become one of the victims he sought to cover.

Clift was taken into police custody about 30 miles from what he would later discover was a Janjaweed encampment. The police thought he was an American spy. Spying is a crime punishable by death in the Sudan.

“I was tortured,” Clift said. “They took me in a room and tried to drown me.”

He said his captors let him know everyday that they had the power to end his life.

Clift is currently writing a book about his experience, but he said it has taken him years to talk publicly about what happened because they did more than just try to drown him. “They humiliated me on every level a person could be humiliated at,” Clift said.

“I sat there after they attempted to drown me and I thought about my five year old son at the time. And I thought how could it be possible that I could have bitten off something that’s so amazingly huge, that’s so much bigger than me,” Clift said. “I thought I knew how to do all this.”

Clift is a photographer with more than 25 years of experience both in America and internationally.

“There is a part of me that has a fairly large ego and fairly large sense of self, but it was destroyed there,” Clift said. “And it was destroyed because I believed I was doing something really good and the fact of the matter was I became a victim. I became who I was covering.”

While imprisoned Clift said Tracy Gordon Fox, another former Hartford Courant reporter, was one of his biggest supporters. Fox, who also attended Sunday’s dinner at The Hartford Club, stood up toward the end and turned to U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd and said “I believe you saved his life.”

Dodd helped broker a deal to get Clift home safely and keep him from becoming front page news.

Joel Simon, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said unfortunately Clift is not alone. There are approximately 125 journalists currently in prisons all over the world. He said the number has remained fairly steady since 2001.

The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that 742 journalists have been killed on duty since the organization began tracking these crimes in 1992.

In an effort to draw attention to this issue Dodd introduced legislation last week that directs the State Department to include information relating to freedom of the press worldwide in annual country reports on human rights practices.

The Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act is named in honor of Wall Street Journal South Asia Bureau Chief Daniel Pearl, who in 2002 was kidnapped and brutally murdered by extremists in Pakistan.

Pearl’s widow, Mariane Pearl, traveled to Connecticut to give the Committee to Protect Journalists the award Monday at the University of Connecticut’s Thomas J. Dodd Research Center on the Storrs campus.

Pearl who is also a journalist attended Sunday’s dinner. She talked about the passion that drives journalists to cover issues which are bigger than themselves. She said her husband taught her to “go the extra mile,” when covering a story.

Pearl also talked about the work the Committee to Protect Journalists is doing around the world. She said she believes it has evolved from protecting individual journalists to protecting the trade itself.

“The best hope for all of us is to inspire young people to follow our path,” Pearl said.

Just last week Pearl said she told her seven year old son what really happened to his father in 2002 before he was born. She said it was hard to tell him the truth, but after hearing the story Pearl said all her son wanted to know was if she was defeated. She said she was not.

“And you can’t lie to a child,” she said.

Clift was also not defeated. After 11 doctors and seven lawyers, he said he would do it again.

“I know that the cost was very high for me and I would do it again,” he said. “I’m one of the lucky ones.”

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Updated: Rell Will Veto One More Bill

by Christine Stuart | Oct 5, 2009 1:51pm
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Posted to: State Capitol

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(Updated: 4:11 p.m.) Republican Gov. M Jodi Rell said Monday that she will veto one of a handful of bills passed by the General Assembly last week.

The move, which doesn’t come as a surprise to Capitol insiders, may put an end to the longest budget battle in the state’s history.

By Monday afternoon Rell had vetoed one of the two general government bills saying in her veto message that “We cannot enact legislation, regardless of how well intentioned, without considering the economic climate the state faces.”

What doesn’t she like about the bill?

“There are a number of options for saving the state some money and some of those options are being taken away, plus some additional spending is being earmarked in that legislation,” Rell said at a press conference Monday morning.

The bill passed by the General Assembly prohibits reductions in Judicial branch spending, earmarks $650,000 for a study and services for children of incarcerated parents, and prevents the administration from privatizing groups homes for the developmentally disabled.

“You can’t tie the hands of the administration and find the savings,” Rell said.

Last week when asked if the General Assembly will return if Rell vetoes the bill, Sen. President Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, said “no,” and Speaker of the House Chris Donovan, D-Meriden, said “yes.”

The bill passed 19 to 14 in the Senate and 96 to 35 in the House.

Asked about the Senate’s chance of returning to override a veto, Williams has said “zero.” But Donovan has said he was aware of the Senate vote and was still optimistic it could happen.

Williams has said he rather wait until the start of the next regular session in February.

“Gov. Rell’s veto is unfortunate,” Derek Slap a spokesman for the Senate Democratic caucus said Monday. “The bill would have helped to grow jobs by strengthening the state’s small business incubators and would have protected the Judicial Department from capricious decisions made by the Rell administration that could make the criminal and civil justice systems less efficient.”

There’s no appetite amongst the Senate Democrats to return for a veto override session. However, Donovan’s spokesman Doug Whiting said Monday that the Speaker has not ruled it out.

“It is time for the budget battle to end,” Slap said in a prepared statement. “The focus must now be on ensuring that the Rell administration follows through on its obligation to cut hundreds of millions of dollars from executive branch agencies.”

Whiting said Donovan would like to talk to Williams before ruling out a veto override session.

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Advocates Rally To Abolish The Death Penalty

by Christine Stuart | Oct 4, 2009 11:38pm
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Abolition advocates, who came so close earlier this year toward reaching their goal, gathered on the steps of the state Capitol Sunday afternoon to renew their efforts.

Disappointed, but driven to abolish the death penalty, advocates spoke passionately about the need to educate the public and lawmakers.

“If we can get the facts out about the death penalty, we will win,” Andrew Schneider, executive director of the Connecticut ACLU, said Sunday.

After spending hours debating capital punishment this past May, the Connecticut House voted 90 to 56 and the Senate voted 19 to 17, in favor of abolition. Then on June 5, Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell vetoed the measure.

“Our governor has vowed to keep the death penalty the way it is in the state of Connecticut,” Scot Esdalie, president of the Connecticut NAACP, said. “The governor knows there’s no credible evidence that the death penalty reduces crime.”

Recounting the vote in both chambers, Esdalie said “we have some work to do in the Senate.”

Rep. Gary Holder-Winfield, D-New Haven, the freshman legislator who introduced the bill this year, said in order to get it passed “you need to get rid of the governor.” He said no matter how many minds they change in the Senate, the governor remains a major hurdle.

Holder-Winfield said when he met with Rell prior to her veto she agreed with him that the death penalty was not a deterrent. Then just days later she specifically cited it as such in her veto message.

“There is no doubt that the death penalty is a deterrent to those who contemplate such monstrous acts,” Rell wrote in her veto message.

Schneider said people commit murder largely in the heat of passion or under the influence of drugs. “There’s no evidence that the death penalty is a deterrent,” he said.

Not only is it not a deterrent, advocates like Rev. Walter Everett said it hinders the healing process.

“I realized that I could not heal as long as I sought vengeance,” Everett whose son was murdered in Bridgeport in 1987 said. He said telling his son’s killer “I forgive you” was the only thing that led to his healing.

“I’ve got to be honest I didn’t feel good about it,” Everett said. “I didn’t like him at all.”

Now Everett and his son’s killer often speak together about the difference God made in both of their lives.

“To kill somebody to prove that its wrong to kill somebody doesn’t make any sense,” Everett said.

He said one of the most effective ways to change minds is to speak individually to legislators, changing one mind at a time.

“I am convinced that the death penalty does not deliver on any of the promises that claim to be the very source of its strength,” George Kain, a member of the Connecticut Network to Abolish the Death Penalty board, said.

Deacon Arthur Miller, director of the Office for Black Catholic Ministries, said his church is known for it’s pro-life stance. And that includes being against capital punishment, he said.

Rev. Davida Foy Crabtree, conference minister of the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ, said Jesus Christ was executed by the state so she doesn’t know how anyone who claims to be Christian can stand against capital punishment.

“I understand that all too human desire for revenge,” Crabtree said. “I understand the roots of fear that are placed in out hearts.”

“But I am here this afternoon to say fear and revenge are no foundation for a civilized society,” she said.

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U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd Reacts to Moore Movie

by Christine Stuart | Oct 3, 2009 1:58pm
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Posted to: Election 2010

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U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd who gets a mention in Michael Moore’s new film, Capitalism: A Love Story, reacts to how he’s characterized in the film. Dodd says he hasn’t seen the film and doesn’t have time to go to the movies because he’s doing his work. Click the play arrow above to watch Dodd’s reaction Friday following a brief trip to the state Capitol.

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Legislature Finishes Up Budget Bills
Leaders Send Mixed Messages About Return

by Christine Stuart | Oct 2, 2009 9:16pm
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Posted to: State Capitol

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Lawmakers returned to the state Capitol Friday to finish the remaining budget implementation bills.

During the roughly four-hour session, the House and the Senate passed a handful of bills detailing everything from school construction spending to how government agencies will be funded.

While optimistic things went smoothly Friday, the legislature’s Democratic majority couldn’t say with any certainty what Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell may do with one of the four bills. But they were fairly confident she would sign at least three.

Sen. Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Southport, said the Democrats put everything they thought Rell may veto into one bill. He said it’s his understanding that Rell is “contemplating vetoing one of the two general government implementers.”

Based on the letter Rell’s Budget Secretary Robert Genuario sent to legislative leaders earlier this week it looks like Rell may take issue with the legislature’s attempt in this bill to prevent her from privatizing 17 group homes and closing two hospitals and drug treatment facilities.

The bill puts a two year moratorium on the sale or lease of state-operated, community-based residential facilities, boarding houses, group homes, and halfway houses occupied by people with mental retardation, psychiatric disabilities, or alcohol or drug dependency.

Majority Leader Denise Merrill, D-Mansfield, said it’s possible the governor will look at it as the legislature trying to take away the power of the executive branch, but ultimately she said it’s about the patients.

In addition to the moratorium, the bill - which some have called “veto bait” - earmarks about $1.3 million over two years for a needs assessment and service contract for children of incarcerated parents, a $50,000 earmark for the Connecticut Pardon Team Inc., and a $75,000 earmark for the Connecticut Sentencing Commission.

When asked if the General Assembly will return if Rell vetoes the bill, Sen. President Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, said “no,” and Speaker of the House Chris Donovan, D-Meriden, said “yes.”

The bill was passed 19 to 14 in the Senate and 96 to 35 in the House.

Asked about the Senate’s chance of returning to override a veto, Williams said “zero.” But Donovan said he was aware of what the vote was in the Senate and was still optimistic it could happen.

However, it would be much easier if Rell just signed the bill. “If she signs it then we’re done,” Donovan said.

Williams said he was more likely to wait until the February start of the new legislative session to address the details of that specific bill. 

The education bill included $677 million for school construction, increased funding for Greater Hartford area towns sending kids to Hartford magnet schools, and delayed the implementation of in-school suspension for one-year.

There was plenty of debate on the delay of in-school suspension since many legislators felt passionately one way or the other about the issue.

But what was weighing most on legislators’ minds Friday was state Comptroller Nancy Wyman’s letter Thursday which said if trends continue the state could be facing a $500 million budget deficit.

“We can’t take our eye off the ball in terms of this economic recession,” Williams said. “We’re going to have to watch the revenues and be ready to respond.”

And a lot of the heavy lifting in that regard will have to be done by Rell, who was asked by the legislature to find $473 million in what are called lapses or unspecified savings in the $37.6 billion budget.

Williams said the governor herself included $400 million in lapses in the budget she proposed in February. “We based our numbers on what the governor thought she could achieve,” Williams said.

“I think we’re going to be back here pretty soon,” House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero, R-Norwalk, said. “I’m afraid what we produced will not work for long.”

In closing his floor speech Cafero said, “I love you all, but I won’t miss you.”

Merrill said it was appropriate that the House finished the day by passing the education bill. In her 16 years in the House and during one of the “most difficult budget sessions” of her career, she considered it a victory to be able to maintain education funding.

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Dems to GOP: Stop Using Fake Twitter Accounts

by Christine Stuart | Oct 2, 2009 5:45pm
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Posted to: Media Matters, State Capitol

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A spokeswoman for Connecticut’s Democratic Party asked the Connecticut Republican Party to stop tweeting with fake Twitter accounts that impersonate Democratic state lawmakers.

The Twitter accounts have names like “MeetChrisDonovan” and “MeetRepDMerrill,” making it seem like Speaker Donovan and the Majority Leader Merrill are the ones typing the 140 character messages themselves.

Each of the 33 fake Twitter accounts set up by the Republican Party have corresponding Web sites.

“Certainly they have a right to educate voters about these Representatives’ records, but not by impersonating them and giving voters the impression they are, in fact, the Representative themselves,” Colleen Flanagan, spokeswoman for the Democratic Party said.

While Flanagan conceded all of the Web sites have official disclaimers saying they were paid for and authorized by the Connecticut Republican Party, she opined the names of the Twitter accounts may actually violate Twitter’s terms of service.

She pointed to the impersonation clause which says an account “is guilty of impersonation if it confuses or misleads others—accounts with the clear INTENT to confuse or mislead will be permanently suspended.” 

Republican Party Chairman Chris Healy said the Twitter accounts have not been suspended so he doesn’t believe they do violate Twitter’s terms of service.

Rep. Matt Lesser, D-Middletown, said Friday night that he was able to get Twitter to suspend the fake account set up in his name by the Republicans.

“It’s parody and humor,” Healy said in a phone interview. “It’s no secret who is behind these sites.”

“Parody impersonation accounts are allowed to exist,” Twitter’s term of service says.

“If they don’t like it, too bad,” Healy said.

“The purchase and construction of these websites and twitter accounts has been transparent and completely up front,” Healy said in a prepared statement. “We are using this technology telling the truth and if  the Democrats don’t like it - too bad.”

“It would be wholly inappropriate for the Connecticut Democratic Party to set up Twitter accounts under the names, “GovLisaMoody,” “Healy4Simmons,” “JodiHeartsLinda,” or “FOIsDontCountforRell,” all of which could realistically give Connecticut voters the impression that they are actual political figures in the state,” Flanagan said.

Healy said it’s not his fault the Democratic party isn’t as “inventive or creative” as the Republican party.

In addition Healy said the Democrats have the power of incumbency and are able to get their message out through mailers and state funded web sites.

“Republicans believe the only way our lives are going to change for the better in Connecticut is for the voters to know the truth and then offer them policies and ideas that promote opportunity and reward success,” Healy said.

But Flanagan seemed to feel the way in which they were spreading that message was in bad taste.

“Obviously their efforts to beat Legislative Democrats throughout the state have been, to date, an abysmal failure based on the makeup of both the State House and Senate, but resorting to the impersonation of elected officials is extremely inappropriate,” Flanagan said.

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Attorney General Saves The Day With Settlement Funds, Boosting Revenues

by Christine Stuart | Oct 2, 2009 3:17pm
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Posted to: State Capitol

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After Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell vetoed an almost $60 million increase in the state’s revenue figures last week the Finance Committee met Friday morning to try again.

This time they increased the state’s revenue figures by $25 million, the exact amount of Attorney General Richard Blumenthal’s settlement with Eli Lilly and Co. a few days ago.

Rep. Cameron Staples, D-New Haven, said aside from the additional revenue realized from Blumenthal’s settlement the only other revenue figure adjusted was the amount of money the state expects to securitize. The amount the state will securitize is $9.3 million less than the $1.3 billion had expected.

None of the Department of Motor Vehicle fees the legislature’s Democratic majority wanted to increase in order to spare rail and bus commuters a fare hike were included in Friday’s proposal. As a result it’s “conceivable rail and bus fees will go up,” Staples said.

In her veto message last Friday Rell said she would do everything she could to keep rail and bus fares from increasing.

Sen. Andrew Roraback, R-Goshen, said the people in the state of Connecticut are “winners by virtue of the governor’s veto of the last revenue bill.”

However, pleased no revenue increases would be coming from increased fees. Republicans lawmakers were still concerned about state Comptroller Nancy Wyman’s letter.

In the letter Wyman warned that if trends continue the state will face a $500 million budget deficit.

Rep. Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, wanted to know how much the revenue figures they were voting on Friday were adjusted as a result of Wyman’s letter.

“It appears to be not much,” he said.

The Office of Fiscal Analysis said none of the figures were adjusted to reflect any changes in the state’s revenue projections. New numbers are expected Oct. 15. 

Staples said Wyman’s letter was just a monthly letter to the governor and did not trigger any deficit mitigation requirements.

Republicans said they were just being realistic about what the future holds for the state, but at least one Democratic lawmaker told them the “doom and gloom” was the worst thing they could be talking about as public officials.

Rep. Demetrios Giannaros, D-Farmington, said the numbers are changing everyday.

“I beg all of you to stop talking so negatively,” he said.

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Celebrating SustiNet

by Christine Stuart | Oct 2, 2009 9:29am
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Posted to: Health Care

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They ate, they drank, they danced, and they celebrated the passage of the state’s landmark health care legislation Thursday.

The legislation, which creates the framework for a public health insurance option, was passed during a veto-override session of the General Assembly on July 20. 

Thursday’s celebration took place at Union Station in Hartford where the journey began on Jan. 13.

“It’s a thank you for the many parts of the movement,” Juan Figueroa, president of the Universal Health Care Foundation, said.

Dan Livingston, who chairs the Connecticut Health and Research Trust, the parent foundation of the Universal Health Care Foundation, said the legislation, known to most as SustiNet, was successful because it was about more than the foundation. It was a movement.

“We recognized we couldn’t make the changes ourselves, it had to be a movement,” Livingston said. And because it was a movement it gave legislators the courage to pass the bill, he added.

State Rep. Besty Ritter, co-chairwoman of the legislature’s Public Health Committee, said a grassroots movement “absolutely makes a difference to a lot of legislators.” She said when hundreds of people are reaching out to you on the same issue you tend to at the very least pay attention to it.

While movements may give some legislators more courage, Ritter said the support of legislative leaders this year also made a big difference.

For a long time people were more likely to accept that the health care system was not something they could change, Ritter said.

The fact that the insurance capitol of the country was able to pass a framework for a public health care option “should send a message to the rest of the country,” Figueroa said. “If we can get it done in the backyard of the insurance industry, we can finish the job together as a country.”

In addition to the celebration Thursday, Figueroa said the party was also a way to get people focused and excited for the next phase of the project.

The work of the nine member SustiNet board began in July and last month two more position were added to the board. The now 11 member board will guide four committees and three task forces, which will report to the General Assembly in July 2010. Enrollment in the program will begin in July 2012.

If the federal government is able to pass some sort of health care reform the board will submit its recommendations to the General Assembly within 60 days of the federal legislation being passed.

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Blumenthal Says What Legislature Did Was Illegal

by Christine Stuart | Oct 1, 2009 5:35pm
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Posted to: Environment, State Capitol

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Remember when the General Assembly took the money from the “Preserve the Sound” license plate and swept it into the General Fund in order to help mitigate the $8.56 billion budget deficit?

Well, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal told legislative leaders Thursday that they can’t do that.

In this letter Blumenthal said the legislature can’t take the money deposited into the Long Island Sound account prior to the Oct. 1 effective date. He said taking the funds “would be illegal.”

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Updated: Comptroller Sounds the Alarm

by Christine Stuart | Oct 1, 2009 2:11pm
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(Updated 4:23 p.m.) In her monthly letter to Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell, state Comptroller Nancy Wyman stopped short of announcing that the state budget—passed less than a month ago—was in deficit.

However, she did raise many concerns and pointed out weaknesses in the current budget, which the legislature plans on finalizing tomorrow in special session.

“While I understand the tendency to avoid quantifying a General Fund budget deficit amount at this early stage of the fiscal year, certain risk factors that increase the likelihood of a deficit arising during the fiscal year should be quantified as discussed below,” Wyman, a Democrat, wrote in this letter.

In the letter Wyman warned that if first quarter trends continue even after the revenue increases in the budget are enacted, then “the revenue shortfall in the General Fund would exceed half a billion dollars.”

She said both income and sales tax revenues are down.

“Collections through the third week in September show the income tax down almost 15 percent from last year,” Wyman wrote. And sales tax receipts through September are more than 10 percent below last year’s level. 

Wyman expressed concern about these two taxes because combined they contribute about three quarters of the state’s General Fund revenue.

“Therefore, weakness in these two tax categories can quickly create a significant budget deficit,” Wyman wrote.

Wyman questioned the $473.3 million in “largely unspecified savings,” in the two year $37.6 billion state budget. “While the savings target is specified, the policy changes required to produce that level of savings are, for the most part, not addressed,” she wrote.

If Wyman certifies a deficit next month equal to or greater than 1 percent of the general fund then the governor will have to come up with a deficit mitigation plan to present to the legislature. This year the Democrat-controlled legislature debated no less than five deficit mitigation plans. Some but not all of the cuts proposed by Rell were adopted.

Legislative response

“The Comptroller’s letter raises legitimate concerns, about revenues and savings. We remain hopeful that revenues will stabilize - the millionaire’s tax and other measures included in the budget are sure to help,” Senate President Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, said Thursday.

Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Southport, said it’s “mindboggling” that Williams would make such a statement since Wyman’s letter says that even with the revenue enhancements enacted by the legislature it looks like the state will be running a $500 million deficit.

He said he agrees with the Comptroller that the sooner the legislature returns to mitigate any budget deficit, the better.

“If first quarter trends continue unabated, even after fully incorporating the projected revenue gains enacted as part of the budget, the revenue shortfall in the General Fund would exceed half a billion dollars,” Wyman said in the Oct. 1 letter. “Because it is early in the fiscal year, there is sufficient time for a reversal in the trend to mitigate the shortfall.”

“Democrats refused to engage in serious deficit mitigation efforts in 2009,” McKinney said. “If we don’t act by January the state will be giving up most of the fiscal year making it harder to cut funding that state agencies have relied on.”

Democratic lawmakers are taking more of a wait and see approach to the deficit.

Williams said if Rell tightens her belt and cuts executive branch spending the state will benefit. 

“It is imperative that the hundreds of millions of dollars of spending reductions included in the budget are realized,” Williams said. “In order for this to happen, the Rell administration must continue to tighten its belt and cut the size of bureaucracy in the executive branch. Falling short is unacceptable.”

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Abolition Campaign: What’s Next?

by Melinda Tuhus | Oct 1, 2009 10:46am
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Posted to: Legal, Local Politics, State Capitol

After his effort to repeal the death penalty fell short of victory, state Rep. Gary Holder-Winfield recruited students to join in the next steps.

Holder-Winfield, a freshman legislator, represents much of Dixwell, Newhallville and the Yale campus. He told a crowd of 20 students at Yale’s Afro-American Cultural Center Tuesday how he came very close this year to passing a bill that would have ended the execution of convicted criminals.

Click here to continue reading Melinda’s report.

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Online Comments Trigger Derby Lawsuit

by Eugene Driscoll | Oct 1, 2009 8:53am
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Posted to: Courts, Legal

A former member of the Board of Education filed a civil lawsuit Monday against the president of the Board of Aldermen and the owner of a well-known political blog for allegedly allowing defamatory comments about her to be posted online.

Vulgar blog comments—published online two years ago—ridiculed Renee Luneau and accused her of committing at least three crimes.

Click here to continue reading Eugene’s report.

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