A bill banning required workplace meetings with political or religious messages has failed.
Hey, Andrew Card resigned. Two rumors I've heard about this are that he may be running for governor of neighboring Massachusetts (because they looooove the Bush Administration there), or that he's about to be indicted. Either one makes him more interesting than he's been in years.
What else is happening today?
80 comments:
That NH Independent article you posted was just too funny. Wasn't Aldon JUST on here a couple of days ago condemning Eddie Perez and calling on Dan Malloy to do the same?
From the article:
"Eventually the party slate prevailed easily 45-5. But a point was made.
"This was a blow to democracy," remarked Ward 22 co-chair Cordelia Thorpe (pictured), one of the five to vote for the challenge slate. She argued that ward co-chairs, who'd been elected to their positions at the grassroots, should have automatically served as the city's slate of delegates rather than a group hand-picked by party leaders. "Sixty people were elected to represent their districts," she said. "Six people pledged to the mayor and got chosen. The slate of democracy was railroaded out of the picture. There seem to be tyrants around this place."
Does this sound familiar?
I saw an article in yesterday's New Haven register about Nancy Johnson skipping a vote on port security - doesn't seem very smart in an election year - I looked up the vote and it looks like my man Shays voted against the extra money which also seems like a bad idea in an election year - what are these guys thinking?
When the New York State Thruway redid I-95 across Westchester County, including reconfiguring the toll taking setup, just over a dceade ago (and in less time than it's taken the dinky contractor ConnDOT hired to wrongly rebuild the short stretch of I-95 thorugh Bridgeporti) they did the whole strech at once and they did it to a plan. ConnDOT is going to redo the Darien stretch of I-95 as a shown here in today's Norwlk Advocate in a year (sure) because they already own the right of way. SWRPA's consultants has said several years ago that the biggest bottleneck was the Norwalk area - and it is - and that Norwalk needed to be fixed and the plethora of interchanges that were put there by the politicians fifty years ago were too many and needed to go. The motto of ConnDOT, the legislature and the governor is to spend a little here and a little there and a little more here but never worry about getting to a solution.
Here from last week's Fairfield Minuteman is another story on the Proposed Fairfield Train station with the 1million square foot of space that Fairfield Retail Partners
are hawking with the help of a foremer state reps legislative aided (no conflict of interest there) that will do nothing to mitigate congestion on either Route 1 or I-95.
And the DEP is reportedly so busy that they have contracted out the review of the application to the consultant that prepared it for the developoer and the town - no conflict of interest there either
And that was me anoning at 9:49; Blogger was being cantankerous.
What's ridiculous about the Darien ramp along I-95 is that it's not exit 10 that is the issue along this stretch -- it's exit 11 -- where you have about 20 feet of ramp to make it onto 95. Often times, cars have to come to a dead stop, wait for traffic to subside, and then gun it to make in on 95 safely.
Over 20 years ago a DOT study found that there were 16 choke points along 95 that if improved, would alleviate a lot of the bottlenecks along 95. Only one has been fixed so far, exit 7.
Bluecoat--
you need to get a DOT job.
Anon10:14 , the choke points on I-95 will never go away until more space is put between the interchanges by eliminating many of them and Route 1 is modernized - all as proposed by SWRPA's Congestion Mitigation System Plan - Vision 2020here
and anon 10:16, why would I want a ConnJob when the bosses at the governor's office and the state legislature are as dumb as they are. The studies have been done - it takes people with backbones a hell of a lot stiffer than mice to make a change and nobody - I repaet nobody - not Farrell, Shays, Malloy, DeStefano or any legislator is dealing in reality.
And why are legislative aides balgging when they should be doing something productive.
who's the legislative aide?
You mean who are the legislative aides? The average person doesn't know that Lou DeLuca films Edith pragues dog taking a rest or the rest of the nonsense that gets posted here from the LOB.
Here's another fine example of screwing the small business owner in CT. THis time it is courtesy of the Postal Service. Disgusting, absolutely disgusting.
http://www.journalinquirer.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16383249&BRD=985&PAG=461&dept_id=569427&rfi=6
Sorry you have to copy & paste, I have NO idea how to make a link...lol.
JI site seems down... is this the Little Country Store thing? It's too bad. I used to live right near that store, and it was pretty nice. I hope it doesn't go under--Thompsonville has so few businesses anymore.
Check out the HTML/Usernames Help (a link in the main menu) for info on creating links, etc.
disgruntled: click here or just go up to the right on GC's homepage to HTML/users help.
The Democrats call us stupid if we don't link stuff their way.
About a year ago there was an article in the Sunday NYT. It was all about Edith Prague's dog... a pug if I recall correctly from the photo that was included. It was one of the funniest articles I've ever seen. And no... I don't work in Hartford. I just find this stuff interesting. Although... I don't dispute your notion... just saying that there are innocent bystanders!
turffgrrl, I agree with you about Rell and Rowland but my opinion isn't so much that Rell is ignoring it but they she has the wrong advisers. As for Shays, had Rowland and the Fairfield County state legislators asked for fed funds, they would have received them. As for Farrell, I'm glad she is pushing Route 7 (hopefully not the supersized DOT version) but the SWRPA plan I keep referncing was develped while she chaired the SWRPO and she sat on the TID for our area and she was unable to get it to take traction. They all show the backbones and brains of mice. And a lot of this goes to our lack of county government - I wouldn't proose county government but in the absence of it there needs to be defacto EXECUTIVE leadership and it simply does not exist.
Here is the article on hurting the small business owners from my previous post.
GC, yes this is the Little COuntry Store article. Great people and wonderful store. I am now making it a point to bring ALL my mail here.
Thanks for help with making links guys!
Why Didn't It Work?
Oops...I didnt type the "r" in the beginning...
Maybe this will work?
article
GC...the JI website is very slow but it isnt down.
turffgrrrl, let me throw in there that Democrats Lieberman and Dodd could have, and would heave, gotten us money for Fairfield County if asked. And on the county government issue exetended, CT is the size of a county so Rell is the executive but on Route 7 she would only move if their was local consnesus - that is hardly executive leadership. But then ggoing to Malloy who will ultimately challenge her, he has not talke about making the tough decsions on transportation to make thinhs better - he's just hanging with Ammann who wants to spend, spend and spend with no technical input that says the spending plan will succeed. I don't know anybody other than the ConnDOT bridgebuilders that thinks I-95 through Bridgeport is a successful traffic improvement. When your measurement of success is a bridge that won't fall down, that's what we get.
About the only guy that's open to a comprehensiv paln is McKinney but even he is wavering on tolls. New Jersey collects $1billion a year in tolls and NY collects $2; together thay collect half the tolls in the country. We should be collecting tolls - and at the right places and from the right vehicles.
Ok... who are the legislative aides? and what does Prague's sh*tting dumb dog have to do with anything?
here
After saying that gridlock, which we do not have because it is rush hour congestion, needs to be fixed, McKinney says here in last week's Fairfield Minuteman
McKinney cautioned about the invasive role of government. He cited the fact that some in Hartford are contemplating electronic tolls and remote cameras. It could be a small step, he worried, from keeping track of where people drive to how fast they get there, which could mean a ticket along with a toll bill. He was clear where he stood on "eminent domain" saying "the government can't take your home for anything but the truest public purpose and [eminent domain] should be used only as a last resort."
Puhleeeez.
And nice job, disgruntled.
Rowland/Rell's failings to improve traffic flow in southwestern Connecticut is a major political weakness and an opportunity for Malloy and DeStefano. Both need to made real proposals for specific auto traffic transportation improvements on I-95 and the Merritt.
Rell continues to support property takings for economic development and expounding the transportation failings in the Bridgeport Area.
You got any suggestions Franks or just criticism.. I'd love you hear your solution to the transportation problems between Greenwich and Bpt. Should we double deck? Should we widen? Carpools? Make it illegal for one person to drive in a car at rush hour. Should we ban trucks from the road at rushhour? Unfortunately, as i'm sure you know, when the road was built, it was built for 90,000+ a day and now something like 125,000+ a day drive on it. What are your suggestions?
franks has nothing but busted links and phony criticisms ... as usual
I wonder if either JDS or DM will announce their running mates before the JJB dinner this week?
franks is absolutley righ and how many times does the anonymous legislative aide want to deny the existence of SWRPA's Vission2020. However, on the Steele Point issue, the stae already broke it and the final piece is the UI property. What is screwed up is the special infrastrucure bonding legislation approved last session but it is done.
Anon (11:34) Economic development, story from a different site.
I's sure others have greater experience, but closing entrances is a start, you can have all the exits you want.
Franks, exits back up traffic on the road - just try I-95 on a Saturday morning before the one just past Route 7 that gets of for Home Depot and Knopf's big box economic development that uckfayed Route 1 as well - it's all backed up on the right travel lane.
And anon 11:34 your talkin point Unfortunately, as i'm sure you know, when the road was built, it was built for 90,000+ a day and now something like 125,000+ a day drive on it. is old news. the highway has since been widened and nobody designs a highway to daily traffic; they desesign it to peak period traffic and the Vission 2020 addressed how to straighten thing out uing the best taxpayer bang for the buck but your retail partners all want their interchange and really don't care about peak hour traffic.
Does anyone really believe that increasing highway capacity is the answer to Fairfield County's traffic problems?
PS: Yeah, exit 14 is a problem, but only on Saturday morning so who cares?
The answer is to increase the corporate taxes in the state so no new businesses relocate here and the current one leave, there by having our current residents move out of state with their kids, solving all of our problems. It would reduce the number of cars on 95, we wouldn't have to spend so much money on school construction or worry about economic development.
The point with exit 14 is by example there wiseass. There is no need to increase the total capacity of Fairfield County's highways except in several inner city and town areas on Route 1. The need is to increase the ability of that capacity to handle peak flow and like a broken record, Vision 2020 does that with modern day engineering.
And anybody that thinks all this economice development sponsored by the CT department of corporate welfare is working must have a really creative accountant - maybe like John Rowland's - because all of my taxes whether local or state just keep on going up faster than the inflation rate.
Fisrt of as far as Job growth in this State, We are the worst in the country, Alaska is rated Higher then we are. soon the only jobs we will have left here are state jobs, which means more union members which means more Democrats which means this state is heading for disaster.
FYI Edith Prague blamed a seeing eye dog (Blamed a hanidcaped women) for the dog crap in the building. So Delicua pulled up the tape and it was Prague's dog that took the crap....
Interesting thought about using the JJB week to announce a Lt Gov candidate. But who??? Malloy seems to be picking up a lot of steam lately, and winning the delegate battle, so JDS needs to do something to get the momentum back.
Bluecoat,
Exit 14, like any number of entrances, cause traffic on the highway to slow/stop and these are known design flaws. That the Rowland/Rell or CDOT have not corrected or even attempted to correct the known flaws before promoting more developments along the highway simply increases congestion.
The money Rell offered to Bridgeport, should have been matched with funding for traffic controls, increased enforcement and improved highway design.
Franks,Dodd won't dirty his hands with specifics of CT's issues but here in today's CT Post he has aproposal that at least the premise of which deserves consideration. ConnDOT refuses to acknowledge that the 'design flaw' is the very existence of interchange 14 that was first on the original designers by the politicians.
And to the anon that laments our lousy job growth; it's because CT - Republicans and Democrats in the STATE INCUMBENT PARTY - used the income tax to build stadiums, daycare centers and corporate business parks instead of infrastructure. The STATE INCUMBENT PARTY works overtime with our tax money passing out pork so they can stay in office.
The names on the ballot should be none of these people.
RIGHT ON BLUECOAT!!!
Let the revolution begin. They now say cloaned pork has less fat...maybe Connecticut can be the test state for less fat in government. If only we could get the voters to take off their goddamned blinders!
On another note, if it means anything to you, traffic on the portion of 91 from Enfield to Hartford is non-exixtant at most times. Would like to say I feel your pain but I don't. Plus I take back roads to work...nothing like a country drive to cool off from a long day at the office!
But I guess the important thing is that the Senate Majority leader - DeLuca - who takes no responsibility for backing all of Rowland's spending and who could give two sh--s about Fairfield County found out the source of the visible crap in the LOB.. But what about all the other crap? DeLuca epitomizes what is wrong with the state GOP.
Hey disgruntled, I'm retired right now so I don't use the highways when they are clogged and even when I was working I worked my schedule around the lemmings so I never had much of a problem. That's how I know the highways do work when there is no rush hour crazies and no accidents; and why it is crazy what all these elected officials do to. No self respecting engineer is going to take a job with ConnDOT. I've listened to the ones in charge and they are all a bunch of bulls--t artists. I've driven every state interstate at various times as well to see who is fooling whom. Thanks for the vote of confidence; if the drive through Hartford's Interstate were not such a terror, I'd throw my hat in the ring for a little state rep job but the local GOP is not crazy about rebel rousers so I'd go nowhere anyhow.
Lou Deluca-George Krivda-Peter Masi are the Democrats secret weapon in the Senate. As long as these three are in control,Republicans have zero chance of being relevant in the Senate. It begs the question, how many times can you lose and still be in control?
Who are George Krivda-Peter Masi ?? His legislative aides or some obscure stae reps? Never heard of them in the press or my wanderings.
Received my first piece of mail from the Lamont campaign today. It was actually a good letter explaining why he's running for the Senate. No money ask.
Received an email blast from Joe, asking me for money -- how he needs money before the end of the quarter to ensure victory in November. Unbelievable. This guy has more money than god in his coffers....
I supported Joe during his run for President, but I'm finding it increasingly difficult to even consider supporting him now.
It is clear that the only way things in DC will change is if we change the people who are making the decision in DC -- and he's one of them, and he's working against his constituents back here in CT.
At the time we needed him most to stand up for the Democratic ideals, he has and continues to fail us -- Alito, Roberts, Terry Schiavo, the war on Iraq.
Sorry for the length of this post, but receiving these two pieces of campaign communication today put the two candidates in stark contrast for me, and sharpened my perspective on this race.
Anon, to be fair the lamont campaign also sent out a blast email asking for money
Any chance of identifying yourself Anon 4:02 or do you think you might get fired? I think you're a coward either way. Cappiello is never going to be leader, nobody trusts him and he's too ambitious. And did he tell you that he wanted Caligiuri primaried in the 16th because they're in the same Congressional district? I bet he didn't. Now who's the democrats secret weapon?
CHENEY VISITS HARTFORD
Hartford Courant article
Anon 7:10, anyone foolish enough to have primaried Caligiuri would have ended up like a deer trying to cross I-84 @ rush hour
GC--
I recommend making the box quote background light blue?
The current box coloring is harsh and dark, and it doesn't go well with the rest of the site's design.
Thank you for your analysis Anon 8:03.
Was Cheney in Hartford doing a Fundraiser For Lieberman? Thanks Anon7:24,LMAO.
Malloy's done a lot more than exit 8. He has fully funded the Urban Transitway project ($40 million, including $8 million of local and NO state money, the rest federal). Construction starts this year. Stamford got $7 million from the feds last year to start designing new railroad underpasses. Stamford has gotten federal authorizations for a ferry terminal and a new train station, too. I work for the guy, and I love him, but its hard to deny that Dan Malloy has by far the best track record on transportation than JDS or certainly Rell.
I get busy one day and I miss all the talk about traffic! I am steamed, but will recover thanks to digruntled_republican's effort to use links...
anon 7:10 I’m not sure what you think Cappiello has to do with any of this and I really don’t know much about him but since you said that he wanted to see Caligiuri primaried, maybe its because he thinks Sam is not the candidate you may think he is?
Don’t think for a minute that Sam is going to beat Mazurek who has legislative experience and doesn’t have Sam’s baggage. When voters are reminded about Sam’s ethical problems with his discount box seat concert tickets and then are asked why he refused to criticize pedophile Phil Giordano, they will absolutely not even consider voting for him.
You would think GOP “Leaders” would be concerned with a guy like this but instead, they think they found an all star. Now, gee, let me think…. Deluca is in charge and they keep losing more seats to the Democrats.
No matter how you slice it, looks like lack of leadership keeps setting themselves up for failure.
Mazurek's not running... and Caliguri is basically the GOP's Second Coming. He will always be remembered as the hero who saved Waterbury after Giordano. He will cruise into Murphy's seat, and then beat Capiello and Stewart for Nancy's seat in two years.
turfgrrl, I don't disagree with anything you are saying there. However, I question if Farrell would be any better than Shays in pulling people together based on her past performance as chair of SWRPO and even in Westport where she did some but not enough. Not much of a choice in my opinion. And I do think Malloy is the least most offensive choice for governor. Rell has no talent as an executive; she often acts as if she doesn't know what her duties are to lead. Also, Malloy could probaly fix slop at the DPS and the Chief State's Attorney's Office - maybe even DCF - seeing as he was a prosecutor in one of the New York Boroughs for a while.
Dont forget the most important fact about Caliguri: He basically did everything the Giordano administration told him--including voting against those reckless budgets that created the necessity for the state oversight board. Caliguri lacked the leadership ability then and still does today. Anyone could have looked good after Giordano.
Caliguri will win the seat because Zoni is a nobody, but simple Sam has plenty of enemies in the Waterbury GOP who will remind folks of Sam's own ethical shortfalls as the guy who carried the water for Rowland and Giordano.
Zoni never got spanked by the ethics commission. Sammy's political career is over!
trurffgrrrl said:The question is whether she can execute I'm not ready to give her a free pass. There were actually some thinking Donkeys on the Westport RTM that form time to time questioned her ability to take a strong stand instead of caving to the loud minorities. She could have at least tried to implement the recommendations of SWRPA in Westport as its First Selectwoman thereby as chair of SWRPO showing the other town executives she had belief in the technical recommendations of SWRPA, the advisory agency to SWRPO, but she did not take tat kind of leadership - largely in my opinionbecasue she did nto either think about it or she did not want risk the the resistance in her town. Kick 'em out yes but not just for the sake of doing it.
Zoni is the likely winner in the 16th district because it is 90% Southbury. People don't care about Caliguiri in Southbury.
I think you mean Southington not Southbury but your point is well taken and the fact is the majority of votes come from someplace other than Waterbury. Exactly why the brains in the GOP should have been trying to find a better candidate than Sam the Man. Remember the Democrats secret weapon?
Senate seat = 90,000 residents
16th = 40m Southington, 17m Wolcott, 8m Cheshire, 25m Waterbury
Rep. Chris Murphy (Southington) beat Rep. Ann Dandrow (Southington/Berlin) in the open 16th seat 4 years ago by 500 votes.
I think that’s the recent history.
In case you guys are interested, the last Republican to represent the 16th Senatorial District was Steve Somma, who held it (i'm told) for 8 terms and he was from Waterbury.
According to the Sec of State's website, the 2004 results for the 16th SD:
Chris Murphy (D) - 24,026
Chris O'Brien (R) - 14,872
That's a hell of a margin, especially when Kerry and Gerratana did not do so well in those towns. I bet Zoni can win there too, but probably not by a margin like that.
Murphy was an incumbent in '04. Open seat to open seat (as well, gubernatorial to gubernatorial, not presidential to gubernatorial) is a better indicator. Presidential always has higher turnout than Gubernatorial.
By voter registration, is the 16th D or R?
On Colin & Bruce show today on WTIC AM, they'll have Ned Lamont, Howard Dean, and Alexander Kanevsky.
Odd that Colin doesn't have a link from his blog to WTIC, ain't it?
Word is that a McKinney(sp?)as LT. GOV. announcement is eminent.
No way! Who takes his place in the Senate as DEputy Leader?
Looks like Cappiello from Danbury or Nickerson from Stamford.
Cappiello is a sleeze. He's been sleeping with all the legislative aides at the Capital. I don't know much about Nickersen, but I have seen him on CTN. He's pretty awsome.
Knowing DeLuca's inability to lead he will probably pick someone like Len Fasano the mobster. David Cappiello should be the one to get the spot. Any way you slice it, it's time for a forward thinker to be recognized for the sake of the GOP's future.
Anonymous 5:17
Free speech is one thing and slander is another. Cappiello is a husband and a father to a young child and your phony charge is not funny nor appreciated. I'm sure he and his family have more important things to do than read this board but just imagine if they did. It looks like the real sleeze is you! Please, grow up!
Guess Ned was a jerk to one of Colin and Bruce's staffers. Burce is having some fun kissing him off.
anon 1:48 - you're comparing pre and post redistricting, the 16th is a different animal than when somma held the seat.
Jeez, the brilliant analysis here amazes me.
so far we've added Southbury to the 16th district, doubled the voter rolls of Southington, airbrushed away Steve Somma like an old kremlin photo, and somehow made accepting a cheap concert ticket a mortal sin.
I don;t know what's worse, stupidity or desperation, but there are some Democrats out there who are running a surplus in those departments
BTW, will Colin McEnroe just run off to the nearest town clerk with Ned Lamont already and makes things all legal?
Actually Anon 6:23 it wasn't. Educate yourself.
Is it true that Cappiello has a long tongue?
There is nothing phony about the charge against Cappiello. If you know anything about what goes on up at the LOB you would know that. All you need do is ask around. There is a certain LA no longer with the Senate GOP that could tell you a good story or two. But you can bury your head in the sand if you so chose. Besides using this blog for self promotion is what is not appreciated.
If McKinney goes up to Lt. then who fights for that seat? And how many open seats does that make?
I thought Sam was the one clear R open seat victor that the Reps had this cycle? I heard he'd raised something like 50 k just by snapping his fingers and I can't imagine the "Center of the Universe" crowd couldn't deliver the seat for the GOP!
I hadn't heard any womanizing rumors about Cappiello, but then again I didn't hear them about Aniskovich either. I thought Dems were the one's who weren't supposed to care about such things?
Oh, and are you serious about a feud between Caligiuri and Cappiello? Are they mad? These guys should be fast friends, not rivals.
Caligiuri has no chance of being elected. His box seat ticket concert deal makes him unelectable and the more the Republicans defend him the more credibility they will lose. I would like to see how Jodi will run on ethics reform with guys like Sam on the Republican ticket. Media will pick him apart!
Any one with ANY knowlrdge of Waterbury politics would remember how Sam cut his own party leader's throat in a hostile Bd. of Alderman president coup. Those actions aren't forgotten by those he backstabbed. That's one of the myriad of reasons Sam is done. Also Waterbury went $97 million in the hole and had the State take over the City on his watch. Is that the type of leadership we want in Hartford?? I know I don't.
Wake up the are no FREE TICKETS to Hartford Sam.
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