The Malloy campaign is chastising Gov. Rell for replacing the independent ethics counsel "a political appointee who will report to her chief of staff," according to a recent press release.
The legislature is going to vote on a tax package that doesn't include the governor's repeal of the car tax.
What else is happening today?
33 comments:
Lisa Moody has referred all inquiries to her website here.
Rachel Rubin was hired by the Governor... how is she "independent"? Kind of like the democrats proposal to make the state ethics director subject to legislative approval.. come on you can do better than that.
Bluecoat is falling down on the job with keeping the "eminent domain for economic development story out of Fairfield" alive so from the Fairfield Minuteman is this story that "New train station wil be late" because "First Selectman Kenneth Flatto said Tuesday that the state, which is taking a handful of small business properties in order to build an entrance bridge from Kings Highway into the Fairfield Metro Center, is required to help those businesses find new homes before it can obtain required permits from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and other agencies. The relocation process will take longer than originally planned, Flatto said, pushing back the opening of the train station to mid or late 2008." So what else is new??
Yeah OK thanks, I thought I put that up last week but apparently not. The highlighted comments that hit me were Calling the study "woefully inadequate" in addressing the Metro Center's impact on nearby Bridgeport roads, Hadley said the city will hire a firm to conduct a "peer review" of the report. Fairfield officials say the traffic study is complete and comprehensive, and that the town already had New York-state-based Frederick P. Clark Associates perform a peer review of the study. The way I remember it, the Frederick Clark analysis was done several years ago and that it was extremely touchy feely with lots of if, thans and maybes; calling it a peer review of another study done after it is disingenuous but typical of Flatto and his staff on this.
It is totally ridiculous that Lisa Moody's new deputy is somehow supposed to do the job that the "Ethics Czar" was supposed to do. Is Rell out of her mind?
Never to be outdone Kevin Sullivan weighs in with this Press Release
Opps, try:
This One
Nancy Johnson is very worried. In what may be the first Congressional TV ads in the country, Johnson is going on the attack against Chris Murphy tomorrow. Is she attacking Murphy's calls for withdrawal from Bush's mess in Iraq, campaign finance reform, or undoing the damage of Johnson's prescription drug bill? Nope. No such substance for her. She's a little confused and thinks Murphy works for Moveon.org, so she is attacking him via TV for their new TV ads challenging her.
Moveon's TV ad has begun airing on CT stations. Moveon criticizes Johnson for repeatedly voting against bills that would penalize oil companies for price gouging, and points out that she has taken over a quarter million from the oil industry.
Johnson voted against a measure that would have prosecuted oil companies engaged in gas price gouging and impose fines, another that would have allowed the FTC to enforce the ban on gouging and set fines, and another providing for stricter penalties on gouging. She also voted for a bill that would allow the feds to pay refineries for the costs of delays caused by lawsuits and regulations, and would stifle legitimate lawsuits against refineries.
In defense, Johnson says she voted for another gas gouging bill. She does not address why she voted against two others and voted for an oil industry pet project. She also does not address what the energy industry got for their $329,000 in contributions (not to mention the $2.5 million from finance, insurance & real estate industry or the nearly $3 million from the health industry to this chair of the Health Subcommittee).
Whatever the merits of the ad, Johnson knows that Murphy does not and could not legally have anything to do with it:
"Mrs. Johnson and her staff and the legions of Washington consultants she has working for her all know full well that my campaign had nothing to do with the MoveOn.org ad," Murphy said in a written statement. "It's shocking that she would make blatantly false claims to the contrary."
(Johnson even ties Murphy to a totally unrelated ad that mentions Nazis and was never even approved by Moveon, much less aired.)
On the positive side, it certainly shows that Johnson feels she has something to worry about. On the negative side, she is willing to attack Murphy for things he has nothing to do with, and she will be eager to distract attention from Murphy's substantive criticism of her record. So donate to Murphy.
Nancy is going to put tattooes all over young Christopher....don't bring a knife to a gun fight
There is a community meeting seeking input on health care solutions - this Thursday, April 6, 5:30 - 9 pm, Bloomfield. "Light supper" and child care available. Part of a national initiative to encourage citizen discussion of health care reform.
sorry my lefty friends, your tie everyone to Texans campaign kinda won;t work now
Delay Won't Seek Reelection in November
Texas Republican and former House majority leader announces his retirement rather than face a fight that appears increasingly unwinnable. More details to come soon. –Staff Reports 10:25 p.m.
From the Norwich Bulletin: Democrats may not be the only ones preparing for an August primary battle. There appears to be an interesting GOP battle on the horizon, and right here in Eastern Connecticut.
State Rep. Diana Urban, R-North Stonington, is considering challenging state Sen. Cathy Cook, R-Mystic, to a Republican primary in the 18th Senatorial District this year.
Democrat Andy Maynard, the Stonington borough warden, who made an unsuccessful bid against Cook two years ago, was all smiles at the JJB dinner. Maynard said he'll likely make another run at the seat again this year. He just doesn't know yet against whom.
DeLay can retire if he wants - that won't take him off the table as a campaign issue. Especially when his trial starts.
Ethics Czar Rubin leaves. She should of been fired for not stopping the solicitastions, that happen in front of her. The ban was spelled out in the appointed officials handbook. It is good that she was investigated by her "friend" Garfield of the election commission, he did not find anythig there, big suprise. Just baby fines to commissioners.
Now he is going to be investigated by his friend rep. Curuso, I bet Garfields relationship to Rubin will not even be mentioned or his agencies increased budget. It is not that he can be fired or even displined, just look at the old ethics director who just got rehired with back pay, even though he kept two arts of attendance books.
Cook and Urban in a primary???
Does anyone have any SOLID proof of this rumor? (And no, one parenthetical reference in the Bulletin doesn't count).
The Sec State shows Urban having a House candidate committee. You would think she would have gone the exploratory route if she was thinking seriously about it...
The rumor is that Cathy Cook has been asked to run for State Comptroller. Rell has offered her commissioner of DMR after November.
Thats correct that the rumor is that Cook has been asked to run for Comptroller, i don't think though that you have any idea of whether or not Rell has offered her DMR... thats just the speculation
Cook would not consider giving up her senate seat if there was not an offer of something more interesting after November. Rell would not ask her to run without offering something. The pope could not beat Nancy Wyman.
Be very careful with promises of employment from the Governor's office. Ann Dandrow and Peter Nystrom are still waiting to be taken care of years later. Maybe giving out a political patronage job will result in a nasty Courant article and Granny' popularity will plummet to 85%.
I can't figure something out. Let's put aside all of the name-calling and other obvious propaganda and answer this: what happened to the Destefano campaign? I am a Democrat not committed to either, and I just wanted to know what Malloy did (or what Destefano didn't do) to grab all of those delegates and become the front runner. It seems like it happened suddenly - out of nowhere.
is there a sense that the unions can bail out the destefano camp in either the convention or the primary?
....a judge ruled the Federal Highway Administration did not provide sufficient evidence that it had explored all options for minimizing harm to the Merritt Parkway in building a Route 7 interchange. it says here in the Stamford Advocate. It will be interesting to see if FHA and ConnDOT can prove otherwise but probably not.
Elections panel to face legislators’ scrutiny it says here in the NHR and I'm not sure why McKinney is whimpering about that as reported here in the CT Post since the GAE will look at the actions of the State Election Enforcemant Commission and not the Rell administration.
There are a number of articles around on the Democrats tax package but I only linked the Stamford Advocate one here because it shows the GOP even has an end the car tax website here but as ong as they keep calling it tax releif, I doubt the Donkeys will go for it because it is not really tax releif just good govenance and tax policy - something their tax proposal BTW is anything but.
Does anyone else think it odd that Se. Prague and Rep. Kevin Ryan went to see the owner of Franklin Farm in an attempt to save the business from leaving? These two labor hacks did more to undermine the business by annually attempting to unionize agriculture workers, yet when they finally succeed in driving the guy away, they traipse into his office and beg him to stay.
turrffgrrll: The Merritt Parkway Conservancy here
is anything but a nut job organiztion and they have been trying to work with ConnDOT for years in a respectful and professional manner. They didn't try to stop the project they tried to get it done right.
I agree. The end car tax site is pretty weak but what I do get out of it is, the Democrats will never agree to stop taxing the cr*p out of us. Will there ever be a tax that they think we should eliminate?
Board Members will be Board Members but the landscape and highway design consultants they have hired over the years are pros. The MPC did offer up an alternative layout to the intecrchange that did not look like the an L.A. Freeway but ConnDOT with the help of OMB Boss Genuario rolled all over them so they took them to federal court as a last resort.
anon 12:01: ending the car tax had nothing to do with stopping taxing anybody; and where has Jodi saved any money except for putting the skids on the use of 411 directory assistance? She's spending all the time on non-discretioary items. Spending in Hartford knows no party limits.
too true bluecoat, blame can be pretty easily shared up at the LOB
Rally to criticize Bush’s healthcare policy on Wednesday, April 5 at 11 am. Bridgeport City Hall Annex, 999 Broad Street. Bush is coming to give a speech. Sponsored by CT Citizen Action Group, AFSCME, CT Alliance for Retired Americans, the Emergency Campaign for America’s Priorities, others.
Another Republican is considering entering the US Senate Race....
From Todays Danbury News Times...
Mike Sneideman has played many roles in his life.
Barman. Restaurant manager. Television production assistant. Nursing aide. Writer. U.S. Post Office mail carrier.
Now Sneideman wants to try something new. The 35-year-old New Milford resident, who lives with a year-old beagle mix named Wally, wants to be a U.S. senator.
“I’m just a highly intelligent and concerned citizen who wants to voice his opinions and enhance public discourse,” Sneideman said Monday.
Sneideman’s strategy is to win the Connecticut Republican Party’s nomination to challenge three-term Democratic incumbent Sen. Joe Lieberman in November.
“My chances may be slim, but I’m ready to take that chance,” said Sneideman. “I’m serious.”
Sneideman, who works as a mail carrier at the Newtown post office, is a registered Republican in New Milford but has yet to meet with town and state GOP officials about his decision to run for national office.
Still, New Milford Republican Town Committee Chairman Patricia Sherry welcomed Sneideman’s move.
“I’m just elated that the party has people who are ready to step forward and challenge this seat,” said Perry. “I’ve not met Mr. Sneideman yet but I’d welcome him to come and speak to the town committee.”
Although Paul Streitz, a writer living in Darien, has already filed official papers seeking the state GOP’s nomination, George D. Gallo, chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party, was equally excited about Sneideman’s announcement.
“I say ‘Welcome to the race,’Ÿ” said Gallo. “Because so many people are interested in it, it would seem to me that Sen. Lieberman is very vulnerable this year.”
Outwardly, to a first-time visitor, Sneideman may seem a tad vulnerable himself for the big guns of a national election battle.
He lives in a modestly furnished, one-bedroom condominium in a quiet neighborhood. He likes to work out at a nearby gym and feels at home wearing a red baseball cap and sweatsuits.
He has a college degree in government but has never served in one at any level.
“I’ve done many things,” said Sneideman. “I once wrote on my tax return that I was a drifter just for a joke.”
The son of a former theater professor and businessman, Sneideman was born in Farmville, Va., the eldest of two boys and a girl. He graduated from Canton High School in 1989 and from Connecticut College in New London in 1993.
He lived briefly in Washington D.C., and five years in South Carolina before joining the U.S. Postal Service in 2000. He moved to the Newtown office in 2004.
Sneideman is neither shy about his political feelings nor his feelings of self-confidence.
“I’m genial sort of guy but I’m serious and very cerebral,” said Sneideman. “I’ve always felt active internally and I read a lot. I’m obsessed with social issues. I just want to get my voice heard.”
Sneideman said he finally decided to run for office after a long diet of watching political programs on C-SPAN.
“When I saw all those mediocre, plodding men I suddenly said to myself, ‘Good gracious, I’m smarter than these people,’Ÿ” said Sneideman. “I feel I belong in the political discourse because I’m the only one here talking about the real stuff.”
Sneideman points out that although he now feels estranged from some of President Bush’s policies, he is still a loyal Republican.
Sneideman’s present election platform calls for an immediate pullout of U.S. troops from Iraq, but he agrees there should be a national policy to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
Sneideman would like to reintroduce the military, draft even though he believes it would never be supported by the voters.
He also supports the creation of a national health care system.
Sneideman’s next step on the road to a Senate seat is to rally GOP support locally. He plans to do so by becoming involved with the Republican Town Committee and attending its meetings. The state Republican party plans to nominate its official candidate at the party convention near Hartford next month.
If Sneideman fails to get the nomination, he says he may consider forcing a primary or even running as an Independent.
“I’m looking for the support of people who will courageously and intelligently address the big issues,” said Sneideman.
Sneideman also faces potential opposition from two other Republicans who say they are considering the race. They are Alan Schlesinger, a former mayor of Derby, and Jack Orchulli, a retired company executive who lives in Darien.
Still, Sneideman is ready to campaign.
“I need people with practical political experience who will help me,” said Sneideman. “When that happens, I thing everything will start moving very quickly.”
Has anyone heard anything about a protest rally outside Tweed airport tomorrow morning to "welcome" President Bush? I heard a rumor that there was one, but haven't seen anything concrete and I would love to go if there is one.
I know labor and some anti-war groups are having a rally outside Chris Shays' office in Bridgeport, but that's a little far for me to go.
Any info on New Haven would be appreciated!
turffgrrl: I wasn't suggesting that anybody hire the MCP as marketing consultants. I just take my time to look thought the rhetoric and get to the issues. It looks like I won't be spending much more time on GC's blog soon. It's been disovered by the masses and they are trying to ruin it. His move will undoubtedly be to registration, which I oppose on principle, but understand it in reality from his perspective. I personally have other media where I ID myself and the blogs ain't one of them..
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