Legislators Praise $44M Authorized For MxCC

State Representative Matthew Lesser (D) joined colleagues to announce Wednesday that for the state legislature has authorized $44 million for design and construction of a new academic building at Middlesex Community College (MxCC). It will need to be approved by the state Bonding Commission prior to release.

“I promised my constituents at the beginning of this term that I would do what I could to reduce the overcrowding at Middlesex Community College,” stated Rep. Lesser. “This was a team effort and I am proud of the work we were able to accomplish, which will provide the single biggest investment in Middlesex in a generation.”

Lesser singled out for praise his legislative colleagues in Middlesex County, the Board of Regents of Higher Education, and Rep. Betty Boukus and Sen. Andrea Stillman, chairs of the bonding subcommittee of the Committee on Finance. “I particularly want to call out the remarkable efforts of Middlesex President Anna Wasescha, a real force of nature who made the inarguable case that Middlesex’s resources are insufficient to meet rising demand. While this still needs to be approved by the bonding commission, I am hopeful that the arguments made to secure this authorization will help the Bonding Commission approve the item.”

“I want to thank Representative Matt Lesser for his unstinting support of Middlesex Community College, as well as the legislative delegation who supported this initiative, the Board of Regents, Interim President Phil Austin, and the chairs and members of the bonding subcommittee of the Committee on Finance,” said President Wasescha, “Although we have had very little investment in the physical plant of the college for decades, the prospect of a new building comes at a time when we now know a great deal about designing spaces to promote student success and how to do that in extraordinarily energy efficient buildings. The timing is perfect. We thank everyone for this vote of confidence in the college and for investing in the future of this community.”

Senator Danté Bartolomeo (D - Cheshire, Meriden, Middlefield & Middletown) shared similar enthusiasm, saying she was, “thrilled to work with Rep. Lesser for this well-deserved investment in quality education. We are putting our support into a school that has proven its record as a valuable asset to our community.

"Middlesex Community College offers more than 50 degree and certificate programs, and is a valuable partner in the community," said Senator Paul Doyle. "Unfortunately, the college's infrastructure has been neglected over the years, and I am proud to work with my colleagues to achieve this good investment.”

“I am so pleased that the legislation has had the foresight to provide MXCC with an additional building,” stated Representative Joesph Serra. “As my alma mater, this school is close to my heart, and I know it is a great institution that provides a quality education, and that this investment is long overdue.”

Budget vs. Children

Nobody wants to see this come down to "Budget vs. Children."

But -- as with most things these days -- it's a question of spend less or earn more. Either way, we need to face the fact that something has to give. I'm not just talking about the local school budget today. This is also about all the other programs -- outside of the classroom -- which help families and children in our community, and which receive funding from the state government.

On Thursday, the Middlesex Coalition for Children flexed its considerable political muscle by gathering nearly 100 local children's advocates to meet with seven of our area legislators at Middlesex Community College for a little "coffee talk." The event was co-sponsored by the Middlesex Area Interagency Council. Betsy Morgan, the founder and head of the Coalition, said that the meeting was a way to "lay the groundwork for our relationship with legislators, and to let them know how many committed people care about these issues in Middletown." She noted that it's a first step in this year's effort to communicate with state government -- and that the coalition will undoubtedly be visiting Hartford to testify as the legislative session gets underway.

In other words, this is how we lobby for what Middletown's children need.

First, let's talk about that number I mentioned of "nearly 100 children's advocates". I'm not exaggerating. I counted people I knew from the hospital, the soup kitchen, housing assistance, health care services, the arts, day cares, preschools and special needs programs. Not to mention many, many people who work for or in partnership with the schools, from Superintendent Michael Frechette to the support staff at our neighborhood Family Resource Center. Just about any program in Middletown that helps families was there. As several speakers noted, Middletown is unusually well-organized -- the Coalition has a monthly meeting that brings these organizations together, which makes for a sort of "one-stop-shopping" if you want to see who is working with kids in our community.

The morning offered testimonials from participants in the programs, starting with parent Francis D'Mello, who happens to be the owner of my favorite Indian restaurant in town (Udupi Bhavan out on Saybrook Road.) He spoke about the School Readiness preschool program and how it has helped his two young children prepare for kindergarten. We also heard from beneficiaries of Housing Basic Needs, Youth Services, Husky, and Adult Education and its G.E.D. program. Each of these programs gets some or all of its funding from the state, but the biggest nut is the item called "Educational Cost Sharing" (ECS), which is jargon for the amount of the local school budget that is covered by the state. Christine O'Grady, who moderated a portion of the morning and is a graduate of PLTI*, mentioned that Connecticut is among the worst in the nation when ranked by the percentage of educational costs that are paid for by local, rather than state, taxes.

Eventually, it was the legislators' turn. One by one, they outlined their support for funding for these programs. Like his colleagues, Senator Paul Doyle (Dem: Cromwell, Middletown, Newington, Rocky Hill, and Wethersfield) spoke about how there is a "whole new attitude" in Hartford. Although cuts will be made, he's hoping for a change in priorities in how we spend our resources. "Maybe we didn't have the guts before," he said, but now we have to make "radical changes." Doyle is the new co-chair of the Human Services Committee, which has oversight on many of the programs in the room.

Senator Tom Gaffey (Dem: Cheshire, Meriden, Middlefield, Middletown) is chair of the legislature's Education Committee. He encouraged the Coalition to lobby for relief from Federal mandates on education, like the frequent testing requirements of No Child Left Behind. Perhaps the Obama Administration can return to testing only every few years, which could free up a good chunk of money in local school budgets. This echoes what I heard at a recent Middletown Board of Education meeting -- everyone is looking to the multitude of "unfunded mandates", both federal and state, as a way to make some budget magic.

State Rep. Matt Lesser (Dem: Durham, Middlefield, Middletown) got the biggest laugh of the morning when he noted that he is ready and eager to help, especially as he has been assigned to both the Education and Public Health Committees, but that he ranks as 151st in seniority (out of 151 house members). He also noted that the state budget is facing a shortfall of about 18% over the next 2 years -- that's a sobering number.

State Rep. Jim O'Rourke (Dem: Cromwell, Middletown, Portland) isn't on any of the committees that directly oversee the education and social services programs in the room, but along with Senator Gaffey, he does sit on the powerful "Finance, Revenue and Bonding" committee, which can recommend funding for the capital needs for these programs. He noted that this battle between taxing and spending gets "won in the editorial pages and in public opinion." He specifically noted that "it's easy to call for cuts, so there will have to be some public support for raising revenues, or using the rainy day fund, or the people in your programs will suffer." He also warned that we should be on the lookout for cuts at the state level that just pass the buck to the local communities who then have to raise property taxes to pay for necessary services.

I thought the boldest move was made by State Rep. Gail Hamm (Dem: East Hampton, Middletown) who sits on the committees for Judiciary, Education and the Select Committee on Children. She is also the chair of Human Services within the Appropriations Committee. Rep. Hamm wrinkled the "we're all in this together" mood with a warning: she said that her biggest fear is that the budget crisis would "pit you all against each other" as the scramble to preserve funding escalates. For example, there are people in the room who support the new program to treat 16 and 17-year-old criminals as juveniles rather than adults. But it will cost $80 million in new funding to implement, which will have to be cut from somewhere else in the budget, so advocates for preschool or parenting support might want to give up on this juvenile justice initiative to save their own programming. (on the flip side I've been hearing Mayor Giuliano and Police Chief Baldoni complain about this new program, as it means we have to pay for significant renovations at the police station so juveniles and adults can be processed separately.)

She also mentioned that "RBA will be back with a vengeance." I had to google that one. RBA means "Results-Based Accountability", which looks at the outcomes of programs, not the process. It looks like she's predicting that funding will flow to programs that can show not just that they are serving numbers of people, but that the programs are actually changing the outcomes for these folks. Efficiency and efficacy:good. Overlap and duplication:bad. It's hard to argue with that.

There were also comments from Rep. Jim Spallone and Rep. Brian O'Connor, who represent other parts of Middlesex County. O'Connor, who works at the Chamber of Commerce, recommended that child advocates reach out and make partnerships with business, because that's the community that will be fighting tax increases as they face their own troubles this year.

The other Middletown legislator, State Rep. Joe Serra, was not able to be at the Coalition's breakfast. His committee assignments are Transportation and Judiciary. He also sits as chair of the Select Committee on Aging. (It's a small world, so I'll mention that his wife, Marie, is a teacher with PROBE, the Middletown schools gifted program.)

All in all, I was struck by how well positioned Middletown's legislative contingent is on programs affecting children, with four of our six local legislators having committee assignments that affect these services, and with chairmanships over Education and Human Services (although that may not help us when the Appropriations Committee decides on the dollars and cents.)

However the budget debate plays over the next few months, it's clear that the Coalition and the Interagency Council are not going to let services for local children go down without a fight.




*If you've noticed the impressive number of empowered parent-advocates in Middletown, it's partly due to the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI), a year-long course which mentors parents, adopting them when they are newbie PTA members and turning them into full-fledged advocates for children, with a curriculum that mixes public speaking, life-coaching and awareness of government systems. Watch out for them!

Democratic Sweep

Democrats prevailed in all races in Middletown yesterday, reflecting the mood of the nation. The vote totals for the Middletown portion of each district were more sharply divided than the district as a whole, reflecting the Democratic strength in our city.

U.S. President. Barack Obama won election as the next United States president, winning 70% of the votes in Middletown.

1st U.S. Congressional District. John Larson won reelection by a margin of 68% in his race against Visconti and Fournier. In Middletown, Larson carried 75% of the vote.

3rd U.S. Congressional District. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro won by a margin of 77% in her race against Bo Itshaky and Ralph Ferrucci. DeLauro campaigned several times in Middletown, appearing on election day to campaign in the 4th and 5th District. She got 79% of the votes in Middletown.

9th State Senator District. Senator Paul Doyle headed off a strong challenge from Ralph Capenera. Doyle won 67% of the votes in Middletown, more than the 58% he won in the district as a whole. Voters were apparently not persuaded by Capenera's vow to push for a state cap on local property taxes or his attacks on Doyle's character.

13th State Senator District. Senator Thomas Gaffey trounced challenger Tim Lenox. Gaffey won 76% of the votes in Middletown, more than the 68% overall support he garnered.

32nd State Legislative District. Representative Jim O'Rourke won 75% of the votes in Middletown, and 67% overall in his district, defeating challenger Adamsons.

33rd State Legislative District. Representative Joe Serra won a 9th term in office on Tuesday, defeating Republican challenger Catherine Johnson, 67% to 33%. Serra won all of the districts. Johnson came closest to victory in the Westfield area, winning 45% of the vote in District 5. Serra's margin of victory was virtually identical to his margin in 2006, when he defeated Republican Ryan Kennedy, and his margin in 2004, when he defeated Republican David Bauer.

34th State Legislative District. Congresswoman Gail Hamm won re-election, defeating David Bauer with 59% of the vote in the district, and 68% in Middletown.

100th State Legislative District. In a surprise upset, Democratic challenger Matt Lesser unseated Congressman Ray Kalinowski, winning 51% of the votes in the district. His victory was made possible only by virtue of an overwhelming 67% mandate in the Middletown districts, which compensated for losing margins in Middlefield and Durham.

The statewide referendum question on a constitutional convention was soundly defeated in Middletown as well as the rest of the state.

The local bond referendum to support water and sewer improvements was passed.

Candidates meet at Westfield Forum

The Westfield Residents Association held a Meet the Candidates Forum Monday Night at the Third Congregational Church in Westfield for at least the 10th election season.

US Congressional and State Senate and Representative candidates were invited and all but 3rd Congressional District US Representative Republican candidate Bo Itshaky, attended.

The format, opening statements followed by questions from Westfield residents, made for a lively discussion, in fact much more lively than the candidate forum conducted by the League of Women Voters.

Westfield resident Stephen Devoto hosted.

US Congressional Candidates, Democratic incumbent Rosa DeLauro, and Green candidate Ralph Ferruci opened the session.

Rosa DeLauro began her presentation with a suggestion that served as backdrop for all speakers – a worldwide economic crisis that has come to haunt the neighborhoods of every American town.

DeLauro emphasized her record and accomplishments in health care for children, agricultural bill improvements, FDA regulations, equal pay and breast health care legislation. She sees her responsibility to address the economic crisis by investing in clean alternative energy, health care for all, and strong regulation of financial markets.

In answers to questions from the audience DeLauro indicated that greed and deregulation caused the current financial crisis, and that the people responsible should be prosecuted. She also noted that if the British can prevent rogue financiers from walking away with bonuses, that we ought to be able to do the same in this country.

As regards health insurance, she bridled at the suggestion that Congress people do not pay for their health insurance, and suggested that the country should build on the success of Medicare by making it stronger. She also suggested that the way to improved health care is through preventive medicine, lowering drug prices and improving medical technology.

Finally in response to a question about Barack Obama’s tax plan, DeLauro reaffirmed her alignment with Obama, saying that, “when it comes to providing a tax break, that tax break ought to go to middle class America. Middle class families ought to be able to sustain themselves”

Ralph Ferruci, of the Green Party pinned most of the nation’s woes on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He called for the impeachment and prosecution of George Bush, and made a plea for real universal health care in a single payer system.

While Ferruci displayed an idealogical earnestness, his answers seemed to indicate in their tone, and delivery, that he feels his candidacy is an uphill battle.

Ferruci indicated that the $700 billion tax bailout would amount to $27,000 for every taxpayer in Connecticut, and that the bailout would have been better structured if aid was given to taxpayers, and not to financial institutions. He also pinned the lack of substantial healthcare legislation on the 1000 healthcare lobbyists for every representative in Congress.

He also noted that, in his opinion, the promised Obama tax break promise is impossible to keep in the current economic climate.

In the debate between 9th district State Senate candidates, incumbent Democrat Paul Doyle and Republican challenger Ralph Capenera, the contentious tone of their campaign continued.

Senator Paul Doyle claimed that the campaign had been difficult for him because, as he characterized it, “this is a race of personal destruction.” He made a plea to his challenger to return to the issues.

“It’s not about me, or about you Ralph,” he said. “It’s about the issues. I’m not embarrassed to stand in this church and talk about anything I’ve talked about in this campaign. I wish my opponent could talk in this church, but he’s embarrassed” Doyle asked his opponent to make a pledge to end negative campaigning, but it was a challenge his opponent refused to acknowledge.

In answers to questions, Doyle acknowledged that Middletown bore more than its fair share of large state facilities, but that he would fight any expansion of the Connecticut Juvenile Training Center. He also indicated that he would attempt to shift emphasis in the legislature from industrial incentives away from things like the film industry and toward clean energy incentives, and green industry.

Republican Senate challenger Ralph Capenera, claimed that his campaign was not an attack campaign, but one which was addressing the record of his challenger.

His major legislation is a 3% cap on property tax.

Capenera agreed with a questioner that Middletown was unfairly burdened with more than its share of large mental health, correctional institutions, half-way houses and transitional housing , and that he was not afraid to fight to keep additional institutions from being located in Middletown.

Democratic challenger for the 100th State Representaive District Matt Lesser opened his statements with a plea for change. He emphasize that the tax system needs an overhaul, small business needs incentive, health care costs need to be addressed, and the state needs to focus on renewable energy, education and a new course for government.

Lesser believes the state, and municipalities need to find a happy medium between development and preservation of open space. He said he would have opposed a big box store (Price Chopper) in Durham.

With a ten percent rise in property taxes, Lesser believes that those on a fixed income, particularly seniors and young people hoping to buy homes, are most affected. He noted that if there was a silver lining in the economic crisis, it was the impetus to find new answers and new ideas, including regional cooperation.

Incumbent Republican Representative Ray Kalinowski also acknowledged the economic problems which has put state and local government in dire straits. He believes in controlling spending, creating an environment that’s friendly to business, and boosting cost sharing in his district for education.

Kalinowski feels that strengthened planning and zoning commissions combined with regional planning will help create better balanced development. He believes strongly in regionalism as a means to find savings in many areas including public works, schools and economic development.

Republican challenger for State Representative in the 33rd District Catherine Johnson continued to press her contention that solving transit problems is the key to solving many problems on a state and local level. She sees trains and express buses as economic generators which could revive business, communities and neighborhoods, while shifting priorities from a steady diet of petroleum.

She emphasized her experience in the movement toward Smart Growth for communities in the district and throughout the state. She added that regional planning for many of these issues can help speed changes.

Democratic incumbent for the seat, Joseph Serra, insists that any cuts in government must be done judiciously so as not to hurt vulnerable citizens. His ideas is to cut big ticket items like school building and out-of-control DOT projects.

Serra is vehemently opposed to county government which he noted, was done away with in 1959. But he does see some advantage in regional cooperation in areas like education and water supply and distribution. As an example where he thinks regional planning can work is fire departments.

"We have 330 fire departments in 169 towns," he said. "Each spending money to buy the best equipment."

Middletown mayor Sebastian Giuliano ended the evening with an explanation of three city referendum items. Giuliano said that a water and sewer question would provide needed increased water pressure for the West side of town, to address current pressure shortages, and to address future development. He explained that the bond, a general obligation bond, will be paid through water and sewer revenue.

The other two referendum questions are asking for approval of City Charter revisions, which the mayor characterized as “housekeeping.” The housekeeping includes language which assures that any agreement of financial impact needs Common Council approval, that referendum petitions must be approved as “legal” by the town attorney and, finally, that the mayor will issue a report at the end of every fiscal year.

The mayor was questioned about the effect that the credit crunch will have on the city’s search for bonding for the sewer referendum. Giuliano said that his worry was less about the credit crunch and more about the bond rating as a result of a fund balance weakened by costs from the recently negotiated police contract and the long-pending sale of the Remington-Rand building, which puts a $3million dent in the fund.

Meet 'n Greet

Catherine Johnson, who is running against Joe Serra for State Represent-ative in Middle-town (District 33), held a "meet 'n greet" in front of her "world headquarters" across the street from Russell Library on Saturday. Lots of curious folks showed up, the most charming of whom are pictured here.

Topics ranged from Alexis de Tocqueville, to the steady climb in taxes, to the economy, to transit options (or the lack thereof) in Connecticut, to local businesses in the downtown. And the cookies (from Fusion) were delectable.

Candidate Johnson reports that she will be holding another such event this coming Saturday, 1 November, in the same location, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Anyone who wishes to learn more about her positions on the range of issues and challenges facing Middletown and the state of Connecticut should attend.

If you click on the second picture, you can just make out the map in the background showing the 1920 streetcar routes in Connecticut.

DeLauro and Ferrucci to appear in Middletown

There will be a rare chance in Middletown on Monday evening to see the incumbent Democratic congresswoman Rosa DeLauro with one of her challengers, the Green Party candidate, Ralph Ferrucci. Congresswoman DeLauro represents District 3 (which encompasses most of Middletown) in the United States House of Representatives, and has done so since 1990. Ferrucci ran for this seat as the Green Party candidate in 2004, and for the Senate seat against Ned Lamont and Joe Lieberman in 2006.
They will both be appearing at the Westfield Residents Association annual meeting, which has for many years featured a Meet the Candidates event. The third candidate on the ballot, Bo Itshaky (Republican) was unable to make it.

WRA Meet the Candidates Night
October 27th, 7:30PM
Fellowship Hall, 3rd Congregational Church
94 Miner Street, Middletown.

The WRA annual meeting will begin at 7:00. The meet the candidates portion will begin promptly at 7:30, with the two candidates for the 3rd US congressional district (DeLauro and Ferrucci). When they are finished, it will continue with candidates for the 9th state senatorial district (Doyle and Capenera), the 100th state legislative district (Kalinowski and Lesser), and the 33rd state legislative district (Serra and Johnson).

Mayor Sebastian Giuliano will also appear, to discuss the city-wide referenda on the ballot.

The annual meeting is open to the public.

Candidate forum at town hall - Representative debate

The Greater Middletown League of Women Voters hosted a debate among candidates vying for each of the 4 different State representative districts in Middletown. All eight candidates appeared, and there was a good crowd in Council Chambers.

In opening statements, after making a case for their candidacy by offering qualifications, each candidate admitted that the problems in the economy would overshadow discussions, or shaped discussions of all issues. The questions from the audience, and the candidates' answers also were largely related to the economy:

• What is the most critical issue facing the state
  
• Be more specific about what services you will cut to balance the budget
  
• How can Connecticut help students pay for college if the credit markets restrict loans?
• What is your position on the status of the Connecticut juvenile training center (CJTC) in Middletown?

Jim O'Rourke (D)- 32nd District, Incumbent

JIm O'Rourke felt that at a time of economic need, it was important to create new initiatives, particularly green iniatives, and in fact, creating a department of Clean Energy. He proposed cutting spending and waste in the Department of Transportation, citing the $800M train repair facility in New Haven and the botched repair of I84.

He proposed using state funds to guarantee college loans if other sources of credit were not available to Connecticut residents.

O'Rourke stated that he fought against making the CJTS huge, preferring smaller facilities, but that Rowland era corruption led to the large facility we have now.

In his closing arguments he emphasized his diligence as a legislator, and his accomplishments that are real and relevant to the lives of the people he represents.

Scott Adamson (R) - 32 District, Challenger

On the contrary, Adamson indicated that growing government at a time of great economic need was exactly the wrong direction to take. He would eliminate fat in state departments, and would place term limits on legislators, whom he noted, received pensions after 10 years of part-time work. He would consolidate senior service centers near Norwalk, reform welfare and unemployment. He would not cut jails, education, or the court system.

He would turn to the Federal government to help students with college aid. He advocated for college opportunities such as correspondence courses for non-traditional students.
He deferred to the citizens of Middletown and would work with other representatives on the issue of the CJTF.

In his closing statement, he challenged listeners to ask whether they in a better position today as a result of the many years that Democrats have been in power in the State House.

Joe Serra (D) - 33rd District, Incumbent

Serra indicated he would attempt to cut budgets, but in ways which would not affect the public directly, as it might in public safety. He noted that stimulating Connecticut business through loans was a way to stimulate the entire economy. He noted that substantial cuts in the State budget could only be achieved by cutting budgets for education and for transportation. He suggested delaying some transportation projects for a few years.

He said that there are state programs available for college aid, but if they are not working we need to create new ones.

He pointed out the CJTF has been in Middletown since 1872, and urged residents to keep an eye on this $60M facility.

In his closing statements Serra emphasized how he has served constituents, helping them cut through state red tape and getting answers.

Catherine Johnson (R) - 33rd District, Challenger

Johnson has created a campaign around a renaissance in transit. Her theory is that creation of solid public transit will create jobs, save money, stimulate the economy, help communities and neighborhoods and offer a progressive use of land. According to Johnson, connecting people through transit is the key. Cities should not be pitted against cities in their efforts to attract businesses.

She proposed to cut subsidies for private automobile transportation, and to instead spend money on special education services.

She did not propose any state programs to help students with college costs, but instead encouraged ingenuity and perhaps a deferral of college for some students.

She lambasted the CJTF as one of the greatest tragedies, from its design through its construction and operation.

In her closing remarks, she again emphasized the need for sustainable practices in land use, that support and build neighborhood patterns.

Gail Hamm (D) - 34th District, Incumbent

Hamm urged the state to work on the basis of results based accountability - demonstrating the worth of a program through its outcomes. She also noted her work to reject an adjustment in the already-passed two year budget, in consideration of the times.

She questioned whether this is the right time to cut the state budget. She promised to look at all areas of the budget for cuts, but said that funds should not be cut to people who need help.

On college assistance, she said that the Federal government is doing a good job. She touted CHET, the tax-free state 529 fund for college expenses.

She was the only representative from Middletown to vote against the CJTF, and has been trying to stop any expansion.

In her closing remarks, she touted both her record of accomplishments and the leadership that she brings by virtue of her committee chairmanships.

David Bauer (R) - 34th District, Challenger

Bauer thought that the emphasis on spending was the wrong approach to the budget, and to economic woes. His approach is to concentrate on revenues - increasing them where possible, and to be honest about the deficit.

He said if spending had to be cut, it should be cut everywhere. He pointed to education as one area in particular that could be cut.

He said that student college aid and loans was better left to the federal government. He said the state legislature should work to stop costs from rising, and should reduce the high-paying patronage jobs in higher education.

He said that the CJTF was obviously not working, and blamed the incumbents in the State House for its failure.

In his closing remarks, Bauer said that government is not listening to the people. He railed against the closed loop of lobbyists and legislators, and said it was time for a change in the State House.

(Editor's note: In his closing remarks Bauer made a defining comment about his candidacy. He said that he wanted to end the closed relationship between legislators, lobbyists and state bureaucrats which isolates legislators from the people they represent. We failed to report on this statement, and so, we offer this addendum.)

Ray Kalinowski (R) - 100th district, Incumbent

Kalinowski urged spending controls, and a comprehensive energy policy. He noted that government cannot create prosperity, but that it can create an atmosphere, through spending controls, in which the economy can begin to heal.

He proposed short term cuts in the budget such as eliminating non-essential overtime, freezing hires of state employees, eliminating consultants. He said a tax amnesty would bring added income. In the long term he proposed streamlining state spending.

He proposed that the state provide funds to anybody who wants to pursue education, which he viewed as the best investment in our state.

He proposed turning the CJTF into a nurse training facility, and objected to the large number of state facilities that are located in Middletown.

In his closing remarks, he said that he believed in a free and open market, entrepreneurship, self-reliance, and personal responsibility.

Matt Lesser (D) - 100th district, Challenger

Lesser concurred that the economy was an important issue, especially in a state where seniors are forced to leave homes they've lived in all their lives because of increasing property tax. His approach is to address the issues of job loss, education and land use, all with an eye to a fragile economy.
He supported the Attorney General's call to divide the Department of Children and Families, and suggested that this would save costs. He suggested that the budgets for the Department of Social Services and for the Department of Transportation could be cut.

He suggested that the college tuition problem is a long-standing issue. He said the state should focus on keeping Connecticut college graduates in Connecticut after college.

On the subject of CJTF, he railed at the large number of state facilities located in Middletown. He said the PILOT (state payments in lieu of taxes) program needed to be reformed, pointing out that Middletown gets only 70 cents on the dollar for the costs of these state facilities.

In his closing statement, Lesser called for change in government at all levels, from the presidency to the 100th district representative.

Why there is no primary election in Middletown today

Today is the day for primary elections for Connecticut state and federal positions (except for President). This year the primaries include elections for 18 State legislators, and an election to select the Democratic opponent to face Congressman Chris Shays (Hartford Courant Story). Middletown is not one of the towns that is voting today, because none of the party-selected candidates are being contested. Feeling left out and puzzled?  So was I. 

The Republican Registrar of Voters, Janice Gionfriddo, and the Democratic Registrar of Voters, Sandra Faraci, explained to me that each political party has a "Town Committee" with about 70 members. Each town committee selects candidates for each of the positions being contested in November.  The standard process for getting on the ballot is to approach the Town Committee for their endorsement.  If that is not successful, a potential candidate is required to collect signatures on a petition to the Secretary of State's office to force a primary election.  The number of signatures must be at least 5% of the number of enrolled party members in that district.

For example, for the 33rd State Legislature district, the Democratic Town Committee chose Joe Serra and the Republican Town Committee chose Catherine Johnson. If anybody else in the 33rd district wanted to run for the nomination of either party for this office, they would have to collect signatures from the 33rd District to qualify for the ballot. Bernard Liu, in the Secretary of State's office, says that there are 5,124 registered Democrats, and 1,580 registered Republicans in the 33rd District.  Thus, a potential Democratic challenger to Joe Serra this year would have required 257 signatures, while a potential Republican challenger to Catherine Johnson would have required only 79 signatures.  Although Democratic primaries in the 33rd District have occurred in recent years, Gionfriddo, the Republican Registrar, could not remember the last time there was a primary on the Republican side.

The army clears up the facts

(Not the Army Reserve Training Center)

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

If the Army wanted to demonstrate their incompetence in handling public relations and communications, they couldn't have done better than their performance Thursday at a closed-door press conference at the Inn at Middletown.

To begin with, they excluded three important town representatives from the meeting. Mayor Sebastian Giuliano, State Senator Paul Doyle and State Representative Joe Serra were all prevented from entering the meeting to observe, leaving them stewing in the hallway. Attorney General Dick Blumenthal was allowed in, apparently because he called ahead and asked permission. So before the press conference had even begun, the Army further alienated town and state officials whom they need on their side.

Then the Army Corps of Engineers and the Army Reserve went about the task of clarifying the facts. They claimed that there was a lot of false information being bandied about. Unfortunately for the Army, they don't have a stellar reputation for being straightforward. These past seven years have shown a disgraceful disregard for the truth as the Pentagon attempted to assist the President in spinning their misguided misadventures in Iraq. And now the Army is going to set the record straight?

Here's how they did it.

In every meeting up until this one the Army claimed the base would support 800 reservists visiting the site on weekends each month, and that the base would have 150 full-time employees. Those claims were made to support the argument that the Training Center would have a positive economic impact on the city. Now that the Army is addressing charges that the base would put an undue traffic burden on country roads, they've decided that there will only be 70 full-time employees and 400 reservists and guardsmen for monthly visits. So, the original inaccuracies were disseminated not by passionate opponents to the site, but by the Army itself.

In their prepared statement to the press at the meeting, the Army declared that they would be good neighbors, and would work with the city because they were bound to "go above and beyond" do the right thing. But when questioned by a correspondent from the Middletown Eye about exactly how many homes adjoined the site, no one in the room - not one representative of the group who were claiming to be good neighbors, and who declared they were doing a thorough job - no one knew the answer. In fact, all of the homes on Atkins, Old Farms East and Timber Ridge will be affected either directly, or indirectly by the construction of the facility.

The Army Corps of Engineers also declared that, as opposed to public impression, there would be no live ammunition, and no outside military exercises conducted on the site. That would go under the heading of "correcting a misinterpretation which didn't exist." I've been to most of the meetings with the Corps, and know that the question has consistently been asked - "What will the Army be doing on the site?" The answer has always been, "Classroom training, and training on vehicle maintenance." No where - in the press, on blogs, in public meetings - has anyone protested because the army would be using live ammunition, or conducting outdoor military exercises.

The Corps also described the facility as something like "Wesleyan University." Well, unless they intend to immediately disregard their "don't ask, don't tell" policy, I can guarantee it won't be anything like Wesleyan University (though probably unbeknownst to the Army Reserve, the original buildings at Wesleyan University began as a military school!). The building will be more like a WalMart with a huge parking lot then it will ever be like Wesleyan University.

The Army also allowed a representative of the current owners of the property to speak. Pedro Wasmer, of Fairfield, represents a group of real estate investors which includes, by his own account, pharmacists, doctors, and people like that, who are, in fact, Middletown taxpayers, but who don't live in town. The group has not been able to lure any other development to the hard-to-develop site, so they support the Army's plan. Wasmer conjured up the "grand military history" of the state of Connecticut to lend support to the plans. Of course, his real interest in the Army's plans is not the "grand military history" but the benefit to his own group of investors.

So at the end of the day, the Army, which hoped to use the press conference to bolster support, ended up angering state and local officials, engaging a formidable new opponent in the person of Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, getting their lock-out of local officials as lead-stories on local newscasts and in local papers, further generating local public opposition and altering their presentation with a new set of facts to align with their current strategy.

Oops, doesn't seem like a good communications day to me.

UPDATE: BTW, I love the way the Army is helping the poor farm animals. The Army realizes that the fate of furry creatures is often more important to readers and viewers, then the fate of human beings. So, they're going to make an effort to help pay for the transfer of the animals to a nice new farm - where they'll be happy and free!!! And no puppies will be killed in the construction of the new facility.

Also, at one point, one of the Army reps said that residents of the state should be thankful that federal dollars and not state dollars will be used to build the facility. That's a relief, because I pay state taxes, and the federal money comes from....hey, wait a minute!

More detailed and complex reporting on the meeting, including environmental impact and other issues will be discussed in a following post.

A new direction for Miller & Bridge?

Last night was the gathering of the Redevelopment Agency and the Public Safety Commission on the topic of Miller & Bridge.  It should be noted that this was not an official meeting -- it was sort of a workshop, since addressing the topic separately led to a stalemate.  

First some facts, which were prepared by Michiel Wackers.  Since the 1999 adoption of the Redevelopment Plan, there have been 12 acquisitions by the City in this neighborhood, and those properties have been demolished.  There are 16 pieces of private property remaining, which include about 27 housing units and there are 40 cars registered at those addresses.  The only business -- Alfredo's Riverside -- is closed but could potentially be re-opened.  To finish the plan, it is projected that it would cost just under $3 million buy those properties, relocate the people, and demolish the buildings.

We also discussed the option of connecting Miller Street to North Main Street, and then closing off the Route 9 entrance and leaving Portland Street alone.  The challenge here is the cost -- which was estimated by the State DOT as just under $3 million (coincidentally the same cost as demolishing the whole place!)   Of course, that's just a first estimate and there was lots of debate on how adding 300 ft. of road could cost that much...but it does mean acquiring an easement from Providence and Worcester Rail, and getting state legislature approval for at-grade crossings on the tracks.

And finally, we discussed the option of opening Portland Street -- the police did a count and gave an estimate of 100 trips a day, primarily between 5 and 8 pm, but personally, I am entirely unclear about what that means -- whether that is one car making two trips (which could easily be residents) or whether there are a lot of people turning in there when traffic is bad, and then making a u-turn.  Also, the narrowness of Portland Street, the need to eliminate some of their on-street parking, and the potential disruption to their neighborhood were issues -- and eventually, that option took last place, only to be pursued if the other two options fail.

So, I believe the next step is to have a full, public review of this at both the Redevelopment and Public Safety meetings.  Each group will be considering whether they can endorse the following request to our state legislators:  For approximately $3 million in funding to pursue either option one (demolish the neighborhood) or option two (connect it to North Main).   Any members of the public who care about this issue will have their chance to speak at both of those meetings.

The feeling is that giving them both options makes it easier for the legislators to find a way to get this funding.  But of course, they may be unsuccessful.  I should note that both Representative Serra and Senator Doyle did meet with Redevelopment last year, and they agreed to champion this cause at the legislature last year, whether for approval to open Portland St. or funding for some other plan, but that first we needed to agree on what we wanted (including approval from the Council).

So now we have a long-term plan on the table, but no short-term relief for the people on Miller & Bridge.  If we can actually get funding within the next year, then this is a positive step.  If not, we have to go back to the Portland Street option.

The one thing everyone agreed on -- there are no easy solutions for this situation.