Thursday, May 17, 2012
And, DeLauro and Murphy oppose Republican plans for domestic violence act.
BLUMENTHAL: The senator was one of a few legislators honored by the Sports Fan Coalition for supporting legislation to eliminate the FCC's sports blackout rule on Tuesday night. The other recipients were Commissioner Robert McDowell, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Reps. Joe Barton (R-Texas), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.). Blumenthal tweeted about the awards ceremony and posted a photo: "Honored to be Sports Fans Coalition’s Most Valuable Lawmaker for work on sports blackouts w/ @DavidGoodfriend @brifred http://bit.ly/Jf6F4j" LIEBERMAN: The senator released a response to the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's approval of the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act…
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
RTM member Joe Palmer, R-4, explains the GOP's redistricting proposal.
[Editor's Note: The RTM GOP's redistricting proposal will be up for a vote at the May 21 RTM meeting.] Dear Editor, As a fellow member of the Redistricting Committee, I was surprised and disappointed to read an recent article on the redistricting in which Democratic RTM Member Kevin Hoffkins called the Republican plan “radical.” Our plan isn’t radical at all. In fact, I sincerely believe we proposed a sensible idea for improving the RTM as a town body that will also have several ancillary benefits, like cost savings. I can’t help but think that Republicans are being obstructed for petty political purposes, (i.e. “we can’t let the Republican majority get credit for a smart plan”) and it’s a real disservice to the community. Our plan simply …
RTM member Carol Pontrelli, R-9, reacts to last week's budget vote.
Budget reductions made by the RTM last week create no risk to the town, despite the dire language made by the Town’s Chief Fiscal Officer, who called it ‘fiscal suicide.’ The First Selectman has plenty of options available to him before and after the start of the next fiscal year to find costs savings and/or make budget cuts. In fact, our hope is that the First Selectman will use this opportunity to initiate cost-saving reforms in the town hall that we believe should have been done prior to this year’s budget. It is still unclear whether Mr. Hiller characterized these actions as ‘fiscal suicide’ for political purposes or out of just a loss for words the right words; perhaps having been caught of guard. Regardless of his intent, he is …
And, Lieberman talks with CNN about the Taliban.
BLUMENTHAL: In an interview with The Daily Campus, the senator expressed his support for the Know Before You Owe Private Lender Act, which would require private lenders to inform prospective student borrowers of all of their loan options, "so people don’t leap into committing." LIEBERMAN: Following the death of a Afghan peacemaker in Kabul on Sunday, the senator told CNN that the Taliban "is not interested in peace talks," according to GovExec.com. Lieberman also said that the U.S. should "continue to put pressure" on the Taliban to engage in these talks. HIMES: The congressman used Twitter to ponder what's coming this week in Congress' 2012 session: "Back in DC. Last week, GOP saved a non-existent $20 bn from TBTF banks and eliminated a…
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
And, Himes meets with Greenwich students during their class trip to DC.
BLUMENTHAL: The senator recently expressed some concerns about Lieberman's cybersecurity bill, which needs 60 more votes to move, according to Politico.com. He said that the definitions of the bill must be "narrowed" and safeguards "strengthened" when it comes to the type of data that the government would be privy to. LIEBERMAN: The senator told CNN's "State of the Union" that the Senate Homeland Security Committee has scheduled a May 24 public hearing regarding the prostitution scandal involving U.S. military and Secret Service agents in Colombia. HIMES: On their annual class trip to Washington, DC, students at Central Middle School in Greenwich got a chance to meet and chat with Himes. "I always enjoy visiting with young people from my…
Monday, May 14, 2012
District 8 representative Tom McCarthy responds to District 5 representative Ann Stamler's letter to the editor published Thursday.
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Monday, May 14
Taxes, taxes, taxes...that begins the preamble to the Town of Fairfield's 2013 proposed budget, but unfortunately limiting the size of a tax increase requires a significant amount of will more than anything else. I read with great interest representative Stamler's letter to the editor this week in which she expressed her frustration over the RTM Budget Proceedings. As I believe she knows, I have great respect and admiration for her, because I know how hard she works. She does her homework, and she is among the faithful at the Board of Finance meetings, but I believe that in this case she has missed the mark. There are two sides to every argument, and in this case she seems to be among those who can see only their side. If you take the …
And, Blumenthal announces $5.5 million in funds from FEMA for West Hartford.
BLUMENTHAL: West Hartford is the first community in Connecticut to receive approval from FEMA for reimbursement of clean-up costs in the wake of October's snowstorm, according to Patch. Blumenthal, Sen. Lieberman and First District Congressman John Larson, announced on Thursday that West Hartford will receive $5.5 million reimbursement from FEMA for debris removal. "West Hartford well deserves this reimbursement for the hard hit from last year’s October snowstorm — a hard hit in financial costs as well as damage and debris," stated Blumenthal in a release announcing the reimbursement. "I’m pleased that this money helps make West Hartford whole for the hard work and sacrifice in the wake the storm." LIEBERMAN: Following a classified …
Saturday, May 12, 2012
And how to keep them from doing so.
Yes, we are number one. Connecticut residents work longer to cover their tax burden for the entire year than residents of any other state nationally, per a nonprofit organization called the Tax Foundation. This distinction is in large measure why Nutmeggers fly south in great numbers: Lower income taxes. Lower housing costs. Lower state and local taxes. Confirming this fact is a 2009 study from the Yankee Institute for Public Policy, a Connecticut based, fiscal think tank. Connecticut lost an estimated 325,526 residents between 1991 and 2008, according to study. Where do they move? States that benefit most from migrating Nutmeggers are Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. What is common about these states? …
Friday, May 11, 2012
Bus riders, however, will not face any increases, according to the Stamford Advocate.
A proposal by the General Assembly's Appropriations Committee in March to eliminate a 4 percent fare hike for Connecticut bus riders from Gov. Malloy's budget proposal was approved by the Senate earlier this week, however, Metro-North riders will still face the increase in January, according to the Stamford Advocate. Connecticut Rail Commuter Council Chairman Jim Cameron told the Advocate that he was "profoundly disappointed" that the legislature chose to depend on funds from the Special Transportation Fund and the commuters to close the budget deficit. Gov. Malloy's proposed budget included three consecutive years of four-percent fare increases, which according to Office of Policy & Management Secretary Benjamin Barnes, said would bring…
Malloy administration had concerns about lawsuits, according to the Fairfield Green Food Guide.
Connecticut might have become the first state to require labeling of foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs). At least that was what a grassroots group of activists and numerous legislators had hoped. HB 5117, the bill concerning genetically engineered foods included a provision that would have required labeling of foods containing (GMOs) — but that was Thursday, May 3. As of last Friday that provision was removed from the bill. In a post on Fairfield Green Food Guide entitled "Connecticut's GE Foods Bill Eviscerated by Lawyers," Analiese Paik indicated the "bill remains alive, but it no longer requires the labeling of genetically engineered foods." Paik, co founder of Right to Know CT, worked closely with Rep. Richard Roy …
Concerned Fairfielder
7:15 am on Thursday, May 17, 2012
I think Palmer has totally missed the public sentiment here which does not surprise me considering his track record. We the People do not want a reduction in the number of RTM districts! We the people want a reduction in the number of member from each district!!! We demand efficiency in Government!!! ONLY TWO REPS. FROM EACH DISTRICT! CHANGE THE CHARTER TO TWO!!! THIS WAY WE ONLY GET PEOPLE WHO … more ›