An Over-Reliance On Police Station For Downtown Revival?

New Britain's Stalinesque and worn out police station cries out for a replacement. The men and women of the force deserve better to carry out their public safety duties. The point is non-debatable. It's past time to put shovel to ground.The matter is apparently settled according to an August 18 Herald story. The options are … Continue reading An Over-Reliance On Police Station For Downtown Revival?

MA communities get big time savings from health insurance pooling

Connecticut's efforts to establish a health insurance pooling option for cities and towns have been thwarted by the vetoes of Republican Governor Jodi Rell over the last two years.House Speaker Chris Donovan has estimated that New Britain would save $900,000 or more if the city could opt in to a state health care pool, reducing … Continue reading MA communities get big time savings from health insurance pooling

U.S. Sets Poor Example With Too Much Money in Politics

Connecticut's relatively new public campaign system has run afoul of some courts and is causing no small amount of confusion in the run up to the August 10th Primary.The July 13th circuit court ruling upheld some provisions and threw out others leading the General Assembly into special session on July 30th to fix it. No … Continue reading U.S. Sets Poor Example With Too Much Money in Politics

A Newspaper War in New Britain?

Two years ago New Britain was on the brink of losing its only daily newspaper, The New Britain Herald. The last days of print journalism in town appeared certain as the Courant steadily withdrew resources and the Herald's parent, the Journal Register Company, was getting ready to lock the doors at One Herald Square for good.But … Continue reading A Newspaper War in New Britain?

New Britain Weekly Is Reborn As "City Journal"

An upstart weekly community newspaper -- started last fall as "The Hardware City Journal" -- has given way to a new newspaper with the same editor and same approach to covering the community. Editor Robin Vinci, a veteran of reporting for the Herald, has re-started the weekly with the name New Britain City Journal. nbcityjournal.com In … Continue reading New Britain Weekly Is Reborn As "City Journal"

Health Care Advocate Lembo Makes Strong Case For Comptroller

Seasoned political observers will recall that the job of State Comptroller carried little weight in terms of governing a generation ago. At state elections it was the office used to balance a ticket based on diversity or geography.For all of the time Connecticut has had a Constitution (and it is the "Constitution State") the office … Continue reading Health Care Advocate Lembo Makes Strong Case For Comptroller

Will City Avoid Layoffs To Frontline Education and Public Safety Jobs?

From New Britain Democrat http://newbritaindemocrat.blogspot.com/2010/05/muncipal-budget-hearing-monday-may-17th.htmlThe full weight of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression is falling on the city’s budget makers in shaping a fiscal plan for the year that begins July 1st. Few cities or towns in Connecticut and the nation are exempt. And with Connecticut’s over reliance on property taxes the fiscal … Continue reading Will City Avoid Layoffs To Frontline Education and Public Safety Jobs?

U.S. Senate: New Britain Didn’t Stiff Merrick Albert

He got into the U.S. Senate race as an upstart Democratic challenger to an increasingly vulnerable Chris Dodd. He sent Democratic leaders a self-published and autographed autobiography and tooled around the state delivering an anti-war message akin to the Lamont campaign of 2006. He appeared to be on a mission to go from political kindergarten … Continue reading U.S. Senate: New Britain Didn’t Stiff Merrick Albert

May Day: Lamont-Glassman Ticket Forming In New Britain Monday, May 3rd

Gubernatorial hopefuls Ned Lamont and Mary Glassman are joining forces ahead of the May 21-22 Democratic convention, forming a ticket they hope will stem the growing strength of former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy in delegates and Malloy's success in meeting the threshold to qualify for funds under the Citizen's Election Program.Courant Columnist Kevin Rennie confirmed … Continue reading May Day: Lamont-Glassman Ticket Forming In New Britain Monday, May 3rd

UAW’s Tony Bracha Fondly Remembered in Courant "Extraordinary Lives" story

Social programs such as health insurance and benefits for the unemployed have been much in the news this year amid the threat of filibuster and flat-out obstruction by Republicans and their special interest friends.At times like these it's good to remember the men and women of labor in post WW II New Britain who organized … Continue reading UAW’s Tony Bracha Fondly Remembered in Courant "Extraordinary Lives" story