A decision by the New Britain Ethics Commission to summarily dismiss a complaint brought by Ward 4 Ald. Lawrence Hermanowski over the award of a no-bid $68,000 fencing contract is the latest example of the Stewart administration’s politicization of the ethics process in municipal government.Current ethics commissioners are all appointees of Stewart and the commission … Continue reading New Britain’s Partisan Ethics Process Blocks Complaint on No-Bid Contract

It may be an obscure issue for most Americans – a foreign policy matter that dates to an event that occurred in the early part of the 20th Century. But for Armenian Americans what the U.S. Congress has said and done about the mass murder of 1.5 million Armenians in World War I matters a … Continue reading Joe Lieberman: Choosing Arms Deals Over Principles

A Center for Public Integrity report on all-expense-paid trips by members of Congress shows that Cong. Nancy Johnson (R-5) topped Connecticut's Congressional delegation in taking trips paid for by special interest groups. The Danbury News-Times' Fred Lucas reported that Connecticut members of Congress took advantage of $600,000 for 300 trips between 2000 and 2005. Rep. … Continue reading Junket Update: Rep. Johnson Tops CT Delegation

Republican Ald. Louis Salvio takes on "party bosses" in opposing a recent Democratic Town Committee recommendation to fill a vacancy for the aldermanic seat in Ward One.His letter to the editor, appearing in the Hartford Courant and New Britain Herald last week, was a rambling diatribe against Democratic leaders -- the "bosses" who "would have … Continue reading Salvos From Salvio: Republican Attacks Leaders, Town Committee Members

A tug of war between the Common Council and the Mayor's office about the validity of a council-appointed fiscal auditor position may not be resolved until well into a new fiscal year that begins July 1. What remains on the table, however, is the work product of Deborah Canyock who abruptly resigned in May from … Continue reading Mayor, Council Should Consider Potential Savings Cited By Council Auditor

Twenty years after a Democrat last occupied the Governor's office, two seasoned and capable city mayors are seeking the Democratic nomination to oppose Gov. M. Jodi Rell. The polls and pundits peg the eventual Democratic nominee as a certain underdog amid the electorate's continuing post-Rowland euphoria. But spring forecasts seven months away from Election Day … Continue reading A Vote For John DeStefano For Governor

A few years back the State of Connecticut adopted an electric deregulation law that promised competition and the possibility of reasonable rates. The opposite happened and this year rates for consumers, business and government are going up by more than 20 percent . This burden, combined with higher prices for gasoline, spells trouble for the … Continue reading A Way To Reduce Higher Electricity Rates One City At A Time