The voters of Assembly District 24 covering parts of New Britain and Newington not only re-elected State Rep. Tim O’Brien last Tuesday by an overwhelming margin. They rejected a malicious campaign by Republican challenger Cris Carillo.Carillo, a pawn in a GOP attack strategy, relied on mailers developed by New Britain-based CT Republicans that stamped the … Continue reading Rep. O’Brien Opponent’s Negative Campaign Is Repudiated By Voters

The 225 Oak Street farm -- recognized for heirloom herbs and organic crops -- invites you to its first Harvest Moon Festival on Saturday, October 23rd from noon to 8 pm. The farm has turned the former Sandelli Florist property into a sustainable enterprise in the heart of the city, improving the neighborhood in the … Continue reading Urban Oaks Farm Invites You To Harvest Moon Festival October 23

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?

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

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

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

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

Mail Carriers Don Murphy and Jim LeFort were able to remind residents that everyone is Irish on Saint Patrick's Day as they make deliveries on Brighton Street.  (J. McNamara photo)

http://newbritaindemocrat.blogspot.comTed Kennedy’s five-decade Senate career spanned 10 presidencies, starting with his brother’s 1,000 days in office through Barack Obama’s first year.That longevity – which counts for a lot in the U.S. Senate –allowed Kennedy to leave a lasting mark on shaping landmark laws on civil rights, health and education, from the passage of voting rights … Continue reading Remembering Ted Kennedy

It's a year when local and state governments are struggling with falling tax revenues and a severe economic downturn. New Britain is facing all of those struggles plus one more potential hole that could break the city budget in the new fiscal year.The problem? Mayor Stewart's proposed $216.3 million estimate, now getting scrutiny by the … Continue reading Revenue Gap Threatens New Britain Municipal Budget