Whither Public Campaign Financing in Connecticut? March 15th Forum in Hartford

The odds of the Citzen's Election Program (CEP)- Connecticut's public financing of elections - surviving intact for the 2010 election cycle grow longer by the hour. Lawmakers, in fact, may be cooking up a remedy that preserves public financing for Governor and statewide offices, but eliminates the CEP for legislative seats.  With the reform law in … Continue reading Whither Public Campaign Financing in Connecticut? March 15th Forum in Hartford

Remembering Bill Kerr, CCSU Politics Prof; Tribute Saturday, February 27th at New Britain Museum

A celebration of the life of Charles W. (Bill) Kerr, formerly of New Britain, will be held at the New Britain Museum of American Art on Saturday February 27, 2010, at 1 p.m. Kerr, 78, died on February 2, 2010 in his home at Sun City, Hilton Head, SC. A Missouri native, Kerr was a professor … Continue reading Remembering Bill Kerr, CCSU Politics Prof; Tribute Saturday, February 27th at New Britain Museum

Desperation from Busway Opponents?

The arguments of opponents to the the New Britain-Hartford busway have a ring of obstructionism and desperation  in this Courant story by Don Stacom.  With news of $45 million in federal money for a busway to leverage other funds,  the project may finally see a  light at the end-of-the-tunnel. It's a little specious to oppose public … Continue reading Desperation from Busway Opponents?

Luddites May Need To Unite To Save Newspaper Legal Notices For Now

The economic plight of newspapers in the internet age will be up for debate in the 2010 session of the Connecticut General Assembly and intertwined with arguments about the public's right to know.Gov. Rell has called for ending the requirement that governments publish certain legal notices in newspapers, according to the New Britain Herald in a Feb. … Continue reading Luddites May Need To Unite To Save Newspaper Legal Notices For Now

MA Election Senate Fallout: Labor Leader Says Dems "Under Reach" on Issues That Matter

Who would have thought that a special election in Massachusetts would be the end of the Obama regime and a retreat from the "change that you can believe in" that was voted in just a year ago? Media "gas bags", Democratic "moderates"  and no small number of propagandists for the corporate right  are proclaiming this … Continue reading MA Election Senate Fallout: Labor Leader Says Dems "Under Reach" on Issues That Matter

Strategic Bonding: Senate Dems Push "Jobs Now" Initiative

The federal stimulus program is getting credit for mitigating 2008's economic free fall (Things would be worse without it). Recovery as defined by Wall Street financiers and their troika of Obama administration buddies --Rahm Emmanuel, Larry Summers and Tim Geithner -- is well under way.But the employment numbers and continuing slide in local tax revenues … Continue reading Strategic Bonding: Senate Dems Push "Jobs Now" Initiative

Trash Talk From Mayor Sets Wrong Tone At Start of New Term

Mayor Stewart began a new term this week with an official call for an "end to political warfare" between his office and the City Council, according to Courant coverageAnd there was some high-minded rhetoric from Stewart to get things going: "Today we stand at the threshold of becoming a new and exciting city, one that … Continue reading Trash Talk From Mayor Sets Wrong Tone At Start of New Term

Veteran’s Day: "They Didn’t Give Their Lives. Their Lives Were Taken From Them."

New Britain's tradition of honoring veterans of all wars occurs twice a year on Memorial Day (the real one not the Monday national holiday) and on Veteran's Day this month. On Wednesday there will be a full round of remembrances put on by the Parks and Recreation Commission. With soldiers' deaths being recorded almost daily … Continue reading Veteran’s Day: "They Didn’t Give Their Lives. Their Lives Were Taken From Them."