Councilman Chianese Criticized

In yesterday's News-Times an annoyed citizen of Danbury wrote a letter to the editor regarding sixth ward Democratic Councilman Ben Chianese. The letter focused on how Chianese was unfair to Republican Phil Curran, who was nominated to fill the vacant seat on the Common Council. For those of you who don't know, Chianese blocked Curran from being voted in and instead referred the appointment to an ad hoc committee. You can read the letter here. Instead of posting the entire letter, I decided to only take out parts of it.

The writer started by saying:

After 30-plus years risking his life for Danburians, Phil Curran decided to begin a new much deserved stage of life -- retirement. Chief Curran could have decided to relax and take it easy but rather chose to continue serving our great city in another capacity.

They then went on to explain what happened:

With family and friends present on June 5, Chief Curran anticipated taking the oath of office and becoming our newest councilman. However, this great event did not take place as Ben Chianese, Democrat of the 6th Ward, blocked this by referring the appointment to an ad hoc committee.

They concluded by taking a direct shot at Chianese:

Shame on you, Mr. Chianese, this is politics at its worst! Mr. Chianese owes Mr. Curran, his family, and the rest of Danbury an apology for his actions. He has not just embarrassed himself but also the electorate who put him in office expecting him to represent the best of Danbury.

It should be interesting to see if the sixth ward voters of Danbury take this into consideration when voting, or if Councilman Chianese will easily earn re-election.

2007 Election News

The Danbury Democratic Town Committee posted minutes from their last meeting, and there are many updates regarding candidates that plan on running in this year's election.

To begin with, if you recall I reported that Democrat Ken Gucker announced last month that he was interested in running for a second ward Council seat. The following is taken directly from their minutes in May:

Ken also announced that he would run for a common council seat in the second ward.

However, at their meeting in mid-June, the minutes say that Gucker announced his intention to run for a third ward Council seat. Here is what it said:

Ken Gucker announced his intention of running for a Third Ward Council seat. He presented his letter of intent to the Third Ward members of the Town Committee.

The fact is unknown whether or not it is the second or third ward, but whatever the case, Ken Gucker is running for the Common Council.

Another note regarding the Council is that Manny Furtado, seventh ward DDTC member Chris Halfer, and former Council President from the first ward, Warren Levy, all announced that they are interested in running for Council-At-Large seats.

It also appears that the Democrats are having problems finding candidates to run for local offices. In fact, they mention that they are still looking for someone to run for City Treasurer against four year incumbent Dan Jowdy.

Well, it is sure starting to feel that we are approaching the election season. The candidates should all be known within the next month. Stay tuned!

Rell Says No To Illegals

"The fact remains, however, that these students and their parents are here illegally and neither sympathy nor good intentions can ameliorate that fact."

--- Governor Jodi Rell

Governor M. Jodi Rell vetoed a bill today that would have allowed children of illegal immigrants the right to pay in-state tuition for state universities. In early June the State Senate passed the bill on a 20-15 vote, which then gave it to the Governor to either sign it or veto it.

Here is a link to the post I did earlier on this issue, and here is the article from the News-Times.

State Senate Passes Budget

The State Senate passed the budget today on a 33-1 vote. The House passed the budget on a 134-5 vote early Saturday morning. It now goes to Governor Rell who is expected to sign it.

Just for the record our State Senator David Cappiello voted YES.

State Budget Passes

Early this morning at around 2:30, the State House of Representatives passed the state budget on a vote of 134-5. All Republicans voted in favor, while five Democrats voted against it. Here is a look at how Danbury's four State Representatives voted:

Jason Bartlett (D-2) -- YES
Joe Taborsak (D-109) -- YES
Bob Godfrey (D-110) -- YES
Jan Giegler (R-138) -- YES

It is nice to see that the budget was passed in a very bi-partisan manner, and that we finally have one in place.

Mike Bloomberg & The Presidency

Somebody has recently asked me to express my thoughts on Mayor Mike Bloomberg and his possible Presidential run, so here it is.

To begin with, Bloomberg's political party affiliation change does make sense if you look at it closely. He is not a true Republican, and has only been registered one since 2001 when he ran for Mayor. He is not a left-wing Democrat, but he does have a small streak of being liberal in him. This really does make him more of an independent. However, his move does suggest that he will run for President because who just decides to change their party affiliation, even if they have been criticized for many years. I mean is this really the most important issue he was facing? Well, no, but it is if he is going to take a shot at the Oval Office.

He claims that he isn't running, but he hasn't ruled it out totally. Now, what you've been waiting for -- what are his chances and would he win. The simple answer is no, he doesn't have much of a chance no matter who the party nominees are. This is because he needs 270 electoral votes to win, and he will get a decent amount of votes, but he won't win states, which is the only way you can be elected. Besides New York (and that itself would be very difficult) what states could he actually win? People are upset with Republicans and Democrats, but not so much where they will elect an Independent.

However, Bloomberg does have the finances to run a campaign because he is a billionaire. This is a big reason why he won't announce until the two candidates have been chosen or very close to it. Who the Republicans and Democrats pick will probably also affect his decision. If Giuliani or Clinton are chosen he may opt out of running because he is very cordial with both, and wouldn't want to face them. If Giuliani and Clinton are the nominees than Bloomberg may also choose to run, despite who he would be facing. Hey, that would be some race, one he might not want to pass on.

So, who does he hurt most -- the Republicans or the Democrats. Well, at first I felt he hurt the Republicans more, but many have been saying the Democrats would be the ones in trouble. He would act as a Ross Perot or Ralph Nader, but I think that it will depend who the nominees are to see who he takes the Presidency away from. If Hillary is the Democrat, then Bloomberg could hurt her the most because the people that just can't stand her, but aren't happy with the Republican will vote for Bloomberg. Conservative voters who won't vote for Giuliani just won't vote because Bloomberg is even more liberal than he is on social issues and they won't vote for a Democrat. He could hurt a conservative Republican candidate because moderates may be attracted to Bloomberg. For example, in Connecticut, Bloomberg could take votes away from someone like Mitt Romney and secure a victory for the Democrat in our state. I have seen a few recent national polls that show the following would happen nationwide if Bloomberg runs:

Giuliani -- 41%
Clinton -- 39%
Bloomberg -- 9%

Clinton -- 40%
McCain -- 39%
Bloomberg -- 10%

This should sure be very interesting and we may not be able to predict at all what the outcome may be in a race that has Bloomberg in it. He may not even run, though I think that he will. What does he have to lose -- money? For the excitement and chaos he will cause he might as well do it.

National Security Key For Republicans

After reading in yesterday's News-Times about a Sacred Heart University Poll that showed Republicans have a chance at winning in 2008, it made me start thinking. The poll showed that if Republican candidates for President stress the issue of national security they would have a chance at keeping the White House despite the majority of people feeling that the next President will be a Democrat. The poll is right because while people in general are upset with Republicans they still are viewed as the party of fighting against terrorism and being strong on national security.

Now, it is surprising that Republicans are viewed as so strong on these issues because of the War in Iraq, but if this poll is right then there is only one person who is best to be the Republican nominee. He is a non-Washington politician, outspoken on fighting terrorism, critical of the War in Iraq but connects its outcome to our protection, and he believes that national security is by far the most important issue. The best candidate for the Republicans to nominate is Rudy Giuliani, if in fact they will focus on national security as their number one issue. This is because he isn't seen as the "Iraq" candidate such as John McCain is. He stresses national security which is something Mitt Romney tries, but his record as Governor is mainly on fixing the economic problems Massachusetts had, not focusing on security. Fred Thompson is a fresh new face, but doesn't have much experience, which may turn people off.

If Republicans focus on national security they need to be able to connect Iraq with it, but in a positive way because we all know that Iraq will be one of the biggest issues, and almost seventy percent of Americans disagree with it. Giuliani has something about him, where he will stress the importance of fighting terrorism because if we don't we will face another attack. It's something that no other candidate has. He is probably the best candidate to be able to put a positive spin on Iraq. Another thing about him is that he is very well liked, and has a good likability rate. He is probably the most positive Republican candidate, and people like what he did in New York after September 11th. He is truly America's Mayor, and is the most moderate Republican running who could beat someone like Hillary Clinton.

It should be interesting to see how far Republicans take the issue of national security because talking about it could seem like getting into a mess, and hurting them more. It should also be interesting to see how far Connecticut's congressional candidates take national security. I guess we will just have to see. I will say one thing, if Mike Bloomberg decides to run for President, we might as well start getting used to saying "President Clinton" once again because Republicans will not be able to pull it off, no matter how much they stress national security.

Tentative Budget Deal Reached

Last night negotiators reached a tentative budget agreement. No date has been set for State Legislators to vote on it. the budget is said to increase spending for health care and education. However, it also keeps the property tax credit the way it is now.

All things said it seems pretty fair as no new tax increases will take place, except a slight increase on cigarettes. You can read the news here from the Hartford Courant.

Rowland Comments On Rell

There was a very interesting article in today's News-Times about former Governor John Rowland's feelings towards current Governor Jodi Rell. You can read it here.

In it, Rowland says that Rell "threw me under the bus when it got rough". He claimed that Rell put politics first before defending her current boss when he was in the middle of his ethic scandal. Jodi Rell was Lt. Governor to Rowland for over nine years.

The article goes on to say that Rowland considered himself to be power-hungry, and he wanted to benefit from everything. He claims that he also goes through times now where he has to realize that fame and power should not run your life because it can go straight to your head, like it did with him.

It really makes you think about the person who led our state for nearly a decade. The only thing I can say is that Governor Rell didn't owe Rowland anything, and what he did was a disgrace to the people of Connecticut.

DeLuca Resigns As Leader; Successor Chosen

State Senator Lou DeLuca (R-32), resigned his post as Minority Leader yesterday. However, he has pledged that he will remain a Senator. You can read the article here from the News-Times.

Our State Senator, David Cappiello (R-24) released the following on DeLuca:

"I think Lou needed some time to take in what was happening and ultimately I believed he would do the right thing," Cappiello said. "I've known and worked with and been friends with Sen. DeLuca for 15 years and I think it was appropriate for me and the other senators to give him a little breathing room to come to the right conclusion himself."

Today, Senate Republicans reacted quickly to the resignation and chose Senator John McKinney (R-28) to become their new leader. McKinney is in his fifth term. You can read the article here from the News-Times.

What Happened Six Years Ago Today?

State Representative Mark Boughton (R-138) announced that he was running for Mayor.

DANBURY- State Rep. Mark Boughton on Wednesday became the latest entrant in the city’s mayoral contest, promising a systematic plan of orderly growth for Danbury. The 37-year-old second-term state lawmaker and high school history teacher is the third candidate, but first Republican, in the campaign, joining Thomas Arconti and Christopher Setaro, who are battling for the Democratic Party’s nod. The three candidates want to succeed Mayor Gene Eriquez, a Democrat, who opted not to run again after six successful campaigns.

Some 125 enthusiastic supporters attended the announcement at the Amerigo Vespucci Lodge, interrupting Boughton’s speech several times with applause. “I believe this city is in a state of transition, a transition from one administration to a new administration that must represent real change for the betterment of our city”, he said. “We must ask ourselves who is better prepared to lead this city in this time of transition and change. I stand before you because I believe I am the person that can lead Danbury in this new era,” Boughton said.

Boughton, who has represented the 138th District in the General Assembly for the past three years, promised to bring an ‘activist administration’, and a spirit of bipartisan cooperation to city government. “I have been successful in the Legislature because I have been able to reach across the aisle and work with Democrats on issues that are important to all of us. I will be successful in Danbury because I will bring the same bipartisan spirit to our government,” he said.

A fellow GOP lawmaker, 24th District state Sen. David Cappiello, spoke glowingly of Boughton’s accomplishments during his service in Hartford. “He accomplished a lot in three years,” Cappiello said, citing Boughton’s success in securing passage of bills banning felons from becoming teachers and mandating fire sprinklers in new school construction. Improvement of local education would be a focus of a Boughton administration, the candidate said. “I will be a leader in the city and an educational leader in our community. I will visit our schools, talk with students, staff and parents, to make sure the city is providing the Board of Education the tools to do the job. And tools doesn’t always mean more money”, Boughton said.

Boughton said he would work with local businesses to ensure the city grows in a orderly fashion, rather than managing development ‘by crisis.’ He also called for ‘state-of-the-art facilities’ that will enable the police and fire departments to do their jobs in the best possible manner.

Funny to think that so much can happen in just six years. Mayor Boughton has become a rising figure in Connecticut politics, and the Republican Party. He is also, overall, pretty well liked, and has won big victories in his second and third elections for mayor. It should be interesting what happens this year. We will wait and see.

Seventh Poll Results

The most recent poll question was what you would like to see happen to the Common Council in the fall election. The following were the results:

Stay in Republican Control -- 11 (55%)
Switch to Democratic Control -- 9 (45%)

Thanks for voting. Make sure you take our new poll.

Second Ward Council Candidate?

According to the Danbury Democratic Town Committee's minutes from last month's meeting, they may have a candidate to run for the Common Council in the second ward. Ken Gucker, who has become an active Danbury Democrat for the past two years, has said that he would like to run for one of the seats. You can read it here.

Currently, the second ward in represented by Republicans James Johnson and Charles Trombetta. Both had a pretty easy ride to victory in 2005.

A Busy Week

It seems like so much news has taken place within the last couple of days, that I don't even know where to begin.

• The Democratic and Republican candidates just finished having another round of debates. From what I have heard and noticed, Clinton did well and Obama was not that impressive. Also, Edwards really separated himself from the two of them. On the Republican side, people liked McCain's firmness and straight talk, but don't like his views on immigration. Also, Romney was very impressive, and Giuliani was pretty good as well.



• On Monday, State Senator Lou DeLuca, pleaded guilty for misdemeanor threatening cause, which had James Galante involved in it. You can read the article here from the News-Times.



• Yesterday, former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, Scooter Libby, pleaded guilty for lying about a CIA leak investigation, and is facing two and a half years behind bars. He is currently trying to delay going to prison. Will the President pardon him?



• Last night, the Common Council passed the parade ordinance by a 11-8 vote. All six Democrats voted against it, along with Republicans Jane Diggs (7th Ward) and Mary Saracino (At-Large). Here is the article from the News-Times.



• The State Legislative Session ends tonight at midnight. As of right now, no budget has been put in place. According to Speaker Amann (yes--that is him on his motorcycle) there will be a special session. Why can't they do what they have to do in the time that they are given?

That about wraps it up. It sure has been a crazy political week!

Overtime!

Today, Speaker Jim Amann, said that even if a budget is reached by midnight this Wednesday, our state legislators will still have to return to work because there will not be enough time to go over the very detailed bills. Here is the article form the Hartford Courant.

With a special session coming, it will be interesting to see if a budget will be put in place or if they will wait until later. However, this could have been expected as the leaders in Hartford have just sat around, and not accomplished much.

A Signature Away

Yesterday, the State Senate voted to give children of illegal immigrants the right to pay in state college tuition prices. They passed this by a 20-15 vote. The bill now goes to Governor Rell, who has said that she is not sure whether she will sign it or not. Here is the article from the Hartford Courant.

Our State Senator, David Cappiello (R-24), voted NO. Here is why he did so:

Sen. David J. Cappiello, R-Danbury, was adamant that providing aid to children of illegal immigrants steals slots from the children of legal residents at a time of fierce competition for seats at the University of Connecticut and other public schools.

"If there was an endless amount of slots available, I might actually accept this bill, but there's not," Cappiello said.

We will wait and see what the Governor does.

Breaking News

It has been reported that State Senator, Lou DeLuca, has been arrested on counts of conspiracy. He is currently the Senate Minority Leader, a post he has held since 2001. An interesting note is that his arrest is linked to James Galante. We'll report more later.

UPDATE: Here is the article from today's News-Times. Looks like this could get very interesting. Some are already calling on him to resign.