Rell Comes To DHS

"You can't escape responsibility for tomorrow by evading it today."

--- Quote from the Darfur Video

On Thursday, Governor Jodi Rell went to Danbury High School to sign a ceremonial bill to try to end the genocide in Darfur. It has been praised, and it really just began because of the video that DHS students made about the issue last year.



Congratulations goes out to the Governor for signing this bill, and the high school students who showed the community that this has became a serious issue. Here is the link to the News-Times article.

Interesting Input

Recently, there has been much talk regarding the sex-offender letters that are being sent home to parents of students. Today, there was an interesting "Letter to the Editor" in the News-Times about this. The writer mentions that the letters will only be sent home to the parents of students enrolled in the Danbury Public School System, not those of private schools. They do not feel that this is right.

You can read the entire letter here, but the following is a strong point that was included in the letter:

Certainly, all of Danbury's children should receive equal consideration as far as their safety is concerned.

Now, to to tell you the truth, I think that it is a shame that students, from Danbury High School's Peer Leadership, had to be the ones that brought this issue up. They deserve so much praise, even more than what they have been receiving. I have to admit that the writer who wrote this letter made a very strong point, but I also believe that every household in Danbury should receive a letter of city sex-offenders. It's about our safety --- something that is too deeply important.

The Journey Comes To An End

Well, I guess it wasn't meant to be. The UConn women's season ended last night as they lost 72-50 against LSU. The Huskies couldn't score, and their defense was not nearly as strong as it usually is.

With this loss, UConn heads back home, but like always they gave Connecticut fans something to cheer about. They may have not made it to the Final Four, but the good news is that as the year went on, the Huskies just got better, and all of them will be coming back next year (since there aren't any seniors).

We will now get back to local politics, a new poll will be coming out soon, so make sure you take the one that is there now. It is almost April.....and the local campaigns will be starting to take shape. Stayed tuned!

UConn - 78 NC State - 71

Huskies Become Elite

Last night the UConn women defeated NC State by a final score of 78-71. The Huskies came out strong in the second half to come from behind and win. This win advances them to the Elite Eight where they will be playing the LSU Tigers. The game will be tomorrow (Monday) at 9PM on ESPN.

We would like to acknowledge that NC State's coach, Kay Yow, is battling cancer, but has still coached her team to the Sweet Sixteen. We wish her the best.

Make sure you watch the Huskies tomorrow night. They are just one win away from going to the Final Four in Cleveland.

LET'S GO UCONN!!!

Murphy Votes For War Deadline

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 218-212 to set a deadline to bring our troops home from Iraq. They voted to set August 31, 2008 as the date for combat troops to come home. Interesting enough, two Republicans voted in favor, while fourteen Democrats voted against the resolution.

Our Congressman, Chris Murphy (D-5), voted in favor of the measure. He released a press release on why he did so. You can read that here. The following are parts taken from the statement:

"I come here to support this legislation because for the first time since the start of this disastrous engagement, Congress is making sure that any further spending on this war comes with unprecedented support for our troops and veterans, and a real plan to redeploy our forces and resources to fights that we can still win."

“The days of issuing a blank check to this Administration with no questions asked are over. As we enter the fifth year of this war, people in Connecticut and across the country demand a change in our policy in Iraq. This bill is the change that they asked for.”

Now, President Bush has said that if the bill reaches his desk, he will veto it. He believes that setting a time table to leave Iraq is not the right thing to do. Americans have felt otherwise, and so has our Congress.

UConn - 94 UWGB - 70

Huskies Advance To Sweet Sixteen

Late last night, UConn defeated the University of Wisconsin Green Bay. The final score of the game was 94-70. After a bad first half, the Huskies came out in the second half (being down by 2 points) and were lights out.


This victory means that UConn will be advancing to the Sweet Sixteen in Fresno. They will be playing number four, N.C. State. It is expected to be an emotional game because the coach of N.C. State currently has cancer, but is still coaching. The game will be on Saturday at 9PM.


Remember to watch. It is time to show our Connecticut pride.


LET'S GO UCONN!!!

Look Back at the 2005 Election

I thought that many of you would be interested if we look back at the 2005 election results. This year was very important to Republicans because they had to prove that they could maintain the seats that they won big in 2003. Overall, they were successful.

Mayor Mark Boughton won a third term defeating Democrat Dean Esposito. He received 58% of the vote, a little less than the 61% that he won in 2003. In the 2003 election, Boughton didn't have many very controversial issues to deal with, but in 2005 he had illegal immigration, and the police contract, just to name a few. This year Boughton may most likely be challenged by former City Clerk Helena Abrantes. She may pull in much of the Portuguese vote, but she will need more than that to be able to succeed. Something that Boughton has been able to prove is that he attracts not only Republicans, but also gets some Democratic votes, and has always won the unaffiliated voters.

City Treasurer Dan Jowdy faced Democrat Mike McGetrick. He won with 54% of the vote. Jowdy has strong support from his Republican base, is successful in getting Democratic votes, and the unaffiliated voters. As of right now, no big names have really been said to be running against Jowdy, possibly a rematch from 2005.

City Clerk Jean Natale barely survived in 2005. She only got 51% of the vote against her Democratic opponent Eileen Coladarci. This is probably on the top of the Democrats target list. Natale will have to be able to do well with unaffiliated voters if she wants to remain in office. Of course a strong Boughton victory could lead the under ticket to victory as well, but the likelihood of a 2003 repeat isn't that big.

Town Clerk Joe Scozafava was the one person the Democrats attacked in 2003. Democrat Lori Kaback challenged him, and was very successful. She ended up winning 56% of the vote, and did very well attracting people from all sides of the aisle. A Republican challenger is not yet known, but it has been said that a tough candidate may emerge.

The Common Council went into the election with Republicans having a 17-4 member advantage. The results of the election changed this into a 14-7 Republican majority. Lynn Taborsak won her At-Large seat by a very big ratio, and we will have to see if her very vocal stands on various issues will result in much support. Depending on who runs in each ward will determine which wards will be competitive. I do have this funny feeling that the third ward may be competitive.

So will what happened in 2005 end up having any impact in 2007? Will Democrats pick up seats or will Republicans? Will we see much change at all? We are finally in campaign mode. By the way, who do you think should run?

UConn - 82 UMBC - 33

The UConn women basketball team won last night against UMBC (University of Maryland Baltimore County) by a final score of 82-33. It was a very impressive win for the Huskies, who are trying to win their sixth national championship. For the first time since 2003, they are a number one seed.

Their next game is tomorrow (Tuesday), at around 9:00 PM. They will be facing #9 UW-GB (University of Wisconsin Green Bay). UConn is currently 30-3, and a win tomorrow night would send them to the Sweet Sixteen.

Sorry about the light posting lately, I am now back on track. Make sure you take our new poll, and come back often.

LET'S GO UCONN!!!

Third Poll Results

Our poll results are in. The question was if you were affiliated with a certain political party. The results were the following:

Yes - Republican: 9 (69%)
Yes - Democrat: 3 (23%)
No: 1 (8%)

Thanks to all who participated in this poll. There is a new one up, so please go take it. Make sure to come back often, and check the posts. Don't be afraid to comment on the stories.

Democrats Endorse Dodd

It has been reported that the Danbury Democratic Town Committee has endorsed our Senator, Chris Dodd, for president in the 2008 election. They have decided to remain loyal to Dodd, who has been our Senator for the past twenty-six years, and is considered one of the most experienced candidates running for President. They could have picked a more popular candidate, but like most of the Democratic state officials are doing, they have endorsed Dodd.

Unfortunately, for Dodd's case, Connecticut voters haven't shown much interest in his campaign, as they like what Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama stand for. The most recent Quinnipiac Poll showed that Connecticut Democrats top five picks are:

Clinton - 33%
Obama - 21%
Gore - 9%
Dodd - 8%
Edwards - 5%

Now, Dodd is said to be one who will raise a decent amount of money, and is considered a second-tier candidate, but not at the bottom of that list of candidates. Dodd may never make it to the Connecticut Primary because he may drop out, but I don't think that is really likely. He will give it his all, and devote his time to getting the nomination.

As of right now, he is definitely an underdog, but anything is possible in the world of politics. I have to say that I feel Dodd will not be the Democratic candidate for President in 2008, but his name could possibly still be on the line as a Vice-Presidential candidate, a very credible candidate for that too. Who knows? One thing is for sure, this is going to be the best race of all time!

Go UConn!!!

It is time for March Madness! There has been much talk lately on how the UConn men's basketball team failed to make it to the post-season this year. But this doesn't mean that Connecticut fans don't have a team to cheer for. The UConn women are 29-3, and are a favorite to make it to the Final Four. Now, I may be one of the biggest UConn women's basketball fans, and this blog will watch their journey throughout the NCAA Tournament.

So where is UConn in the bracket? They are a #1 seed in the Fresno Region. This means that they will play their first game at the Hartford Civic Center, which is where they play most of their home games.

They will play their first round game on Sunday, at a time to be determined. They will play 16th seeded UMBC. UConn has won the national championship all five times that they have made it there. The last one was when both them and the UConn men won the championship in 2004. For now they are just six wins away from bringing the title back to Connecticut --- where it belongs!

School - Based Health Centers

Sometimes politics can just get so partisan, and to the point that our representatives are fighting back and forth constantly. So, it is so nice to see when legislators from both side of the aisle work together to get the things that we need done.

In February, State Representative Jan Giegler (R-138), proposed legislation to have a school-based health center created at Rogers Park Middle School. Currently Danbury's other middle school, Broadview, and Danbury High School, both have school-based health centers. Giegler got the support from our other State Representatives, Jason Bartlett (D-2), Joe Taborsak (D-109), and Bob Godfrey (D-110).

Yesterday, the Public Health Committee, voted to approve a proposal that could help make school-based health centers deal with budget shortfalls that they have often. Rep. Bartlett visited Broadview yesterday to see the facility there. He even wants one added to Bethel High School.

Let's just say it is so nice to see results, and though we don't know if any of this is going to happen, it's good to see our local legislators working together to do the job that they were elected to do. Keep it up!

For Our Reference

I thought that many of you would find this interesting. Last night, Democratic mayoral candidate, Helena Abrantes, was on "Ideas at Work and Beyond" (a local show on Comcast Channel 23). She talked about what she wanted to do for the city, while also stressing what seems to be one of the biggest issues that she tends to focus on throughout the campaign which is over development. Mrs. Abrantes also spoke about her views on services for seniors, taxes, and public safety, along with a few others.

One topic that wasn't addressed much was illegal immigration. It didn't come up until a caller asked Abrantes her views on the issue. I felt that you would like to see a transcript of part of the conversation that she had. Remember this for future reference. Here it is:

Caller: Mrs. Abrantes, do you own an apartment building in Danbury? Do you own apartment buildings yourself?
Abrantes: I have two, two family houses.
Caller: Well, you mentioned some concern about crime and over population in the schools. Do you make sure that your tenants are legal residents, or are they from Brazil and Ecuador, and do you think they are illegal?
Abrantes: I don't think they are illegal.
Caller: But, did you check to see if they were illegal?
Abrantes: No because that's not exactly a requirement.

So what exactly does this mean? She did go on to say that illegals living here for about twenty years who have tried to become legal deserve to stay. Abrantes said that she is against illegal immigration, but she claims that she doesn't check who she lets be her tenants because it isn't part of the law. Well, what do you think? You can watch the whole interview here. Don't forget to take our poll!

More On The Budget

I thought that for those of you who couldn't attend the Council meeting Tuesday night would like to feel like they were there.

So I thought that I would post links to what occurred.

• Click here to read Mayor Boughton's 2007-2008 Budget Address.
• Click here to see the slideshow presentation on the budget.
• You can also click here to see the exact proposals.
  

So far, I have heard pretty good things about the budget. What is your opinion?

Danbury's Budget Proposal

Yesterday, Mayor Mark Boughton (R), presented his 2007-2008 budget proposal to the Common Council. He did so about a month earlier than usual because he felt that Finance Director, Dena Diorio, should be present throughout the procedure. She announced about a month ago that she was going to leave her position by April to take a similar one in North Carolina.

Overall, it was a fairly good budget with reasonable ideas. The main points of the proposal are (courtesy of the News-Times):

• A 6.1 percent increase to education.
• About $686,000 for 10 new firefighters.
• Reorganizational plans for the Public Works Department.
• No increases to water and sewer rates.
• Flat funding for grant agencies.
• $250,000 for the White Street streetscape project.
• $61,000 to support the Cityline 311 service representative

It's nice to see a bold proposal with many ideas that will effect our city in a positive way. The budget is a $191.4 million proposal, which is a $13 million increase from last years budget.

Mayor Boughton praised his plan. He said the following about it:

"The 2007-08 budget is full of changes and improvements (but) the impact of these changes to the taxpayer is minimal."

Council Democratic leader, Tom Saadi, wasn't so quick to say that he supported the plan. He said:

"This budget relies on the governor's funds. While that reliance may be 80 or 90 percent right, we are going to have to make up the difference."

One of the most interesting parts of last evening was said to be that Council-At Large member, Lynn Taborsak, decided to leave a little early because she was upset over various issues. A Council member leaving early for no good reason? Makes you think about who really represents you.

Second Poll Results

Our second poll results are in! The question of the poll was who you would vote for in this years mayoral race if the election was held today, and featured the two most likely candidates. It seems like most of you really like Mayor Mark Boughton's efforts for a fourth term. The results were:

Republican Mayor Mark Boughton: 17 (89%)
Former Democratic City Clerk Helena Abrantes: 2 (11%)
Undecided: 0 (0%)

Thanks for taking the poll. We will continue to watch this race, and many others as the election continues to quickly approach. A new poll is up, make sure you take it. Continue to come back often, and comment on the stories.

Murphy Comes To Danbury, Again

Yesterday, our Congressman, Chris Murphy (D-5), came to Danbury City Hall. He came to attend a town hall forum on education, mainly on the No Child Left Behind legislation. You can read the article here from the News Times. Murphy, a Democrat who defeated twenty-four year incumbent Nancy Johnson in November, has been going around different parts of the fifth district to talk to voters about problems and concerns that they may have.

Ever since being elected, our Congressman has been spending a lot of time in Danbury. He went to JK's restaurant to thank voters for the chance to serve them right after Election Day. Murphy also came to talk to Mayor Boughton about issues that our city face. Right after being sworn in, he came back to Danbury to go door knocking, something that is rarely done after an election. Murphy wanted to hear what voters felt were issues facing them, and wanted to know what they felt he should address in Washington. Yesterday, he came back.

Why is he spending so much time here? Now, you may know that Danbury is a swing-city of the fifth district, meaning that the candidate that happens to win Danbury has a better shot at winning the election. Also, there are a couple of people who may challenge Murphy from our area. So, is Congressman Murphy already campaigning for his 2008 re-election?

Danbury & Presidential Politics - 2004 Election

It's time for part two of the series where we are looking at how Danbury voted in the past two presidential elections.

In 2001, then-State Rep. Mark Boughton, became the first Republican elected Mayor in over a decade. He won by a very small margin of only 139 votes. Boughton ran on the message of putting "people over politics". It became a positive message, and is what led him to victory. Two years later in 2003 Boughton coasted to re-election, and the Republicans won 17 of the 21 seats on the Common Council, and also claimed the City Treasurer, City Clerk, and Town Clerk seats. It was a landslide win for Republicans, and it changed the city into a much more moderate place, rather than the Democratic stronghold that it once was. This is shown in the election for president in 2004.

President Bush seeked a second term, and didn't face much competition during the primary season. Democrats on the other hand had to pick their candidate, and the best who could challenge Bush on his post 9/11 actions, mostly the Iraq War.

Many Democrats entered the race. Over ten people were candidates at one point. Some higher profiled candidates were:

• Retired General Wesley Clark
• Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean
• U.S. Senator John Edwards of North Carolina
• Former U.S. House Majority and Minority Leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri
• U.S. Senator John Kerry of Mass.
• U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio
• U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman of CT
• Rev. Al Sarpton of NY

The list included, as you saw, our very own Senator Joe Lieberman. He was the party's vice-presidential nominee in 2000, and tried himself to get the nod. His chances at the beginning were looked at as pretty good, not great, but definitely better than how he did. Democrats saw his moderate side, though (which all of Connecticut has) and decided that he was not the best pick. Now to tell you the truth, I felt that Lieberman would be a good candidate because of his independent streak. I felt he would be able to attract the undecided voters, but of course party loyalty is more important in picking presidential candidates. In Connecticut Lieberman should have done well, but it wasn't really that way. These were the results from the Connecticut Primary:

1. John Kerry - 75,860 (58.3%)
2. John Edwards - 30,844 (23.7%)
3. Joe Lieberman - 6,705 (5.2%)
4. Howard Dean - 5,166 (4%)
5. Dennis Kucinich - 4,133 (3.2%)
6. Al Sharpton - 3,312 (2.5%)
7. Wesley Clark - 1,546 (1.2%)
8. Lyndon Larouche - 1,467 (1.1%)

Now in Danbury, Democrats voted like most around the state did. Those results were the following:

1. Kerry – 1381 (62%)
2. Edwards – 586 (26%)
3. Lieberman – 79(3%)
4. Sharpton – 47 (2%)
5. Dean – 44 (2%)
6. Kucinich – 34 (2%)
7. Clark – 24 (1%)
8. Larouche – 3 (.5%)
9. Undecided – 43 (1.5%)

As we all know, Kerry became the nominee, but in a hard fought battle lost to Bush. He picked John Edwards as his running mate, to attract the southern vote, which he failed to do. In 2000 Danbury went for Al Gore by fifteen percentage points. The Bush message of preventing terrorism, and strengthening our security got through to Danbury voters. Connecticut as a whole went for Kerry, by ten percentage points. But, this is how Danbury voted:

Bush – 12,399 (47%)
Kerry – 13,477 (51%)
Minor – 372 (2%)

Now Danbury didn't go for Bush, but it sure was close. What does this mean? Did the 2003 election, and Mayor Boughton really affect the way Danbury voted? Is he the one that got Bush only four percentage points away from Kerry in the city? Has Danbury really changed? Will a Republican really possibly win in Danbury in 2008? These are many questions that we ask ourselves. Nobody may know the true answers, but it sure makes you think about the saying that "all politics is local".