While hoping for a long-term commitment to leave the Social Security office in Bristol, U.S. Rep. John Larson said he’ll be pushing in the coming week to convince federal decision-makers to let it remain open past the Nov. 2 deadline announced recently.
Larson said Saturday that he’s meeting this week with both the Social Security Administration commissioner and the agency’s key legislative manager to try to gain Bristol more time to make its case.
The East Hartford Democrat, whose 1st District includes Bristol, said he’ll ask both officials “to give us the time needed to wait this budget through.”
After Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue told lawmakers earlier this year that he needed hundreds of millions in extra funding to allow office in Bristol and a number of cities across the country to stay open, Larson and other congressmen delivered a proposed budget that would do just that.
However, President George W. Bush has declared that he won’t sign a budget plan that includes more money than he proposed, which would leave the Social Security Administration with few options except paring back its administrative costs.
It doesn’t have the option of slicing Social Security payments.
State Rep. Frank Nicastro, a Bristol Democrat from the 79th District, said that Bush “has to open his eyes and see how he’s hurting people” with his vow to hold down federal spending that’s necessary to keep the office open.
Nicastro called it “totally unfair” and “almost vindictive” for the president to take aim at places like Bristol.
Nicastro, a former mayor, said he cannot fathom how the government can come up with billions for an unpopular war “and we can’t help the people here, the people that made this country great.”
City Councilor Kevin McCauley said that if requires a city delegation to go to Washington and plead Bristol’s case, he’s ready.
Larson said that Bristol has done all it can to try to find ways to cut costs, including landlord George Carpenter’s cooperation.
Carpenter gets $36,983 in annual rent on the Social Security office space, which is only a fraction of the $113,000 the agency hopes to save by shutting down the Bristol office.
Officials said they are trying to enlist Gov. Jodi Rell’s help in fighting for the Bristol office to stay open. They said that as a Republican, she might have more luck in convincing Bush to let the office remain in Bristol.
John Leone, president of the Greater Bristol Chamber of Commerce, expressed frustration at trying to get assistance from Rell. He said the governor’s staff sought to dismiss the issue as one that doesn’t involve the state, which is only technically true.
“Her staff could be more receptive,” Leone said.
Rell is expected to attend a groundbreaking for the Route 72 extension on Monday in Bristol, where she will no doubt receive plenty of personal lobbying from city and community leaders to lend a hand.
Mayor William Stortz said he hopes Larson can buy the city more time.
“We need that,” the mayor said.
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
8 comments:
George Carpenter gets $36,000+ in rent every year for that rinky dink space, and that's supposed to be a discount price? Unbelievable. The government owns so much property but they have to pay this guy rent???
Not surprise Gov Rell has taken a hands off approach - she does with most anything that could require a little bit of a fight. Bristol isn't worth it to her even though our Senior were the ones that played a large roll in her getting elected.
And to the 4:02 poster, George isn't asking a lot for prime downtown office space. 3K is small potatoes for approximately 1000 square feet in a maintained building.
Councilor Kevin's ready to go to Washington? Maybe he's got his decoder ring all packed! With those dandy red suspenders he favors, he'll fit right in with the other yahoos. Bristol couldn't be in better hands. Maybe the feds will keep him and Bristol can keep its SS office. Seems like a good trade...
To the 5:35 poster... Bristol's seniors, showing keen foresight (HA! look what it got them), played a "role" in Rell's election, not a roll. A "roll" is the thing that's next to the meatloaf on their dinner tray at the Senior Center, or what strange bedfellows do in the sack.
And nope, Jodi doesn't care. She has no use for Bristol.
Question... since when can "prime office space" and "downtown" fit in the same phrase when referring to Bristol?
Steve, how come you wrote a story about the fair in Portland? I saw it in the Middletown paper today.
Every couple of months, it's my turn to work a Saturday shift doing regional news. The idea is to make sure there's a reporter on duty who can race after any big breaking cop-related news on a Saturday. But since there isn't that much breaking news in Central Connecticut on a normal Saturday, we write about things like fairs to fill the time.
It worked out ok yesterday since I ran into Congressman Larson at the fair and was able to ask him about the Social Security office in Bristol.
Besides, it was a nice day to be at a fair.
I realize that typos and mis-use of words happen when your fingers start going faster than your brain is working. I know it should have been "role" and not "roll" - just a mind / finger slip.
Petty of you to make a point of mentioning it. Perfection is in the eye of the person looking in the mirrow.
And when I look in the mirror, it is perfection I see!
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