July 13, 2009

Gov. Rell still shuns Bristol's park project

It appears that Gov. Jodi Rell thinks Milford's $3 million boardwalk is more important than the $4 million Bristol was supposed to get for Rockwell Park.
I'm not sure why some commitments need to be honored while others can be ignored, even ones considered so crucial that the city itself picked up the tab to remake Rockwell Park.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

The city dissed Rell so Rell is dissing the city back.

Anonymous said...

It's because Artie burned down that bridge.

Anonymous said...

Maybe the local politicians should be more careful as to whose toes they step on.

It did happen!

Not mine said...

wah .... wah .... wah .... gimme..... gimmee ..... gimmee ....

Maybe it's time for Bristol to GROW UP !!!!!

NO ACCOUNTABILITY said...

IT'S SO NICE TO SEE THE NEGATIVITY VERSUS HOPING THAT SOMETHING POSITIVE HAPPENS FOR BRISTOL - YOU ASS-OLES.

Anonymous said...

Having grown up in Milford, two streets from the beach where this boardwalk is to be built, I'm torn on this one. The Silver Sands State park was on the drawing board when I was in elementary school in the 1960's. Cottages were taken by emminent domain, demolished and then the property was left vacant for decades. Some may remember that one former cottage owner even moved back on her lot in an unheated, unelectrified shack and held off the state for years. So Milford has been waiting for improvements to this state park a bit longer than we have.

Why can't both projects be funded? Oh right, we don't have a budget and we're in the midst of the worst slowdown since the Depression. However, I agree that politics may also be playing a part.

Yesterday's tomorrow is today said...

maybe it is time for the people of bristol to get off their butts and let the state know that we need to be reckoned with - any ideas or do we just lay back and play dead?
i am not expecting a lot of positive feedback because most of the losers who post on this website don't have an once of foresight for today, let alone the future but I can die dreaming, can't I?

Anonymous said...

Ward said we are getting OVER 50 million from the state: what is he complaining about?

Our Mill rate would have been over 38 mills without that money from the state.

AnonymousWestconnStudent said...
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Anonymous said...

Thank you Art Ward: Who are you going to piss off next?

Anonymous said...

Bristol pissed the State off! Steve, why dont you do some reporting and ask Hamzy,Wright and Calipetro whats going on! Geez!

Steve Collins said...

I'm not sure it's fair to say Bristol made the governor angry. After all, projects in every town except Milford seem to have had their funding pulled permanently. I doubt 168 towns pissed off Gov. Rell.
That said, though, Bristol does appear to be fare poorly in Rell's proposed budget, as many have pointed out. Next time I see her, I'll be sure to ask if she has something against Bristol.

Anonymous said...

Guess Ward's big mouth is getting Bristol nothing once again. thanks Art for your smug attitude.

Anonymous said...

Steve,

What do you expect her to say?

Why not look at some of the things that have happened: criticism without seemingly to work with her, dumping on some people she might have been close to, going to the well too often etc. etc.

Do some research, talk to people, you might dig up something interesting.

Anonymous said...

Milford is the hometown of Jim Amman, one of her rivals for Governor. What better way to cut into his support than to hold a presser in his backyard to show the residents of Milford who really delivers for the town? Bristol votes Democratic no matter how well any Governor has treated Bristol, why bother?

People get the government they deserve and they deserve the government they get.

Bristol is a community of Democratic whiners. For any Republican, Bristol is a lost cause.

AnonymousWestconnStudent said...
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Anonymous said...

Why would Steve want to dig up something bad on a Democrats!

THE R E A L REASON said...

THE REAL REASON that Gov. Rell has chosen NOT to appropriate the 4 Million dollars for Rockwell Park is because she was privately informed in a thorough and comprehensive manner as to the extent of waste of those precious dollars due to the backwards priorities of the board of park commissioners under the misguided CONTROL of committee chair Zoppo. In essence, the main reason being the their choice to spend 1 million dollars to totally rebuild the parking lot and entrances, which were not at all in disrepair or in any way necessary. That million should have been spent on restoration of the historic buildings that make this park unique. This goal was in their original mission statement but of course was fully ignored despite the fact that Zoppo was a head honcho (controller) at the Historical Society. As an experienced grant writer, she knows how to flower things up to improve their chances, yet all along intentionally deceiving people, as most seasoned politicians regularly do so they can eventually do what they feel is best. Thankfully she is not in political office any more, albeit still continues to dominate far too many local committees - she should be banished to the pointless forest.
The other major mistakes were deciding to locate the skatepark where the basketball court used to be primarily because that would eliminate the foul language issue right next to the children's playground - - yeah right - how backwards can their rational be ? Well, for many decades our glorious know it all politicians and committee's have made countless serious mistakes at Rockwell Park, and lets not forget the advice and guidance of the professional planners and designers that the city contracts and wastes huge sums of money on - and most of the time the proposed projects never come to fruition and when they do, they are seriously botched and inadequate. What on earth makes any of them think that dressing up the sidewalks, curbs and lighting is going to convince businesses to locate anywhere in a blighted downtown in a depressed city ? Again, a total waste to precious time, energy and money just so they can claim that they tried their best to do what was right, when all along - it was all wrong. Perhaps ? a professional city manager could do a better job ? but they would have to eliminate the boards and committee's to even come close to standing a chance of success. In reality the entire scenario is rather an impossible farce.

Anonymous said...

Obviously Art ain't too easy to get along with.

And it apparently is costing us.

Anonymous said...

Steve,

Is this type of behavior what we are to expect when we go for our supposed 70% state funding for the two new school projects?

Anonymous said...

I think that someone is coming down too hard on Zoppo, and also is playing loose with the facts.
Governors do not get involved with the details, but they do get involved with the politics.

She is looking for ways to cut state spending, and certainly will WORK WITH those that WORK WIH her before she supports those that are in conflict with her.

After all these years, Art still hasn't learned how politics works, especially once you get out of Bristol.

A peck on the cheek doesn't cut it.

Anonymous said...

Re: July 14 - 3:55

You are way off base. Let's put it this way - when Zoppo was on the Revi Board and the Council, the city received money - when she wasn't - the flow of money stopped.

You disdain for Ellen Zoppo is blinding your thought process, but this usually occurs when one attempts to blame others with little or sound reasoning.

Anonymous said...

Why would RELL want to give money to bristol. Not one politian who has direction or sence.

Anonymous said...

Re: July 14, 3:55 PM

Your lengthy rant is just about the most elaborate, convoluted, and completely fabricated pile of bull$h!t I've ever seen on this blog. And you might want to check your facts while you're at it: Zoppo was never the chair of the Board of Parks Commissioners.

Get a grip, dude. You might want to start by taking several deep breaths....

Anonymous said...

I still think that Artie is orgulous.

Anonymous said...

Just Remember everyone, Jodi Rell was the Governor that gave us #0 plus million for the expansion of Route 72 which we have waited for since the 1960's.

The previous 7 Governors turned thier backs on us getting an expressway, Jodi Rell came through.

Anonymous said...

I will bet money that the "Real Reason" ranter is that crazy park advocate Marcus something who continually went to Council meetings and swore at Zoppo because she didn't let him dominate the Revitization meetings. He despises Zoppo because she was a strong chair and whether you like her or hate her, at least the Revitization committee met when she was chair. Under the current mayor it never meets, which makes me wonder who is watching the construction costs and change orders and other things that are iomportant.

AnonymousWestconnStudent said...
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no bias said...

ellen, your focus should remain on the boys/girls club where you do an, fairly okay, job and leave real productive politics to those who, actually, respect the opinions, pro or con, of others.

Anonymous said...

And since the Republicams won't have anyone to help Rell next year(mayor, council) Bristol will continue to get shut out.

Where is Hamzy?