Rapper Jason Flores answers voter registration rap ... in a video

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Welch seeks to kill busway

State Sen. Jason Welch introduced a bill this week that aims "to transfer all unexpended funds designated for the New Britain busway" so the money can be used instead "for the purpose of restoring commuter rail service from Waterbury to Hartford, through Plymouth, Bristol and Plainville."
The measure is before the transportation committee.
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Bristol schools to shut down early today

Bristol schools will close early.
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Larson hails Obama's State of Union address

U.S. Rep. John Larson, the East Hartford Democrat whose 1st District includes Bristol, released this moments ago:

Larson Statement on President Obama’s State of the Union Address

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Congressman John B. Larson, Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, released the following statement after President Obama’s State of the Union address:

“President Obama has called on Congress and our nation to move forward an agenda centered on out-educating, out-building, and out-performing the rest of the world. He said ‘this is our time’, and I couldn’t agree with him more. We must build upon our successes and prepare our nation for a stronger foundation.

“It is time for us to create jobs and grow our economy here at home. It’s time for us to work together, so our concerns are that of the ironworker in East Hartford, the teacher in Bristol, and the small business owner in Torrington. It is time for us to prepare our nation to win in the future.

“The economy and jobs are the greatest domestic concern of our nation, and it should be a shared goal of us all to address it with a commonsense approach. Tonight, the President provided a blueprint that is practical and needed, with job creating investments in education, innovation, and our nation’s infrastructure.

“As we invest for our future, we will take responsibility for our current deficits and make the necessary cuts to prioritize our overall goal-making a stronger, smarter, more competitive America.  I applaud President Obama for his pledge to not accomplish this by privatizing social security or on the backs of our current and future seniors.

“This is our opportunity, for both Democrats and Republicans, to pull together for the greater benefit of the American people.  Tonight’s speech provided the fuel for this generation’s next great moment. If we highlight making it in America, drive initiatives that will lead to job creation and a renewed economic expansion, the stars are the limit for our nation. America is ready to lead.” 

Tonight, Congressman Larson’s guest to the State of the Union Address was Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy.

 

“I thank Governor Malloy for accepting my invitation to witness tonight’s State of the Union in the House Chamber. I look forward to working with him and our President to address the important issues facing our communities in Connecticut,” said Congressman Larson.

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Cockayne, McCauley differ on potential conflict of interest

I forgot to mention this after the City Council meeting this month, but, hey, better late than never, right?
At the end of the meeting, councilors were preparing to go into executive session to discuss some boring topics and get an update on contract negotiations with the police and fire unions.
Democratic city Councilor Kevin McCauley, a firefighter, said he would not participate in the session about the fire pact because it posed a conflict of interest.
Republican Ken Cockayne asked if McCauley planned to be involved in the closed-door talk about the police contract since it shared many of the same issues and terms.
McCauley said he would because it did not pose a conflict.
Cockayne said he disagreed, clearly stating that in his view, McCauley had a conflict.
But McCauley brushed aside the concern and did, in fact, participate in the executive session about the police contract.
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Flores not a registered voter

Rapper Jason "Fury" Flores is not a registered voter, according to city records.
Though Flores said he plans to run for mayor as an independent, he can't seek the city's top job unless he registers to vote.
The city charter says that "no person shall be qualified to be a candidate for any elective municipal office in the City of Bristol unless such person shall be an elector of said city."
To be an elector of the city means only that someone is registered to vote.
At this point, there are no declared candidates for mayor, though Republican Ken Cockayne is weighing a run and Democrat Art Ward may be eyeing another term.
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A sign the governor backs the busway?

When the State Bond Commission meets next Friday, it is expected to approve a $5 million allocation "to provide grants-in-aid for transit-oriented development projects."
The state Transportation Department request designates these as "transit-oriented development pilot projects":
(1) Station area development in all towns on the New Britain to Hartford busway corridor;  
(2) Station area development in Windsor and Meriden on the New Haven to Springfield rail line; 
(3) Station area development on the New Haven rail line from West Haven to Stratford; and 
(4) Station area development in New London on the Shore Line East rail line.
Projects within a half mile of a proposed station can qualify for between $250,000 and $1 million.
There's nothing to say that the busway station areas will actually get any money, but the listing of the busway may be an indication that Gov. Dannel Malloy may be willing to back the busway.
We'll see how it plays out.
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Murphy throws hat in Senate ring

U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, a familiar face in Bristol and nearby towns, is running for Senate.
He unveiled a campaign website this morning and issued a statement to The Huffington Post.
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Lieberman: 'Excited about beginning a new chapter of life'

Statement that U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman emailed to supporters a few minutes ago:

Twenty three years ago, in February 1988, on a wintry day in Hartford, I announced that I would be a candidate for the U.S. Senate.  

In two years, I will complete my fourth term.  When that day comes, I will have served 24 years in the U.S. Senate.

For the extraordinary opportunities to serve our state and country that I've had, I'm personally grateful to everyone who has helped me, including you.

As you know, I have been thinking a lot and talking with family and friends about my future. I wanted you to know, in advance, that I have made a decision that I will announce at the Marriott Hotel in Stamford at 12:30 pm today.

I have decided it is time to turn the page to a new chapter, and so I will not be a candidate for re-election to a fifth term in the U.S. Senate in 2012. 

The reason for my decision, after 40 years in elective office, is best expressed in the wise words from Ecclesiastes: "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under Heaven."  

For me, it is time for another season and another purpose under Heaven.

This was not an easy decision for me to make because I have loved serving in the Senate and I feel good about what I have accomplished.  But I know it is the right decision and, I must say, I am excited about beginning a new chapter of life with new opportunities.

I look forward to spending the next two years in the Senate devoting the full measure of my energy and attention to getting things done for Connecticut and our country. 

And when my Senate chapter draws to a close in 2013, I look forward to new opportunities that will allow me to continue to serve our country - and to stay engaged and involved in the causes that I have spent my career working on, and that I care so much about. 

I go forward with a tremendous sense of gratitude for the opportunities I have had to make a difference.   Hadassah and I thank you for the trust and support you have shown us over the years.

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Bristol killing makes the London tabloids

 

Here's the link.

And Gawker, too, is having fun with  it.
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Lieberman to retire? It appears so.

The Washington Post and many other news organizations are reporting that U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, Connecticut's senior senator, won't seek reelection in 2012, clearing the field for an old-fashioned showdown between the Republicans and Democrats.
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Snow anger at City Hall (updated)

When the snow piled up last Wednesday in a storm that even the dumbest weather personality on tv could predict well ahead of time, the state, most big companies and many small ones simply closed up for the day.
After all, Gov. Dannel Malloy asked people to stay off the roads, saying it wasn't safe out there.
Of course, some people have to work. They perform the critical functions we all need to get through the storm safe and sound.
But most don't.
In our region of the state, nearly every municipality shut down for the day except for essential services such as snow plowing, fire and police.
But Bristol opened its door anyway.
At City Hall, by all accounts, the only people there were a smattering of enraged employees snarling that they shouldn't have been forced to come to work -- particularly when the public they serve wasn't about to brave the weather to come get a building permit, pay a tax bill, register to vote or anything else.
The libraries, thinly staffed, open to nobody. The senior center was silent, but open.
City workers were told they didn't have to come in if they couldn't, but staying home would cost them a vacation day (or, in the case of new workers, they could just go without pay for the day). So those who could make it, did.
But it's hard to say why.
They put their own safety at risk -- and they put others in danger, too, because every vehicle or pedestrian on the road that day contributed to the problem.
So why were they called in when most cities and towns told workers to stay home?
Because some Bristol workers who have to put in time during a storm get automatic overtime if City Hall closes. And that would cost a few extra bucks.
I can't say whether taxpayers would mind shelling out the extra money to keep Bristol's government workers safe, but I do know that it's crazy to insist people show up at work when there's little work to do and the governor himself is telling everyone to stay home for the good of the state.
This isn't how government should run.

UPDATE: The police contract, at least, does not require overtime for police if City Hall is closed because of the weather, according to the police union and others.
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Channel 61 news story about Jason Flores

Channel 61 did a story over the weekend about Bristol rapper Jason Flores, prospective mayoral candidate. I'm sure some of you would like to see it. 
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New version of the Bristol video featuring Jason Flores

Whatever else you think of Jason Flores and his rap song about Bristol, you have to admit that the production values on this video are terrific....
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No school in Bristol on Thursday.

Another day off for Bristol's students already decided.
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A helping hand in the snow

Nathan White, left, and Shawn Kruse on Lufkin Lane after helping a neighbor with her snowblower this morning. Photo provided by Chloe White Kruse. (Thanks, Chloe!)

If anybody's got any good pictures from today's storm that you don't mind us publishing online or in the paper,  send them to me at bristolpress@gmail.com. Be sure to identify anyone pictured in them and give me your name, too. Any help is appreciated.

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Blumenthal "listening tour" skips Bristol

For two weeks, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal is touring the state on what he calls a "Listening Tour" to hear what his constituents have to say about, well, anything.
The tour takes him from Stamford to Hartford, from Groton to Winsted, from Torrington to Meriden, and more.
But in all that time, Blumenthal has no plans to listen to the concerns of the Mum City.
Of course, Bristol residents are free to show up at any of his stops. And Lord knows nobody can hit all of Connecticut's 169 towns and cities in two weeks, or even two months, but isn't Bristol worth making time for?
Maybe Blumenthal needs to see Fury's rap video about how great Bristol is.
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Betts, Welch: Ax our benefits

Two lawmakers who took office this month from Bristol are seeking legislation that would eliminate health and retirement benefits for themselves and other new members of the General Assembly.
State Sen. Jason Welch and state Rep. Whit Betts, both Republicans, proposed a measure that would ax the benefits "for newly-elected legislators assuming office on or after January 5, 2011."
The bill has been shipped to the appropriations committee.
Legislators earn $28,000 annually for their part-time job. They are also eligible for state pensions after serving more than a decade and, once they've put in 10 years in office, receive free health care for themselves and their spouse after age 55.
In addition to their pay and retirement benefits, legislators are entitled by Connecticut law to participate in the state's "group hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plan."
Under the proposal by Welch and Betts, new legislators would keep their current medical insurance but lost their pensions and retiree health coverage..
The bill would not apply to legislators who served before 2011 even if there was a gap in their legislative career.
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Bristol officer shoots self by mistake

More from the police... A 25-year-old off-duty Bristol officer managed to shoot himself in the leg on January 6 up in Torrington. Police there haven't named him, but I'm sure we'll know who it was by tomorrow.
He was treated at a couple of hospitals and released so that's good. Hopefully the injury is more to his pride more than anything else.
Accidents do happen, even to the most careful officers, but it certainly doesn't help the department now.
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Rapper to run for mayor

In his studio in the Bristol Polish Club building recently, rapper Jason “Fury” Flores insisted his YouTube smash hailing his hometown isn’t the slightest bit tongue-in-cheek.

“The city of Bristol really is pretty perfect,” said Flores, a 25-year-old city native whose music has attracted national attention on the hip-hop circuit.

“People probably take Bristol for granted,” he said. “It really is a beautiful city and a wonderful place to raise a family.”

In its first week online, Flores’ “Bristol State of Mind” – a local version of the hit song about New York by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys – has attracted nearly 12,000 viewers in an ever escalating trend.

“It’s getting played all over” the country, said Troy Wilson, a friend who works with Flores.

The Bristol song, which includes some offensive words despite its generally positive outlook, features Flores rapping about everything from “the Christmas decorations on the lamp posts in the winter” to a legendary drive-through worker at Taco Bell.

“I’m just the king to a throne in the city that has taught me everything that I’ve known,” Flores raps in the song.  Click here for the full story.

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Larson: 'A sad day for Arizona and our nation;\'

Press release from U.S. Rep. John Larson, an East Hartford Democrat whose 1st District includes Bristol:

Washington, DC – Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, released the following statement after news that Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, members of her staff and others were shot at an event in Tucson, AZ earlier today:

“Today is a sad day for Arizona and our nation.

"Congresswoman Giffords is respected by all of our colleagues for her conviction to public service.  With a benevolent soul and a gentle heart, she serves her home state with great pride and passion.

"This tragedy is one that touches all of us, and one that will leave an indelible mark on our nation for generations.

"My thoughts and prayers are with her husband, Captain Mark Kelly and their family, her staff, and her constituents in Arizona."

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Murphy: 'This is awful beyond words'

U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy tweeted this afternoon about the shooting of an Arizona congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords, and others outside a Safeway in Tucson, Arizona:


My God. Our prayers are all with Gabby and her family right now. I can't stop shaking in disbelief. This is awful beyond words.
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Ward wants Fuller to serve as next acting mayor

When city councilors meet Tuesday, Mayor Art Ward won’t be there.
But the mayor did help set the agenda, pick new appointees to city boards and select a new acting mayor.
Ward said that he wants city Councilor Kevin Fuller to take the acting mayor role starting that night,
The first-term Democrat can help, Ward said, by filling in for him at many of the social events that he would normally attend but can’t during his recuperation.
Ward said that he’s happy with the job that Republican city Councilor Ken Cockayne did in his two months on the job, including the long period since the mayor’s Dec. 4 collapse.
Ward said that he wants Fuller to serve as acting mayor next because his Board of Education computer job offers a lot of flexibility and it’s right in town.
That allows Fuller to go to functions and perform other duties more easily than it would be for other councilors, Ward said.
Ward said that when he returns to work in the mayor’s office in a few weeks, he’ll probably put in half days for a while.  Click here for full story
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"Bristol, the city where dreams come true"

Don't click on this video if you're easily offended because the rapper who sings it, Jason "Fury" Flores, has some wording and phrases that are not for the faint of heart. But with more than 11,000 YouTube hits in the past week, this song about how wonderful Bristol is certainly belongs on the Bristol Blog. Besides, I'll have more say about Flores soon.

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A grateful Ward says he'll be back at work in a couple of weeks

Mayor Art Ward can’t remember the day he choked on a piece of steak.
Ward said Thursday he woke up groggy after 10 days in intensive care at Bristol Hospital with no idea where he was or why he was there.
“It might be an understatement, but I’m very glad to be here,” Ward said.
He’s made a reasonably swift recovery from the “freak act of nature” in the weeks since he woke up, he said, and should be able to return part-time to his City Hall post in two or three weeks.
Already, though, he’s in charge again.
“The main thing is I tire very easily,” Ward said, which is no surprise after spending 16 days at Bristol Hospital – most of them in a medically induced coma that saved his life.
In an exclusive interview with The Bristol Press at his Stevens Street home Thursday, Ward said that after losing oxygen for as long as 6 minutes while rescuers tried to dislodge the meat stuck in his throat on Dec. 4, “It’s just totally, totally amazing” that he’s still around.
“When you look at the whole scope of things, I feel very, very fortunate,” the mayor said. “I was incredibly lucky.”  Click here for the entire story.
 I'll have more here on Friday.
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Opening Day in Hartford

State Sens. Joe Markley and Jason Welch

Despite the inevitability of partisan bickering and budget battles to come, Inauguration Day at the Capitol provided a jolt of hope for a state mired in economic misery.
“It’s exciting. Everybody’s starting a new page,” said Steve Casey, a former state senator from Bristol.
With the opening of the General Assembly session and the swearing-in of Gov. Dannel Malloy as the state’s 88th governor, politicians on both sides of the aisle talked about the necessity of facing Connecticut’s woes head on.
“There’s a little bit of a dreamlike aspect to all of this,” said state Sen. Joe Markley, R-Southington, who was thinking back to his first term in the legislature a quarter century ago.
For state Rep. Frank Nicastro, D-Bristol, the start of the new session is “very exciting” in large part because Malloy is taking hold of the helm.
“We’re going to turn the state around and bring it back,” Nicastro said.
“There’s a lot of enthusiasm here,” said state Rep. Betty Boukus, D-Plainville, because of “a blend of old and new” officials and the swearing-in of Malloy and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman.
State Rep. Whit Betts, R-Bristol, said he is also excited at the possibilities.
“I hope we can meet on common ground,” Betts said.
State Sen. Jason Welch, R-Bristol, said that a lot of serious work lies ahead to repair the state’s fortunes and that Republicans and Democrats “disagree on how to fix it.”
But, he said, the Democrats in the Senate have been “very welcoming” and he hopes everyone can settle on a course that will get the economy flowing again and create much-needed jobs.
Malloy said the state has reached “a crossroads of crisis and opportunity” and that if its leaders show strength and compassion, they can fix the state’s finances and economy.
“We will need to solve our problems together – by pursuing with great urgency not Republican ideas or Democratic ideas, but good ideas that know no political master or agenda," Malloy said in his address.
State Rep. Chris Wright, D-Bristol, said the first day is always fun, but he’s sure a long and difficult session lies ahead.
“There’s going to be no easy answers,” Wright said, because every spending cut creates howls from whoever is hurt but somehow the state has to fill a multi-billion hole in its budget.
Sacrifices are going to be required, Wright said, and the need to slice spending and raise taxes is “going to upset people, but that’s what we were elected to do.”
Casey, who works for the state’s information technology department, said it helps “to have a new governor who has a lot of hope and vitality and who is willing to take on the massive challenges we have.”
“We’re ready,” Boukus said.
[And here is the New Britain version of this story, which is actually quite different.]

Two new Bristol lawmakers

Bristol’s two new GOP legislators took office Wednesday morning at the Capitol amidst many family and friends.

The weight of responsibility that comes with the office “hit me for the first time today,” said state Rep. Whit Betts. “It was a very serious moment.”

State Sen. Jason Welch said he’d been so busy that the enormity of the job didn’t really sink in until he stood in the Senate chamber.

As the names of each senator were called one by one, he felt thankful for the opportunity to serve.

“We made it. We’re here,” Welch recalled thinking.

Betts said, “It’s now time to face the music.”

Betts won the open 78^th District seat representing northwestern Bristol and Plymouth that longtime GOP lawmaker Bill Hamzy of Terryville gave up when he opted not to seek reelection.

Betts and Welch, who unseated a longtime incumbent to win the 31^st District seat, joined three Democratic veterans to make up the city’s legislative delegation. The others are state Reps. Frank Nicastro, Chris Wright and Betty Boukus.  Click here for the rest of the story.

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com