March 31, 2014
Can't we think big about Connecticut's hospitals?
March 30, 2014
Is the stuff we use on the roads to melt snow rusting out our vehicles?
March 28, 2014
City budget likely to ice out education
March 21, 2014
'Positive outcome' possible on school budget, Fitzgerald says
Full-day kindergarten has some support at City Hall
Following a budget hearing Thursday, city leaders expressed some support for the Board of Education’s bid to switch to full-day kindergarten next fall.
“It’s absolutely worth the money,” said city Councilor Calvin Brown. “It’s like making a choice between the 21st century and the Dark Ages.”
The school board is seeking an extra $1.9 million as part of its spending requests to fund a changeover from half-day to full-day kindergarten, a move that would triple the current two hours a day of instructional time, according to Superintendent EIlen Solek.
“We have to understand that’s a very, very small portion of the budget,” said city Councilor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu, a proponent of the move.
But it’s not clear that the proposal will win over a majority of city councilors and Board of Finance members who have to weigh the idea as part of a proposed $111.4 million education budget that would cost taxpayers $7.1 million more than the schools received this year.
“That’s a lot of money,” said city Councilor Eric Carlson. “The numbers kind of scare me a little bit.”
Derek Czenczelewski, a finance commissioner and former councilor, said he’s sure that a lot of young families would like to see the city adopt full-day kindergarten.
But, he said, officials “have to weigh it carefully” given the high cost and the impact on the minimum budget requirement that makes it nearly impossible for the city to reduce education funding from the previous year’s total.
Solek said the school budget as a whole was developed “thoughtfully, carefully and slowly” to cover rising costs and essential needs.
It includes some money to add middle school sports back into the mix, but at least two city leaders expressed frustration that it couldn’t also find money to restore the music and arts funding that was chopped during the recession.
Both Carlson and Finance Chairwoman Cheryl Thibeault said that children with an artistic bent should also have opportunities.
The main new initiative, though, is the school board’s call to join 77 percent of Connecticut districts by offering full-day kindergarten.
Solek said it would be “the most important thing that we can do for the city itself” because it would spur young families to move to Bristol who might otherwise go elsewhere.
“We need to stay competitive,” she said, and to keep educational achievement on the rise in a district where half the children in first grade or younger are eligible for free or reduced school lunches.
Brown said he also believes the kindergarten change is “one of the most important investments the city can make.”
He said it will help families who are trying to decide “where to plant their roots and build their lives.”
March 20, 2014
Cockayne's senior tax relief plan stalls
City may have to pay "Cadillac tax" on its health care for employees
March 19, 2014
Mayor to schools: Don't expect more
March 12, 2014
The best law Bristol ever adopted
Rotary showing polio movie on Thursday at Manross
March 7, 2014
State cash for Bristol shelter and BARC
REP. WRIGHT: TWO BRISTOL NONPROFITS RECEIVE $120,640 AND $70,000 FROM STATE PROGRAM
State Representative Christopher Wright (D-Bristol) welcomed an announcement by Governor Dannel P. Malloy that two Bristol nonprofit organizations have been awarded grants as part of the state’s Nonprofit Grant Program (NGP).
The St. Vincent Depaul Mission of Bristol, Inc was awarded $120,640 for shelter renovation and improvement work. Under the program some $10 million statewide was awarded to address maintenance and capital needs of nonprofit facilities. The Bristol St, Vincent Depaul Mission promotes the housing and shelter needs of low and middle income people.
The Bristol Adult Resources Center was awarded $70,000 for a vehicle purchase. Under the program vehicle purchases are an important component to improve services and replace aging vehicles with safer, more reliable, and accessible vehicles. The Bristol Adult Resource Center serves individuals with disabilities.
“These are deserving local community-based organizations that provide very important services to many of our residents,” Rep. Wright said. “Congratulations to both local organizations for being among 146 projects statewide earning these grants. It’s a tribute to the very fine work they do in our community.”
The awards were announced earlier this week at the State Capitol.
Martin hit for opposition to the busway
Press release from the Connecticut Working Families Party:
When Republican Bristol City Councilor Henri Martin announced his run for Connecticut State Senate in the 31st district, he was heavily critical of the New Britain to Hartford Busway. The busway, which will be completed in February of 2015, has created good jobs for workers in central Connecticut. It shows poor judgment on Henri Martin’s part to criticize a project already underway which is on time, on budget, and providing needed jobs in the building trades sector.
This isn’t a partisan issue; it’s about what is best for workers. New Britain’s newly elected Republican Mayor Erin Stewart said of the Busway: “But, whether you supported it or not, it’s here,” she said. “So, the question now is: How are we going to make it work, not only for New Britain but for the residents of the central Connecticut corridor?”
Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Connecticut Working Families Party questions Henri Martin’s judgment on Busway
Every year, the Connecticut Working Families Party looks at the records of all the candidates from every party and only endorses the candidates who share our values. That means being a champion for issues like raising the minimum wage, expanding Connecticut's historic paid sick days, and promoting infrastructure projects that put Connecticut residents back to work, like the busway.
March 6, 2014
Pavalock opposes bill to toughen driver's license renewals
Pavalock Opposes Proposed Law Regarding Driver’s Licenses.
(Bristol) Cara Pavalock, the Republican candidate for State Representative in the 77th Assembly District today announced that she is opposing a bill that would require anyone holding a Connecticut Drivers License to take a written test at the time of renewal.
The proposed law recently had a public hearing at the State Capitol. The bill (RSB-335) has been referred to the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee and was sponsored by House Committee Chairman Antonio Guerrera (D-Rocky Hill).
The text of the raised bill is below:
(NEW) (g) (1) On and after January 1, 2016, a licensee seeking renewal of a motor vehicle operator's license shall be required to pass a comprehensive test as to knowledge of the laws concerning motor vehicles and the rules of the road. If such licensee does not pass such knowledge test on the first attempt, such licensee shall be required to pass an on-the-road skills test, as prescribed by the commissioner, in addition to such knowledge test.
“This proposed law is ridiculous and creates an undue burden on our Senior Citizen population.” Pavalock continued, “Our state has incurred a massive amount of debt, unemployment is high, businesses and families are fleeing Connecticut and our General Assembly is wasting its time debating issues like this.”
Pavalock’s opposition stems from what she believes will be cost of implementing this proposal and the intrusion it will have on Connecticut drivers and citizens. “Has anyone who supports this bill ever stood in line at a motor vehicle office?” Pavalock asked.
“The implementation of this proposal would create longer lines, increase the need for more staff, and more importantly add more regulations to our already cumbersome motor vehicle laws,” Pavalock continued, “I would suggest that the Transportations Committee’s time would be better spent debating how it would erase the daily gridlock on I-84 through both Hartford and Waterbury, rather than spend it precious time increasing the cost of government.”
“I sincerely hope that my opponent in November, incumbent State Representative Christopher Wright (D-77) will join me in opposing this bill and let the people of his district know now where he stands on this issue.,” Pavalock continued, “We need less government, more common sense and a legislature that is focused on reducing spending and creating jobs for its citizens.”
Martin declares intention for state Senate run
Why did I decide to run
for State Senate?
I’m running because I want to help put the state back on a
path of prosperity. As we all know, the
state is still struggling to recover from an economic downturn that began over
six years ago and is still affecting our economy.
As a real estate broker I come across individuals and couples
regularly who are under a considerable amount of stress from this downturn. You
probably know friends and family members and business owners who are having a
hard time too.
I wish the state did more to help stimulate our economy. But
they don’t. Despite the spin we hear
from the Governor’s office about a surplus, the facts show we have one of the
weakest economies in the country, our job growth is well below the national
average, and our financial outlook is so fragile that businesses and people are
moving out faster than any other state in the country. According to the federal Bureau of Economic
Analysis and the Connecticut Department of Labor, Connecticut was the ONLY
state in the country that saw a decline in its Gross Domestic Product in
2012. And this was the second year of
decline in a row, again the only state in the country with that record.
Many people are still looking for work. And many have to leave the state to find work.
In 2008, the state lost 121,000 jobs. In the past six years we have recovered
only 52% of those jobs, while the rest of the country has recovered nearly 80%
of its lost jobs.
Job growth in Connecticut has been stagnant since 1990.
That’s over 2 decades. During the same period, the number of jobs in the U.S.
grew by over 20%. Put another way, if Connecticut had kept pace with the rest
of the country the state would now have 350,000 additional jobs.
Another contributing factor of these challenging economic
times is the reality our state has a $66 billion deficit made up of debt
service and unfunded pension and health care obligations. With a state population of 3.6 million, the
per capita dollar value of $66 billion in unfunded obligations is $19,000 for
every man, woman and child living in the state.
If you compare this to the bankrupt city of Detroit, their per capita
obligation is $25,000. Lurking ahead,
Connecticut also faces a $2 billion deficit in the next two fiscal years.
One has to ask: how did this happen? We have the best and most productive workers
in the country, we are well educated, our location is exceptional and our
quality of life is second to none. But
all these advantages are being drowned out by government overspending, massive
debt and policies that reduce our business competiveness in the national and
global market. Simply, we need to go in
a different direction – and fast – and that is why I’m running for State Senate
in the 31st District.
We must do better and the people of Connecticut deserve
better from their elected leaders in Hartford. This problem didn’t happen overnight and will
take a while to fix. It’s been growing
for years and the responsibility belongs with the past and present Executive
and Legislative branches of the state government, us who elect them and special
interest groups who support the elected officials for their own gain at the
expense of our future.
The current leadership in Hartford has had free rein over
state policy and spending for several years.
They have abused their majority position and have put our future at risk
and damaged our state’s reputation badly.
I am fed up with bad decisions and bad policies being rammed down our
throats like the outrageously expensive bus way between Hartford and New
Britain. Nobody needs a $600 million
dollar bus way, and nobody wants it. Yet
it was forced on us and they spent a lot of money we need to improve roads,
bridges and rail lines. This is
unacceptable to me, and the fiscal irresponsibility, raising taxes and
unsustainable spending has got to stop if we want our state economy to improve.
Further, I don’t believe the solution to Connecticut’s
lackluster economy, being proposed by our Governor in an election year, is to
raise the minimum wage and give everyone $55, while claiming we have a budget
surplus that everyone knows is just an accounting shell game.
The facts are clear, communities and states with higher
economic growth are the ones with less government spending and lower taxes that
attract people, businesses and jobs. We
have already lost one seat in Congress because of our shrinking population and
we are well on our way to losing another if the flow of people leaving the
state doesn’t stop. We need to offer
our children opportunities to stay here in Connecticut and raise their families
as we had when we were starting out.
There is no easy solution to turning these problems around. But it is obvious the direction the Governor
and the Democratic majority in Hartford is taking us is not working. The numbers speak for themselves, and have
for several years now. Albert Einstein
said it best, “The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over
and expect different results.” But
that’s exactly what we will be doing if we re-elect Governor Malloy and another
Democratic majority in Hartford. If we
want to avoid what happened to Detroit and put Connecticut on the right path to
economic growth we’ll need to face the situation with eyes wide open and make
some hard decisions. We cannot keep
doing what we are doing; passing bad financial decisions and wasteful spending
on to future generations.
For Connecticut to find its path to economic growth and
prosperity, and retain its jobs and skilled people it is going to require hard
working and concerned citizens to elect leaders who will advance policies that
will reduce taxes, minimize government spending and take the initiative to
address our looming debt obligations.
With your help in electing me, I’ll work to help refocus our
state government on things that matter most:
economic growth, long term job creation and fiscal responsibility. And that is why I’m running for State Senate
and why I’m asking for your support and your vote.
If elected I’ll take to heart the words of Rudy Giuliani –
“It would be an obligation, on my part, to perform honestly and effectively.”
March 5, 2014
Roche excited to share stage with Obama
A Bristol
Democrat who’s running for state Senate wound up with a dead center seat on the
stage, a few rows behind President Obama.
“He’s taller
than I thought he was,” said Dave Roche, president of the Connecticut Building
Trades and Construction Council.
Roche said
he was surrounded by Central Connecticut State University students, many of
them studying political science. All of them, he said, were upbeat.
“Everybody
was excited” to eyeball the president, Roche said.
He said he
was happy to hear what Obama had to say as well.
“It’s great to see a president that’s pushing
tobring people up instead of trying to take away or push people down,” Roche
said. “A rising tide raises all ships.”
Renaissance's financing plan remains a mystery
 |
| First phase rendering |
March 1, 2014
City demolishes blighted Gridley Street house
The city ripped down a condemned three-decker house on Gridley Street Friday as part of its renewed blight fight.
Mayor Ken Cockayne said the house was in “real bad” shape and its owner had not responded to repeated orders to fix it up.
The 114-year-old house, condemned last September, had so much roof, siding, window and structural damage that saving it would have required extensive repairs, city officials said.
The owner, Erik Guerra of Monroe, could not be reached for comment.
Guerra bought it in 2004 for $154,000. The city recently appraised the property for $181,000, of which $42,000 was for the land alone.
The city’s building official, Guy Morin, issued an order Dec. 23 to raze the structure because he deemed it “unsafe, dangerous and unsanitary.” He gave the owner 10 days to take action, but nothing was done.
Cockayne said that by the time weather allowed for razing the house, it was “beyond repair” because so much water had poured in through the roof that its interior was utterly ruined.
An excavator hired by the city tore through the house Friday, reducing it to a pile of rubble in about four hours. The cost of the demolition will be charged to the owner, officials said.
The city has torn down several blighted houses since Cockayne took office promising to pick up the pace of a blight fight that’s been fought off and on since Mayor Frank Nicastro’s tenure more than a decade ago.
Cockayne said he has no intention of slowing down.
“We are not stopping,” he said. “Stay tuned. More to come.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)