New city GOP chairman in the wings

When the new Republican Town Committee takes office in March, the GOP's city chairman, TJ Barnes, won't be at the helm. He has long vowed to step down this year after leading his party from an era of near total defeat to capture City Hall, the Board of Education and even the city's sole state Senate seat.
Taking his place at the helm, probably, will be former city Councilor Derek Czenzewlewski.
Though he won't confirm it, a few GOP insiders have said he's the one. Czenczelewski lost a reelection bid last year in the 3rd District, where two Democratic women found victory, but was immediately tapped by Mayor Ken Cockayne to serve on the city's Board of Finance.
Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Kilbourne is new city Democratic chief

Dean Kilbourne, a former city attorney, is returning to his old post as chairman of the city's Democratic Party.Kilbourne said he's stepping into a very different situation than last time, when Democrats held the City Council, Board of Education and more.So his goal is pretty straightforward: to try to unite the party -- always fun! -- and recapture lost electoral ground.On the Republican side, TJ Barnes is again heading the city's GOP for another two year stint.
Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Colapietro cleared in campaign flap

A campaign complaint filed against state Sen. Tom Colapietro a year ago has been tossed out by the state Elections Enforcement Commission.

The Nov. 17, 2009 complain by T.J. Barnes, Bristol’s GOP leader, accused the Democratic senator of failing to obey state laws governing when legislative candidates have to form campaign committees.

Colapietro said he’s not surprised at the unanimous ruling in his favor.

“It was silly in the first place,” said Colapietro, who lost a reelection bid to Republican Jason Welch.

Here is a link to the full story.
Here is a PDF of the decision.

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

City GOP chief blasts Ward

Press release from city Republican Party Chairman T.J. Barnes:

Today Art Ward announced that he wanted to cut the Mayor’s Salary and the council’s salary by 5 percent as a cost cutting move in light of today’s economic hard times.  This very idea was suggested by Ken Cockayne, Cliff Block, and Kevin Mccauley back in March; Art Ward voted no to the idea and instead wanted a wage freeze.  Then on the day he officially announces his candidacy for Mayor he changes his mind and decides that he would like to call for a wage cut of 5 percent. 

While the idea of cutting wages of the elected officials when you are asking for the same concessions from the workers is a sign of leadership.  What was wrong with the idea back in March?  Was it because it wasn’t his idea?  Does the idea now help him get re-elected?  Doing what is good to get yourself re-elected is not leadership.  Stealing ideas from people and then claiming them as your own is not leadership.  Leadership is coming up with your own ideas, regardless of how they affect your personal ability to get re-elected. 

This is on top of negotiating new contracts with the City Unions and then 6 months later asking for concessions from those very Unions.  This economy has been in Recession since the summer of 2007 and we have known that the state budget deficit was going to be at record levels for quite some time, but why did the mayor not take that in to consideration when he negotiated new contracts?   The Mayor needs to show actual leadership and not just political leadership and flipping positions on issues for political reasons is not leadership.

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

GASB 45 panel to finish its work at top speed

The revamped GASB 45 Committee plans to move with a speed almost unknown in government circles.
Its chairman, T.J. Barnes, said he hopes it can complete its work in three weeks, during which he plans to hear from experts, hold a public hearing and discuss the issues involved before making a recommendations about what the city should do.
The panel is looking into the possibility of using surplus pension cash to cover retirees’ health care and other post-employment benefits that taxpayers are obliged to pay but have set next to nothing aside from which to cover the tab.
“It doesn’t have to be a long, drawn-out discussion,” Barnes said.
Mayor Art Ward originally set up a 19-person committee to look into the matter, but carved the number down to seven at Barnes’ request in order to make the task manageable.
Named for an accounting rule, the GASB 45 Committee is supposed to examine the prospects for saving millions for taxpayers by transferring pension fund excesses to new accounts set up to cover the future tab for health care coverage for retirees.
There are a lot of legal and financial issues involved.
But Barnes said he hopes the city’s pension attorney, pension adviser and actuaries will be able to shed light on what’s possible and how it might be done.
“First, let’s get the facts,” Barnes said. “The more information, the better.”
City Comptroller Glenn Klocko said he would provide the panel’s members with letters from the attorney and actuary who have provided information to him so they can bone up before the experts come to a committee session.
Since the experts earn as much as $400 an hour, Klocko said, “we want to use their time wisely.”

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