Zydanowicz takes on Larson

After a dozen years in Congress, U.S. Rep. John Larson is one of the most powerful lawmakers in the House.
The East Hartford Democrat whose 1st District includes Berlin, Southington and Newington, has a large campaign treasury, friends in high places and solid name recognition among the voters who have re-elected him by wide margins every two years.
Taking him on is “almost insurmountable,” said West Hartford Republican Mark Zydanowicz.
Yet Zydanowicz plans to challenge Larson — and maybe knock him down. Click here for the story.

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Parenti vs. Bank of America

City Treasurer Rose Parenti went toe-to-toe with the Bank of America recently in a successful bid to save money. Click here for the story.
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Bristol's Census participation about average

The only area of the city that's returning the forms at better than the national average is the northeastern corner. Downtown, not surprisingly, is doing dismally so far.
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Another Bristol battle on Facebook

Fans of Ken's Grille are rounding up support for his vending cart on Facebook. Check out their page.
Photo: Mike Orazzi/ The Bristol Press
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Evaluations may be in the works for city supervisors

The Charter Revision Commission is clearly sympathetic to the idea of requiring annual written evaluations of top city personnel. Click here for the story.
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City may ban truck parking on residential roads

It's something the Ordinance Committee is looking into. Story is here.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
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Bristol's state convention delegates

With both the Republican and Democratic state conventions in May shaping up as the sort of drag-down, fist-pumping thrillers that everybody in politics loves, it matters more than usual who the delegates are.
The Democrats in Bristol picked their slate last week. The Republicans are doing it tonight, I think.
Here are the Democratic delegates from Bristol:
Arthur Ward

David Testa

Elliot Nelson
Thomas Ragaini

Kevin Fuller
Dean Kilbourne

Joella Bouchard Mudry
Shirley Salvatore
Mayra Sampson
Gardner Wright

James Brown
Patricia Duffy

William Wolfe
Jody Trestman

Christopher Roberge
Richard Harlow

Anthony Dell'Aera
Gloria Marino

Amy Breakstone
Craig Minor

Kate Matthews
Julie Luczkow

Edmund Luczkow
Terry Parker

Joseph Mudry  
Robert Badal

Laura Bartock
Wyland Dale Clift

Ellen Zoppo Sassu
Paul Marino

Mary Rydingsward    

Here are the GOP delegates.
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Welch offers deficit reduction outline

Press release from Jason Welch, the GOP's state Senate candidate in the 31st District:

Welch for State Senate Addresses Budget Deficit Mitigation Plan

BRISTOL, CT – Welch for State Senate released the following Statement on Proposed Deficit Mitigation Plan:

Senate Democrats passed a deficit reduction plan that fails to recognize the gravity of Connecticut’s financial situation and unfairly shifts the State’s inability to control its spending onto private institutions such as Bristol Hospital.  Before addressing the Senate’s failure, Welch reiterates his aggressive but necessary plan to address State budget woes:

1.    Stop government self promotion.  We all know government is there and we have a constitutionally protected press to inform us of government’s successes and failures.  Thus, we ought to stop all spending by the State which promotes itself, its members or its programs.  This includes items such as 500 mail -- those postcards from legislators promoting their supposed achievements.  It also includes costly promotion of government programs.  If a program is good and necessary then the people will know about it.  If people do not know about it, then it probably is not good and necessary.

2.    Reduce corporatism and leftism.  We must cut legislators’ pet programs on both the left and right that were once used to push an agenda and garner votes.  An example of this is Connecticut’s Commission on Asian Affairs, which may be a good idea on the West coast, but not here and not now.

3.    Right size all major State departments. The State needs to reduce its bloated departments by 5-10% starting at the top.  The Senate Democrat plan tried to do some of this, but not enough.

4. Adjust State employee benefit programs.  New State employees should have 401k plans with a 5% match, like the rest of us, not pensions.  The State should also move to Health Savings Accounts, not its current Cadillac plans.  Such a move will not only save the tax payers money, it will also work to reduce the overall cost of healthcare in Connecticut.  There was a day when State workers were paid less than private counterparts and State benefits were incentives.  That is no longer the case.  State employees in all categories out earn private sector counterparts by 48%.

These 4 steps will mitigate the State’s deficit without increasing taxes and borrowing from the next generation.

The Senate Democrat mitigation plan is wrong for Connecticut.  The plan borrows money from our children and taxes hospital revenues 5.5%, which will cost Bristol Hospital close to $1 million and drive up the cost of healthcare.  The plan also increases entitlements for which there may be no federal money in the future.  These are costs we cannot afford.

Today’s debate about fiscal responsibility is also a debate about the proper size and scope of the government.  In accordance with President Ford’s warning:  “A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have,” and President Jefferson’s observation: “The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield, and government to gain ground”, we must reject the current model of large government and return to a smaller, smarter and more efficient government which ensures greater personal liberties and freedoms.

Jason Welch seeks to be the Republican nominee to the State Senate race for the 31^st District, which includes Bristol, Plainville, Plymouth and parts of Harwinton.

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
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A challenger emerges for Larson

Perusing the Federal Election Commission website this morning, which is always fun, I discovered that a Republican challenger to U.S. Rep. John Larson has emerged.
The East Hartford Democrat, one of the most powerful in the House, faces a challenge from a Republican named Mark Zydanowicz.
Zydanowicz has not yet filed any campaign finance paperwork, but my pal Google helped me learn he is the marketing manager at Guida's Dairy Products.
He sent in the paperwork to the FEC on March 15. His campaign committee will be called "Z for Congress," which rolls off the tongue a bit easier than Zydanowicz for Congress. As a marketing manager, it's no surprise he's on top of that.
Zydanowicz is a captain in the U.S. Army Reserves, too. He apparently helped in the rebuilding of Baghdad.
He's also married and lives in West Hartford, but given the  unfortunate nuttiness of some people these days I think I'll leave the link for that information off of this blog. He has children, too, I learn from the Hartford Courant's birth notices.

Update at 1:20 p.m.: He's slated to be at Monday's Republican town committee meeting in Bristol at 7:30 p.m. at the Board of Education. So anyone who wants to meet him, he'll be there.
He also has a website that's not yet unveiled. It's at zforcongress.org.
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Hoppers get a thumbs-up

A Hartford Courant outdoors enthusiast took a walk through the Hoppers and discovered, surprise!, that it's a fabulous spot. Check out the column.
If you haven't been to the Hoppers-Birge Pond Nature Preserve, you really should take a walk through sometime. Wait for a nice day, of course, but you'll find it's a real oasis.
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Food fight!

Nobody’s yet had a half-eaten cheeseburger flung at his head, but a major food fight is brewing downtown.
The city’s downtown restaurants, faced with declining sales in a tough economy, are begging City Hall to help them by ousting a growing number of food vending carts and trucks from North Main Street.
“It looks like Chinatown out there,” said John Spaniotis, an owner of Center Restaurant and Pizza. “They take my business every day.”
“It’s just a no-brainer,” said Roberta Costanti, a co-owner of Blondie’s Grill and Patio. She told city leaders this week “to get rid of these vendors.” Click here for the story.
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City picking projects to do next year

City officials began wading through a list of possible projects for the coming year Wednesday with the hope of stretching limited funds as far as possible.
Though the projects committee won’t finish its work for at least another week, officials agreed on a handful of possible proposals that may make the final cut.
Among them is an overhaul of Casey Field, the creation of a parking lot on the site of the former Mills box factory and the reconstruction of Witches Rock Road. Click here for the story.
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MetLife dumped for dental; Anthem gets the nod instead

The Board of Finance last night agreed to drop a proposal to switch the dental provider for city employees to MetLife. After officials took a look at the size of the network that both MetLife and Anthem have in the area, they agreed that Anthem should continue to manage the city's dental plan. That means an extra $90,000 a year in costs.
MetLife had about half as many providers in and around Bristol as Anthem.
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Here's the stinkiest sneaker winner

Here's the press release about Trinette Robinson's victory. There's a video of the competition there as well.

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Bristol reacts to new health care plan

Take a look at the wide range of opinion on the new health care overhaul in this story. Later today, I'll add the full comments of everybody who wrote their thoughts to me.
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New schools likely to open in 2012

It looks like city officials will agree to speed up the construction timeline for the proposed new schools. See the story here.
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Bristol girl has nation's stinkiest sneakers

An 11-year-old Bristol girl, Trinette Robinson, has apparently won the 35th annual National Odor-Eaters Rotten Sneaker Contest held today in Montpelier, Vermont, according to WCAX.
She told reporters she got her sneakers dirty playing hard in Girl Scout camp and doing community walks for charity.
Last spring, she won the stinkiest sneakers contest at the Imagine Nation, earning her the right to compete in the national showdown.
The winner receives $2,500.00 prize money, a trip to New York City to see a Broadway show, the golden sneaker award, a year's supply of much-needed Odor-Eaters products and will have her sneakers enshrined in the Odor-Eaters Hall of Fumes.
Update at 11 p.m. Tuesday -- Here is the Press story about it, which I didn't write.
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Welch opposes new health care overhaul

Press release from Jason Welch, the GOP's state Senate candidate:

Welch for State Senate Addresses Passage of the Affordable Health Choices Act and the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act.

BRISTOL, CT – Welch for State Senate released the following statement on passage of the Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 and the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010.

House passage of the Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 and the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010 send the United States in the wrong direction.  Though issues such as preexisting conditions and dropped coverage needed to be addressed, these bills do much more.  They sacrifice the current healthcare system, which works for more than 320 million Americans, and they strike another blow to a struggling economy.  These bills are anti-jobs, anti-economic recovery and anti-elderly.  Moreover, they do nothing to address the true problem facing healthcare -- rising costs.

These bills amount to a $2.5 trillion takeover of the healthcare system. But setting the philosophical arguments of capitalism versus socialism aside, these bills are wholly inappropriate today as they strike another blow to an economy struggling to recover.  These bills:

• Impose 10 years of tax increase for 6 years of alleged benefit;
• Raise taxes on investment income, which is the money that keeps the economy growing and creates jobs;
• Add $750-$2000 in costs per employee on small business, which will result in job losses; and
• Eventually tax union healthcare plans;

These bills also reduce services provided to our elderly through Medicare by reducing funding by more than $500 billion.
 Indeed, these bills do nothing to strike at the heart of the healthcare crisis.  That is these bills do not control rising costs. Without tort reform, doctors will still practice defensive medicine and provide extra services to meet rising standards of care.  In addition, these bills do not address runaway costs associated with overuse of the healthcare system due to HMOs.  Congress ought to have instituted less drastic reforms that address rising costs, such as tort reform, health savings accounts and increased competition across state lines, before instituting its current social experiment.
 Welch disagrees with Senator Colapietro’s comment that “Obama’s plan is better than what we have already.”  Obama’s plan is worse than what we have, and though reform is needed it must make economic sense and focus on reducing healthcare costs.

Jason Welch seeks to be the Republican nominee to the State Senate race for the 31^st District, which includes Bristol, Plainville, Plymouth and parts of Harwinton.

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
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Republicans still have no challenger for Larson

Though state Republican leaders said Monday the GOP will find someone to take on U.S. Rep. John Larson in this year’s election, nobody’s yet emerged in public.

Larson, who was elected to the 1^st District congressional seat in 1998, has routinely whipped his Republican opponents.

Art Mocabee, a Bristol Republican who heads the state party’s efforts in the 1^st District, said that Larson will face a GOP challenger this year.

Mocabee said the party is preparing everything from graphics to opening a bank account before making a formal announcement.

He said the candidate will probably make a formal announcement in mid-April, possibly at the state Capitol.
Larson has a campaign war chest of nearly $700,000, according to his most recent campaign finance filing. That's more than all of his opponents put together have ever spent.
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Larson a key player in pushing health care through

For better or worse, Bristol's congressman was a major factor in the passage of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul this week. Read the story here.
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State report clears city police chief

A state police investigator found no evidence to support Police Lt. Joel Estes' complaint last year of unfair workplace practices and ethical violations, according to a story in today's Hartford Courant.
The Press is still looking into the report.
Update at 11 p.m. Tuesday: Here is the Press story.
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Blockbuster case to be announced momentarily

The Connecticut Supreme Court plans to issue its ruling on the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding, Inc. v. Rell case in a few minutes. We know from the website that there are at least three opinions in the majority and two dissenters. But we don't yet know what it says.
The case could mean a drastic overhaul in school funding in Connecticut.
Here's the story about why Bristol joined the case in 2008.
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Councilors to get laptops by April

City councilors said they’re happy with their two-month experiment using laptops for meetings instead of relying on several trees’ worth of office paper to ensure they have necessary information.

The city is preparing to order nine new $379 laptops for use by the council and Board of Finance, said Scott Smith, director of the city’s computers..

The Board of Education and the Bristol Housing Authority have already gone paperless.

At paperless meetings, officials wind up peering at laptops to see agendas, motions, minutes and the supporting documents for decisions they need to make.

So far, the council has borrowed the school board’s laptops for its sessions, but the city needs to get its own computers, councilors said.

Smith said he hopes to have them ready for use by the April City Council meeting. Click here for the full story.

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Larson hails health care bill passage

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

LARSON HAILS PASSAGE OF HISTORIC HEALTH CARE BILL

Washington, DC—Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, released the following statement after the passage of health reform legislation.

“Today, this Congress accomplished something that was almost 100 years in the making.  When the President signs this legislation into law, the American people will see clearly whose side this Democratic Caucus is on.  We are standing up to health insurance company abuses and decades of discrimination and mistreatment.  We have lowered the cost of health insurance.  We have lowered the budget deficit.  And, we have improved the quality of health care for all Americans.

“I am so proud to be part of this historic moment along the lines of the passage of Social Security and Medicare.”

Here's what Larson said on the House floor during yesterday's health care debate:
Madame Speaker, I rise on this momentous day in support of this historic legislation.  Just as our predecessors stood up for the American people to pass Social Security and Medicare, today we affirm our commitment to families across this country by passing comprehensive health care reform.  Today, Democrats are once again showing whose side they are on, the side of the American people.
While my colleagues on the other side of the aisle like to focus on those who are against this effort, I’ve heard from too many of my own constituents whose stories exemplify why we need health reform and encouraged me to support this bill.
Constituents like Jody from Bristol.  Jody and her family had to downgrade their health insurance after their premiums jumped 30% in one year.  Just a few months later Jody was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.  After 12 months her medical debt was more than $30,000.  Now, even after she has insurance, she is struggling to pay off the $35,000 in credit card bills her family amassed to pay her health care.
It’s in stories like these, of people facing severe financial difficulty because of medical debt, being denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition, or losing their coverage when they get sick that creates the moral imperative to right these wrongs.  In this bill we will cap out of pocket costs, end discrimination based on pre-existing health conditions, and end the practice of insurance rescissions.
The American people may not like the complicated legal language of the bill or the messy process it takes in Washington to get historic acts accomplished.  But after this bill is signed the parent whose children have been denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition will be able to get health insurance for them; young adults will no longer have to fear being without coverage because they will be able to stay on their parent’s insurance; seniors will get relief from skyrocketing prescription drug prices; and small businesses will get tax breaks for offering their employees health.
Once this bill is signed, this country will be stronger, the economy will be stronger and the American people will be stronger than ever before.  I thank the Speaker and my Democratic colleagues for their efforts on behalf of the American people and urge my colleagues to support this legislation.  
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Alford gets a position at City Hall

It’s not the job she wanted, but former Republican mayoral candidate Mary Alford has snagged a position at City Hall.

Mayor Art Ward, who defeated Alford last fall, nominated her to serve on the city’s Transportation Commission until 2012.

The move got the unanimous backing of the City Council.

Transportation commissioners serve without pay “to promote a safe, efficient, and sustainable public transportation system” in Bristol.

The panel consists of seven members, including the city planner, a regional planner, a senior citizen, a city councilor and three residents. 
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Pine Lake project gets funding

As expected, the state gave the green light for the city to use leftover state cash to build a parking lot and fishing pier at Pine Lake. The work may be done this summer. See the story here.
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The lowdown on a low bridge backed by lawmakers

A bridge too short may be in the offing as transportation officials once again display their commitment to the proposed busway between Hartford and New Britain to the detriment of rail. Check out Jackie Majerus' enlightening story.
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City plans intersection fix on South Street

Next up on the long-term plan for fixing Bristol's jagged junctures is the one at Church, Union and South streets. There's a public hearing on it at the end of the month. For details, see this story.
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Build the new schools now?

The timetable for the school construction project may be moved up so the two new schools could open in 2012. It's a decision city leaders will likely make soon.
Here is the story.
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714 Fans for Bristol's "Taco Bell Guy"

One of the glorious things about Facebook is its utter quirkiness.
For instance, see this page devoted to someone named Michael, the "Do you guys want some sauce?" guy at the old Taco Bell on Farmington Avenue.
Here's the group's purpose:
This group is for all of those who remember the really nice guy who worked at the old Taco Bell in Bristol.
Any decent human being knows that this man was more than just any weird Taco Bell employee. I know that so many of us miss driving up to the window at 2 am and hearing the infamous, "Do you guys want some sauce?" after an order had been placed. And as a sign of good character, this man straight-up just told us what kind of sauce there was ("Spicy, Medium, or Mild") without us even needing to ask, saving us from acting like drunken jackasses.
How many of us have ever driven away, wondering who is that guy? Where is he from? What's his deal? The truth is that this guy was so interesting that his presence forced us to speculate about his personal life. I, myself, have never ever given a shit about any fast-food employee's life and background, and I don't suppose most of us have,
but this guy was different.
So wherever you are today, this is for you.
Note: By joining this group, you have the responsibility to bring forth any evidence pertaining to who the TBell sauce-guy actually is/was, and if you or someone you know has spotted him. We owe it to each other to share this kind information. And please don't make shit up; this is somebody's life we're talking about here.

It turned out that the Taco Bell guy simply moved up the street with the restaurant and is still working there.
And 714 people have joined on as fans of this fellow as of the time of this writing. Amazing.
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Open government 101

The city's elected officials are getting a refresher course in the Freedom of Information Act in May. The need is all too obvious after last week's City Council meltdown.
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BDDC to stay intact

Mayor Art Ward said he plans to reappoint the entire Bristol Downtown Development Corp.'s board of directors to new terms next month. See the story here.
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Downtown parking study

The experts have weighed in on what's needed for downtown parking.
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Larson says Dems have health care votes lined up

U.S. Rep. John Larson, the East Hartford Democrat whose district includes Bristol, told reporters last night the House Democrats have the votes to pass the health care overhaul bill by Friday. See the story in Politico.
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Glassman backs busway

The other day, Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Mary Glassman talked with WNPR's John Dankosky for his "Where We Live" radio show. At the tail end of the show, Dankosky asked her about her stance on the proposed $573 million busway between Hartford and New Britain, a plan many oppose in Bristol.
Here's what Glassman said:
“There’s federal funding in place right now.  I’ve had repeated conversations with the commissioner of the of transportation. That money cannot be re-allocated, that’s new start money.  So, if we switch gears again, we’re going to lose out on those federal funds.  So, I think it’s an opportunity to look at the busway, we have to keep those projects moving forward – we have to be a multi-modal state.”
She threw in a mention, too, that a rail study for Bristol is needed.
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Chamber has a new blog

Though Lord knows the world doesn't need more blogs, the Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce started one anyway. Here's the link.
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Dem chair may be interested in running himself

The city's Democratic Party chair, Elliott Nelson, told me he is weighing his options in terms of a possible campaign for something this year.
That's as much as he would say.
But there are rumors he's eyeing a possible primary against state Sen. Tom Colapietro, a Bristol Democrat.
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Wright says no more borrowing

State Rep. Chris Wright, a Bristol Democrat, joined a handful of fiscally conservative Democratic lawmakers recently to demand that legislative leaders deal realistically with the state's budget meltdown.
In a letter that Wright signed, the legislators say the state can't afford to borrow more to cover budget gaps. Read it for yourself here.
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Greenwich in a landslide?

You have to love it. In the midst of the worst recession in decades, when Connecticut's jobless rolls are swollen and populist anger supposedly sweeping the landscape, we might wind up with an all-Greenwich ticket in the general election.
Some of the most likely contenders for governor and U.S. Senate hail from the tony town in Fairfield County, including Republican gubernatorial hopeful Tom Foley and Linda McMahon, a GOP Senate possibility.
On the Democratic side, Ned Lamont, who's eyeing the governorship, and Richard Blumenthal, who wants to claim U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd's seat, are also from Greenwich.
On the other hand, working class Bristol has not a single prospective candidate for statewide office.
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Rosenthal has a track record

Here's a little story about Jonathan Rosenthal.

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City workers need evaluations, councilors say

Thirty years ago, the city decided to create a merit pay system that would allow high-performing department heads to earn up to $1,000 extra every year for doing a stellar job.
What happened instead, perhaps predictably, is that everybody who could earn the extra cash got it after performance reviews showed they were uniformly terrific at their jobs.
When somebody got shortchanged one year, a political firestorm erupted, and officials agreed in the late 1980s to resolve it by dropping the evaluations completely while continuing to hand out the bonuses. 
Read the whole story here.
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Welch backs Sunday liquor sales

Press release issued today by Jason Welch, the Republican state Senate candidate in the 31st District:

Welch for State Senate Addresses Sunday Liquor Sales

BRISTOL, CT – Welch for State Senate released the following statement on the state ban of liquor sales on Sunday:   

Any time a prohibition is imposed by the state one should always ask why, and the absence of a sufficient justification should be disconcerting.  When the state ban on Sunday liquor sales is put to this test, its proponents struggle to articulate a rational basis.

Some contend that the ban is an issue of morality.  Yet the state allows us to purchase alcohol on Sundays in any number of restaurants and bars.  Thus, morality is not the state’s real basis for the ban.  Others claim that it is an issue of safety.  However, consuming alcohol at home is safer than consuming alcohol and then driving home.  A few argue that small business liquor stores should get a legislated day off.  But by that argument we should shut the whole state down on Sundays so other small retailers can get a break too.

Finally, some say it is too expensive to keep businesses open in Connecticut seven days a week.  This is true, which is why last year 4000 business closed their doors and 65,000 jobs were lost (making Connecticut the worst state for job losses after Michigan).  That is not, however, a reason for banning liquor sales on Sunday everywhere in Connecticut except for bars and restaurants.  High taxes, state employment mandates, high energy costs, and excessive regulations and fees make any day you are open in Connecticut too expensive to stay open.  The answer to those problems is lowering taxes, reducing mandates, streamlining state permitting, offering job creation tax credits, removing laws that make it more expensive to employ people in Connecticut and getting state spending under control – not banning liquor sales on Sunday everywhere except for bars and restaurants.   

The argument to maintain the Sunday liquor ban is a straw man argument.  Legislative resources ought to be focused on those things that will get the economic engines in Connecticut moving again and creating jobs today that will remain here into tomorrow.

Jason Welch seeks to be the Republican nominee to the State Senate race for the 31^st District, which includes Bristol, Plainville, Plymouth and parts of Harwinton.

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Charter panel hears suggestions

A handful of residents turned out last night to urge revisions to the city government’s century-old charter.
Those who spoke at the hearing told the Charter Revision Commission their thoughts on expanding the number of city councilors, stripping sexist language from the charter, extending the terms of elected officials and more. Here is the story.
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Nicastro backs Ward

Former Mayor Frank Nicastro said today that city councilors had no business trying to micromanage Jonathan Rosenthal, the city's economic development director.
The city's day to day operations, Nicastro said, are the responsibility of the mayor.
"In fact," Nicastro said, "I had to remind Mayor Ward of that when he was a councilor. And now I'm sure he understands."
Nicastro, who's a state representative now, said Ward's comments at the council session Tuesday "were 100 percent right."
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
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Farmington Avenue's congestion targeted

Route 6 may be widened in a few years. See the story.
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Council mum on Rosenthal

The showdown story...
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Executive session slated to talk about Rosenthal

Tonight's City Council Revised Addenda includes an executive session to talk about the negotiations with Renaissance Downtowns, as expected,and another "to discuss personnel matters regarding Ex. Director of Bristol Development Authority.
The BDA boss is Jonathan Rosenthal, who's been a political pinata for several years.

It seems that at least some politicians are ready to take another whack at him.

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
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I never thought I'd say this, but...

You may actually want to watch tonight's City Council session.
I know, I know. That's crazy talk.
But, seriously, it appears that the council's push to have a little talk about the supposed failings of the city's economic development director, Jonathan Rosenthal, may not be held behind closed doors after all.
Instead, it may be held out in the open, right there on your tellyvision. Rosenthal apparently figures his critics have already raked him over the coals in public so why not force them to say whatever they have to say in public?
It probably makes a future lawsuit easier.
So get out the chips, make sure you've got a few cold ones ready and prepare for a rare council session that might not put you to sleep.
The meeting starts at 7 p.m. It's on Nutmeg Community Television's government channel tonight -- Channel 96 on Comcast.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

New plan for UConn Health Center includes new hospital

Press release from Gov. Jodi Rell:

Governor Rell Unveils Partnership To Establish

UConn Health Network

New John Dempsey Hospital Centerpiece of $352M Initiative

           

Governor M. Jodi Rell today unveiled plans that would establish the UConn Health Network through a landmark partnership that will transform the delivery of healthcare in the state and lead to the creation of thousands of new jobs.

The Governor said the state and University of Connecticut are building the network in collaboration with Hartford Hospital, Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and other healthcare facilities and providers. The centerpiece of the partnership is a new state-of-the-art patient tower and totally renovated hospital at UConn Health Center campus in Farmington.

“This partnership will result in a state-of-the-art John Dempsey Hospital and a health network with incredible reach throughout Connecticut,” Governor Rell said. “Together, we will help lift the UConn schools of medicine into the top tier of academics and research and create thousands of healthcare jobs for our economy.

“This is a $352 million investment in a new hospital that will have increased classroom and lab space for more medical and dental students and will help offset anticipated shortages in these professions,” Governor Rell said. “The return on our investment will include a nationally recognized cancer center and specialized institutes and advanced training open to all healthcare professionals in the state. The tremendous benefit, of course, is a more robust healthcare sector that stands to gain 5,000 new jobs in the years to come.”

To pay for the new hospital and related facilities in the network, $100 million of the investment is expected to come from federal funds; $25 million for design and planning will come from already approved UConn 21^st Century funding; and $227 million will be in state bonding.

“This is a much lower state price tag than the $450 million original projection, with a far more robust network and partnership and far greater job and economic development opportunities,” the Governor said. 

UConn President Michael Hogan said the partnership puts the UConn Health Center on “firm footing” for a promising future.

“We’re grateful for the Governor’s vision and advocacy. Her proposal will stimulate job growth, promote economic development and improve access to the state-of-the-art healthcare that our faculty and staff deliver every day,” President Hogan said. “This kind of vision is exactly what’s needed as the State of Connecticut looks ahead to continuing its role as a leader in innovation and care for our citizens.”

In addition to the new hospital, the network features: 

·        Nationally recognized cancer center at the Farmington campus. Partners will seek federal designation of Comprehensive Cancer Center to make it the second in the state outside of Yale;

·        Primary Care Institute at St. Francis. Would be open to all healthcare professionals to develop new models of chronic disease management and primary care education and treatment;

·        Simulation center at Hartford Hospital. Open to all healthcare professionals to train on newest equipment and technology in simulated care settings;

·        Transfer of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. NICU will still be at Dempsey, but run by CCMC’s regional children’s system;

·        Health disparities institute in the city of Hartford. Would promote enhanced healthcare research, training and delivery to minority communities;

·        Institute for Clinical and Translational Sciences on Farmington Campus. A super-site by network partners would speed lab-to-bedside clinical trials and breakthrough medicine;

·        Establishment of bioscience enterprise zone. Would offer state tax breaks to private companies that create jobs and work with UConn Health Network partners.

Governor Rell thanked President Hogan and all who worked with her on the proposal, including Sen. Chris Dodd, who helped secure the $100 million in federal funds.

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
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Rosenthal under fire, again

The city’s economic development director is under fire again.
Spurred in part by a recent flap between city Councilor Kate Matthews and Jonathan Rosenthal, the city’s economic development chief, councilors are eyeing ways to light a fire under Rosenthal.
While it isn’t clear what might happen at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, councilors have been talking privately among themselves for a couple of weeks about what they can do about Rosenthal, whom some of them regard as an obstacle to the city’s growth. Click here for the story.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
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Nancy Johnson backs Simmons for Senate

Former U.S. Rep. Nancy Johnson, the New Britain Republican who represented Bristol for years, today endorsed the U.S. Senate bid of another former congressman, Rob Simmons.
Apparently Linda McMahon couldn't wrestle Johnson away from Simmons.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
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Schiff: 'I don't learn from my mistakes'

Without a doubt, the most strident candidate at Friday’s Lincoln Day Dinner was businessman Peter Schiff, one of the GOP’s U.S. Senate hopefuls.

When he got up to talk, he held up his drink and said if he’d known he was going to address the crowd, he probably would have imbibed less. He was still pretty sober, though.

Having a drink or two is nonetheless always a good start, from a reporter’s perspective, particularly when it’s possible he doesn’t even know the press is in the room.

I’ll get back to what he said, but my favorite moment in his 5-minute talk came near the end, when his cell phone rang.

As he grabbed the phone and peered at the number of the caller, Schiff asked, “What is that? My ex-wife?”

He said she always calls at the worst times.

Then Schiff added, “I don’t learn from my mistakes. I’m getting married again in May.”

Most of his speech, though, focused on a blistering diatribe against what’s going on in Washington.

“We are on a collision course for disaster,” Schiff said.

But, he argued, voters in Connecticut “can do something to change the course.”

They can do it, of course, by electing him.

Schiff said the Republican leadership in the nation’s capital “has sold us out.”

He said the GOP leadership has compromised on too much for too long.

Schiff said he won’t bend.

“I want to win the ideological battle in Washington,” Schiff said.

He said the nation has to put the brakes on runaway spending. He said the government is twice the size it was a decade ago and it’s still growing.

“It’s a self-perpetuating cycle,” he said, and represents a disastrous course if there is no reform.

Right off the bat, Schiff said, he would refuse to increase the debt ceiling another penny, essentially capping the money the government could spend.

If enough Republicans say no to any increase – and filibuster any effort to hike spending -- “then the government has to cut. They have no choice,” he said.

With a $14 trillion debt ceiling looming, Schiff said, it’s time to say no higher.

“That’s not going to pass with me in the Senate,” he said.

Schiff said he understands the destructive policies undertaken in Washington and wants the chance “to prevent the worst case from happening.”

He said there are only one or two years left “to get this done. Otherwise, I think we’re finished.”

“The government is the source, not the solution, to our problems,” Schiff said.

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

Charter revision hearing Thursday

There's a Charter Revision Commission public hearing at 6 p.m. Thursday at City Hall to solicit ideas for possible changes to the city government's century-old blueprint.
If you've got ideas, this is the time to haul 'em out and tell the world.
Actually, I was kind of wondering what happened to the big push a few years ago to change the charter to require a public vote on any project that cost enough money. That was all the rage, then it just sort of vanished.
Anyway, former City Councilor Craig Minor set up an event page on Facebook all about the hearing on Thursday. He established another Facebook page dedicated to the commission itself.
Minor is secretary of the commission, unless someone else wants the job. There are six other members, including its chairman, David Preleski.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
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Hey, Google! Over here! It's us, Bristol! Give us money!

The City Council plans Tuesday to agree to try to snag Google's offer to wire some lucky town with fiber optic lines for super high-speed internet. See the story here.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
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GOP invades Bristol

Just about everyone with a prayer of winning the Republican endorsement for governor or U.S. Senate this year made an appearance tonight at Bristol's annual Lincoln Day dinner. Here's the story.
I'll post more about what the candidates had to say over the weekend when I get a chance.
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The Onion: How the decline of newspapers will impact old loons who hoard papers

How Will The End Of Print Journalism Affect Old Loons Who Hoard Newspapers?
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Pine Lake parking to be OK'd by state

Press release just issued by Gov. Jodi Rell:

Governor Rell: Previously Approved Pine Lake Dredging Grant

to be Reallocated to Improve Area Parking

  Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that a language change to a prior grant to Bristol for the dredging of Pine Lake is expected to gain approval when the state Bond Commission meets March 16. 

   The change will allow for parking improvements to be made at Pine Lake.

 “I know Pine Lake advocates have been very patiently waiting for word from the state on these parking lot improvements,” Governor Rell said.  “We want to do all we can to improve the quality of life for Bristol residents who live and travel around the lake. 

  “This is also an important environmental project that will make the lake a regional asset. By allowing some flexibility in the original designation of this funding, we are maximizing the state’s investment.  We want to make certain that as many area residents can visit the lake as possible to enjoy the local scenery.”

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
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City backs insurance administration change

The city's Board of Finance last night approved the plan to dump Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. It was an easy call, fiscal overseers said, because saving $1 million annually in these times is well worth the inconvenience it may cause some employees who may need to find a new dentist or doctor after July 1.
I know it's hard for city workers to contemplate a change, but since we've had more insurance companies than I can remember over the years doing the Press policy, I can assure them that they'll be fine. It's just a pain to wade into a new plan and to figure out what's different. At least city workers keep exactly the same benefits. That's the aspect that's usually most painful!
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
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One year ago today...

It's been a year since a truck struck and killed Henry Waye, Jr. as he walked home along George Street. He was a sweet, happy and gentle little soul, a 14-year-old who could make people laugh.

I never knew him, but spent a good chunk of last March hearing from those who did while trying with my wife, Jackie Majerus, to tell his story and to dig into the terrible circumstances that led to Henry's death.

I'm not sorry that the story is in another reporter's lap now. There's something that just kind of rips at your soul when you delve too long into the nightmares that make headlines.

But I think of Henry often and hope that somehow his friends and family are able to find peace.
Some of his pals are gathering at 6 p.m. today to mark the anniversary at the site of last year's vigils.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com