A Democratic landslide that swept aside Republicans across the country carried in a Democratic newcomer to an open state House seat in Bristol but it didn’t prove strong enough to knock out the city’s sole incumbent Republican lawmaker.
Chris Wright, the Democratic newcomer in the 77th District, said his win is “just starting to sink in” after a long, hard campaign against Republican Jill Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald called the race “a wonderful experience” that she might try again someday.
Re-elected to two-year terms were all of the city’s incumbents – state Sen. Tom Colapietro, state Rep. Betty Boukus and state Rep. Frank Nicastro, all Democrats, and Republican state Rep. Bill Hamzy.
Official results were not available late Tuesday, but unofficial tallies from both political parties left the outcomes clear.
Hamzy, a Plymouth Republican whose 78th district includes Bristol, won his eighth term by a comfortable margin over Democrat Jacqui Denksi.
"I'm ecstatic," said Hamzy, who admitted he had been "a little worried, especially the way the tide was going."
Hamzy said he didn't take the race for granted.
"You never know," said Hamzy. But he said, "I had a record to run on and people responded to it."
Nicastro easily won re-election to his second term in the 79th District.
"I plan to work very hard for all my constituents," said Nicastro.
Nicastro faced a symbolic challenge from David L. Norton, who stepped into the race late in October after the original Republican candidate, Derek Jerome, committed suicide.
Norton said he agreed to run in honor of Jerome, who strongly believed in giving voters a choice.
Nicastro said he and Norton spent Election Day together.
"We had some great discussions. It was a pleasure to stand alongside him," said Nicastro. "He was a perfect gentleman."
Colapietro, who has represented the 31st District since 1992, breezed into his ninth term Tuesday.
The race "was pretty easy for me," said Colapietro, a Bristol Democrat. "It's the only time I've ever run unopposed."
Colapietro said he'd been looking forward to talking about the issues, but without an opponent didn't have much chance. He said he likes people to know why he casts the votes he does.
Wright and Fitzgerald were battling for a seat left open by the retirement of one-term state Rep. Ron Burns, a Republican.
Burns said the winners of all the races are going to face “a tough two years. It is going to be quite difficult” dealing with budget cuts and the recession.
“It could be a whole different picture” by the next time state lawmakers face the voters, Burns said.
As polls closed, Bristol Democratic Town Chairman Elliott Nelson said Democrats were optimistic about all their races.
"The numbers are high," said Nelson.
As the polls closed, Colapietro was at the American Legion in Bristol where a glitch in the voting machines kept ballots from being read.
"For awhile they had to count them by hand," said Colapietro.
Nelson said the machines at the American Legion failed early Tuesday morning and weren't back in action until 6:30 p.m.
It was "a major meltdown," said Nelson.
But election officials got the machines going again, Colapietro said, so ballots could be fed into them.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Showing posts with label Burns. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Burns. Show all posts
November 4, 2008
August 10, 2008
Fitzgerald vows to keep regular office hours
Press release from Republican state House candidate Jill Fitzgerald in the 77th District:
If elected as the 77th District’s new state representative, Republican candidate Jill Fitzgerald will hold monthly office hours in Bristol to give constituents whose job and family responsibilities make it difficult for them to travel to Hartford the opportunity to meet with her at a convenient location in the district.
“One of the reasons state Representative Ron Burns has been such an effective legislator is that he has never lost touch with the citizens of the 77th District,” Fitzgerald said. “By dedicating two hours on the third Saturday of each month to meet with citizens at the Giamatti Little League Center, Ron remains in close contact with the people he represents. In addition to being there in person to help constituents who are having problems that need to be resolved at the state level, conducting local office hours helps Ron stay on top of the issues that are most important to them.”
“If you choose me as your next state representative, I will do everything I can to make sure my votes and actions at the General Assembly accurately reflect your views and respond to the most critical needs of our district and our city. As your voice at the state legislature, holding regular monthly office hours is one of the best ways I can think of to learn what issues are most important to you and your family,” Fitzgerald said. “As a working parent, I understand that your family and job commitments could make it difficult for you to travel to Hartford to meet with me and for that reason, I will hold regular local office hours once a month in much the same way as Ron has done.”
“With gasoline prices still at more than $4.00 per gallon, most middle class families are trying to limit their driving to trips that are absolutely necessary. Holding office hours in the district will mean you won’t have to travel to Hartford to meet with me – and it will help you conserve gasoline and save a few dollars as well,” Fitzgerald said.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
If elected as the 77th District’s new state representative, Republican candidate Jill Fitzgerald will hold monthly office hours in Bristol to give constituents whose job and family responsibilities make it difficult for them to travel to Hartford the opportunity to meet with her at a convenient location in the district.
“One of the reasons state Representative Ron Burns has been such an effective legislator is that he has never lost touch with the citizens of the 77th District,” Fitzgerald said. “By dedicating two hours on the third Saturday of each month to meet with citizens at the Giamatti Little League Center, Ron remains in close contact with the people he represents. In addition to being there in person to help constituents who are having problems that need to be resolved at the state level, conducting local office hours helps Ron stay on top of the issues that are most important to them.”
“If you choose me as your next state representative, I will do everything I can to make sure my votes and actions at the General Assembly accurately reflect your views and respond to the most critical needs of our district and our city. As your voice at the state legislature, holding regular monthly office hours is one of the best ways I can think of to learn what issues are most important to you and your family,” Fitzgerald said. “As a working parent, I understand that your family and job commitments could make it difficult for you to travel to Hartford to meet with me and for that reason, I will hold regular local office hours once a month in much the same way as Ron has done.”
“With gasoline prices still at more than $4.00 per gallon, most middle class families are trying to limit their driving to trips that are absolutely necessary. Holding office hours in the district will mean you won’t have to travel to Hartford to meet with me – and it will help you conserve gasoline and save a few dollars as well,” Fitzgerald said.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
May 29, 2008
Burns plays victim
Press release from state Rep. Ron Burns:
State Representative Ron Burns, R-77th District, will participate in a Bristol Police Department emergency rescue drill on Saturday, May 31, 2008 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hoppers.
Representative Burns will play the part of a victim. Emergency rescue personnel will have to find him, treat his wounds, and carry him out on a litter.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
State Representative Ron Burns, R-77th District, will participate in a Bristol Police Department emergency rescue drill on Saturday, May 31, 2008 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hoppers.
Representative Burns will play the part of a victim. Emergency rescue personnel will have to find him, treat his wounds, and carry him out on a litter.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
May 27, 2008
Republicans turn to Fitzgerald to succeed Burns
Faced with a deadline Tuesday for making a choice about whether to run again, incumbent state Rep. Ron Burns opted to pull out of the race.
The freshman Republican’s decision to sit out the 77th District contest cleared the way for a political newcomer, Jill Fitzgerald, to claim the GOP’s nomination in what is likely to prove a tough battle against Democrat Chris Wright.
“I have no doubt that Jill will be able to fill Ron's shoes and pick up where Ron left off,” said Gary Klemyk, the Republican district chairman.
Burns, who quit the City Council in 2005 after a single term, said he has been “anguishing” about whether to seek reelection for weeks, but ultimately recognized that he could not give his all to both the legislature and his full-time job as the second-in-command at the Bristol Boys and Girls Club.
“Something has to give and one or the other is not going to get my full attention,” Burns said.
Beyond that, he said, he has “irons in the fire” that could potentially lead to a new position.
Burns said he’ll lend a hand to Fitzgerald in her quest to keep the district out of Democratic hands and may well leap back into the political fray in years to come.
Burns was the only Republican legislator in New England to defeat an incumbent Democrat in 2006, when he upended longtime state Rep. Roger Michele, taking the district for the GOP for the first time since James White won the seat in 1992.
State Rep. Bill Hamzy, a Plymouth Republican whose 78th District includes northwestern Bristol, said Burns is “the exact type of person we want serving in public office. He’s diligent. He cares about people and the issues. He works hard. It’s certainly going to be a loss to Bristol, but what are you going to do?”
Hamzy said, though, that Fitzgerald made “a very positive impression” on him.
“She is someone in the same mold as Ron,” Hamzy said, and will put up a solid and potentially winning campaign against a little-known Democrat.
“She’s a really intriguing candidate” with a lot of passion, said Tom Barnes, Jr, chairman of the city’s GOP.
Mayor Art Ward, a Democrat, said he has “the utmost respect for Ron Burns as both a legislator and as a person. Ron has always been able and willing to work in a bipartisan manner for the best interests of the community, as both a member of the Bristol City Council and a state representative.”
“I am positive that Ron's decision not to seek reelection was a painstaking process which ultimately was determined by his dedication to the youth of our community,” Ward said, adding that he wishes Burns “continued success in all of his future endeavors.”
Art Mocabee, a former city Republican leader, called Burns’ departure “a loss for Bristol as a community, as we all know the quality of the values Ron Burns lives his life around. His second term would have led him to many new leadership positions and to a better understanding of state government.
“It is truly disappointing that it had to come down to an employment issue,” Mocabee said. “Ron has done much for the Bristol Boys and Girls club over the many years he has served there. I think they should have worked with him more.”
Burns said, though, that the resources at the club that made it possible for him to run two years ago no longer exist.
“It makes it tough for me,” Burns said.
Klemyk said that Burns “will be a very missed asset that has served Bristol and the state with the utmost dignity, and is always looking out for the tax payer and asking questions making sure our tax dollars are spent wisely.”
Hamzy, a former state Republican Party chairman, said that looking at the big picture, Burns’ decision is typical of a growing problem.
“It really is getting very difficult to find good people to run for office when they have professional obligations,” Hamzy said.
“It’s almost become a societal issue because businesses and employers don’t want employees to run for public office,” he said, which drastically limits the pool of possible contenders.
State lawmakers serve two-year terms and earn $28,000 for their part-time positions. The general election is November 4.
Update at 10 p.m. - I talked with Jill Fitzgerald this evening, but it was too to make the story for Wednesday's paper. And since I'm tired and a little under the weather, I'll wait until morning to write it up. So check back in 12 hours!
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The freshman Republican’s decision to sit out the 77th District contest cleared the way for a political newcomer, Jill Fitzgerald, to claim the GOP’s nomination in what is likely to prove a tough battle against Democrat Chris Wright.
“I have no doubt that Jill will be able to fill Ron's shoes and pick up where Ron left off,” said Gary Klemyk, the Republican district chairman.
Burns, who quit the City Council in 2005 after a single term, said he has been “anguishing” about whether to seek reelection for weeks, but ultimately recognized that he could not give his all to both the legislature and his full-time job as the second-in-command at the Bristol Boys and Girls Club.
“Something has to give and one or the other is not going to get my full attention,” Burns said.
Beyond that, he said, he has “irons in the fire” that could potentially lead to a new position.
Burns said he’ll lend a hand to Fitzgerald in her quest to keep the district out of Democratic hands and may well leap back into the political fray in years to come.
Burns was the only Republican legislator in New England to defeat an incumbent Democrat in 2006, when he upended longtime state Rep. Roger Michele, taking the district for the GOP for the first time since James White won the seat in 1992.
State Rep. Bill Hamzy, a Plymouth Republican whose 78th District includes northwestern Bristol, said Burns is “the exact type of person we want serving in public office. He’s diligent. He cares about people and the issues. He works hard. It’s certainly going to be a loss to Bristol, but what are you going to do?”
Hamzy said, though, that Fitzgerald made “a very positive impression” on him.
“She is someone in the same mold as Ron,” Hamzy said, and will put up a solid and potentially winning campaign against a little-known Democrat.
“She’s a really intriguing candidate” with a lot of passion, said Tom Barnes, Jr, chairman of the city’s GOP.
Mayor Art Ward, a Democrat, said he has “the utmost respect for Ron Burns as both a legislator and as a person. Ron has always been able and willing to work in a bipartisan manner for the best interests of the community, as both a member of the Bristol City Council and a state representative.”
“I am positive that Ron's decision not to seek reelection was a painstaking process which ultimately was determined by his dedication to the youth of our community,” Ward said, adding that he wishes Burns “continued success in all of his future endeavors.”
Art Mocabee, a former city Republican leader, called Burns’ departure “a loss for Bristol as a community, as we all know the quality of the values Ron Burns lives his life around. His second term would have led him to many new leadership positions and to a better understanding of state government.
“It is truly disappointing that it had to come down to an employment issue,” Mocabee said. “Ron has done much for the Bristol Boys and Girls club over the many years he has served there. I think they should have worked with him more.”
Burns said, though, that the resources at the club that made it possible for him to run two years ago no longer exist.
“It makes it tough for me,” Burns said.
Klemyk said that Burns “will be a very missed asset that has served Bristol and the state with the utmost dignity, and is always looking out for the tax payer and asking questions making sure our tax dollars are spent wisely.”
Hamzy, a former state Republican Party chairman, said that looking at the big picture, Burns’ decision is typical of a growing problem.
“It really is getting very difficult to find good people to run for office when they have professional obligations,” Hamzy said.
“It’s almost become a societal issue because businesses and employers don’t want employees to run for public office,” he said, which drastically limits the pool of possible contenders.
State lawmakers serve two-year terms and earn $28,000 for their part-time positions. The general election is November 4.
Update at 10 p.m. - I talked with Jill Fitzgerald this evening, but it was too to make the story for Wednesday's paper. And since I'm tired and a little under the weather, I'll wait until morning to write it up. So check back in 12 hours!
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Burns won't seek reelection
Just in from state Rep. Ron Burns, the first-term Republican who represents the 77th District:
It is with deep regret that I will not seek re-election as your state representative for the 77th Assembly District of Connecticut. I would like to thank the Bristol Boys & Girls Club for affording me the time to campaign and serve the constituents of the 77th assembly district. I would also like to thank the Republican Town Committee, the House Republicans and my family and my constituents for their support over the past one and one-half years. It is my privilege to serve you.
It has been a very difficult decision not to seek a second term. As much as I want to seek re-election, my current situation will not allow it. Over the past two months I have given much thought about how to best serve my constituents of the 77th district and my constituents at the Boys & Girls Club. Through that process, based on my current situation, I have concluded that I would not be able to perform an effective job as a State Representative and as a leader of the Boys & Girls Club.
Once again, I would like to thank all those who have supported me. The opportunity to serve you was a rewarding experience. In the future, if my situation changes and my party is interested, I will be more than willing to serve again.
Sincerely,
Ron Burns
State Representative
77th Assembly District
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
It is with deep regret that I will not seek re-election as your state representative for the 77th Assembly District of Connecticut. I would like to thank the Bristol Boys & Girls Club for affording me the time to campaign and serve the constituents of the 77th assembly district. I would also like to thank the Republican Town Committee, the House Republicans and my family and my constituents for their support over the past one and one-half years. It is my privilege to serve you.
It has been a very difficult decision not to seek a second term. As much as I want to seek re-election, my current situation will not allow it. Over the past two months I have given much thought about how to best serve my constituents of the 77th district and my constituents at the Boys & Girls Club. Through that process, based on my current situation, I have concluded that I would not be able to perform an effective job as a State Representative and as a leader of the Boys & Girls Club.
Once again, I would like to thank all those who have supported me. The opportunity to serve you was a rewarding experience. In the future, if my situation changes and my party is interested, I will be more than willing to serve again.
Sincerely,
Ron Burns
State Representative
77th Assembly District
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
May 21, 2008
Still no decision by Burns
First-term Republican state Rep. Ron Burns still has his campaign on hold.
Despite Wednesday’s scheduled 77th District convention to choose a candidate, Burns, who represents northeastern Bristol, asked for more time before deciding whether to seek a second term.
The Republicans obliged by giving him until Tuesday to make a choice – but that might be the final deadline for Burns.
The city GOP chairman, Tom Barnes, Jr, said the party will have a candidate that night, whether it’s Burns or someone else.
He said he hopes to learn by Friday whether Burns, a former city councilor, will run or not.
The Democrats are counting on Chris Wright, the son of a former state senator, to recapture the district from the Republicans in the November general election.
There’s been talk at the state Capitol that Burns – who was the only Republican to unseat a Democratic state legislator anywhere in New England two years ago – is not going to try again to beat the odds.
Burns said recently that he planned to make a decision soon. He’s apparently waiting on word about a possible new job, a number of insiders said.
Burns defeated longtime state Rep. Roger Michele with the backing of many Democrats who were unhappy with Michele’s complaints about alleged police racism.
Burns, who is second in command at the Bristol Boys and Girls Club, won a City Council seat in 2003 that he voluntarily gave up in 2005.
He ran against Michele in 2006.
The rescheduled Republican 77th District convention is slated for 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 27 at Nuchies restaurant in Forestville.
Update on Thursday, 10:40 p.m.
The rescheduled 77th District convention has been rescheduled again. It will now be held at 7 p.m., Tuesday in the GOP headquarters in Carpenter's office building at 225 N. Main St., which I think is somewhere near the Social Security office.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Despite Wednesday’s scheduled 77th District convention to choose a candidate, Burns, who represents northeastern Bristol, asked for more time before deciding whether to seek a second term.
The Republicans obliged by giving him until Tuesday to make a choice – but that might be the final deadline for Burns.
The city GOP chairman, Tom Barnes, Jr, said the party will have a candidate that night, whether it’s Burns or someone else.
He said he hopes to learn by Friday whether Burns, a former city councilor, will run or not.
The Democrats are counting on Chris Wright, the son of a former state senator, to recapture the district from the Republicans in the November general election.
There’s been talk at the state Capitol that Burns – who was the only Republican to unseat a Democratic state legislator anywhere in New England two years ago – is not going to try again to beat the odds.
Burns said recently that he planned to make a decision soon. He’s apparently waiting on word about a possible new job, a number of insiders said.
Burns defeated longtime state Rep. Roger Michele with the backing of many Democrats who were unhappy with Michele’s complaints about alleged police racism.
Burns, who is second in command at the Bristol Boys and Girls Club, won a City Council seat in 2003 that he voluntarily gave up in 2005.
He ran against Michele in 2006.
The rescheduled Republican 77th District convention is slated for 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 27 at Nuchies restaurant in Forestville.
Update on Thursday, 10:40 p.m.
The rescheduled 77th District convention has been rescheduled again. It will now be held at 7 p.m., Tuesday in the GOP headquarters in Carpenter's office building at 225 N. Main St., which I think is somewhere near the Social Security office.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
May 20, 2008
Burns not running again?
The word swirling around the statehouse is that state Rep. Ron Burns, a first-term Republican from Bristol, won't seek reelection this year.
Burns, who represents the 77th District, said last week he hasn't made up his mind. Since he promised to call me as soon as he does - and is pretty reliable for a politician - I don't think he's made a firm decision yet.
But it may well come today.
Wednesday morning update: Or maybe today?
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Burns, who represents the 77th District, said last week he hasn't made up his mind. Since he promised to call me as soon as he does - and is pretty reliable for a politician - I don't think he's made a firm decision yet.
But it may well come today.
Wednesday morning update: Or maybe today?
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
May 14, 2008
Two Republican candidates emerge
For the 31st state Senate district race against longtime incumbent Democrat Tom Colapietro, the GOP is pinning its hopes on Joe Geladino, a colorful character who ran unsuccessfully for a City Council seat last year.
And in the 79th House District, where Democratic state Rep. Frank Nicastro has held office for two years, the Republicans are backing Derek Jerome, who's been active in GOP politics for years.
State Rep. Ron Burns, the Republican incumbent in the 77th District, told me today that he still hasn't made up his mind about whether he'll seek a second term. He said he'll make a decision soon, though.
The Democrats are counting on Christopher Wright to pick up the 77th House seat this time around.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
And in the 79th House District, where Democratic state Rep. Frank Nicastro has held office for two years, the Republicans are backing Derek Jerome, who's been active in GOP politics for years.
State Rep. Ron Burns, the Republican incumbent in the 77th District, told me today that he still hasn't made up his mind about whether he'll seek a second term. He said he'll make a decision soon, though.
The Democrats are counting on Christopher Wright to pick up the 77th House seat this time around.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
April 30, 2008
Burns remains undecided on running again
State Rep. Ron Burns said today that he’s not ready to say whether he’ll seek a second term in the 77th District.
“I’m still on the fence,” said the freshman Republican who knocked out veteran Democrat Roger Michele in 2006 to claim the seat.
Burns said he hopes to decide soon, but isn’t sure when he’ll know.
“I’ve got some irons in the fire and I’ve got to wait ‘til those flesh out,” Burns said.
Those irons don’t relate to politics, he said.
Burns is capable of walking away from the seat. He quit the City Council in 2005 after a single term, despite having wide support among Democrats as well as Republicans.
Democrat Christopher Wright is aiming to win the district come November. It doesn't appear there are any other Democrats vying for the opportunity.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
“I’m still on the fence,” said the freshman Republican who knocked out veteran Democrat Roger Michele in 2006 to claim the seat.
Burns said he hopes to decide soon, but isn’t sure when he’ll know.
“I’ve got some irons in the fire and I’ve got to wait ‘til those flesh out,” Burns said.
Those irons don’t relate to politics, he said.
Burns is capable of walking away from the seat. He quit the City Council in 2005 after a single term, despite having wide support among Democrats as well as Republicans.
Democrat Christopher Wright is aiming to win the district come November. It doesn't appear there are any other Democrats vying for the opportunity.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
March 24, 2008
Wright enters 77th District race
Hoping to follow in the footsteps of his well-known father, Christopher Wright declared this week that he plans to seek election to northeast Bristol’s 77th state House district.Wright, 35, said he wants to represent the area in Hartford so he can “fight for cleaner air and cleaner water, better schools and better healthcare for all our citizens so that we can continue the promise made by those who came before us to leave our children a state better, stronger, cleaner and healthier than the one we live in today.”
Wright, one of former state Sen. Gardner Wright’s children, is eyeing the seat currently held by state Rep. Ron Burns, a first-term Republican who snatched the district from Democratic hands two years ago.
Burns, who knocked out longtime incumbent Roger Michele, has not said whether he’ll seek re-election in the heavily Democratic district.
It is unclear whether any other Democrats may vie for the right to seek Burns’ seat. At this point, Wright said, he doesn’t know of any other contenders.
Wright said he’s jumping into the race because he’s concerned that government is doing too little to balance its books, protect the environment and ensure affordable, quality healthcare for everyone.
He said Republicans have failed ordinary Americans because the GOP has “cut tax rates for only the very wealthiest in our society, ballooned our public debt to levels that not even Ronald Reagan or the first George Bush could not have imagined and have left working Americans with incomes that are, at best, stagnant and in all too many cases shrinking when compared to the rate of inflation.”
Wright said the state needs to preserve “the last remaining remnants of open space” that it has. “We lecture other countries about the destruction of their forests, yet we plow over ours to build bigger and bigger McMansions,” he said. “What kind a legacy is this leaving for our children?”
He called for environmental policies “which encourage the reclamation and reuse of brownfields instead of the destruction of green fields” as well as policies fuel efficient vehicles, cleaner emissions and sustainable economic growth.
Wright said healthcare needs more attention, too.
“The fact that 10 percent of the population in the state which calls itself the insurance capital of the world goes without health insurance in unacceptable,” he said.
Gardner Wright, who serves as one of the city’s downtown commissioners, is a former city councilor, state House member, congressional candidate, city Democratic leader and chairman of the state Commission on Hospitals and Health Care. He represented the 77th District in the 1970s and early 1980s, until he gave up the seat in an unsuccessful bid to win an open congressional slot.
“One thing my father told me was ‘Son, all you have in life is your name, so never do anything to harm it,’” Christopher Wright said.
“Of course, he also once told me ‘Son, don’t be humble, you’re not that great,’” the son added.
“It must be that which gives me the gumption to stand in front” of the town committee to “tell you why you should help elect me Bristol’s next state representative,” Wright said.
Wright grew up in the district, attending Mountain View, Ivy Drive and Northeast Middle schools before graduating from St. Paul Catholic High School. He earned a degree in economics from Central Connecticut State University in 1991.
After college, he earned a paralegal certificate and attended a seminary for a time before putting in eight years with the Federal Deposit Insurance Company. He currently works in registration for St. Francis Hospital.
Speech given Monday night by Christopher Wright, a Democrat who announced his intention to seek election to the 77th House seat currently held by state Rep. Ron Burns, a Bristol Republican:
Good Evening. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Christopher Wright and I am standing before you today to announce my candidacy for State Representative from the 77th district. As many of you know, I have a long personal history with the 77th. Growing up, I attended Mountain View, Ivy Drive and Northeast before graduating from St. Paul. In 1991 I graduated from Central Connecticut with a degree in Economics and later earned a certificate in paralegal studies from Hartford College for Women and attended seminary for a time. For eight years I worked for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, helping to clean up the havoc reaped on our banks and savings and loans by the Reaganomics of the 1980’s. Currently, I work in registration at St Francis Hospital, and I see firsthand the struggles people in Connecticut have finding affordable health insurance for themselves and for their children.
I come from a very working class background. All four of my grandparents worked in factories around town; New Departure, Ingram’s, Bristol Brass and GE. A union man, my grandfather Wright would go out on strike three times, something which my grandmother was never happy about. But they understood the importance of fighting for working families, a philosophy which I intended to bring with me to Hartford. My parents both grew up in town, my father on Davis Drive and Union Street and my mother in a house on Tulip Street which her family owned for forty five years. They were each the first members of their families to attend college and instilled a belief in the importance of education and a strong work ethic into their children. One thing my father told me was “Son, all you have in life is your name, so never do anything to harm it.” Of course, he also once told me “son, don’t be humble, you’re not that great.” It must be that which gives me the gumption to stand in front of you and tell you why you should help elect me Bristol’s next State Representative.
I seek this office for one reason, because I am concerned with the world that we are leaving for our children. I look at our economy and I am concerned. After a period of economic growth in the 90’s which saw the incomes of most average Americans rise at the same time our federal debt was being paid down, we have since 2001 seen a Republican administration and Republican Congress pursue economic policies which have cut tax rates for only the very wealthiest in our society, ballooned our public debt to levels that not even Ronald Reagan or the first George Bush could not have imagined and have left working Americans with incomes that are, at best, stagnant and in all too many cases shrinking when compared to the rate of inflation. The results of these borrow and spend policies of the Republicans are all too clear; rising levels of credit card debt and home foreclosures, an American dollar which is now worth less than the Canadian dollar and an overwhelming national debt that our children’s children will be paying off. And what is the Republican’s response to this crisis? The same old tired cry of Ronald Reagan, that we need to cut the taxes of the richest Americans even more and hope that somehow, someway, some of that wealth will trickle down to the rest of us. Well, my friends, I don’t need to tell you that the only “benefits” that have been coming our way are lower wages, more debt and fewer well-paying jobs. But this hasn’t been a trickle, it’s been a downpour.
What we need to do is to follow the example of President Clinton and the Democrats who, in 1993, set fiscal and tax policies that lowered tax rates for most Americans yet still managed to bring in more money and allowed the government, in the years that followed, to balance the budget and even begin to pay down on the national debt, while at the same time providing our country with an unprecedented eight straight years of economic growth. We need to recognize that economies grow from the ground up and pursue fiscal policies that benefit the vast majority of Americans who happen not to be wealthy and we need to stop being the state with the highest per capita debt in the nation. There is a not-so-old saying that states “We used to do things for posterity. Now we do things for ourselves and bill posterity.” I ask you, what kind of a legacy are we leaving for our children?
With an eye to the future, I look at our environment and I am concerned. Connecticut is a small state with limited land and I believe that we need to be asking ourselves “How do we protect the last remaining remnants of open space that we have?” The naturalist John Muir once wrote “The forests of America, however slighted by man, must have been a great delight to God, for they were the best ever planted.” What has become of those forests? We lecture other countries about the destruction of their forests, yet we plow over ours to build bigger and bigger McMansions. What kind a legacy is this leaving for our children? Do we really want future generations growing up in a state without forests or meadows and almost devoid of wildlife? What we need to do is start living by the Native American belief that we do not inherit the land from our parents but borrow it from our children. We need to pursue policies which encourage the reclamation and reuse of brown fields instead of the destruction of green fields. We need to institute tax policies that promote the use of the most fuel efficient vehicles by the public and by the state. We need to accelerate the replacement of greenhouse gas emitting energy plants with cleaner technologies. We need to encourage economic growth in our state that is both sustainable and beneficial to all of our citizens. It is only by instituting these policies now that we can provide our children with a world that is, we hope, cleaner than the one we have today.
I look at my nephews, and I am concerned about the state of our educational system. The boys, who have received most of their schooling during the “no child left behind” era, complain about all the time they spend preparing for tests. In today’s fast-paced computer-driven world, we need an educational system that emphasizes quick thinking and nimble mindedness over rote memorization. We need to make sure that our teachers are provided with the materials and support that they require to bring our children up to their full potential because have no doubt; without a highly educated population America’s position as the world’s greatest superpower will be in jeopardy. Is a legacy of crushing debt, a Grand Canyon like chasm between the rich and the rest of society and a public school system that struggles to educate its charges really what we want to leave to future generations? America is about equality and opportunity; about all of its citizens being given an equal chance to succeed or fail based on their own skills and their own merit. That process begins in the public schools.
My last, though certainly not least, concern that I want to bring before you tonight is healthcare. That fact that ten percent of the population in the state which calls itself the insurance capitol of the world goes without health insurance in unacceptable. I see these people every day when they come into the emergency room with complaints that should be taken care of in a doctor’s office. But since these people have no insurance, they have no access to a private physician and they wind up in the ER, often waiting hours on end to see a doctor. Many of these people are the working poor, people with full time or several part time jobs. The problem they face is that fewer and fewer employers today provide healthcare benefits and those that do charge their employees ever increasing premiums and copays. And the workers who receive no benefits are not eligible for state assistance because they doing what they are suppose to be doing and going out and earning a living. In fact, the gulf between the insured and the uninsured is growing so wide that a patient I was recently registering told me of a trip she made to an emergency room in another state where the two groups were actually placed in separate waiting rooms. Is this really the legacy that we want to leave to our children? It is time for us to take a stand and insist that access to affordable health care is something that all Americans should have, regardless of income or occupation. And the best part is that this should bring about a reduction in healthcare costs because people who receive regular medical care are less likely to develop serious, costly illnesses; costs which today hospitals are forced to transfer to patients who are insured just so that they can keep their doors open.
My friends, we can do better. Send me to Hartford and I promise that I will do all in my power to work for the betterment of everyone in our city and in our state. I will fight for cleaner air and cleaner water, better schools and better healthcare for all our citizens so that we can continue the promise made by those who came before us; to leave our children a state better, stronger, cleaner and healthier than the one we live in today. Thank you.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
January 23, 2008
Hamzy, Burns explain vote on crime package
Press release from state Reps. Ron Burns and Bill Hamzy, both of whom represent at least part of Bristol:
Legislation that passed the state Senate Tuesday and the state House of Representatives early Wednesday morning will increase penalties for home invasions and close some loopholes in state criminal justice laws, but a proposal that would have imposed tougher penalties on repeat violent offenders was rejected by the majority Democrats, state representatives William A. Hamzy, and Ron Burns said today.
“I supported the bill that passed the House because it will give families more protection from home invasions like the one in Cheshire last summer and because it will make it more difficult for hardened, violent criminals to be released on parole after serving only a portion of their sentences,” said Representative Hamzy, R-78th District.
“What troubles me is that the majority Democrats rejected our ‘three strikes and you’re out’ proposal, which would have put three-time violent offenders behind bars for life, where they could not threaten law-abiding citizens. Our proposal would have targeted only dangerous repeat offenders whose past criminal histories have shown they are incapable of being rehabilitated. These individuals belong behind bars – and our three strikes proposal would have kept them there and saved innocent lives,” Representative Hamzy said.
“I voted for the legislation we approved today because it will help Connecticut families feel confident that they can once again go to bed at night without having to worry about violent criminals breaking into their homes and threatening their lives,” said Representative Burns, R-77th District. “The three strikes amendment the Republicans proposed would have further strengthened the bill. Unfortunately, the majority Democrats ignored the 45,000 people who signed a petition last year that supported a three strikes law by leaving it out of the bill that passed Tuesday.”
The House Republican three strikes amendment would have required that after a third conviction of a dangerous felony, a violent criminal would be sentenced to a term of life imprisonment without the possibility of release, the legislators said.
The dangerous felonies would have included murder other than a capital felony, manslaughter, arson, kidnapping, robbery in the first or second degree, robbery involving an occupied motor vehicle, assault constituting a felony, sexual assault in the first or third degree, home invasion, burglary in the first or second degree, or stalking in the first degree, the legislators said.
The state House and Senate, meeting in special session nearly six months to the day after a Cheshire home invasion and triple murder shocked the state, adopted many of the provisions recommended by the governor’s task force and supported by most legislators.
They include:
Creating a new crime of home invasion.
Requiring individuals convicted of second degree burglary or home invasion to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences.
Altering the makeup, qualification requirements and appointment process for the state Board of Pardons and Paroles, and prohibiting parole hearings from being conducted unless the board’s chairperson certifies that all pertinent information has been provided to the board or is unavailable.
Eliminating the parole administrative review procedure, making it more difficult for dangerous violent offenders to be released from prison prematurely.
Requiring global positioning system monitoring of 300 additional parolees.
Requiring the Judicial Branch to post certain arrest warrant information on the internet.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Legislation that passed the state Senate Tuesday and the state House of Representatives early Wednesday morning will increase penalties for home invasions and close some loopholes in state criminal justice laws, but a proposal that would have imposed tougher penalties on repeat violent offenders was rejected by the majority Democrats, state representatives William A. Hamzy, and Ron Burns said today.
“I supported the bill that passed the House because it will give families more protection from home invasions like the one in Cheshire last summer and because it will make it more difficult for hardened, violent criminals to be released on parole after serving only a portion of their sentences,” said Representative Hamzy, R-78th District.
“What troubles me is that the majority Democrats rejected our ‘three strikes and you’re out’ proposal, which would have put three-time violent offenders behind bars for life, where they could not threaten law-abiding citizens. Our proposal would have targeted only dangerous repeat offenders whose past criminal histories have shown they are incapable of being rehabilitated. These individuals belong behind bars – and our three strikes proposal would have kept them there and saved innocent lives,” Representative Hamzy said.
“I voted for the legislation we approved today because it will help Connecticut families feel confident that they can once again go to bed at night without having to worry about violent criminals breaking into their homes and threatening their lives,” said Representative Burns, R-77th District. “The three strikes amendment the Republicans proposed would have further strengthened the bill. Unfortunately, the majority Democrats ignored the 45,000 people who signed a petition last year that supported a three strikes law by leaving it out of the bill that passed Tuesday.”
The House Republican three strikes amendment would have required that after a third conviction of a dangerous felony, a violent criminal would be sentenced to a term of life imprisonment without the possibility of release, the legislators said.
The dangerous felonies would have included murder other than a capital felony, manslaughter, arson, kidnapping, robbery in the first or second degree, robbery involving an occupied motor vehicle, assault constituting a felony, sexual assault in the first or third degree, home invasion, burglary in the first or second degree, or stalking in the first degree, the legislators said.
The state House and Senate, meeting in special session nearly six months to the day after a Cheshire home invasion and triple murder shocked the state, adopted many of the provisions recommended by the governor’s task force and supported by most legislators.
They include:
Creating a new crime of home invasion.
Requiring individuals convicted of second degree burglary or home invasion to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences.
Altering the makeup, qualification requirements and appointment process for the state Board of Pardons and Paroles, and prohibiting parole hearings from being conducted unless the board’s chairperson certifies that all pertinent information has been provided to the board or is unavailable.
Eliminating the parole administrative review procedure, making it more difficult for dangerous violent offenders to be released from prison prematurely.
Requiring global positioning system monitoring of 300 additional parolees.
Requiring the Judicial Branch to post certain arrest warrant information on the internet.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
January 18, 2008
$500K for Bristol Hospital
Press release from two state representatives with Bristol districts:
The state Department of Social Services (DSS) has awarded a $500,000 grant to Bristol Hospital from the state’s Hospital Hardship Fund, s tate representatives William A. Hamzy, R-78th District, and Ron Burns, R-77th District, announced today.
The funding will be used for the hospital’s quality improvement program and for a “strategic planning review that identifies optimal hospital service offerings in consideration of specialty services at other area hospitals,” DSS Commissioner Michael P. Starkowski said in a letter informing Michael Orr, Bristol Hospital’s vice president for finance, that the grant had been approved.
“Although we had hoped for a larger grant that would have included funding for equipment for the hospital’s diagnostic imaging department as well as for the quality improvement program, we are very pleased that this grant has been approved,” Representatives Hamzy and Burns said. “Bristol Hospital has always been recognized for the quality patient care it provides for Greater Bristol area residents. This grant will help the hospital enhance and broaden those services over the next few years. We’d like to thank Commissioner Starkowski, Public Health Commissioner J. Robert Galvin, Health Care Access Commissioner Cristine Vogel, and the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority for their support for this grant.”
On October 3, 2007, representatives Burns and Hamzy, state representatives Frank N. Nicastro Sr., D-79th District, and Elizabeth A. Boukus, D-22nd District, and state Senator Thomas A. Colapietro, D-31st District, sent a letter to Commissioner Starkowski urging him to support the hospital’s grant application.
“The hospital has established a good track record by virtue of the investment it made with the generous $1.2 million grant it was awarded by the Department of Social Services last year to enhance the operations of the emergency department. Bristol Hospital is on the cusp of making a full comeback and this additional grant will enable it to better fulfill its mission. The importance of this institution to the Greater Bristol area cannot be overstated,” the legislators wrote.
DSS today announced the award of more than $20.3 million, including the $500,000 for Bristol Hospital, from the state’s Hospital Hardship Fund to help eight hospitals around the state meet critical operating expenses, expand facilities and strengthen their long-term financial health.
The hardship grants will help upgrade and modernize services and facilities, or meet extraordinary operating expenses at the hospitals.
The funding was authorized under 2007 legislation that established a $30 million Hospital Hardship Fund to be administered by DSS. Selection factors for the grants include hospital utilization by patients eligible for state assistance programs, licensure and certification compliance history; and reasonableness of actual and projected revenues and expenditures.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The state Department of Social Services (DSS) has awarded a $500,000 grant to Bristol Hospital from the state’s Hospital Hardship Fund, s tate representatives William A. Hamzy, R-78th District, and Ron Burns, R-77th District, announced today.
The funding will be used for the hospital’s quality improvement program and for a “strategic planning review that identifies optimal hospital service offerings in consideration of specialty services at other area hospitals,” DSS Commissioner Michael P. Starkowski said in a letter informing Michael Orr, Bristol Hospital’s vice president for finance, that the grant had been approved.
“Although we had hoped for a larger grant that would have included funding for equipment for the hospital’s diagnostic imaging department as well as for the quality improvement program, we are very pleased that this grant has been approved,” Representatives Hamzy and Burns said. “Bristol Hospital has always been recognized for the quality patient care it provides for Greater Bristol area residents. This grant will help the hospital enhance and broaden those services over the next few years. We’d like to thank Commissioner Starkowski, Public Health Commissioner J. Robert Galvin, Health Care Access Commissioner Cristine Vogel, and the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority for their support for this grant.”
On October 3, 2007, representatives Burns and Hamzy, state representatives Frank N. Nicastro Sr., D-79th District, and Elizabeth A. Boukus, D-22nd District, and state Senator Thomas A. Colapietro, D-31st District, sent a letter to Commissioner Starkowski urging him to support the hospital’s grant application.
“The hospital has established a good track record by virtue of the investment it made with the generous $1.2 million grant it was awarded by the Department of Social Services last year to enhance the operations of the emergency department. Bristol Hospital is on the cusp of making a full comeback and this additional grant will enable it to better fulfill its mission. The importance of this institution to the Greater Bristol area cannot be overstated,” the legislators wrote.
DSS today announced the award of more than $20.3 million, including the $500,000 for Bristol Hospital, from the state’s Hospital Hardship Fund to help eight hospitals around the state meet critical operating expenses, expand facilities and strengthen their long-term financial health.
The hardship grants will help upgrade and modernize services and facilities, or meet extraordinary operating expenses at the hospitals.
The funding was authorized under 2007 legislation that established a $30 million Hospital Hardship Fund to be administered by DSS. Selection factors for the grants include hospital utilization by patients eligible for state assistance programs, licensure and certification compliance history; and reasonableness of actual and projected revenues and expenditures.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
January 14, 2008
More cash sought for gun task force
Press release from state Reps. Bill Hamzy and Ron Burns, both Republicans who represent portions of Bristol:
With the Connecticut General Assembly poised to enact several anti-crime initiatives this year in response to last summer’s home invasion murders in Cheshire, state representatives William A. Hamzy and Ron Burns also are planning to pursue an increase in funding for the Statewide Firearms Trafficking Task Force to reduce gun violence, the legislators said today.
The task force, a unit within the state Department of Public Safety that enforces state gun trafficking and possession laws, is having one of its most successful years ever, thanks to a significant infusion of special funding that was included in the 2007-2009 state budget during the 2007 legislative session, said Representative Hamzy, R-78th District, and Representative Burns, R-77th District.
“The task force is on its way to having one of its most successful years ever in terms of illegal guns confiscated and arrests of individuals involved in illegal gun sales,” said Representative Hamzy, who voted for the original bill (House Bill 5922) that created the task force in 2000.
“When it has had the resources it needs, the firearms trafficking task force has been far more effective in getting the job done than all the gun control laws we have put on the books over the years. That is because the task force aggressively targets individuals who sell guns to criminals and confiscates illegal guns used to commit crimes. Gun control laws inconvenience legitimate gun owners but do very little to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals - who acquire them illegally from underworld gun dealers,” Representative Hamzy said. “We will be acting on several major anti-crime initiatives over the next few weeks. Providing an adequate and stable source of funding for the firearms trafficking task force ought to be one of them.”
“For the first time since special state funding for the unit was cut off as the result of a fiscal crisis in 2003, the state legislature has finally increased its funding, providing it with $400,000 in 2007-08 and $400,000 more in 2008-09. If we boost the task force’s special funding to $500,000 for 2008-09 and keep it at that level for the next several years, we can make life very difficult for illegal gun traffickers and the criminals who buy firearms from them. The additional funding will allow the task force to add more officers, conduct more investigations, arrest more illegal gun dealers, take more guns off the streets, and save more innocent lives,” Representative Burns said
“The home invasion murders in Cheshire last summer showed just how horribly flawed Connecticut’s criminal justice and parole systems are,” Representative Burns said. “Outraged Connecticut residents demanded that tough new anti-crime laws be put on the books to prevent more murders like them in the years ahead. If we give the task force the resources it needs to keep operating effectively for years into the future, we can do even more to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and protect the law-abiding people of our state.”
The additional funding provided to the task force for 2007-08 enabled the unit to seize 656 illegal firearms and arrest 37 people on gun trafficking charges between January and November of 2007. During the first two years of its existence in 2000-01 and 2001-02, when it was funded at $500,000 for each year, the task force seized more than 450 illegal guns and arrested almost 100 individuals on gun-related charges. When the Public Safety Committee was considering increasing the task force’s budget in early 2007, their original proposal was to fund it at $500,000 for both years of the state’s two-year budget, the legislators said.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
With the Connecticut General Assembly poised to enact several anti-crime initiatives this year in response to last summer’s home invasion murders in Cheshire, state representatives William A. Hamzy and Ron Burns also are planning to pursue an increase in funding for the Statewide Firearms Trafficking Task Force to reduce gun violence, the legislators said today.
The task force, a unit within the state Department of Public Safety that enforces state gun trafficking and possession laws, is having one of its most successful years ever, thanks to a significant infusion of special funding that was included in the 2007-2009 state budget during the 2007 legislative session, said Representative Hamzy, R-78th District, and Representative Burns, R-77th District.
“The task force is on its way to having one of its most successful years ever in terms of illegal guns confiscated and arrests of individuals involved in illegal gun sales,” said Representative Hamzy, who voted for the original bill (House Bill 5922) that created the task force in 2000.
“When it has had the resources it needs, the firearms trafficking task force has been far more effective in getting the job done than all the gun control laws we have put on the books over the years. That is because the task force aggressively targets individuals who sell guns to criminals and confiscates illegal guns used to commit crimes. Gun control laws inconvenience legitimate gun owners but do very little to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals - who acquire them illegally from underworld gun dealers,” Representative Hamzy said. “We will be acting on several major anti-crime initiatives over the next few weeks. Providing an adequate and stable source of funding for the firearms trafficking task force ought to be one of them.”
“For the first time since special state funding for the unit was cut off as the result of a fiscal crisis in 2003, the state legislature has finally increased its funding, providing it with $400,000 in 2007-08 and $400,000 more in 2008-09. If we boost the task force’s special funding to $500,000 for 2008-09 and keep it at that level for the next several years, we can make life very difficult for illegal gun traffickers and the criminals who buy firearms from them. The additional funding will allow the task force to add more officers, conduct more investigations, arrest more illegal gun dealers, take more guns off the streets, and save more innocent lives,” Representative Burns said
“The home invasion murders in Cheshire last summer showed just how horribly flawed Connecticut’s criminal justice and parole systems are,” Representative Burns said. “Outraged Connecticut residents demanded that tough new anti-crime laws be put on the books to prevent more murders like them in the years ahead. If we give the task force the resources it needs to keep operating effectively for years into the future, we can do even more to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and protect the law-abiding people of our state.”
The additional funding provided to the task force for 2007-08 enabled the unit to seize 656 illegal firearms and arrest 37 people on gun trafficking charges between January and November of 2007. During the first two years of its existence in 2000-01 and 2001-02, when it was funded at $500,000 for each year, the task force seized more than 450 illegal guns and arrested almost 100 individuals on gun-related charges. When the Public Safety Committee was considering increasing the task force’s budget in early 2007, their original proposal was to fund it at $500,000 for both years of the state’s two-year budget, the legislators said.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
November 13, 2007
Burns holding office hours on Saturday
State Representative Ron Burns will resume regular constituent office hours on Saturday, November 17th from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Center Main Office on Mix Street in Bristol. Appointments are not necessary.
Instead of holding office hours in August, September and October, Representative Burns conducted door to door visits with his 77th District constituents. During that time, he suspended his regular monthly office hours, which are normally held on the third Saturday of every month, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Giamatti Little League Center’s main office.
“I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to get out and meet with many of you at your homes over the past three months,” Representative Burns said. “If you were on vacation or away from your home when I dropped by and would like to discuss a problem that can be resolved at the state level or if you just want to talk about some of the issues that will be coming before the state legislature in 2008, feel free to drop by this Saturday at the Little League Center.”
“The upcoming legislative session will be a short one, and I want to make sure I focus on the issues that are most important to you, the residents of the 77th District. If you don’t have time to meet with me during my regular monthly office hours, please send me a letter or e-mail or give me a call and share your thoughts with me on what you’d like to see us accomplish in Hartford next year. One way or another, I’d like to hear from you,” Representative Burns said.
Representative Burns also can be reached at his Hartford office by calling 1-800-842-1423; via e-mail at ron.burns@housegop.ct.gov; by FAX at 1-860-240-0207, or at home at 584-1035.
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Instead of holding office hours in August, September and October, Representative Burns conducted door to door visits with his 77th District constituents. During that time, he suspended his regular monthly office hours, which are normally held on the third Saturday of every month, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Giamatti Little League Center’s main office.
“I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to get out and meet with many of you at your homes over the past three months,” Representative Burns said. “If you were on vacation or away from your home when I dropped by and would like to discuss a problem that can be resolved at the state level or if you just want to talk about some of the issues that will be coming before the state legislature in 2008, feel free to drop by this Saturday at the Little League Center.”
“The upcoming legislative session will be a short one, and I want to make sure I focus on the issues that are most important to you, the residents of the 77th District. If you don’t have time to meet with me during my regular monthly office hours, please send me a letter or e-mail or give me a call and share your thoughts with me on what you’d like to see us accomplish in Hartford next year. One way or another, I’d like to hear from you,” Representative Burns said.
Representative Burns also can be reached at his Hartford office by calling 1-800-842-1423; via e-mail at ron.burns@housegop.ct.gov; by FAX at 1-860-240-0207, or at home at 584-1035.
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
October 31, 2007
Couture defends Ward
"Let’s also talk about the mother lode of all contract fiascos: the purchase by the City of the Downtown Mall. This contract was negotiated and entered into behind closed doors, in secret, at one or more meetings held at a local Forestville restaurant. Mr. Ward you were present, along with other members of the City Council and various support staff including the former mayor’s secretary who took notes. Mayor Stortz has the pictures and probably the notes.
Mr. Ward, if you think that the public doesn’t care about how you participated in these secret meetings, then come out and explain why it was okay to have those meetings in secret! You were involved and often took credit as the Deputy Mayor. Is this what we can expect from you? With all the contracts this city is about to enter, you have only demonstrated that you are capable of dealing behind closed doors out of sight from the public, whose trust is the mortar of public service. You were the proclaimed Deputy Mayor that spent 5.2 million taxpayer dollars without public input and that administration was thrown out of public office. Why should we expect anything different from you in the future? Or will you flip flop on this issue as well?” -- Art Mocabee, chairman of the Bristol Republican Party
Former Mayor Gerard Couture said Wednesday that Mocabee’s got it wrong.
Mocabee “talks a good game, but he just can’t play shortstop,” said Couture, who served as mayor from 2003 to 2005.
“I just want to clear the air. Artie was never a part of those meetings, those sessions we had,” Couture said.
On the other hand, he said, “our state legislators were there,” including state Rep. Bill Hamzy, a Plymouth Republican.
“Every meeting I ever had, Bill Hamzy was part of it,” Couture said.
He said he held many informational meetings with members of the community before seeking to buy the mall and ultimately got approval to purchase it for $5.3 million in March 2005 with the unanimous backing of the City Council and only one dissenter on the Board of Finance, Dolores Caper, who worried about how much it would eventually cost once everything was tallied up.
Couture said he met with Chamber of Commerce officials, businessmen such as Wally Barnes and Bob Fiondella, and many other to seek out their advice before proceeding with the mall purchase.
Fiondella told him that “in the end you won’t have any friends,” Couture recalled, which proved partially true.
But the meetings were never improper, Couture said.
“My council was kept abreast of these meetings but they were never a part of them. They were never any illegal meetings,” he said.
“It’s not fair to Arthur Ward,” Couture said, to hold him any more accountable than any other official who supported the mall’s purchase, including state Rep. Ron Burns, Hamzy and many Republicans.
“I think we did the right thing,” Couture said.
He said he used to keep Burns and Hamzy up to date with regular Monday meetings “to make sure they knew what we were doing.”
Burns “was one of the guys who stuck by me from day one” because he saw the vision embodied in the downtown plan Couture pushed, the former mayor said. Burns was elected to the state House last year after serving on the council during Couture’s stint as mayor.
Couture said that he feels sad that some politicians “sold their souls” in 2005 to get reelected by distancing themselves from the administration’s effort to revitalize the mall site, but he hopes everyone recognizes that the mall buy gave the city a chance to remake its downtown.
After six terms on the council and a term as mayor, “I got a chance to do something that everyone was waiting to happen,” Couture said, and he took it.
Everyone wanted to do something with the mall, he said, and tackling it had been part of every campaign for years. “Finally, we got a chance. We got a commitment from the state,” he said, so he plunged forward with a plan that he still believes would work out.
“The city never, never was going to lose that money,” he said. “We would eventually get our investment back.”
With Couture’s plan for a field house, community theater and more now off the table, the ex-mayor said, “you have to start from scratch all over again” because there’s no proposal for the state to consider.
He said he hopes the new downtown corporation will move swiftly to come up with something that would help Bristol.
Meanwhile, though, Couture said he couldn’t stay on the sidelines any longer and watch Ward get beat up for things he never did.
“I’ve got to defend my people and everyone who was involved in what we did,” Couture said.
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Mr. Ward, if you think that the public doesn’t care about how you participated in these secret meetings, then come out and explain why it was okay to have those meetings in secret! You were involved and often took credit as the Deputy Mayor. Is this what we can expect from you? With all the contracts this city is about to enter, you have only demonstrated that you are capable of dealing behind closed doors out of sight from the public, whose trust is the mortar of public service. You were the proclaimed Deputy Mayor that spent 5.2 million taxpayer dollars without public input and that administration was thrown out of public office. Why should we expect anything different from you in the future? Or will you flip flop on this issue as well?” -- Art Mocabee, chairman of the Bristol Republican Party
Former Mayor Gerard Couture said Wednesday that Mocabee’s got it wrong.
Mocabee “talks a good game, but he just can’t play shortstop,” said Couture, who served as mayor from 2003 to 2005.
“I just want to clear the air. Artie was never a part of those meetings, those sessions we had,” Couture said.
On the other hand, he said, “our state legislators were there,” including state Rep. Bill Hamzy, a Plymouth Republican.
“Every meeting I ever had, Bill Hamzy was part of it,” Couture said.
He said he held many informational meetings with members of the community before seeking to buy the mall and ultimately got approval to purchase it for $5.3 million in March 2005 with the unanimous backing of the City Council and only one dissenter on the Board of Finance, Dolores Caper, who worried about how much it would eventually cost once everything was tallied up.
Couture said he met with Chamber of Commerce officials, businessmen such as Wally Barnes and Bob Fiondella, and many other to seek out their advice before proceeding with the mall purchase.
Fiondella told him that “in the end you won’t have any friends,” Couture recalled, which proved partially true.
But the meetings were never improper, Couture said.
“My council was kept abreast of these meetings but they were never a part of them. They were never any illegal meetings,” he said.
“It’s not fair to Arthur Ward,” Couture said, to hold him any more accountable than any other official who supported the mall’s purchase, including state Rep. Ron Burns, Hamzy and many Republicans.
“I think we did the right thing,” Couture said.
He said he used to keep Burns and Hamzy up to date with regular Monday meetings “to make sure they knew what we were doing.”
Burns “was one of the guys who stuck by me from day one” because he saw the vision embodied in the downtown plan Couture pushed, the former mayor said. Burns was elected to the state House last year after serving on the council during Couture’s stint as mayor.
Couture said that he feels sad that some politicians “sold their souls” in 2005 to get reelected by distancing themselves from the administration’s effort to revitalize the mall site, but he hopes everyone recognizes that the mall buy gave the city a chance to remake its downtown.
After six terms on the council and a term as mayor, “I got a chance to do something that everyone was waiting to happen,” Couture said, and he took it.
Everyone wanted to do something with the mall, he said, and tackling it had been part of every campaign for years. “Finally, we got a chance. We got a commitment from the state,” he said, so he plunged forward with a plan that he still believes would work out.
“The city never, never was going to lose that money,” he said. “We would eventually get our investment back.”
With Couture’s plan for a field house, community theater and more now off the table, the ex-mayor said, “you have to start from scratch all over again” because there’s no proposal for the state to consider.
He said he hopes the new downtown corporation will move swiftly to come up with something that would help Bristol.
Meanwhile, though, Couture said he couldn’t stay on the sidelines any longer and watch Ward get beat up for things he never did.
“I’ve got to defend my people and everyone who was involved in what we did,” Couture said.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Lake Compounce, BCO among bond package winners
Press release from the state House Republicans:
A fiscally responsible bond package approved by the Connecticut General Assembly Tuesday will help pay for important Bristol projects and provide funding for school construction and transportation infrastructure projects statewide without increasing the burden on taxpayers or threatening the state’s bond rating, state Representatives William A. Hamzy and Ron Burns said today.
The $2.82 billion package approved Tuesday was significantly less expensive than the $3.2 billion measure that passed on party line votes in September, with the majority Democrats voting to approve the bill. House Republicans opposed that Democrat measure but voted for a leaner alternative Republican bond package, which failed on another party-line vote.
Governor Rell vetoed the earlier Democrat bonding bill, citing excessive spending on pork barrel projects that could have jeopardized the state’s bond rating and unduly burdened taxpayers. She has indicated she will sign the measure that passed Tuesday.
“The bonding package approved by the majority Democrats a few weeks ago called for excessive spending on pork barrel projects that did not serve the overall interests of the people of Connecticut, would have increased the burden on taxpayers who already bear the nation’s third-highest per capita state debt, and threatened our currently favorable bond rating,” said Representative Burns, R-77th District, who serves on the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee.
“Interestingly enough, the measure we approved today is almost a mirror image of the alternative bond package we offered in September. Weeks of uncertainty over the future of school building projects around the state could have been avoided if Democrat legislators had crossed party lines and voted to approve our proposal,” Representative Burns said.
“Governor Rell did the right thing by vetoing the majority Democrats’ original bonding proposal while Republican legislators showed it was possible to put together a responsible measure that provided funding for repairs and improvements to our highways and bridges and for school construction projects throughout the state without increasing the tax burden on working families,” said Representative Hamzy, R-78th District, who had a prior commitment in Washington, D.C., and was unable to be in Hartford for Tuesday’s vote. “I’m proud of the work I did to help draft our alternative bond package, which in many ways was the model for the measure that passed today. Unfortunately, I had to be in our nation’s capitol for an engagement that could not be postponed or I would have been on the state House floor and would have voted for the bond package that passed today.”
Grants authorized for Bristol projects in the bill that passed Tuesday include:
• $3,500,000 for road relocation, utility upgrades, new service facilities and other improvements related to the expansion of Lake Compounce Water Park.
• $373,170 for the Bristol Community Organization, Inc., to purchase a building for the expansion of the Head Start program.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
A fiscally responsible bond package approved by the Connecticut General Assembly Tuesday will help pay for important Bristol projects and provide funding for school construction and transportation infrastructure projects statewide without increasing the burden on taxpayers or threatening the state’s bond rating, state Representatives William A. Hamzy and Ron Burns said today.
The $2.82 billion package approved Tuesday was significantly less expensive than the $3.2 billion measure that passed on party line votes in September, with the majority Democrats voting to approve the bill. House Republicans opposed that Democrat measure but voted for a leaner alternative Republican bond package, which failed on another party-line vote.
Governor Rell vetoed the earlier Democrat bonding bill, citing excessive spending on pork barrel projects that could have jeopardized the state’s bond rating and unduly burdened taxpayers. She has indicated she will sign the measure that passed Tuesday.
“The bonding package approved by the majority Democrats a few weeks ago called for excessive spending on pork barrel projects that did not serve the overall interests of the people of Connecticut, would have increased the burden on taxpayers who already bear the nation’s third-highest per capita state debt, and threatened our currently favorable bond rating,” said Representative Burns, R-77th District, who serves on the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee.
“Interestingly enough, the measure we approved today is almost a mirror image of the alternative bond package we offered in September. Weeks of uncertainty over the future of school building projects around the state could have been avoided if Democrat legislators had crossed party lines and voted to approve our proposal,” Representative Burns said.
“Governor Rell did the right thing by vetoing the majority Democrats’ original bonding proposal while Republican legislators showed it was possible to put together a responsible measure that provided funding for repairs and improvements to our highways and bridges and for school construction projects throughout the state without increasing the tax burden on working families,” said Representative Hamzy, R-78th District, who had a prior commitment in Washington, D.C., and was unable to be in Hartford for Tuesday’s vote. “I’m proud of the work I did to help draft our alternative bond package, which in many ways was the model for the measure that passed today. Unfortunately, I had to be in our nation’s capitol for an engagement that could not be postponed or I would have been on the state House floor and would have voted for the bond package that passed today.”
Grants authorized for Bristol projects in the bill that passed Tuesday include:
• $3,500,000 for road relocation, utility upgrades, new service facilities and other improvements related to the expansion of Lake Compounce Water Park.
• $373,170 for the Bristol Community Organization, Inc., to purchase a building for the expansion of the Head Start program.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
September 30, 2007
Locals vow to save Social Security office
"We're not going to give up," said city Councilor Mike Rimcoski. "We're going to still try full force."
Rimcoski said that the City Council, Mayor William Stortz and the state delegation are going to turn up the heat.
State Rep. Ron Burns said the fight is a bipartisan one, with politicians from both parties joining together to convince President George W. Bush to reverse the decision.
Burns said that local politicians will try to convince Gov. Jodi Rell to intercede with the president.
He said that with a Republican mayor, Republican lawmakers and a Republican governor pushing for the office to stay open, perhaps the president will listen.
"This isn't a done issue," said Rimcoski, who is also a Republican.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Rimcoski said that the City Council, Mayor William Stortz and the state delegation are going to turn up the heat.
State Rep. Ron Burns said the fight is a bipartisan one, with politicians from both parties joining together to convince President George W. Bush to reverse the decision.
Burns said that local politicians will try to convince Gov. Jodi Rell to intercede with the president.
He said that with a Republican mayor, Republican lawmakers and a Republican governor pushing for the office to stay open, perhaps the president will listen.
"This isn't a done issue," said Rimcoski, who is also a Republican.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
September 25, 2007
Dems hammer Hamzy, Burns
Keep in mind the GOP response to this argument, offered in a Friday release
Press release from the Democrats at the statehouse:
The State House Democrats Office released a list of targeted community investments identified by House Republican legislators as key projects for their districts. These projects were negotiated in a bipartisan manner as part of the bonding package and voted on Thursday by the General Assembly.
The vote was split among party lines with every House Republican legislator voting against the bill. As a result, the Republican legislators voted against their own projects that would benefit the municipalities they were elected to represent.
House Majority Leader Christopher G. Donovan said, “These projects benefit our communities and provide property tax relief for our cities and towns. When it came time to vote, the Republicans voted no. It is important for residents to know where their representatives stand.”
“After these legislators indicated how important these projects were to their communities and got them in the bond package, they voted against the bill for some short sighted political reason,” said Speaker of the House Jim Amann (D-Milford). “Now they will have to explain to their mayor and constituents why all of a sudden these projects aren't so important after all.”
Bonding projects earmarked by House Republican legislators:
Bristol (Reps. William Hamzy, Ron Burns): $425,000 grant-in-aid to Bristol Community Organization, Inc. to purchase a building for expansion of the Head Start program
Brookfield (Rep. David Scribner): $1 million made available to the Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut in Brookfield for capital improvements including an indoor pool
Brookfield (Rep. David Scribner): $500,000 grant-in-aid for expansion of the senior center, including computer equipment
Durham (Rep. Raymond Kalinowski): $500,000 grant-in-aid to Farnam Neighborhood House for the Camp Farnam Reclamation and Revitalization Project
Easton (Rep. John Stripp): $250,000 grant-in-aid for renovations at the senior center
Granby (Rep. Richard Ferrari): $100,000 grant-in-aid to Holcomb Farm for restoration and renovation of buildings
Greenwich (Reps. Livvy Floren, Claudia Powers, Lile Gibbons): $1.5 million for renovation of existing or construction of new exhibition areas, teaching spaces and the science gallery at the Bruce Museum
Greenwich (Reps. Livvy Floren, Claudia Powers, Lile Gibbons): $2 million grant-in-aid for remediation of brownfields at the Cos Cob Power Plant site
Litchfield (Rep. Craig Miner): $1 million grant-in-aid for firehouse construction in Northfield
Manchester (Rep. Pamela Sawyer): $900,000 grant-in-aid for the development and construction of the Manchester to Bolton segment of the East Coast Greenway
Middlefield (Rep. Raymond Kalinowski): Up to $100,000 made available for Lake Beseck
Middletown (Rep. Raymond Kalinowski): $1 million grant-in-aid to the Middlesex County Revitalization Commission for revitalization projects
Naugatuck (Reps. Kevin DelGobbo, David Labriola): $93,000 grant-in-aid for improvements to Long Meadow Brook, including riverside access
North Branford (Rep. Vincent Candelora): $500,000 grant-in-aid for development of the Swatchuk Property for active and passive recreation
North Branford (Rep. Vincent Candelora): $500,000 grant-in-aid for renovations and additions to the Edward Smith Library in Northford
Oxford (Rep. David Labriola): $600,000 grant-in-aid to Oxford for improvements to Oxford Industrial Park Road
Somers (Rep. Penny Bacchiochi): $1 million grant-in-aid to the Somers Housing Authority for the rehabilitation and expansion of senior housing at the Woodcrest facility
Somers (Rep. Penny Bacchiochi): $500,000 grant-in-aid for expansion of the Somers Library
Somers (Rep. Penny Bacchiochi): $500,000 grant-in-aid for two fire substations
Stafford (Rep. Penny Bacchiochi): $500,000 grant-in-aid for downtown redevelopment
Stratford (Reps. John Harkins, Lawrence Miller): $500,000 grant-in-aid for new boilers at Stratford High School
Thomaston (Rep. John Piscopo): $2 million grant-in-aid for extension of a water main in the Jackson Street area
Torrington (Rep. Anne Ruwet): $1 million grant-in-aid for the development and construction of the Warner Theater Stage House
Torrington (Rep. Anne Ruwet): $575,000 grant-in-aid for downtown redevelopment
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Press release from the Democrats at the statehouse:
The State House Democrats Office released a list of targeted community investments identified by House Republican legislators as key projects for their districts. These projects were negotiated in a bipartisan manner as part of the bonding package and voted on Thursday by the General Assembly.
The vote was split among party lines with every House Republican legislator voting against the bill. As a result, the Republican legislators voted against their own projects that would benefit the municipalities they were elected to represent.
House Majority Leader Christopher G. Donovan said, “These projects benefit our communities and provide property tax relief for our cities and towns. When it came time to vote, the Republicans voted no. It is important for residents to know where their representatives stand.”
“After these legislators indicated how important these projects were to their communities and got them in the bond package, they voted against the bill for some short sighted political reason,” said Speaker of the House Jim Amann (D-Milford). “Now they will have to explain to their mayor and constituents why all of a sudden these projects aren't so important after all.”
Bonding projects earmarked by House Republican legislators:
Bristol (Reps. William Hamzy, Ron Burns): $425,000 grant-in-aid to Bristol Community Organization, Inc. to purchase a building for expansion of the Head Start program
Brookfield (Rep. David Scribner): $1 million made available to the Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut in Brookfield for capital improvements including an indoor pool
Brookfield (Rep. David Scribner): $500,000 grant-in-aid for expansion of the senior center, including computer equipment
Durham (Rep. Raymond Kalinowski): $500,000 grant-in-aid to Farnam Neighborhood House for the Camp Farnam Reclamation and Revitalization Project
Easton (Rep. John Stripp): $250,000 grant-in-aid for renovations at the senior center
Granby (Rep. Richard Ferrari): $100,000 grant-in-aid to Holcomb Farm for restoration and renovation of buildings
Greenwich (Reps. Livvy Floren, Claudia Powers, Lile Gibbons): $1.5 million for renovation of existing or construction of new exhibition areas, teaching spaces and the science gallery at the Bruce Museum
Greenwich (Reps. Livvy Floren, Claudia Powers, Lile Gibbons): $2 million grant-in-aid for remediation of brownfields at the Cos Cob Power Plant site
Litchfield (Rep. Craig Miner): $1 million grant-in-aid for firehouse construction in Northfield
Manchester (Rep. Pamela Sawyer): $900,000 grant-in-aid for the development and construction of the Manchester to Bolton segment of the East Coast Greenway
Middlefield (Rep. Raymond Kalinowski): Up to $100,000 made available for Lake Beseck
Middletown (Rep. Raymond Kalinowski): $1 million grant-in-aid to the Middlesex County Revitalization Commission for revitalization projects
Naugatuck (Reps. Kevin DelGobbo, David Labriola): $93,000 grant-in-aid for improvements to Long Meadow Brook, including riverside access
North Branford (Rep. Vincent Candelora): $500,000 grant-in-aid for development of the Swatchuk Property for active and passive recreation
North Branford (Rep. Vincent Candelora): $500,000 grant-in-aid for renovations and additions to the Edward Smith Library in Northford
Oxford (Rep. David Labriola): $600,000 grant-in-aid to Oxford for improvements to Oxford Industrial Park Road
Somers (Rep. Penny Bacchiochi): $1 million grant-in-aid to the Somers Housing Authority for the rehabilitation and expansion of senior housing at the Woodcrest facility
Somers (Rep. Penny Bacchiochi): $500,000 grant-in-aid for expansion of the Somers Library
Somers (Rep. Penny Bacchiochi): $500,000 grant-in-aid for two fire substations
Stafford (Rep. Penny Bacchiochi): $500,000 grant-in-aid for downtown redevelopment
Stratford (Reps. John Harkins, Lawrence Miller): $500,000 grant-in-aid for new boilers at Stratford High School
Thomaston (Rep. John Piscopo): $2 million grant-in-aid for extension of a water main in the Jackson Street area
Torrington (Rep. Anne Ruwet): $1 million grant-in-aid for the development and construction of the Warner Theater Stage House
Torrington (Rep. Anne Ruwet): $575,000 grant-in-aid for downtown redevelopment
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
September 21, 2007
Burns, Hamzy explain bond votes
Another press release:
State representatives William A. Hamzy and Ron Burns opposed a $3.1 billion bonding measure drafted by the General Assembly’s majority Democrats that was approved on a party line vote Thursday, saying the extravagant package, which Governor Rell vetoed today, would have jeopardized the state’s credit rating, inflated the state debt, and increased the burden on Connecticut taxpayers.
The legislators instead opted for a leaner alternative bond package developed by House Republicans, which would have saved taxpayers more than $275 million, mostly achieved by limiting pet projects, the majority of which are earmarked for large urban areas represented by the state legislature’s Democrats. The House Republican proposal also would have preserved funding for several critical Bristol projects.
“As a fiscal conservative, I simply could not support the Democrats’ bonding bill,” said Representative Hamzy, R-78th District. “The agencies that determine Connecticut’s credit rating have told us that the state’s currently favorable rating would be jeopardized if we borrow more than $1.25 billion through the sale of state bonds over the next two years. Even the Democrats have acknowledged that our credit rating would suffer if all of the earmark projects they included in their bill are approved by the State Bond Commission, which has the final say on which projects are funded. If the state’s credit rating is downgraded by the rating agencies, it would mean we would have to pay higher interest rates on the bonds we sell, which would further inflate the state debt and mean higher costs to taxpayers as the bonds are paid off.”
“Clearly, some major projects need to be funded with the sale of state bonds that are paid off over a period of years to reduce the impact on taxpayers. They include school construction, improvements to our transportation infrastructure, maintaining our bridges, and helping to fund truly critical local projects. Our alternative bond package preserved funding for projects like these - and even provided $60 million for badly needed local projects. Our proposal would have significantly reduced wasteful pork barrel spending and limited growth in the state debt to a sustainable level that would have been affordable to Connecticut’s overburdened taxpayers,” Representative Hamzy said.
“Currently, 11 cents of every tax dollar the state collects is used to help pay off our bonded indebtedness. If every item authorized in the Democrats’ bonding package receives final approval and is allocated by the State Bond Commission, it would mean about 18 cents of every tax dollar would have to be dedicated to servicing the state debt,” said Representative Burns, R-77th District, who serves on the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee.
“Bristol has some very worthwhile projects that were included in the bonding package approved Thursday,” Representative Burns said. “Our alternative budget, which was offered as an amendment to the Democrats’ bill, would have preserved funding for those projects and other wise investments while limiting the state’s borrowing to levels that would not jeopardize our credit rating. Unfortunately, our Democratic colleagues refused to support our proposal.”
Grants authorized for Bristol projects under both the Democrat and Republican bonding packages include:
$3,500,000 for a public works project to relocate Mount Vernon Road, which would allow Lake Compounce to expand.
$425,000 for the Bristol Community Organization, Inc., to purchase a building for the expansion of the Head Start program.
$200,000 to the Environmental Learning Center for infrastructure improvements at Indian Rock Nature Preserve in Bristol.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
State representatives William A. Hamzy and Ron Burns opposed a $3.1 billion bonding measure drafted by the General Assembly’s majority Democrats that was approved on a party line vote Thursday, saying the extravagant package, which Governor Rell vetoed today, would have jeopardized the state’s credit rating, inflated the state debt, and increased the burden on Connecticut taxpayers.
The legislators instead opted for a leaner alternative bond package developed by House Republicans, which would have saved taxpayers more than $275 million, mostly achieved by limiting pet projects, the majority of which are earmarked for large urban areas represented by the state legislature’s Democrats. The House Republican proposal also would have preserved funding for several critical Bristol projects.
“As a fiscal conservative, I simply could not support the Democrats’ bonding bill,” said Representative Hamzy, R-78th District. “The agencies that determine Connecticut’s credit rating have told us that the state’s currently favorable rating would be jeopardized if we borrow more than $1.25 billion through the sale of state bonds over the next two years. Even the Democrats have acknowledged that our credit rating would suffer if all of the earmark projects they included in their bill are approved by the State Bond Commission, which has the final say on which projects are funded. If the state’s credit rating is downgraded by the rating agencies, it would mean we would have to pay higher interest rates on the bonds we sell, which would further inflate the state debt and mean higher costs to taxpayers as the bonds are paid off.”
“Clearly, some major projects need to be funded with the sale of state bonds that are paid off over a period of years to reduce the impact on taxpayers. They include school construction, improvements to our transportation infrastructure, maintaining our bridges, and helping to fund truly critical local projects. Our alternative bond package preserved funding for projects like these - and even provided $60 million for badly needed local projects. Our proposal would have significantly reduced wasteful pork barrel spending and limited growth in the state debt to a sustainable level that would have been affordable to Connecticut’s overburdened taxpayers,” Representative Hamzy said.
“Currently, 11 cents of every tax dollar the state collects is used to help pay off our bonded indebtedness. If every item authorized in the Democrats’ bonding package receives final approval and is allocated by the State Bond Commission, it would mean about 18 cents of every tax dollar would have to be dedicated to servicing the state debt,” said Representative Burns, R-77th District, who serves on the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee.
“Bristol has some very worthwhile projects that were included in the bonding package approved Thursday,” Representative Burns said. “Our alternative budget, which was offered as an amendment to the Democrats’ bill, would have preserved funding for those projects and other wise investments while limiting the state’s borrowing to levels that would not jeopardize our credit rating. Unfortunately, our Democratic colleagues refused to support our proposal.”
Grants authorized for Bristol projects under both the Democrat and Republican bonding packages include:
$3,500,000 for a public works project to relocate Mount Vernon Road, which would allow Lake Compounce to expand.
$425,000 for the Bristol Community Organization, Inc., to purchase a building for the expansion of the Head Start program.
$200,000 to the Environmental Learning Center for infrastructure improvements at Indian Rock Nature Preserve in Bristol.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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