7 December 2008

Democrats To Hold December Meeting Thursday 12/11; Lieberman Resolution, Legislative Priorities for 2009 On Tap
The Democratic Town Committee will hold its last meeting of the year on Thursday, December 11, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at New Britain City Hall, 27 West Main Street. The agenda will include consideration of a resolution expressing no confidence in Senator Joseph I. Lieberman for his role in the 2008 presidential campaign and support of the Bush Administration. Resolutions may also be raised in support of universal health care and other issues expected to come before the state legislature next year. Member and friends are asked to bring a non-perishable food item for donating to local food banks. All Democrats and friends are invited to attend.

Republicans Descend Into Personal Attacks Over Board of Education Seat
A Common Council vote to appoint Republican Leslie Jacobs to fill a vacancy on the Board of Education has prompted a veto by Mayor Timothy Stewart and a torrent of attacks by Republicans. In his veto message, Stewart referred to Jacobs as "flippant" and "arrogant" but cited no votes or actions by Jacobs as a school board member to oppose her nomination. Jacobs has previous experience on the BOE but has long since fallen out of favor with her party's leadership. Dismayed that the GOP's hand-picked recommendation, Jamie Giantonio, was not accepted by the Council, Republican leaders have denounced the Council move to replace Marilyn Kraczkowsky, a controversial Republican member of the BOE, who resigned earlier this year. Jacobs and Council Democrats have been the target of personal attacks and harsh words from Republican Chair Paul Carver and others. Derogatory comments have been posted anonymously on local blogs, including one threat of violence against City Alderman Phil Sherwood. Democratic Town Chair John McNamara criticized the Mayor's veto message for claiming Democrats are putting partisanship ahead of city schools and children. He also faulted the tone and content of the Republican attacks as "mean spirited", "divisive" and nothing more than the tactics of "schoolyard bullies." The Council is exercising its judgment and responsibility in accordance with the city charter, according to McNamara. "The Mayor and Republican Chair Carver should make their arguments on the merits of their candidate, and not engage in partisan attacks on members of the City Council and Ms. Jacobs," said McNamara. "This is the same Republican Party that nominated as their local standard bearer this year Tom Bozek for State Senate, a candidate who suggested that New Britain should downsize its schools by reducing the number of school children by 4,000 through draconian anti-family policies." McNamara said the record of the Mayor and Carver on education and addressing the school district's fiscal challenges has been "abysmal" over the last two years. "If I were a member of the the City Council concerned about the quality of education the last person of either party that I would pick would be a rubber stamp for the Mayor," said McNamara.


Hearing Is Tuesday For New Britain-Hartford Busway:
Officials Criticize DOT For Delay, Higher Costs
The Department of Transportation is holding a series of public hearings throughout the area on the long-awaited busway that would start in New Britain at the former Greenfield's store along a railroad right of way. The New Britain hearing will be held Tuesday, December 9, at New Britain City Hall (27 West Main Street) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. A Monday December 8 meeting will be held in Newington at the same time at the Newington Town Hall (131 Cedar Street) in the Helen Nelson Room.

According to the DOT announcement of the hearings: "When the busway opens for operation, bus routes in New Britain, Newington, West Hartford, and Hartford will change. The public is invited to come and share what is important to them and to help the Department of Transportation design a bus system that more efficiently serves their needs. During these meetings, the public can review work in progress, view a brief presentation of the project, ask questions and provide feedback, and meet the project team."

State Representative David McCluskey (D - West Hartford), House Chair of the Transportation Bonding Sub-Committee and an advocate of using public transit for economic development criticized a DOT official last week for saying that the earliest commuters could ride a proposed New Haven-Springfield commuter rail service is “optimistically, 2015-16”.

Said McCluskey: “This coupled with the long delay in the 11 year-old proposal to operate Bus Rapid Transit Service between New Britain and Hartford clearly demonstrate that the Department really does not want to increase public transportation in Connecticut. DOT just doesn’t get it. Connecticut residents want alternatives to cars now. The New Haven to Springfield commuter rail service would operate on an existing active rail line. This idea has been languishing since the early 1990s,” Rep. McCluskey added. “The fact that DOT cannot figure out how to add this service quickly demonstrates their lack of interest and seriousness about providing public transportation to Connecticut residents.”

Similarly, New Britain officials including State Senator Don DeFronzo, Chair of the Transportation Committee, State Representative Tim O'Brien and Mayor Timothy Stewart have expressed concerns about the delay in the New Britain-Hartford busway and the escalating costs of what would appear to an uncomplicated re-use of a railroad right of way for the single bus lane. Said O'Brien: "Connecticut, especially the greater Hartford area, has been hurt economically and in terms of quality of life, by the sorry state of our public transit system. New Britain has been especially harmed because the highways that went up in decades past have largely cut New Britain out of our regional economy. Having New Britain as the primary starting point for a new, regional public transit system can be a major development in the economic renewal of our city. Plus, especially in as global warming and other environmental concerns become more pressing, public transit is important for a low-pollution future - and if it needs to happen anyway, it should be done so that New Britain benefits from it." Estimated costs for the busway have gone form $80 million to $600 million. "I consider this to be an enormous failure on the part of the state DOT, and I can find no excuse for it," said O'Brien. "I agree with Mayor Timothy Stewart that there needs to a change in "the culture of the DOT, which is to mire these projects in bureaucracy." O'Brien urged Stewart to press the issue with Gov. Rell and to work with the city's legislative delegation to accelerate the public transit alternatives.

CT Obama Group To Hold "Celebrating our Victory Going Forward"
Meeting December 13th

Connecticut volunteers for Barack Obama plan an organizing meet on Saturday Dec. 13th to keep the grassroots organization together for future political action. "The conversation in America has changed on many levels, revitalizing the hope and potential of a great nation. This movement has opened the door to immeasurable possibilities and laid those possibilities at the feet of the people," says Val McCall, a leader of the CT Obama campaign this year. "We will discuss the issues that are important to us in the communities where we live and how we can change them." The meeting will be held from 10 am to noon on the 13th at the Afro-American Culture Center of Yale University in New Haven (211 Park Street). More information at 860-995-3364.