22 March 2008

Town Committees To Meet Thursday, March 27: Delegate Slates To Be Endorsed For Congress, State and Legislature

New Britain Democrats will meet Thursday, March 27th, at 6:30 p.m. to endorse delegate slates to conventions to be held in May. The conventions include the 6th State Senate, the 22nd and the 24th State Representative districts, the 5th Congressional District and the Democratic State Convention. In other business, the town committee will be forming finance, rules and publicity committees and electing district leaders for the term that began March 4th. The meeting will be held at New Britain City Hall, 27 West Main Street, Room 504. Members should note the earlier starting time of 6:30 p.m. For information E-mail: newbritaindemocrat@gmail.com ; 827-9469 (Town Chair).

The Berlin Democratic Town Committee will also meet on March 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Italian Club in Berlin to endorse delegate slates and elect their officers for a new term.


Rep. O'Brien's "Citizen Election" Fund Raiser Set For Sunday, March 30th

Supporters of State Rep. Tim O'Brien (D-24) will hold a fund-raising reception on Sunday, March 30th, from 2-4 p.m. at the Pride of Connecticut Elks Lodge, 24 Elm Street. The event is being organized under the newly-established "Citizen's Election Program" that requires the O'Brien for State Representative Committee to receive contributions from a minimum of 150 people in New Britain and Newington. The suggested donation for the event is $35 and can range from a minimum of $5 to a maximum of $100.

O'Brien, an assistant majority leader, serves on the Legislature's Education, Finance, Revenue & Bonding, Judiciary and Public Health Committees. In the current session, O'Brien is seeking a higher share of educational cost sharing to offset the reliance on property taxes to pay for the schools. He has proposed a bold measure that would provide tuition-free enrollment at public colleges. He has also pushed for fair-trade policies that would discourage companies from outsourcing Connecticut jobs. As a vice chair of the GAE Committee in the previous session, he strongly supported campaign finance reform that has led to the creation of the "Citizen's Election Program" that bans contributions from lobbyists and state contractors. O'Brien calls the new law "a victory for democracy so people's voices will matter more than special interest money."

Community Planning Begins For New Britain's Children: Tuesday, March 25 at Vance School

The New Britain Discovery Collaborative, a nonprofit advocacy group for early childhood education, is launching an "Our Children, Our Future" community planning effort to improve the lives of New Britain’s children. The kick-off event for this participatory planning process will be Tuesday March 25th at Vance School (183 Vance St). There will be a dinner from 5:30 to 6:15 with a program following through 8 p.m. Childcare and simultaneous Spanish translation will be available. The event is free. Information is available by contacting Merrill Gay, Executive Director, 229-6018 Ext. 309. The Collaborative's website is www.nbdiscovery.org


In Memoriam

Alex Zaniewski, 75, a longtime member of the New Britain DTC, died March 20th. Mr. Zaniewski, a veteran of the U.S. Army, served for many years as a Hartford County Marshal (formerly Sheriff) and as a City Constable on the Democratic slate. He contributed his time and efforts to the Democratic Party and its candidates, particularly as a driver and at polling places on election days. New Britain Democrats extend condolences to his wife, Wanda, son Alan and the Zaniewski family. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Monday, March 24th, at 10 a.m. at Holy Cross Church, Farmington Avenue.

The War At Home: Hartford, New Haven City Councils Adopt Resolutions Opposing War in Iraq

On Monday, March 10, the City of Hartford joined the City of New Haven in passing a resolution opposing the War in Iraq. Sponsors of the Hartford resolution and similar ones adopted in cities and towns throughout New England cite the erosion of federal support for community development since military actions began in Iraq five years ago. "As our cities and towns struggle with their budgets, there is no better time to do an anti-war resolution that ties the cost of war to our unmet needs and misplaced priorities," said John Murphy of the CT Citizen Action Group. The two main sponsors of the Hartford resolution, Councilmen Luis Cotto and Larry Deutsch, will be sending a copy of the resolution and a cover letter urging chief local elected officials in other communities to pass a similar resolution. Please contact John Murphy murphy@ccag.net or 860.995.3389 for more information.

End Quote

Excerpt from Hartford City Council resolution

WHEREAS, The City of Hartford unequivocally supports the men and women in uniform from Hartford and the whole of the United States who are stationed overseas in Iraq. These individuals are making unimaginable sacrifices for their country; and

WHEREAS, The City of Hartford mourns and honors the approximately 4,000 Americans who have given their lives and almost 30,000 Americans who have been wounded during deployment in Iraq, and

WHEREAS, This March marks the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq; and

WHEREAS, The Court of Common Council expresses its deep opposition to the Bush Administration’s continuation of the war in Iraq after its mendacious and deceptive methods of garnering initial support; and

WHEREAS, the City of Hartford relies heavily on Federal money to provide services to its residents; and

WHEREAS, The United States Congress has appropriated over $400 billion to fund military operations and Iraqi reconstruction, while a steady decline in Federal Housing and Urban Development grants has been experienced since 2002, the year before the war began........

16 March 2008

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

May those who love us love us.

And those that don't love us,

May God turn their hearts.

And if He doesn't turn their hearts,

May he turn their ankles,

So we'll know them by their limping.

Author Unknown

New Britain Celebrates St. Patrick's Day Monday

On Monday, March 17, the New Britain Irish Social Club (Ancient Order of Hibernians) will hold its traditional Saint Patrick's Day Celebration from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the 40 South Street Club and Assyrian Hall. Admission is $10 pp for the corned beef and cabbage dinner. The musical group, Sea Breeze, will entertain.


District Caucuses On Wednesday For Clinton, Obama Delegates

5th Congressional District Democrats will meet Wednesday, March 19th, at opposite ends of the sprawling 41-town CD to select three district delegates each for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

The Clinton caucus will convene at the Elks Hall, 346 Main Street in Danbury. The Obama caucus will be held at the Washington Middle School Auditorium, 1225 North Broad Street, Meriden.

All enrolled Democrats from the 5th CD are eligible to participate in one of these caucuses to select the district-level delegates based on the results of the February 5th Primary. The Democratic National Convention will be held in August in Denver, CO. For more information on delegate selection and locations of caucuses in all Congressional Districts visit http://www.ctdems.org/

FISA Law, Telecom Immunity Issue Evokes Same Old Fear Mongering Against Cong. Murphy

Criticism over a U.S. House debate on a Foreign Intelligence Security Act (FISA) re authorization by Rep. Chris Murphy's prospective Republican opponent shows the GOP is turning early to divisive fear tactics on issues of national security and fighting terrorism.

Danbury GOP State Senator David Capiello, in a statement appearing in a New Britain Herald story by Scott Whipple, knocked Murphy and the House leadership for holding up a Senate-approved bill that grants retroactive immunity to telecom companies, leaving the Bush Administration free to spy on Americans in the name of national security without any constitutional safeguards. Abuse of intelligence gathering capabilities contributed, in part, to the resignation of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez last year.

Capiello contends that retroactive immunity for telecom companies and warrant-less wiretaps should be allowed despite a 1978 FISA law that provides the government with immediate spying capabilities so long as warrants are obtained within three days of the intelligence gathering. “I hate the idea of it being a campaign issue,” Cappiello was quoted as saying. “I see it as a national security issue. It’s an American issue. I hope it will be resolved so it won’t become a campaign issue.” Capiello appears to be drawing on the playbook of former Cong. Nancy Johnson who swamped the airwaves in 2006 with attacks on Murphy inferring that the Democrat would aid and abet terrorists. By saying "it's an American issue" Capiello implicitly questions Murphy's patriotism -- the same tactic used by Johnson's failed re-election campaign.

Murphy is on record as saying “it is dishonest to say that the expiration of the Protect America Act means the country can’t survive. Currently, the attorney general can approve surveillance within minutes; approval from the FISA court can be obtained in three days. The government simply begins the wiretap and goes to FISA court for retroactive approval.”

Rep. Murphy supports modifying the federal FISA law "to meet current threats" but takes issue with the Republicans for exploiting the issue "for partisan political gain." To Murphy and other House Democrats, Bush and the Republicans are holding up the re authorization in order to protect telecommunication companies for infringing on the privacy for millions of Americans.

Democrats are asserting the intelligence gathering is needed without breaking the law and revealing personal information about law-abiding citizens. Murphy and House Democrats are taking up where Senator Chris Dodd left off in the U.S. Senate. Dodd valiantly opposed telecom immunity in the Senate and for a time was able to delay its passage in a stand against Bush' intransigence and Majority Leader Harry Reid's indifference. In January, Dodd framed the issue in a statement on the Senate floor: "More and more, Americans are rejecting the false choice that has come to define this administration: security or liberty, but never, ever both. It speaks volumes about the president’s estimation of the American people that he expects them to accept that choice. The truth, though, is that shielding corporations from lawsuits does absolutely nothing for our security. I challenge the president to prove otherwise. I challenge him to show us how putting these companies above the law makes us safer by an iota."