UI rate hikes

With United Illuminating talking about rate hikes as high as 50% (NH Register, by Greg Hladky), I'm at a bit of a loss as to why New Haven Mayor John Destefano is going after Governor Rell (Courant, by Chris Keating) on electricity rate hikes. Last January, Jodi was the one who started talking about energy. And then in May or June, it was Atty Gen Dick Blumenthal who called our legislature a "do-nothing" body when it came to "energy issues."

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Manure = electricity

Fuel cells powered by cow manure (Waterbury Rep-Am, by David A. Smith) made the front page of the paper. I believe this is the same type of scenario being used in Bosrah, CT. The idea is to generate electricity using manure. The main difference is the Bosrah farmers are using chickens instead of cows.

This is similar to an idea I've been quietly pushing here in Cheshire. Since our wastewater treatment plant uses (as the article mentions) an "anaerobic digester," we could install a fuel cell at our wastewater treatment plant and use our most "renewable" resource to generate electricity... perhaps enough to fully cover the annual $250,000 electric bill of the sewer plant.

But back to the article... as a state, we should be moving toward energy independence. Considering how geographically small and densely populated we are, true independence may be a pipe dream. But, as a state, we can do our part in moving America toward energy independence.

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Prospect/Waterbury sewers

Waterbury Mayor Jarjura asked for a meeting (Waterbury Rep-Am, by Steve Gambini) before moving forward with a proposed 366-unit development located in Prospect. The developer wants to hook into Waterbury's sewers.

The Waterbury Board of Aldermen are starting to offer their concerns (Waterbury Rep-Am, by Steve Gambini).

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Capital budget 8/29

Just a quickie... current year capital budget passed 6-3. Orsini, Ruocco, Schrumm opposed. Their reasons varied. My main concern was the smartboards being included at $275k. I thought they should have been included at $350k so that they would go to referendum.

5-yr capital budget passed 6-3. Orsini, Ruocco, Schrumm opposed. Again, their reasons varied. My main thought on the five-year plan is that we're not actually spending any money.

Tim White
Town Council, Budget Committee
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Are alternative fuels coming to CT?

Wow. I made the front page of the Waterbury Republican-American again. (Thanks Mike!)

"Little energy for alternative fuel" (Rep-Am, by Michael Puffer) gives what I think is a really good overview of the state of alternative fuels in CT.

"Cheshire Town Councilman Tim White argues that alternative fuels can help America disentangle itself from the messy Middle East, provide cost relief for American motorists and even aid struggling Connecticut farmers.

If only, White contends, the state legislature would wake up and smell the biodiesel, Connecticut could begin to break the stranglehold oil has on its economy, security and just about every aspect of life. A candidate for state representative, White promises to push for tax incentives and other benefits to promote the spread of alternative fuels."

It's nice to see that the Chairman of the Legislature's Energy & Technology Committee, Steve Fontana (D-North Haven), seems to agree with me. Whether I win or lose in November, I hope our Representatives in Hartford are waking up to the plethora of benefits that could be derived from the promotion of alternative fuels.

And for anyone who is wondering about the main reason I'm so interested in alternative fuels... it's the war and our dependence on middle eastern oil.

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Capital budget 8/28

The capital budget public hearing (Waterbury Rep-Am, by Lauresha Xhihani) seemed to go pretty smoothly tonight. There were some very legitimate questions asked and comments made on the various projects.

I strongly agreed with one resident, Phil Coppeto, who suggested that the West Main Street project should include sidewalks from Rumberg (the Housing Authority complex) to Maple Avenue on the north side of West Main Street. I agree with that suggestion 100% and suggested that to several people a couple of years ago. But I didn't get far, obviously. Nonetheless, if Rep. Adinolfi secures additional funding, I think sidewalks there would be a top priority for me. Safety concerns (crossing West Main St.) were another top concern mentioned during the meeting.

Tim White
Town Council, Budget Committee
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

War & oil (part III)

America is at war. One of the main reasons is our dependence on middle eastern oil. We must take action to reduce (then end) this dependence. One way that Nutmeggers can act to reduce our dependence is to manufacture, distribute and consume alternative fuels here in CT.

In "War & oil (part II)" I showed that we have the ability to use ethanol (and biodiesel... either one is considered a "biofuel.") here in Connecticut. Now looking at another of the three components...

Manufacture

Just last month (July 5), a biodiesel manufacturer (BioPur) opened in Bethlehem, CT. An ethanol manufacturer, Xethanol has plans to expand into Connecticut too.

So business may very well be taking care of this on its own. But the state also just announced $60,000,000 in farm subsidies. Was there any thought in linking this $60million to energy independence? Just today, there was another farm article in the Waterbury Rep-Am (by John McKenna).

If the farm grants were linked, then we could do something fairly simple. We could locate biofuel factories next to farms to make the entire process of biofuel manufacturing as profitable as possible, so that businesses can take it over. It would be a three step process:

1) The farm grows the corn.
2) The ethanol factory extracts certain ingredients from the corn.
3) The corn byproduct gets fed to the chickens.

(And unrelated to ethanol, we could then use the chicken manure to make electricity. Some interesting links on "chicken manure electricity" are here to a Washington Post page and this clean energy organization page.)

Last January, Governor Rell called for action on "energy issues." Our Legislative majority dropped the ball. We need to take action.

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Do-gooders

I love stories like this (Courant, by Susan Campbell) about do-gooders.

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Open forum 8/26

You can apply for energy assistance (Waterbury Rep-Am, by Robyn Adams) if you need it. Related to heating oil, I heard an ad on the radio this morning. It was a company touting their use of biodiesel, at no additional cost to the consumer. I think this is great, but not surprising. Fuel has gotten so expensive, its cost is now on par with alternative fuels.

Gas prices are slowly dropping (NH Register, by Michael Gannon) and that's a good thing. Gas prices are really hurting people. It was the first concern that Joe the barber mentioned to me when I went in for a haircut this morning. And if Joe (or any barber) mentions it, then it's a big deal.

Cheshire's feral cats (Courant, by Arielle Levin Becker) made headline news today. (I hope this link doesn't disconnect, but I bet it will.) The Cheshire group is giving our local cats birth control pills.

And the big news, Chris Shays suggested a timetable for troop withdrawal (Courant, by Mark Pazniokas) from Iraq.

Anything else happening?

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Capital budget 8/24

Tonight we had the last capital budget meeting prior to the public hearing that is scheduled for this Monday at 7:30pm in Town Hall. The Budget Committee made a recommendation to the full Council. What I consider to be the main points of interest:

1) The West Main Streetscape project was reduced from $850k to $500k. That means the entire project is covered by grant money. Thus there would be no referendum question. This number may go back up to $850k, if the town gets more Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) grant money. State Rep. Al Adinolfi is actively pursuing additional funds.

2) The Fire Station remains intact. And at $1,400,000 it would be a referendum question in November. And for anyone who has concerns similar to mine (do we really need a weight training room?), please attend or watch the public hearing. I support the fire station project because I believe that the Chief's answers make sense.

3) The Lilac Road pump station is in the current year and at $750k would be a referendum question in November.

4) Ballfields have been reduced again. This time from $240k to $160k. The remaining three changes are the completion of Bartlem Park. That completion includes transporting fill from Bartlem to Mixville. That fill is intended to elevate Mixville's usually soggy ballfield. And there would be more parking spaces at Mac/Legion.

5) Norton School would have a request for $500k, including $100k for new boilers and $400k for new windows. This request for energy improvements makes a lot of sense. But realistically, we could probably spend $10-20,000,000 very easily right now on energy improvements for all town buildings. So while I think this is a good project (the boilers are necessary), we really need to come up with a priorities list for all of these projects before we go much further down this path. I believe that everyone at the meeting was in agreement with me.

The $500k for Norton would go to referendum.

6) Smartboards were reduced from $1,500,000 to $275,000. This makes sense, in part. Smartboards have real benefits that are worth the cost, at least in some situations. My main concern with this though is that I'm uncomfortable with the $275k being just below the referendum question threshold. As well, I haven't heard the basis for the $275k. I would be much more comfortable with this if the voters had their say. That's the reason I would prefer this $275k gets increased to $350k.

Tim White
Town Council, Budget Committee
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Capital budget 8/23

The second budget workshop was held tonight.

First up was Parks & Rec. Their main project is the ballfields which, based on discussions tonight, don't seem to have much support among the Council members. In fact, the Town Manager offered some alternatives to the $1.6 million request. Rather he's now requesting $240k to finish the 90ft diamond at Bartlem, upgrade the often soaked Mixville field, build a field on Cheshire Park's "goat pasture," and add parking at Mac/Legion. This makes a heck of a lot more sense to me than asking the voters if they want to spend $1,600,000. As I've said, $1.6million for two ballfields is too much money. I expect this $240k will be in the capital budget.

Public property is a "department" that is run by public works for the most part. It's basically where town buildings get accounted for within the town budget. And they requested a couple hundred thousand dollars for a few different things that made sense from a maintenance perspective.

The Fire Department is requesting money for a few different projects. The big enchilada though is $1.4million for an expansion to the southend firehouse. At first, I was taken aback, as it included things such as a "weight room." So I asked and got an answer that made a lot of sense. Basically, there's no significant changes happening except for an addition of two bays and some things happening to upgrade to current requirements. I also asked if we are looking at the "lifecycle costs" of this project. I was assured that we are. (I already knew the answer from working with the Energy Commission, but still wanted to ask "on the record.")

I'll make sure to try to get the Chief to the meetings next Monday/Tuesday. I expect that anyone who's reviewed the plans would have questions, but the Chief's explanations are good ones. I expect this will be in the capital budget and will go to referendum.

Land acquisition includes $1,000,000 for open space in the five year budget. Frankly, I don't think open space would pass at referendum if it was up this year. But since this is not in the current year budget, I'm not particularly concerned about this.

Economic development included the $850k for West Main Street, $500k of which will come from our state tax dollars, not our local tax dollars. And if Connecticut's hardest working State Representative, Al Adinolfi, gets his way, the town may get the balance of this project paid for through state tax dollars. I realize that it's just a matter of which pocket the taxes are coming from, but... it's also a reflection of what a hard working State Rep can do.

The Energy Commission requested $125k for some energy improvements at the pool. The details of which are somewhat complicated, but the bottom line is straightforward. The payback is estimated at less than seven years and is not expected to conflict with any recommendations that may come from a pool consultant. I'm guessing this will be included in the capital budget.

The Superintendent of Schools presented the BOEs request. Their request includes a whole bunch of infrastructure improvements, from windows to boilers and from roofs to gymnasiums. All of it made sense and most of it related to energy in some way. The energy requests went so far as a $100,000 for a study/consultant to lead into a $1,900,000 project next year. Personally, I think this makes a lot of sense. Energy costs are rising so fast, lots of energy-efficiency projects that had been cost-prohibitive are now cost-effective.

The big question for the schools was the $1,500,000 smartboard project. It's a nicety, not a necessity. I think doing some sort of scaled back project could make sense. We could reduce the number as low as $350k and still send it to the voters. I think that would make sense. And following on the heels of my questions about "lifecycle costs" of this project (estimated at $35-50k annually), as well as my desire to fully cost all of the "capital budget" projects and include them in the "operating budgets" of the various departments, one council member pointed out that if we do this entire project, the cost of this project would near $200k annually.

The meeting was supposed to end with the Police Department. But they don't have much in the budget, so the Town Manager addressed it himself.

Any thoughts on the capital budget?

Tim White
Town Council, Budget Committee
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Ram band back in town

The Cheshire High Ram band (NH Register, by Luther Turmelle) is back to school already.

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Green business

Here (Connecticut Post, by Pam Dawkins) is an interesting article on a "green" business located in Bridgeport. I even saw a segment about green business on one of the 24 news channels recently.

The store owner points out that while some things sell at a premium to the non-green products, some green products sell at a discount.

I bet someone could make money on this type of business in the 691 interchange zone.

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Capital Budget 8/21

The capital budget workshops began tonight. The Town Manager's proposed five year capital budget and current year capital budget were both discussed, but I don't think anything particularly controversial was discussed in the five year budget. It's the current year budget where actual money gets spent. That's where the controversy usually arises.

Tonight's meeting was relatively quiet.

The library is requesting a new computer system in the five year budget. The system is a book coding system.

The finance department is requesting a few hundred thousand dollars for each of two projects: a new financial/HR/payroll software package & a new telephone system.

Public works is requesting money in both the current and 5yr budgets for various sidewalks, drainage and road improvements. (By the way, I was told tonight that Harrison Road should begin within ten days and be completed within seven days.) To their credit, the DPW is beginning to use the "lowest lifecycle" cost concept, as compared to the "lowest first cost," on road projects.

The sewer plant & WPCA are requesting quite a bit of money, but that's nothing new. The two items they want for the current year are:

1) $500k for the Inflow and Infliltration (INI) study; and
2) $750k for the Lilac Road pump station.

Quick reminder... items that cost more than $350k in property taxes go to referendum. But if we spend $500k on the INI study, it will not go to referendum in November. This is because $250k would be from grant money, not property taxes. (At least that's the general idea.)

The Lilac Road pump station is also a bit unusual. The WPCA and wastewater treatment plant Superintendent (Dennis Dievert... as an employee, he's great. He really knows his stuff.) both want the pump station redone this year. The Town Manager suggested pushing the pump station back a year. (I think the reason was budgetary.) I'm not sure if Lilac Road will get redone this year or next. But there was a very serious request to put it back in the current year. Based on the comments tonight, my guess is that it will get put into this year's budget and thus be on the ballot this November.

The last item of note that was discussed was a $5,000,000 request for a sewer plant upgrade in a few years. This is not money for an expansion of the plant. It is simply for doing something that I think is akin to replacing parts in the existing plant.

My feeling is that the potentially controversial stuff will come up at Wednesday's meeting (6pm in Town Hall)... the ballfields and the smartboards. I don't believe the ballfields would pass this year. And I also have my doubts about doing the entire smartboard project. I'm not certain that the town has the appetite to spend $1,500,000 on something that is a nicety, not a necessity. I think having some smartboards could be good, but not necessarily one in every classroom. At least not right now.

Tim White
Cheshire Town Council, Budget Committee
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

CD races heating up

Here's an article on the CD5. The article (Meriden R-J, by Adam Wittenberg) seems to be more about the history between Congresswoman Nancy Johnson and State Sen Chris Murphy (and their 1996 matchup), than it is about today's race.

Here's an article on the CD2. This article (Courant, by Daniela Altimari) seems to suggest that Joe Courtney may be able to ride a wave of anti-Republican sentiment to Washington this year. There certainly is some of that in the air. I'm not sure though how that will play out with Rob Simmons. I recall that in 2004, right up until the weekend before the election, the great prognosticators were speaking of Simmons' demise. Then Simmons won with 58% of the vote. The anti-Republican sentiments are much stronger this time though with the War being a much bigger concern.

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Smartboards

Cheshire's Board of Ed request for $1,500,000 for "smartboards" (Waterbury Rep-Am, by Lauresha Xhihani) in the schools will be discussed this week by the Council. The Council decision is whether to put the request out to referendum. My questions for the BOE (and Town Manager) will be focused on the "lifecycle cost" of the project, such as:

1) How many staff hours will be required to maintain the equipment?
2) Will this increase in hours require an increase in staff and related benefits?
3) What will be the related staff training costs?
4) What will be the annual electrical consumption?

As well, I'd like to get a sense of the support for this project among teachers. Speaking with teachers one on one, I've heard mixed reviews.

I'll probably support sending this to referendum and let the voters decide.

Any comments? I'd really like to get some feedback on the capital budget.

Tim White
Cheshire Town Council, Budget Committee
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

p.s. My "lifecycle" questions for the smartboards apply to all projects. For example, what will be the increased water consumption for the new ballfields? Will they have bathrooms? Will the bathrooms be hooked into the sewers?

UPDATE

I have to thank Superintendent Florio. I emailed him this morning (Sunday) on "lifecycle" costs and he sent me the following response this afternoon:

"Regarding SmartBoards, the added power is for the LCD projectors, not the Boards themselves. I will verify the amount of added electricty and get you an answer soon. The only other cost would be the replacement of LCD "bulbs" every 2-4 years. These cost $300-$400 each - there for the cost is approximately $35,000 per year beginning 2-3 years after the project is completed. I anticipate no staff needs and training will be provided through existing professional development funds."

And a thanks to Town Manager Milone. He also replied to me today. He's working on alternatives to the ballfields at Jarvis and Highland.

Open forum 8/19

This Courant editorial discusses the $60,000,000 that the state recently announced would be spent on farm subsidies. My question remains... is this $60,000,000 linked to energy independence in anyway? If we had leadership that was serious about energy, this farm bill would be linked to energy.

According to this article (Waterbury Rep-Am, by Nancy Bompey), a recent nationwide survey concluded that most parents are unaware of the alcohol & drug use that occurs at teen parties... even when a parent is home. (For more info, go to CheshireCares).

Cheshire's proposed softball fields will be discussed in the capital budget meetings (Waterbury Rep-Am, by Lauresha Xhihani) next week. Capital budget meetings are scheduled for Monday & Wednesday at 6pm each night in the town hall, if you're interested. Then there will be a public hearing on Monday Aug 28 at 7pm in town hall. I still have my doubts that the ballfields can pass at referendum. $1,600,000 for two 60 foot diamonds won't go over well with the taxpayers. And much of the money is supposed to be used for excavation of the 10-12 acre lot.

In comparison, the town is doing three ballfields at Bartlem Park (on flat land) for about $250-300k... about $100k per diamond. So the cost is very much the land. And now as I'm sitting here thinking about this... if I recall correctly, land in the interchange zone sells for about $25k per acre. And if that's the case, then we may be able to buy twelve acres of relatively flat land for $300k and possibly save a whole bunch of money. But I'm not sure about that. I'll need to look into it.

Here's an interesting article (Courant, by David Lightman) on Chris Shays and Diane Farrell and their matchup in Fairfield County. I wish Shays all the best. I really do respect him and his long record of outspoken public service. That means a lot to me.

Bus routes for Cheshire and Region 16 (Prospect/Beacon Falls) have been announced.

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

War & oil (part II)

As mentioned in a previous post, if Connecticut and America want to get serious and address our dependence on foreign oil, then we must act.

One action that we should take is to begin moving away from gas/oil and to alternative fuels. In order for business to do this, we should manufacture, distribute and consume these "alt fuels" in CT. But that begs the question, "can we do this?" And we are left with the answer "yes, we can do this."

Taking each of the three parts, one at a time...

Consumption

In fact, you may already be driving a "flexfuel vehicle" or FFV. (In order to find out, just click on this link to a national e85 (85% ethanol) website. You may need your VIN.)

And if you're wondering just how many FFVs are already on CTs roads, the number is nearly 30,000. Then there's another 34,000 biodiesel vehicles. (I'd love to get our schoolbuses converted to biodiesel. As well, in fairness I cannot vouch for the numbers on that website. However, I have seen late 2005/early 2006 hybrid numbers between 2,000 & 3,000. So the hybrid numbers seem reasonable to me.)

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Drug sniffing dogs

Prospect & Beacon Falls are looking to get drug sniffing dogs into their high school (Waterbury Rep-Am, by Kathy Halloran).

Interestingly, I believe that a Cheshire BOE member, Jimmy Sima, was recently told that while it was possible to get a drug sniffing dog into CHS, the state police would not allocate the time because CHS has not had many incidents.

Anyone have any experience with drug-sniffing dogs in other towns?

Tim White
Town Council, 4th District
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Schlesinger support

This story (Courant, by Jon Lender) is a bit disheartening. Alan Schlesinger is a nice guy and based on the people with whom I've spoken, Republicans (such as his 1500 convention delegates) don't seem to have left him. They still say that they support him. So this article is probably correct when it mentions that George Gallo omitted Alan from a list of current priorities, then the White House may have made something out of that omission.

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Sad day

I know this is related to the dreaded Yankees, but it's still sad to see Yankee Stadium going the way of the dodo (Courant, by Karen Matthews). All the great, old stadiums continue to disappear.

My brother got to Comiskey the year before the ChiSox switched parks. He told me that the original Comiskey was probably the best baseball park there was. And it's sad to see them all go. I just hope Fenway and Wrigley can continue to stand up to the seemingly perpetual pressure to "upgrade" them.

Tim White
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Gas prices on the rise

Gas prices hit a record high last month and continue to rise (AP).

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

War & oil (part I)

As I've been saying, war and oil (and the price of gas) go hand in hand. So we must act to reduce our dependence on middle eastern oil. We can do this by beginning to use alternative fuels, such as ethanol. But if we are to use alt fuels, what needs to happen?

Connecticut needs three things to happen to make alternative fuels, such as ethanol, cost-effective:

1) we must manufacture ethanol in CT;
2) we must distribute ethanol in CT and
3) we must consume ethanol in CT.

And if the legislature was willing to take a leadership role here, we could make this happen. Unfortunately, when it comes to gas prices, there appears to be no leadership in our legislature.

(This is the first part in a multi-part blog that I'll be doing.)

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Farms & state subsidies

Excerpted from today's Waterbury Rep-Am:

"State farm funds available

Hartford--CT farmers interested in diversifying their agricultural products are invited to apply for funds expected to be made available later this month through the state's Farm Reinvestment Program.

Grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to farmers who qualify by meeting certain criteria."

Dare I say there is no link between this program and a move toward CTs energy independence? And if it is true that there is no link, this exemplifies what is wrong in Hartford.

(And so you understand the "link" that I am making--It is easier to make ethanol a profit-driven business, if farms are included both on the input and output sides of the ethanol factory. That is, you grow the corn at the ethanol factory, use the corn in production, then feed the corn byproduct to the chickens/cows that also live on the farm that is adjacent to the ethanol factory. Then, as is happening in Bosrah, you could use the chicken/cow manure to make electricity. This may be simplistic, but it is the general idea on how to make ethanol manufacturing a profitable business by itself.)

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Profitable farms in CT?

I haven't done any study on this, but over the past few years I seem to have seen a number of these types of headlines discussing the loss of our farms in CT (Waterbury Rep-Am, by Brigitte Ruthman). Unfortunately, our farms don't necessarily need to disappear. It may very well be possible for our farms to be profit-driven business ventures. But we're going to have to think outside the box.

With some real planning, we may be able to keep our farms and address a whole host of issues at the same time, such as: $3 gas, creating new jobs, protecting the environment and maintaining our history.

I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I saw this article and thought it would be worthwhile to bring it to your attention as it addresses one part of my much bigger plan. Then over the next week or two, I'll do a number of postings on how we can move toward implementing the entire plan.

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Terrorism & $3 gas

Terrorism (AP, by Robert Barr) is not going away. And we have to do everything we can to stop them from their violence. But to stop the terrorism, we probably need to do a whole bunch of things... including something that should have happened a long time ago. And that's begin to use alternative forms of energy and reduce (then end) our dependence on foreign oil.

There are ways that the state legislature could act to reduce CTs and America's dependence on foreign oil. But the majority party in the legislature is doing nothing. (I think even our own Democratic Atty Gen Dick Blumenthal used those words recently.) And that is a travesty.

My personal feeling is that "energy issues" are just too complicated for most legislators to either take the time to understand or they simply can't figure out how to put "energy issues" into sound bites. So "energy issues" get ignored. Unfortunately for the majority party, I believe the two biggest issues in this fall's election will be war and $3 gas. And frankly, I'd say that they're inseparable as issues.

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Open forum 8/11

Cheshire seniors are petitioning for a tax freeze. Yesterday's Herald (by Leslie Hutchison) and today's Waterbury Rep-Am (by Lauresha Xhihani) are covering it online. I think providing options to municipalities is a good thing, but my preference would be to reform the property tax. And by that I mean, the state should allow towns to use whatever tax (or combination of taxes) works best for the town... allowing for a municipal income tax or a municipal sales tax... or whatever tax structure works best. This may also spur competition among the towns and really get them thinking even more about trying to save money and reduce spending.

The property tax is unrelated to one's ability to pay. So it hits those most in need the hardest... and that tends to be seniors on fixed incomes.

Of course, the real issue is spending. And I think reforming the rules that govern binding arbitration for the teachers' unions would go a long way toward addressing the growth of municipal spending.

Cheshire is going to apply for more STEAP money for the West Main area (Cheshire Herald, by Leslie Hutchison).

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Senate map

Check out this link to CT Local Politics for a glimpse at the town by town breakdown of the results for the Democratic primary for Senate. Interestingly, Lamont is blue and the "independent Democrat" is purple.

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

The blogoffect

Well, it's official. Most people seem to be crediting the blogosphere with having enabled Lamont's win (Waterbury Rep-Am, by Gennady Sheyner). And frankly, I tend to agree. I don't think it was bloggers in the voting booth who put Lamont over the top. But I do believe they were able to help spread a message... a message that would not have spread, if not for bloggers.

Heck, I think this blog helped me. It enabled me to immediately respond to statements / assertions made during the 89th primary campaign. And while this blog doesn't get thousands of visitors per day like CT Local Politics, it does get quite a few. And with only 700+ votes cast this past Tuesday, this blog may very well have a had a real impact on the primary. And regardless of the outcome, that's a good thing.

Blogs are a truly wonderful tool. They allow us to have a realtime, candid conversation without fear of any consequence. Obviously, we need to police ourselves and remain respectful of others. But still it provides us with a platform other than letters to the editor which are very good (and still much more widely read), but not immediate and often limited to a certain length.

Blogging empowers the voters. Blogging brings the 1st amendment to life. Blogging has changed the face of American politics for the better. Hopefully this is only the beginning.

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

The headlines

Two newspapers have articles online about my win. Here is the NH Register (by Luther Turmelle) and here is The Cheshire Herald (by Leslie Hutchison). As well, the Amity Observer and the Orange Bulletin reported the results.

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Thank you!

August 8 primary results:

Tim White:
Bethany - 118 (62%)
Cheshire - 263 (84%)
Prospect - 39 (18%)

Roger Kergaravat:
Bethany - 72 (38%)
Cheshire - 51 (16%)
Prospect - 180 (82%)

Totals:
Tim White - 420 (58%)
Roger Kergaravat - 303 (42%)
(may not include all absentee ballots)

Now on to November!

Tim White
State Representative nominee (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

A happy camper

I won.

Dear fellow Republican

Dear fellow Republican,

I’m asking for your vote for State Representative in the 89th district (Bethany, Cheshire, Prospect).

As a member of the Cheshire Town Council for three years, I have a proven record of bringing effective solutions to problems we all face – especially rising taxes and costs of living in Connecticut.

I’ve successfully worked to keep town tax increases below 2% per year (average, excluding revaluation) by aggressively fighting wasteful spending and by actively seeking cost savings. For example, I championed measures that will save local taxpayers $300,000 per year in energy costs.

I’ve pushed for tax relief for seniors, and reform of costly state mandates, such as binding arbitration, which drive up local taxes. I’ve pressed for accountability by town and state agencies in Route 42 improvement projects.

As State Representative, I will initiate proposals to achieve major savings from the skyrocketing costs of gas and energy. I’m also concerned about seniors, healthcare, prescription drugs, education, employment needs, corruption, and other issues.

I’ve tried to debate these issues with my opponent so that you, the voters, could hear our views. But Roger still refuses to debate, stating -- “I will run my campaign as I see fit…I suggest my opponent do the same.”

Well, I’m available to debate him just about anytime, anyplace in the 89th district. I believe that you, the voters, fully deserve a public debate between the two men who are asking for your vote. But Roger does not agree.

So now you, the Republican voters, have to decide on August 8 -- Which of us is the stronger candidate to unseat the incumbent Democrat? Who will more effectively represent our towns in Hartford? Who has proven more effective leadership, responsiveness, and public outreach?

Between my proven track record of town leadership, my fuller grasp of the issues, and my responsive, proactive outreach to people, it should be clear that I am the more electible Republican to win the 89th seat.

If I’m privileged to be elected your State Representative, I will be accessible, responsive, and proactive. I’ll work tirelessly for Bethany, Cheshire, and Prospect in the General Assembly and with Governor Jodi Rell’s administration.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. I’d love to hear from you.

Thank you for your consideration and your vote in the Republican primary on Tuesday, August 8.

Very sincerely yours,

Tim White
State Representative candidate (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

Lying or grossly incompetent?

In a mailer received yesterday, Mr. Kergaravat falsely accused me of being “the only Cheshire Republican Councilman who voted against decreasing the budget by $600,000.”

In fact, I was the sponsor of this $600,000 budget cut proposal (the single biggest budget cut proposal offered this year). And I voted in favor of my own proposal (Tuesday, April 11, 2006) These are matters of public record.

Is he deliberately lying or just grossly incompetent in handling facts? I don't know.

But his latest false charge is part of a pattern of negativity which began when his Cheshire campaign coordinator, Sandy Dudarevitch, publicly accused members of my family of “deceitful” behavior and questioned if they were “moral and/or ethical.”

I have tried to run a positive campaign focused on positive solutions to issues facing the 89th district.

Up until now my only criticism of my opponent has been his refusal to debate me on the issues. However, at this late hour he is clearly desperate. And in the face of his absolutely false charges, I must set the record straight.

Again, I was actually the sponsor of the proposal to cut the $600,000 from the budget.

Also, see my below response (What was “exposed?”) to the personal attack on my family.

One of the reasons I’m running for State Representative is to help restore honesty and integrity to state government. Please remember this when you vote on Tuesday August 8.


Tim White
State Representative candidate (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com

What was "exposed?"

My response to “Tim White: "Exposed"” (a letter in July’s Prospect Pages):

A letter by Ms. Sandy Dudarevitch attacked the integrity of my family members and made false claims about the 89th Republican convention. It turns out that she was my opponent’s coordinator at the time of her letter. How sad that his campaign has resorted to such scurrilous tactics.

Here are the facts. The delegates unanimously agreed to all the rules which were followed. Janet Finneran of Bethany, Chairwoman of the convention, can confirm this. Also, State Elections Enforcement Commission Director, Jeffrey Garfield, confirmed that no one in his agency commented on the convention, as Dudarevitch claimed. Indeed, she can not provide the name of anyone she spoke with in that agency. (See Garfield’s statement posted below ).

Voters would have been better served if Roger had agreed to debate me on the issues affecting real people. And I’ll still debate him anytime, anyplace. But instead of debating, his campaign tried to distract the voters with outrageous, personal insinuations against my family, which have proven to be false.

I’m proud of my mom and dad, Barbara and John White. My father and I don’t always agree on all issues, but he’s the most honest and honorable man I know. I’m forever grateful that my parents raised me to know right from wrong, and to always tell the truth.

I’m focused on presenting positive solutions to such problems as high taxes, the cost of living, $3 gas, energy prices, healthcare, needs of seniors, costly state mandates, and more. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Tim White
State Representative candidate (R-89th)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com


UPDATE
Jeffrey Garfield's email response to me:

Tim,

I have read both letters you forwarded me and have spoken to my legal staff. No one remembers ever speaking to Sandy, and our telephone logs do not show such an entry. My staff is very circumspect about commenting on anything that would fall outside our jurisdiction, and the process used in a nominating convention is governed by party rules, not state election law, and is therefore clearly not within our purview. I must therefore conclude that such a comment was not made by anyone here at the State Elections Enforcement Commission.

I hope this is responsive to your concern.

Jeff Garfield
July 14, 2006

Voting registration deadline nears

From the State of CT mail-in voter registration form:

"Registration deadlines for new voters -- primary: your application must be postmarked by the 5th day before a primary (or received by your Registrar of Voters or a voter registration agency by the 5th day before a primary). You may apply in person to your town clerk or registrar until 12:00 noon on the last business day before a primary."

Some of the wording (such as 5th day vs. last business day... is the 5th day the 5th business day?) seems a bit ambiguous in relation to mailing in a party change. But changing your registration in person seems very explicit. You need to register as an R or a D by noon on Monday Aug 7.

Contact details for the Registrars in the three towns of the 89th are:

Bethany - Will Brinton (R)
Marion Ash (D)

Cheshire - Richard Abbate (R)
Aleta Looker (D)

Prospect - Kathleen Vander Eyk (R)
Katherine S. Blinstrubas (D)

phone numbers:
Bethany Town Hall 393-2100
Cheshire Registrars office 271-6680
Prospect Town Hall 758-4461

If you're unaffiliated, I hope you'll consider registering with one of the two major parties. And if you choose to register as a Republican, I hope I can have your support next Tuesday!

Tim White
State Representative candidate (R-89)
Bethany, Cheshire & Prospect
TimWhite98@yahoo.com