Monday, January 03, 2011

Tom Gaffey resigning in disgrace

I guess I was right. According to the CT Mirror... Cheshire's senior state Senator, Tom Gaffey, is resigning! Yippee!

But he's history. Looking forward, who's gonna throw their hat in the ring for the special election?

My guess is that GOPs 2010 13th senate district candidate, Len Suzio, will run. I'm not sure he'll get the GOP nod, but he seems like the logical choice. The Dem side is more interesting though. I doubt there's any immediate frontrunner.

While the demographics suggest the Dem nomination would go to a Meriden Dem -- I think Meriden has four state reps who are Dems -- I've got to think Elizabeth Esty is already looking at her viability in this race. How many delegates are there to the special election's nominating convention? How many Cheshire delegates will be at the convention? How many anti-death penalty delegates will be there? Etc. It may be possible for her to get the nomination.

As for the district population numbers. Off the top of my head, I think a state Senate district represents about 100,000 people. That 100,000 includes about 2/3 of Cheshire... or 17,000 to 18,000 people. It also includes all of Meriden... about 50,000 to 60,000 people. And the balance of the 100,000 covers part of Middletown and all of Middlefield. And the convention will probably have delegates in proportion to either population or Dem registrations... not sure which.

This'll certainly make Cheshire's politics interesting for the next week or two as the parties move toward choosing candidates. And FWIW, I'm pretty sure that special elections do no allow for primaries. I think the nominees are determined by the party conventions... which are normally -- though not exclusively -- filled by Town Committee members. But for real go-getters, you should know that those conventions are filled with delegates who are probably elected at town-level party caucuses. And if you have the energy, you're free to invite hundreds of your friends and effectively "stack the deck" in favor of whoever you and your friends feel is the best nominee for your party.

Tim White

12 comments:

Tim White said...

Or maybe David Schrumm will jump in? I think he may have run for state Senate years ago. But with public funding and an open seat special election... he'd probably stand a better chance.

Anonymous said...

Schrumm would be PERFECT for state senate. Imagine the fun he'll have amongst his (D) friends? Heck, I'd quit my job and just follow him around the senate with a video camera. Besides the fun factor in watching him ruin the D's day, it would make for incredible reality TV.

Tim White said...

haha... I doubt there are any other elected Rs in Cheshire who would be interested. I can think of one other person, but he's in the 16th... not the 13th.

Anonymous said...

At least one person should gloat here that the chickens of justice have come home to roost!

"Gaffey's career in recent years has been roiled by ethical issues, twice involving romantic relationships. His more recent relationship with a legislative liaison for the Connecticut State University system was the subject of a complaint of a conflict of interest, but the Office of State Ethics found no wrongdoing" (thats a joke).

"He has faced questions about mixing his personal and public finances for at least eight years. In 2002, he acknowledged (double billing) $10,000 in personal expenses (to two state agencies)".

Cheshire and Conn. Democrats must really be proud.
HEY CORRUPT TOMMY, DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU ON THE WAY OUT!

Anonymous said...

It looks like Gaffey gets to keep his cushy job at the Connecticut Resource Recovery Authority even though he cheated them of money. Plus with no jail time, he'll be free to lobby for more big bucks for his clients. Truly amazing that Conn. voters elect such slimeballs to office.

Tim White said...

He has his six figure salary at CRRA for now, but I doubt there are any guarantees. My guess is that it's fairly close to a no-show job. Hopefully he'll lose it soon. He ought to have to face the job market... just like his constituents.

Tim White said...

Plus with no jail time, he'll be free to lobby for more big bucks for his clients.

He's the poster child for why guerrilla blogging has so much value. It'd be great if people followed him around the LOB this session... letting the world know the legislators with whom he meets... particularly before and after any CRRA-related votes.

Tim White said...

Read the MRJ. The legally corrupt Donovan -- who gave Crusher a $120,000 / yr job in exchange for his Speakership -- is acting as an apologist for the apparently, criminally corrupt Gaffey.

Tim White said...

Also based on the MRJ, it sounds as though the 2010 convention delegates may return for these nominating conventions.

And since Gaffey has not yet taken office for the new term... the rules may be different from the usual rules.

Anonymous said...

Now that Gaffey is pleading guilty to abusing his office for personal financial gain, will he lose his state pension? And if not, why not?

tim white said...

I recall that post-Rowland legislation included Pension Revocation. Not sure if it'd apply to Gaffey... I'm sure the likes of Crusher, Donovan and Williams tried mightily to create loopholes for their friends Under the Gold Dome.

Anonymous said...

Does it mean that Gaffey will still be a director of the Connecticut Resource and Recovery Agency.

This is one agency that should not be allowed to operate on its own. Why is it a quasi-government agency? It should be just another department within the state government, rather than being separate and a place to reward political friends and avoid state rules.

Remember ENRON and how the taxpayers were screwed because of the mismanagement of the CRRA.