Gaffey's gaffe

You may recall a few months ago that state Senator Joan Hartley (D-Waterbury) was getting blasted by her caucus leader, Don Williams. He said that if she held firm on her demands for accountability before supporting a bonding package (particularly $1billion to be given to the CT State University system), she would lose her reserved parking space and office in the Capitol!

At the time, I thought it odd that Williams and other senators weren't working with her and demanding accountability... I mean, forget about whether you have a liberal or conservative worldview... accountability and benchmarks seem fair... particularly on the heels of UConn. But considering this storyline was playing out Under the Gold Dome (where people who associate with the mob are never publicly chastised), I just let it go.

But now Cheshire's senior state Senator, Tom Gaffey, is taking a beating from the Courant's Kevin Rennie:

Lust for power is merely ambition. Lust and power together, however, can make trouble.The question is whether that potent cocktail cost taxpayers $1 billion this year because of a secret relationship between a high-ranking legislator and a state university vice chancellor. While they were pushing the bonding package, they were bonding.

But you really need to read Rennie's entire article here where he tells a story of the Champion of the Public Good (Joan Hartley), the Beneficiary of the Public Funds (CSU Government Relations rep, Joan Ferraiolo) and Ferraiolo's "Big Boy" and "God" (Cheshire's state Senator, Tom Gaffey). If you live in Cheshire, you've really got to read this story. Heck... you may even want to send a letter to the editor:

news@cheshireherald.com
letters@courant.com
letters@nhregister.com
opinion@rep-am.com
letters@record-journal.com

Tim White