Death penalty repeal is dead... for the moment.

CT News Junkie's Hugh McQuaid is reporting:

Speculation about the fate of the bill began early Wednesday when Sen. Edith Prague, D-Columbia, said she would not be voting in favor of repeal.

Prague had strong words for Komisarjevsky.

“They should bypass the trial and take that second animal and hang him by his penis from a tree out in the middle of Main Street,” she said.

Thank you, Senator Prague... and Senator Maynard too. Both have switched their vote and ended the discussion of repealing the death penalty during this session. And though it will most likely come back next year, hopefully the clarity of thought will continue.

I completely agree with the notion that government should not take a chance on putting an innocent man to death. I suggest passing a law which requires "absolute certainty," for the death penalty. It'd be a more difficult bar to cross than "beyond a reasonable doubt."

We all know exactly what these two murderers did. With them, there is "absolute certainty." So they would still be executed. And they should die, although death is too kind for them.

Tim White

Lockerbie and Cheshire

Yes, Qaddafi was behind it. And yes, Qaddafi should die for it... among other reasons. But I'm thinking about Cheshire's two murderers, Komisarjevsky and Hayes.

Some legislators like to claim that their DP repeal won't impact the two murderers. I disagree. Not only could that legislation be used for an appeal on prior DP sentences, but even worse... if they live, they may eventually get their freedom.

I don't know if that's what Lawlor actually wants -- for Komisarjevsky and Hayes to eventually be "reformed" and freed -- but when you look at the Lockerbie bomber getting out over a year ago because he was "going to die in six weeks," then it should be plain as day that the DP should stand. And Joshua and Steven should receive their penalties in an expeditious manner.

Tim White

Safety in numbers

Early to bed, early to rise. Was awake around 7am today. Not bad for a Sunday. It was gorgeous outside. The sun was shining without a cloud in the sky. No snow on the ground in Haiti!

I had worked much of Saturday and knew I had to work some today. (It seems everyone has been working overtime as a result of the cholera outbreak… which btw, our field staff have been fantastic and our unofficial numbers so far are encouraging.) So I was determined to have some fun.

Beach day!

I’d been to the nearby beach – Plage Azur – several times. And it normally was crowded with UN troops. But that was always in the afternoon. By arriving early, I was hoping I might beat the crowd and have the beach to myself.

But before I tell you about the beach, I want you to visualize the Grand Anse. Much of the coastline is cliffs or steep embankments. The beaches here are generally coves where sand accumulated, but they still tend to be at the bottom of a steep hike. Azur is no exception.

I had taken a moto taxi for the usual 50 gourdes, about $1.25. The driver dropped me off near the top and I walked down. As I descended, I passed two kids. And all I could think was… hmmm… what are these kids doing here? The reality is that few locals swim. And these kids had neither swim trunks, nor any sort of bags that could contain wet clothes with them. I was suspicious and cautious. The reality is that for Grand Anse, Azur is a “tourist destination” and such places always attract pickpockets, purse snatchers, etc. So despite the relatively low density (or more correctly, non-existence) of tourists, I knew I had to be cautious.

When I got to the beach, there were a few other foreigners there and no locals in sight. But I had seen those kids, probably ten to twelve years old.

After a few minutes, I got comfortable and went out into the water. With several foreigners there, I figured the likelihood of my bag being stolen was minimal. I mean, if they’re rich enough to travel to Haiti, they’re probably not purse snatchers. And they were clearly the tourists at Jeremie’s tourist destination.

They left after about ten minutes and I promptly left the water to attend to my bag, but with no one else in sight… I decided to head back into the water… knowing my bags would be unguarded.

Upon making that decision, I was fully aware that those kids had seen me headed to the beach and that I was alone. And since they clearly weren’t swimming… nor were they friendly… and since I had heard about vehicle break-ins / window smash’n’grabs occurring at the top of the hill where cars had recently parked… I knew there were thieves in the area. So I decided to take one very small, and seemingly useless, precaution.

I “clipped” my backpack to a tree. By clip, I mean I simply put the packs waistbelt around the tree and snapped the clip. Although such clips are quite common in the USA, I haven’t seen any in Jeremie. So I reasoned that a local wouldn’t know how to unclip it quickly and it would potentially deter any purse snatchers.

How right I was.

I went back into the water and kept watching the beach for about ten minutes. In looking at the length of the beach, I figured there were really two entry and exit points.

How wrong I was.

Although I was generally watching, out of nowhere one of the two kids appeared. I saw him run right past my bag and then scurry up the hill… a place I didn’t think anyone would be able to climb. Damn. Thankfully though, my assessment was right. The stupid little kid wasn’t particularly sophisticated. Even though he didn’t understand the clip, if he’d had a knife he’d have gotten my bag. What a jerk. What a dumb jerk. And poverty is no excuse. There are lots of people in Jeremie living in destitute poverty. But they don’t turn to a life of crime. Nope. He was just an ordinary, run-of-the-mill criminal.

I think the funniest part of the incident was that it was the same exact bag that another purse-snatcher tried to steal from me in an internet café in Romania in 2002. That was another punk. He did outrun me, but not without me first smacking him… which had the instant reaction of him letting go of my bag.

I hate thieves.

Anyway, I decided to leave rather than hang around and wait for the criminals to return and try again. I headed to the top of the hill. On my way I saw the kid about 50 yards behind me. I hesitated and considered going to yell at him, but thought better of it. I wouldn’t be shocked if he had a knife. And I have no interest in that. I turned back up the hill and kept walking, now a bit more briskly.

Reaching the top, I was pleasantly surprised for the second week in a row. Both today and last week I scored rides back to town… and both times they refused to let me pay them as they weren’t moto taxi drivers. Last week, it was a member of the National Police. And this week I got a ride from a well-to-do printer who was going into town to pick up his son. I think both of them really just wanted to practice their English. I accommodated them both. I love learning and teaching languages. And it was good for me to get my mind off that little SOB at the beach.

The other highlight for me today was that I was finally given my driving test on a stick shift. I had told everyone that I was fine driving a stick, but no one believed it. So I went for my first test and was told that I passed with flying colors. I knew today wouldn’t be a problem though.

Outside of town, this particular area is mostly flat and straight with relatively little traffic. It’s the steep hills in downtown Jeremie that concern me. With all the people and motorbikes flying every which way… driving a stick on steep hills isn’t something I’ve ever done. Heck, most of my driving a stick was nothing more than a summer or two driving a forklift for John Romanik.

That was easy. 1st, 2nd, reverse and you never go more than five miles per hour… and there are no hills. Jeremie is a bit more challenging. But it is nice because now I should be able to go pick my dad up at the airport when he comes to visit in a few weeks! I’m looking forward to that and I know he is too. I think the last time he was in this part of the world was when he was the lead officer in some sort of “blockade” of Cuba back in the early 60s….

Tim White

Journalists need reliable sources

Only one week has passed and it appears that the international media -- in this case, the NY Daily News -- have finally caught up with TWL:

Up to 12 people accused of using "black magic" to infect others have been murdered as a result of the week-long witch hunt, with new cases being reported daily.

Local officials reported that six suspected witches in the town of Chambellan were stoned or hacked to death, a fate that an additional three people met in the city of Jeremie...

"Their corpses were burned in the streets."

Lesson for the day?

If journalists don't have sources, they won't get the story. Good journalists take the time to know lots of people... and are not only continually meeting new people, but also catching up with old friends.

And if you've ever wondered why a particular story isn't being reported... call a reporter and let him / her know. Who knows where that call could lead?

Tim White

Death Penalty repeal to be introduced

State Rep. Gary Holder Winfield plans to introduce legislation to
repeal the death penalty. And Guv-elect Malloy has said he'll only sign DP repeal legislation that allows for the execution of the Cheshire murderers.

But here's the thing, as soon as that legislation gets introduced... it's going to be used by all the death row inmates as cause to repeal their death sentences.

So maybe Rep. Vickie Nardello won't feel compelled this term to reintroduce her own legislation to repeal the death penalty? Maybe she'll just lobby behind-the-scenes hoping that Bethany, Cheshire and Prospect forget about her real goal to repeal the death penalty retroactively?

Tim White

The jury's unanimous verdict is in: Death

First he did the crimes, then he was convicted, and now he pays the price. This is as it should be. As Dr. Bill Petit said today, "This isn't about vengeance, it's about justice". Serious crimes have serious consequences.

I just hope my activist legislator, Vickie Nardello, doesn't get her wish to "save" him with her legislation to retroactively repeal the death penalty. She may not introduce the legislation this term. But I bet she pushes it again at some point.

Next up: The other predator, Joshua Komisarjevsky.

Tim White

Brown / Nardello: slush funds & turf

At last night's debate, Vickie Nardello (D) and Kathy Brown (R) were told and asked:

The August 3, 2008 Waterbury Republican American editorial described the “discretionary funds” in Hartford as “slush funds.” Cheshire’s $525,000 turf originated from these “discretionary funds.” Since this money has not yet been spent, do you support or oppose defunding the turf project in an effort to balance the state budget?

Here is their response:



After years of seeing it, I've gotten tired of Vickie spewing facts to divert attention without ever actually answering a question. Which in this case was:

In an effort to balance the budget, would you defund the turf?

Instead we get the runaround... like when she started defending her opposition to the death penalty in all instances because an innocent person may be put to death... huh?... news to Rep. Nardello... those two predators are NOT innocent! Yet in her heart of hearts, she wants to protect the lives of those two murderers!

Agree with her or not -- and I agree with her -- at least Kathy Brown was direct in her answer.

Tim White

Most Absurd Comment: Nardello on the death penalty

During the debate tonight, the candidates for State Representative were asked about their views on the death penalty. This is when the Most Absurd Comment of the night was spoken.

State Rep. Nardello explained her opposition to the death penalty by talking about how she would never want an innocent person put to death.

News to Vickie...

Everyone else -- including the two murderers -- knows who is guilty!

So please, we don't need to hear your concerns about putting an innocent person to death. We all know that's a risk. And that's part of why I'm not a big fan of the death penalty. But we all know what happened... and we all know who the murderers are. So if you oppose the death penalty, fine. But don't suggest that these two murderers may be innocent!

And of course, she omitted the fact that she apparently wants these two wretched animals to live.

Tim White

QU Poll: 65% favor death penalty

The NHR reports:

Support for Connecticut's death penalty has reached its highest point in more than a decade, and even some who generally oppose capital punishment say it's appropriate for a man convicted in the 2007 deadly Cheshire home invasion, according to a new poll.

Quinnipiac University's poll, released Wednesday, found 65 percent of those surveyed support the death penalty. That's up from 61 percent two years ago, and the highest number since the year 2000.

I certainly hope that state Rep. Vickie Nardello doesn't continue introducing legislation to repeal the death penalty retroactively. I think the death penalty is entirely appropriate for these two predators.

Tim White

Police Chief search moving forward

The NHRs Luther Turmelle gives an update on the search for a new chief:

The search for a new police chief will narrow the field of about 60 applicants to eight to 10 candidates, who will be interviewed later this month, the town’s personnel director said...

“The review panel will reduce the field to three or four finalists, who will then be interviewed” by Town Manager Michael Milone, Zullo said.

Tim White

2005 Nardello: end the death penalty, retroactively

On a couple other posts this week, there's been some discussion regarding a retroactive prohibition on the death penalty. Gubernatorial candidate Dan Malloy has said he opposes the death penalty, but in Cheshire's instance his opposition means nothing because a prohibition would be forward-looking only.

Not so fast Mayor Malloy. I think we may need further explanation from you because...

AN ACT CONCERNING MURDER WITH SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES was introduced in the 2005 legislative session. It was offered by eleven legislators, including 89th district Representative Vickie Nardello. You can read the language here. But this is the first paragraph:

Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, from the effective date of this section until July 1, 2007, the execution of the sentence of death with respect to any person who has been convicted of a capital felony and sentenced to death before, on or after the effective date of this section shall be stayed and the death penalty shall not be inflicted upon such person during such period.

I'm assuming the legislature and Governor would be able to craft any law as they see fit. And frankly, even if our elected officials obeyed the Constitution for once, I'm uncertain how the penalty component of a crime would be impacted by ex post facto.

It'll be interesting to see what the candidates, including Rep. Nardello, say at the October 20 LOWV debate.

Tim White

Hayes is guilty

Convicted: 1 done, 1 to go. They both deserve the death penalty, but I guess that won't be discussed for Hayes until October 18.

Tim White

Foley / Malloy: the death penalty

As we all knew, the death penalty is an issue in the Foley / Malloy race for Governor.

In limited circumstances where there is no doubt about one's guilt, I think it's appropriate. And the two predators deserve it. I just hope they don't drag it out for many more years through an appeals process.

Tim White

Some CPD updates, including promotions!

With the CPD retirements of Captain Ren Marchand and Lieutenant Kerry Deegan, other officers are taking on new roles and climbing the ladder. The NHRs Luther Turmelle reports on the various moves, including the highest promotion in rank:

(Lieutenant Jay) Markella, who is currently the department’s public information officer, will be promoted to captain and will head the detective division.

Among the other moves... Brian Pichnarcik, a regular follower of local government, is being promoted from Sargeant to Lieutenant... as is Chris Cote. And Councilman Ecke's brother, Mark, is being promoted to Sergeant.

I congratulate all the officers on their promotions and new job roles!

As for what's happening in the search for a new Chief, I have no updates. The search is ongoing.

And with regard to the other big reason for why the CPD is in the news, I support the department 100%. And frankly, it seems unfathomable the charges they're facing. I just hope the trials end soon and the two predators receive capital punishment. Not many people are more deserving than those two.

Tim White

Capital Budget '10/11: police, fire, sewers discussion

The Council discussed the 2010 / 2011 capital budget tonight, including:

Fire

Fire Chief Jack Casner explained the need for $425,000 for new "breathing apparatus." Here are some details:He noted that other top grade equipment would cost more... to the tune of $300,000.

$300,000 for water mains were also discussed. And since water mains seem to have $300,000 being requested every year, I asked for clarification on the need to aggregate multi-year projects in relation to a referendum. I now understand that if a capital budget item is earmarked for a particular project (i.e. water mains for Wyndemere Court or open space for Lot C at the northeast corner of West Johnson and Peck), then it need not be included in the aggregation of a referendum question. But if a project is vague (i.e. water mains or open space), then those numbers must be aggregated to meet referendum requirements. And apparently this may lead to a delay in capital budget vote from August 24 to August 31.

Here are some details on the Chief's water main wish list:As we discussed this list, I noted that we'd be digging up roads. So I reminded everyone about last week's BOE meeting when we learned that the schools are looking for more information about the use of natural gas at Doolittle and Norton... noting that would require roads to be excavated. And then tied together those two town goals with a request I've gotten from some residents regarding the possibility of NG pipelines on their streets, so they can fight the volatile and high prices of heating oil. In other words, the Fire Dept, Schools and some residents want their roads excavated for various reasons. I asked that we try to ensure everyone is aware of these somewhat related interests.

Police

Police Chief Mike Cruess explained the need to continue replacing the PD vehicle fleet. He provided this spreadsheet of the mileage on his fleet:I know this is all public info, but I still covered the make / model of the unmarked cars. And lastly, police car mileage often has greater wear than similar non-police cars. This is because cop cars are often idling and ready to go.

Chief Cruess also explained the benefit of GIS to the PD. My main question here related to speed traps. Thing is, I get calls from constituents for speed traps on their roads. And while I try to help, my preference would be to have an unbiased system in place to determine where speed traps should be located. So I asked if a GIS would be able to track 911 calls, speed limits by road, and other data related to speeding... thus giving the police a tool to determine the best use of their time. That would put it back on the Council to fund (or not fund) an increase in the number of patrolmen on the beat... and reduce the potential for favoritism when residents or elected officials ask the police for a speed trap. And FWIW, I view this as an extension of my 2008 call for the Council to set the criteria used to prioritize Public Works projects.

Last item on the police was that I confirmed that we are not bonding these police cars. I really wasn't sure if that was the plan. And I now know the idea is to pay for them using the CNR account. That's good news. But I still encourage voters to keep an eye on this sort of stuff... shifting operating expenses to the capital budget is too easy and tempting for town officials interested in minimizing tax increases.

Sewers

Dennis Dievert, Sewer Plant Superintendent, and John Atwood, WPCA Chairman, made the case for sewers. They feel that the West Johnson and Cook Hill Pump Stations are on their last legs. As such, they requested the planning money for each be included in this year's capital budget. That's $180k for West Johnson and $120k for Cook Hill. They further explained that although these pump stations were functioning, their continued useful life is uncertain. So they hoped to get the planning money for the two pump stations, in case they flatline. I then asked if it made sense to aggregate the $1,700,000 West Johnson upgrade and $1,200,000 Cook Hill upgrade in with the $30,000,000 sewer plant upgrade. And not to make light of the real need to restrain spending, I questioned if it made sense to send all three to referendum for $32,900,000? I figure:

a) all three projects need to be done;
b) although money is appropriated, the money need not be spent... pump station upgrades could be delayed... but the money would have been approved... or rejected.

So depending on the continued functionality of the pump stations over the next twelve months... it may make sense to aggregate the Plant and Pump Station upgrades. Which, btw, would complete the pump station upgrades that were begun circa 1996. So hopefully, no more would need to be done for several years.

One other interesting point raised by Dennis was this graph:The solid red line is from 2006 and the solid blue line is 2010... and the dotted red line relates to some torrential rain we got before we finally sealed the open sewer pipes. So this graph suggests that Dennis' efforts have been helpful... to say the least.

Planning, Economic Development, Senior Services

We also briefly discussed these department budgets. I'm doubtful you'll see the $1 million for open space get into the budget. We already have $1.1 million (plus the CNR fund) available for open space purchases.

The Economic Development budget related primarily to the sidewalks proposed for the north side of West Main from Grove Street to Rumberg or Waverly:I think that sidewalk is worth it. But I have no interest in spending money on pretty street lamps and decorations at the bottom of the hill right now.

Unrelated to the above mentioned departments, I also learned today that there are a number of reasons why the planned August 24 Capital Budget vote may be delayed until August 31. One of the reasons is IMO illegitimate: the turf. The Turf Investigation Committee is not yet done with their report. But there are other reasons. Regardless, a year ago I voiced my annoyance about the capital budget vote getting delayed. So I say it again. The uncertainty related to the date of the vote is annoying because I won't be in the country that day! And speaking of... if you have a few bucks and you are interested, you can donate to the Haitian Health Foundation by clicking here.

Anyway... the public hearing is on Wednesday, August 18 at 7:30pm in Town Hall. Hope you can make it!

Tim White

Capital Budget '10/11: recap on several departments

Tuesday night at 7pm is the final scheduled review of the department requests for the proposed 2010 / 2011 capital budget. Then on Wednesday, August 18 @ 7:30pm you'll have your chance to speak at the public hearing. But in the meantime if you're interested in Tuesday's meeting, here's a recap of the proposal's that are to be discussed then:

Fire

Police

Water Pollution Control Department

Economic Development (including West Main)

Planning (including open space)

Senior Services

Tim White

Capital Budget '10/11: police, emergency ops

The Council will be discussing the TMs proposed capital budget for police and other emergency services on Tuesday, August 17 @ 7pm in Town Hall. The TM eliminated a proposed additional emergency operations center already, but I still figured I should include it here:Also on the agenda that evening is the police. Routine replacement of the PDs fleet obviously needs to continue. I do have one concern about this though. The Council tries to abide by the rule of thumb that capital items should cost more than $110,000 and have a life expectancy of five years or more. I think that makes sense because it helps us avoid shifting operating budget expenses into the capital budget. And as a taxpayer, that's one thing that irks me -- when I see Washington and Hartford bonding our operating budget. Yet if the Town is capitalizing items that cost relatively small dollars and / or have short lives... are we doing the same?

That may not be happening in Cheshire. I'm not sure at this point because we have the capital non-recurring fund (CNR) which is part of the operating budget. In other words... if the police cars are purchased from the CNR account, then they're not being purchased with bonded money. And that's appropriate IMO. So we'll have to see where this goes. It's just a philosophical viewpoint I have and it's not necessarily a big deal right now. But it is a slippery slope.

And here's the PDs capital budget proposal:
Tim White

Capital Budget '10/11: fire

Here's the overview of the TMs proposed 2010 / 2011 capital budget for the Fire Department:The first big item here is $425,000 for breathing apparatus. I presume this will go to referendum and pass easily.Next up is the installation of water mains. As I've noted before, water mains are important public safety tools. But they have the additional "land development" factor that needs to be considered. That is, both city water and sewers allow for higher density development. So when water mains get installed the Council needs to be aware of where the water lines are being placed in relation to undeveloped land. That's not to say development is bad. It's simply that water mains (and sewers) in undeveloped areas have many consequences that should be considered.As for the north end firehouse... until America expunges itself of the failed Bush / Obama economic policies of Printing Presses and Borrowing from China... I don't expect to see the economy turnaround. I'm not holding my breath. So I'm guessing the proposed Northend Development is in the fast track to nowhere... and so is the fire station.
In our five years together on the Council, David Schrumm has stated numerous times that our aerial truck was a replacement for this snorkel truck... but that when we got our new aeriel in the mid-90s, the snorkel never got retired. I'm not sure what the story is. But maybe before this meeting happens, someone will get the minutes to the budget committee capital budget meeting when this purchase was discussed.The meeting with the FD is next Tuesday, August 17 at 7pm.

Tim White

Open forum - July 16, 2010

It's been a crazy week for me... didn't even get to the Council meeting -- for which I apologize -- but beyond work I've had some personal stuff to which I had to attend. Anyway...

The MRJs Joe Adinolfi is reporting that the Police Chief search will include candidates outside the department:

"In order to ensure that I have the best, most qualified person for the position, it makes sense to open it up," Milone said.

I agree and have encouraged the TM to do this.

Also in relation to the search, I understand that the TMs candidate search team will include two former Council Chairs -- one R and one D.

And for those of you who are unaware of the TMs typical search process for a department head... in recent years he's assembled a team of similar department heads from area towns and asked them to help winnow down the field. Then the TM makes the choice from the final three candidates.

As for other stuff...

I was recently surprised when I was told by a local Republican that we ought to get out of Afghanistan and station our troops on our southern border. Personally, I don't understand why we're in Afghanistan at this point. It's not as though we're ever going to "win." And we can only maintain our presence there by running up our Chinese credit card.

And there was a debate for the GOP nomination for Governor last night. I didn't see it, but do intend to learn more about the candidates. At this point though, I'd still prefer to see a Dan Malloy (D) vs. Oz Griebel (R) matchup.

Doubt I'll be posting this weekend, but intend to post more often in the next week or two.

Anything else happening?

Tim White

What happens with confiscated drug bust money?

Although I don't think it's the smartest thing to do, I don't think smoking marijuana should be a crime. Regardless, the law is the law. And Cheshire's Finest does their job well.

Here's a brief memo explaining what happened with the money confiscated in one particular drug bust:



Tim White