Impeachment proceedings?

Last night there was quite a bit of chatter among Council members on an email all members received. It related to Council support (or lack thereof) for "3 Strikes" legislation. The email's unedited text is below.

As for me, I absolutely support improved persistent offender laws. And support state Senator Sam Caligiuri who (I believe) suggested that if the law is written correctly, CT should have only an additional 140 prisoners... 140 people who will likely never reform. Anyway... here's what Council members, and the press (who I assume were also notified, since I've been contacted), are talking about...

To my newly elected Town Council:

I'm extremely displeased and angered with what has transpired between the pre-election forum by all of the candidates for town council and the recent public forum to approve a judicial agenda to be sent to Hartford as a single united voice of the residents of Cheshire. It is in my own opinion that the 3 Strikes and Your Out Legislation was intentionally overlooked and omitted from this agenda. In-which I am outraged to put it mildly.

As you know I was present at the pre-election public forum and I watched and listened carefully to every one of the candidates as each one of you raised your hand and your voices in favor of a mandatory 3 Strikes and Your Out legislation as part of your individual campaign promise to the voting public of Cheshire.

This information was in my thought process as with many if not all of those in attendance or watching on their televisions at home. How your response was taken was part of my deciding factor when it came time to choose the correct candidate to vote for on November 6th to be a complementary voice in the decision making processes of my town.

We were all lied to by you whom deceived us that day to sway our vote for you and now for whatever reason either lied at that public forum or has reversed their support of a mandatory 3 Strikes Law just one month later, intentionally or not.

I as a voting citizen of this town demand a one word answer (by way of reply to this email,)from you all on the question that was simply posed to you on that day of the pre-election public forum of whether you do support this proposed law or not. I demand a quick and simple one word answer of "YES" or "NO." I will presume that anyone who does not reply has answered "NO" by default.

I do not wish to have a long drawn out letter describing your position, I just demand a "YES" or "NO" one word answer.

If I receive a "NO" answer from any one of you even by default, I would have no other recourse but to petition the Secretary of the State of Connecticut, The Elections Enforcement Commission and the Governor to invalidate the past Town Council elections of the Town of Cheshire. I will call for another election to take place, this time with the voters knowledge of your truthful position on this most serious issue.

I will have right to do so under State Law as it pertains to election fraud. If this does not get approved I will then be pressed to call for an impeachment of those candidates that lied at the pre-election public forum who deceived the voters of The Town of Cheshire into voting for them with subsequent intent to defraud in order to win your council seat.

If I fail for a second time, then this information gathered here by means of your replies will be published in all the local news papers and other Media in order to divulge your true position on the safety of the citizens of Cheshire and the State of Connecticut. I'm sure the voters who were deceived will not forget when election time comes around again in two years, I certainly will not.

Michael J Rocci

My dad on Ron Paul

In response to my post from yesterday in which I called Ron Paul a "radical," my dad offered the following:

As an amateur linguist and teacher of English, I want to point out that the nonpolitical meaning of "radical" comes from the Latin "radix," meaning "root." So the meaning of "radical" in the political realm means "one who gets to the root" of a situation or problem.

In that sense, Ron Paul is a radical. But that's only because the federal government has gotten so far removed from the principles of our republic that any course-change requires, first, going to the root of the problem and, second, deconditioning the electorate which has been propagandized (by the media) and bribed (by the welfare system) into intellectual and moral blindness. Ron Paul is the ONLY candidate--and I'm talking about both parties--who understands the problem at the root cause and is offering solutions which include waking up and reeducating the American people to the fact that they, not the federal government, are owners of the country and are responsible for running the country.

So calling Ron Paul a radical is not only correct, it is also a badge of honor which he seems willing to receive because he cares about the fundamentals of America, beginning with FREEDOM.

John White

p.s. Remember to tell your friends that Ron Paul will be on Meet the Press this Sunday for the full hour.

Budget committee mtg 12/17

Mike Ecke had two items on the agenda tonight: fund balance policy and performance contracting.

Due to the fact that the Town's consultant is a People's United Bank employee (as am I), I skipped this part of the meeting. I'll have to get the minutes and read them, but my understanding is that my call for a cost/benefit analysis was discussed. And my concerns about using $5,500 of bond insurance as an alternative to collecting $2,000,000 - 3,000,000 in taxes was also discussed. I don't really have much to say until I read the minutes.

However, I want to remind everyone that this fund balance policy is usually discussed in terms of the rainy day fund as a per cent of the operating budget. That is to say, if the budget is $100,000,000 and the fund balance policy calls for a 5% fund balance... then we should have $5,000,000 in the bank. If it's 8%, then we should have $8,000,000 in the bank. But remember... the Town's rainy day fund is just one of several reserves controlled by the Town.

The Town also has a "heart & hypertension" fund, a medical trust fund, a debt reserve... and there may be others. All of these should be considered as part of the rainy day fund. Otherwise, we should probably determine what the potential risks are beyond these risks... then use those risks to draft a list of other potential liabilities that may benefit from the rainy day fund... come to think of it... we probably should just draft of list of other likely liabilities, regardless. Anyway, more on this later.

I joined the meeting when we got to performance contracting. And since it's late, I'll cut this short. Mike Ecke gave me the floor and I conveyed my concern to the Council...

America is highly dependent on foreign oil. And I want to reduce that dependence. In order to achieve this goal, I want to conduct a comprehensive townwide energy infrastructure improvement project as expeditiously as possible.

Why?

Because while the pool runs on natural gas and Highland runs on electric... both are interchangeable with oil. That is... CHS runs on a dual-fuel heating system... depending on the price of fuel (NG or oil)... the facilities people can change it every day... so in that way, NG and oil (heating fuel is basically diesel fuel and petroleum-based) are interchangeable and, effectively, the same thing. If we use less NG at the pool, we can consume more at CHS... and our dependence on foreign oil decreases.

As for electric... about 30-40% of CTs electricity generating power plants are fueled by NG or oil. So to use electricity is to use oil... and is to increase America's dependence on foreign oil.

Anyway, I told the Council that I'm not worried about how we finance our energy conservation projects. My main concern is getting the projects done and done now. I don't want to wait for ten or twenty years to do a project that could be done in three years... that would just require us to consume that much more fuel in the interim... and if we can avoid that, we should.

So if we use performance contracting, that's fine with me. I personally believe that it may help us expedite these projects. What's key to me about performance contracting though is that it helped jumpstart a conversation that had been stalled in the fast lane to nowhere. So thanks to Mike Ecke for putting this on the agenda and asking the Energy Commission to take the lead on this. Until he took action... this concept had been collecting dust on a shelf in Town Hall.

Tim White
Town Council, Energy Commission liaison

I want honesty and change

"What unites us is a love of liberty, and a determination to fix what is wrong with our country, from the Fed to the IRS, from warfare to welfare. But otherwise we are a big tent." - Ron Paul, on his recordbreaking one day fundraiser in which he received more than $6,000,000

And as one poster noted in a prior post, Ron Paul will be on Meet the Press with Tim Russert this Sunday (10am on Cheshire's Cox).

If you have the time, I sincerely hope you tune in... and mention it to your friends too. I wouldn't be surprised if he says some thing with which you disagree. But I'd be even more surprised if you don't agree with at least some of his thoughts.

For me, I think the main reason that I like him is that I feel as though he tells me what he believes... not what he thinks I want to hear. He doesn't pander. And I'm so sick and tired of listening to politicians, such as HRC, who seem to be so completely contrived... I'll never forget her line about not staying home to bake cookies.

To reinforce my disgust with Washington, when I got home from Town Hall tonight I turned on CSpan. And I learned a new word: eardrop. Based on the House conversation, it seems that an eardrop is an earmark that no one is supposed to know exists... apparently someone knows that earmarks exist... but not eardrops. Nope. Apparently no one, except the author, knows they exist. And tonight's bill had 300 hidden in it, according to Rep. Shadegg (R-AZ).

And our elected officials wonder why America is so disgusted with them and their "approval ratings" are down to 20%?

Just tonight I was having a philosophical discussion with Matt Hall on Washington. I told him... when I saw Chris Murphy about six months ago I really appreciated his support of pay-go. Then a month or two ago, I'm pretty sure that Congressman Murphy voted for SCHIP... but the tax increase wasn't included in it. (Please correct me if I'm wrong on this... I could be.) And I'm thinking, huh? What's going on? I thought the Democrats were supposed to change Washington?

Seriously, I thought they would at least improve things by changing from a "borrow and spend" to a "tax and spend" fiscal policy. But from what I can tell... that's not happening. And that's what's so upsetting to me. Don't get me wrong... I like Chris Murphy. But what's going on in our country? And who is going to change things? It's certainly not the Dem Congress.

Anyway, that is one of the main reasons that I support Ron Paul. I want honesty and I want change. And yes, Ron Paul is a bit radical. But heck... considering how far offtrack (and institutionalized) things seem to be in Washington... a radical may be the only thing that can cause any change at all.

Tim White

Stopping drunk driving

The effort to stop drunk driving arose at last week's Council meeting. I then mentioned a new product... an ankle bracelet... that monitors alcohol consumption 24/7. But I didn't have any details, so I looked it up. It's called SCRAM (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor). Here's an imageSo if you're interested, you may want to google it. As far as I know, this is not yet in use in CT. But I hope the legislature considers this as they tackle crime and punishment in the upcoming session. It seems to me as though it might be able to help stop repeat DUIs.

Tim White

Ron Paul's new fundraising record

Today, Ron Paul has both achieved his 4th quarter fundraising goal ($12,000,000) and broken the one day GOP fundraising record (previously held by him). He's up to nearly $5,000,000 so far... and it's only 8pm.

But for one reason why I support him, read here...

Each year the people of the United States write a check to subsidize China, one of the most brutal, anti-American regimes in the world. Lately it has been in vogue for everyone in Washington to eagerly denounce the egregious abuses of the Chinese people at the hands of their communist dictators. Yet no one in our federal government has been willing to take China on in any meaningful way.

Lights of Hope

While watching TV this morning, I believe I saw the Lights of Hope is rescheduled for Jan 6. Can anyone confirm?

Historical Society Christmas Party

The Christmas Party is today... stop by this afternoon (2-4pm??) and watch their new 8 minute video. I checked it out last week when I visited.

Tim White

Gaffey moving

I seem to recall that less than two weeks ago, Senate Majority Leader Don Williams was quoted saying:

These aren't the droids you're looking for. Move along.

But now, rather than Senator Tom "Big Boy" Gaffey moving mountains for his friends... he's rearranging his own seating chart and asking to be reassigned to a new committee:

Gaffey currently serves as vice chairman of the General Assembly's Higher Education and Career Advancement Committee, and he is looking to be reassigned before the start of the 2008 legislative session.Gaffey has been under fire recently because he voted on a portion of the bond package that would give the Connecticut State University System $1 billion for renovations and expansion over a 10-year period. He is dating Jill Ferraiolo, the system's associate vice chancellor for government relations and communications, and several wonder if this was a conflict of interest when the CSUS 2020 bill was discussed by lawmakers. Gaffey did not disclose his relationship until after the vote was taken. (MRJ, by Amanda Falcone)

But as far as I'm concerned, this won't cut it. We need real reform in CT... at the state and local level. We need to stamp out all the funny business. At the state level, state's attorneys should be given the power of subpoena. And at the state and local level, corrupt officials should lose their pensions. Unfortunately, I have doubts about any real reforms happening... I mean... it's more important to be friends with your colleagues, than it is to represent the public... right?

Seriously though, the more I hear about this, the more I wish one of his fellow Dems would primary him.

Tim White

MLB steroids

Major League Baseball should be ashamed of itself. But what happens with the likes of Clemens and Pettite is not my main concern. After all, Roger Clemens has his own kids who will ask him if the stories are true. No. That's not the #1 issue here.

I want to know what MLB is going to do to reach out to college and high school kids to let them know that using these performance enhancing drugs can be dangerous to their health. And that if they want to play professional ball... it won't be tolerated in either the Major or the minor leagues.

My suggestion? A minimum outreach effort would include: every time scouts go to a game, they set up a meeting with all players of both teams and let them know... MLB doesn't tolerate it. If it's a half hour talk by the scout, it may take 30 minutes to schedule... and wouldn't take more than an hour of a scout's time per day... I think it's the least that MLB could do for the next few years to reinforce the idea with kids that this alleged behavior will not be tolerated.

Major League Baseball... both management and the players' union... should be ashamed of itself.

Tim White

December 16, 1773

You may not recognize the date, but on December 16, 1773, a few people got together in Boston and had a party... a tea party!

Whether or not you support Ron Paul for President, if you watch this video, then I think you'll agree... his supporters are very creative. Between the score and the imagery, it looks like a Hollywood production to me. Over at Tea Party 07, grassroots supporters have already gotten commitments for over $3,000,000 for donations this Sunday. Even if it were another candidate, I'd still love the grassroots nature of the campaign.

An apology

A few days ago I posted an anonymous letter to the front page. I shouldn't have. I apologize.

Tim White

Put teeth in ethics reforms

State Senator Don Williams announced his proposed ethics reforms for the 2008 legislative session, including:

1 Revoke pensions of corrupt officials.
2 Require ethics training for legislators and municipal elected officials.
3 Examine Extending restrictions to State Officials who lobby legislators.
4 Create a permanent bi-partisan process for investigating alleged misconduct by legislators.
5 Enact a code of conduct and a criminal penalty for elected officials who fail to report a bribe.

But now Governor Rell is weighing in:

saying that ethics proposals made by Senate President Pro Tem Don Williams and other Democrats yesterday are not going to cut it with them unless the ethics committee the Democrats propose looks into the controversy surrounding Democratic state Senator Tom Gaffey of Meriden.

I don't disagree with this. But as I discussed in a post six months ago, the NYTimes editorial board really made a critical point about real ethics reform...

CTs state's attorneys should be given the power of subpoena.

As the NYTimes opined:

the federal government cannot keep galloping in like the cavalry to save the day. Connecticut has to change its culture of corruption in much the same way, says Andy Sauer of Connecticut Common Cause, as the South had to change its racist attitudes 50 years ago to make repeated federal intervention unnecessary. The analogy is apt.

And concluded:

Strengthen the chief state’s attorney’s office by giving the state’s top prosecutor the power to issue subpoenas during investigations. The Legislature stripped away that power several decades ago when the chief state’s attorney was deemed too aggressive in fighting in-state corruption. The office must have more authority...

Sooner or later, state legislators must set aside their ingrained desire to protect their friends and instead strengthen the rule of law for everyone. It is the only way to fix a state that, for good reason, has become known nationwide as Corrupticut.

I hope Hartford does the right thing. But I have to admit... I don't have very high expectations for reforms with real teeth, such as subpoena power, being passed. After all, such reforms would need to garner the support of the people who work Under the Gold Dome.

Tim White

Bernanke is helping Ron Paul

USA Today did this writeup on an exchange (see link below) between my favorite Presidential candidate, Ron Paul, and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke... and how this exchange has really taken hold of the internet with hundreds of thousands of views...

Texas Congressman Ron Paul is getting help from an improbable source in his long-shot bid for the Republican presidential nomination: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.
Video clips of Paul — who supports the gold standard and has sponsored a bill to abolish the Fed — ripping into Bernanke at congressional hearings are getting hundreds of thousands of hits on the video-sharing website YouTube.

If you watch the clip here, you'll see one of the characteristics that I appreciate about Congressman Paul... he takes a philosophical approach to public policy. He doesn't discuss "process" or other means to obfuscate his real concern.

Tim White

The trophy is coming!

WRA - In 2007, the Red Sox brought their second World Series title to Boston in four years. On Thursday, they bring the World Series trophy to Waterbury for the first time.

The road tour will open in New Haven with a rally from 10 to 11 a.m. at New Haven City Hall.

The largest rally will take place in Hartford from 2:15 to 4 p.m. at the state capitol, where the trophy will be on display on the first floor.

The Waterbury visit will be a brief one. The Sox entourage will arrive with the trophy at approximately 12:15 p.m., and deliver it to the office of Mayor Mike Jarjura in the Chase Building.

There will not be a public rally in Waterbury, but fans can gather outside the Chase Building to take pictures.

Tim White

A lack of oversight?

It's 1:13am right now and I only got home from the Council meeting a few minutes ago... and I also have to get up early tomorrow morning to (hopefully) go do an interview with the New Haven Independent about my support of Ron Paul and the Ron Paul Blimp!

Anyway, it's too late to do an update on the Council meeting and do it justice. So instead, I offer you this letter I received in the mail today from some avid supporters...

Then the letterWhat's my single biggest impression from this letter? Our little TWL community is opening up government... and that's a good thing.

On one final note though... there are two people in the Town Manager's office who receive that $18,000 overtime budget... though by June 30 of each year, we always seem to be doing those year end budget transfers to increase that $18,000 budget.

Tim White
Town Council, 4th District

Building inspection fees

You may recall a recent post I did following the PZC public hearing. I questioned the legitimacy of the fiscal impact study and said that in particular it

concerned me because while the Town Manager presented this revenue of $1.16 million (with offsetting costs of approximately $100k), he didn't mention that in CT, it is basically illegal for towns to "turn a profit" in a municipal building department. In other words, building department revenues cannot exceed building department expenses... or at least that's what the Council has been told for each of the past four years whenever we've discussed the building department fees. And when I asked for clarification... perhaps I missed it, but I didn't hear anything about the law changing. So I'm still wondering... is this "million dollar windfall" for real? Or will the town approve this project, get paid these fees, then get sued by the developer and refund this $1,000,000? I don't know, but I know the Town Manager has testified with some very contradictory information.

Anyway, since I finally saw Tuesday's agenda on Sunday, I noticed that the fiscal impact study was not on the agenda. So I spoke with the person who matters... Matt Hall... and he assured me that the fiscal impact study is going to be addressed tomorrow. Specifically, the Town Attorney will be addressing my concerns on the legality of these possible building inspection net revenues.

I'm looking forward to getting my hands around this issue.

Tim White
Town Council, 4th District

Don't worry, it's all legal

Considering the beating that former Senator Lou DeLuca (rightfully) took for his ties to trash hauler James Galante, the WRA is also right to point out:

The state is investigating whether Mr. Galante broke the law by using his network of trash firms to bundle tens of thousands in donations to dozens of legislative incumbents, including House Speaker James A. Amann and Senate President Pro Tempore Donald Williams Jr. For upward of three years, lawmakers kept quiet about it. But once word got out they had taken Mr. Galante's soiled sums, they feigned surprise, then promised to give to charity an amount equal to what he gave them.

But this is typical of Capitol denizens who believe "laws are for thee, not for me," and let no opportunity pass to enrich themselves or the people around them. Sen. Gaffey, for instance, left a make-work state job in 1989 to become a lobbyist — sorry, "legislative liaison" — for the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority. Until someone blew the whistle on him, he routinely stuck CRRA — taxpayers, ultimately — with thousands in personal expenses. One of the few CRRA executives to survive the post-Enron purge, he pulls down a six-figure salary as CRRA's recycling chief, a promotion he got the same year he became deputy majority leader. Coincidence?

In his role on the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, this paragon of virtue helps manage the legislature's money-laundering machine. Lawmakers appropriate billions for pork and slush funds, then wait for lobbyists to come around with bundled donations that ensure the incumbents will remember their clients in future appropriations bills. And it's all legal because lawmakers say so.

These guys (and gals) are simply unbelievable.

Tim White

Purveyors of pork

What's happened to my party? I think Bob Novak summed it up over at TownHall.com

"Given the lack of time available," Sen. Mitch McConnell said last week, "the best way to deal with the troop funding issue would be in the context of some kind of settlement on an overall omnibus appropriation bill." Instead of following the president's hardline on spending, the Republican leader of the Senate was opting for a compromise bill that George W. Bush might be forced to sign because it contains money for Iraq.

House Republican Leader John Boehner sounds determined about sticking to President Bush's budget and ending up with a continuing resolution (CR) keeping spending at present levels. McConnell plays his cards closer to his vest than Boehner but seems to favor cutting a deal with the Democrats for a compromise exceeding Bush's limits. A CR would contain no new earmarks, while an omnibus bill would be festooned with earmarks for lavish pork-barrel spending back home -- desired by McConnell among others.

This poses a fateful choice for a troubled Republican Party in danger of national decline. Rank-and-file House Republicans press Boehner to "regain our brand" as the party of fiscal responsibility. But the Senate GOP, led by McConnell, sees a different route to survival. They feel the need to bring home the bacon to constituents, and that means cutting a deal with Majority Leader Harry Reid for an earmark-heavy omnibus bill...

Thankfully there are a few GOP Senators, such as Tom Coburn (R-OK), who remember why they were sent to Washington. One other Republican Senator worth keeping in Washington is described by Novak:

These seasoned purveyors of pork outgun and outnumber GOP reformers such as Sen. Jim DeMint, a first-termer from South Carolina, who told me: "A CR is the only way to keep spending at any sensible level. An omnibus bill would be a defeat for the Republicans. I don't see any reason to cave in on our principles. The Republicans have no discipline when it comes to appropriations." DeMint was careful not to mention McConnell and the other Republican appropriators by name, but there was no doubt whom he was talking about.

I have to wonder if this party will ever come to its senses? Think about it... the "conservatives" here are Boehner and the people who want to stick with Bush's "frugal ways."

I know he's a radical, but at least Ron Paul would challenge these Senators who are neither true Republicans nor true Democrats... they're true Incumbents... in the worst sense of the word.

Tim White

The corrupt culture of government

The Courant's Kevin Rennie continues to tattoo Cheshire's Sen. Tom Gaffey.

As I've already posted here, here and here, Mr. Gaffey should be in some hotwater right now, but it seems as though few in Hartford are interested in protecting the public trust.

Don't believe me that nothing is happening? Even the WRA weighed in today in plain English, explaining the mindset in Hartford:

(Gaffey's) response to getting caught feathering his lover's bed was indignant and instructive:

"Jill is a state employee. ... State employees aren't lobbyists under the legal term of lobbyists." How Clintonian. Her job is to lobby lawmakers, but she is not "a lobbyist" under the Gaffey Gang's definition, so it's all "legal."

"We've got people in the administration who are married to lobbyists. We have legislators who are married to lobbyists. I never thought I had to explain who I'm dating." Sen. Gaffey is a creature of the corrupt culture of government, so it never occurred to him that reasonable people might think his leading the charge to shower his girlfriend's bosses with $950 million might be a conflict of interest requiring his recusal.

But this is the same culture that spawned the likes of Kevin B. Sullivan, who as Senate president pro tempore rewarded Trinity College for giving him a no-show job by funneling hundreds of millions in taxpayers' dollars to the school while his legislative colleagues looked the other way. But it must be said he didn't invent the quid pro quo; he just kicked it up a notch, and Sen. Gaffey has kicked it up another.

Not surprisingly, Democrats agree with the ethics office's assessment of Sen. Gaffey's conduct and relationship with a de facto lobbyist. To disagree would require them to admit the illegality of the multitude of votes they have cast for bills benefiting themselves, their employers, their campaign donors, their friends and relatives, and yes, their lovers.

CSU Chancellor David Carter Sr. and Gov. M. Jodi Rell apparently concur, too. Their silence says all you need to know about their desire to uphold ethics and morality in government.

But this all comes as no surprise. After all, just this year these stalwarts of good government have decided that driving drunk, witnessing a bribe and requesting the mob to "visit" someone are no big deal... oh wait... excuse me... since he resigned, I guess the legislature never really had the opportunity to opine on that one, right?

But on a serious note... do you think it's right that our legislators behave this way?

Remember though, before you just post an anonymous comment here... it's been estimated that only 5-10% of people read blogs... even the big ones like Drudge or HuffPo get only a few million visitors... out of a few hundred million Americans.

So please... let the world know your thoughts. I encourage you to write a LTTE and tell the world if this is appropriate behavior...

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

Tim White

Council agenda 12/11

Here's the agenda for Tuesday's Council meeting:Of most interest to me is this:I'll probably have some suggestions for this, but need to think about this some more.

Tim White
Town Council, 4th District

WPCA considering sewers in ND

One small line excerpted from the WPCA article in this week's Herald:

A sewer line would also cross the Ten Mile River on the site under a proposed Timber Bridge that would service vehicular, as well as pedestrian, traffic. (by Josh Morgan)

My suggestion... don't allow residential on the northwest side of the river. If the project is to proceed, place a conservation easement on that property and either stop or stack the residential (above the retail).

Tim White

Courant calls for Gaffey censure

Yesterday's Courant editorial opens:

Sen. Thomas Gaffey, D-(Cheshire), argues that his affair with a legislative liaison at the Connecticut State University System doesn't violate either the letter or the spirit of the state's ethics laws. Yet the romantic relationship raises troubling questions about Mr. Gaffey's role in a $1 billion bonding package for CSUS approved by the General Assembly this year.

And concludes:

Mr. Gaffey has caused his own judgment to be called into question. His relationship with Ms. Ferraiolo is a conflict of interest and clear grounds for his removal from the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee. His conduct is also grounds for censure by the Senate.

Based on the undisputed facts of the case, I agree with the Courant. Unfortunately for Nutmeggers, legislators seem to believe their chambers are located in Las Vegas... what happens Under the Gold Dome, stays Under the Gold Dome.

Tim White

Open forum 12/08

I didn't get the "Council pack" tonight, so I'm not yet sure what's on Tuesday's agenda. I'll try to post it asap.

Anyone know who was elected BOE Chair last night? I'm assuming it was Steve Mrowka, but haven't heard word one about it... as for PZC, I haven't spoken with any PZC members... but many non-members are saying it will be Sean Strollo.

Is the Everybody's holiday party tonight? I'm thinking that it's probably tonight at 6:30pm... if you haven't been, I highly recommend it. I know I always have fun.

One of my favorite CT Dems, Speaker of the House Jim Amann, is mulling a bid for Governor in 2010.

And if you miss the grand opening of the CT for Ron Paul Headquarters (this Sunday, 6pm, 2404 Whitney Ave Hamden), then look out the window and up into our Nutmeg skies next weekend... you may get a sense of just how big the Ron Paul r3VOLution is...
Beyond Dr. Paul, did anyone see what Huckabee is doing in the Iowa polling? He seems to have some real traction there. Interesting to me is that I thought Romney had a much better week than Huckabee... but the polls tell a very different story... good for him.

Tim White

Getting past petroleum

My dad clipped an article for me a few days ago.

The topic?

Something of which many of you are probably more aware than others: fuel cells.

In particular, the article was about a car that runs on a fuel cell... Honda's new FCX. I think I'd heard of it before, but never much paid attention. After all, while moving from our petroleum-economy to a hydrogen-economy would be a dream come true for me... absent a distribution network, hygrogen still is impractical and probably won't take hold.

Nonetheless, Honda is pressing forward with their plans in L.A. (Because apparently there are five hygrogen fueling stations, so it may be a viable commuter market.)

I commend them. It's a worthy goal.

Tim White

Ron Paul CT HQ grand opening!

The Ron Paul CT Headquarters Grand Opening and Christmas Party is this Sunday night at 6pm! Everyone, including the press, is invited... bring a friend! Btw, being so close to my house is a coincidence... I wasn't the one to set it up. I'm just along for the ride...

Ron Paul HQ
2404 Whitney Ave
Hamden, CT 06518
(203) 651-7508

And here's the Ob-Gyn himself on yesterday's The View

Reviewing Rennie's column

The more I think about it, the more I'm thinking that Tom Gaffey may very well be in some hot water.

At first when I read Kevin Rennie's Courant column, I noticed the salacious details...

In June, Joseph Ferraiolo, married for 18 years, sued his wife for divorce, citing adultery, a pointed claim in an age when the vague "irreconcilable differences" suffices. The couple divorced in October. Their three young children live mostly with their dad under the divorce agreement. A highly unusual paragraph in it precludes the parties and their lawyers from discussing their grievances. It punishes any leaks. Husbands and wives don't usually worry about leaks, but politicians do.

As the summer ended, Gaffey and Ferraiolo were living in a convoluted e-mail world, one that could have been written by Barbara Cartland with some Stephen King creeping in. In August, Ferraiolo oohs and aahs at a Gaffey favor for a mutual friend. He declares, "I move mountains for my friends." In September, brace yourself, she proclaims him a "god." "Alongside every god is a great goddess," reads his modest reply. News from Gaffey that he's had a call from an editor at The New York Times has Ferraiolo repeating in capitals that he is indeed a god. Another exchange finds Zeus offering bon mots in French. Power rarely improves the judgment of those who wield it.

But upon reading it again, I noticed there may be some real concerns because, while...

The state ethics office says that "the Code does not bear on this situation because "the liaison is not a family member" and the senator didn't receive "any benefit" from the bill's passage....

Rennie seems to say that opinion only accounts for money going from government to the Senator. So Rennie continues:

The benefits bestowed by state employees on individual legislators are regulated. Ferraiolo and Gaffey had better start gathering receipts for the state's ethics agency. Shortly after the bill was passed, the Senate Democrats requested an opinion from the Office of State Ethics on Gaffey's role in the legislation, but failed to ask about any benefits he may have derived from his relationship with Ferraiolo.

And that sounds to me as if Rennie is asking if there was money going from Ferriaolo to the Senator? Do you read it that way?

Anyway, if I'm reading this correctly now... while the aforementioned details sound bad, the ethics people said there were no laws broken. But Rennie seems to raise a legitimate question. I wonder where this will go? In the meantime...

Should the Senate investigate Gaffey?
	yes, it goes without saying
	no, there's nothing to see here, move along
	Elizabeth Esty for state Senate!
pollcode.com free polls

Tim White

Progress on cost/benefit analysis?

A few days ago, I posted this:

After the meeting adjourned I had a moment to ask Matt Altieri if he supported my call for a nonpartisan cost/benefit analysis of the rainy day fund. But I wouldn't want to inadvertently mischaracterize anything he said, so I won't discuss our conversation here.

To which a resident called me and said "Tim, you asked Altieri a 'yes-or-no' question: In light of your recent letter, do you support a nonpartisan cost/benefit analysis of the town's rainy day fund? Did he answer yes or no?"

There should be an easy answer to that question, but there's not. Regardless, time will tell who supports this nonpartisan effort.

Personally, I'm still at a loss as to why the Council would prefer to collect $2,000,000 in taxes for the rainy day fund instead of spending $5,500 on bond insurance... when they seem to achieve the same goal... a AAA bond rating for our December '06 bond issuance.

Tim White
Town Council, 4th District

Parties discussing Gaffey

Democrats and Republicans are discussing state
Senator Tom Gaffey and his escapades.

Tim White

NHR on area burglaries

Someone recently mentioned this on the blog, so... here isa New Haven Register article on some recent burglaries in the area.

Gaffey's problems continue

As reported by the MRJs Amanda Falcone:

Citing an opinion by the Office of State Ethics, Democrats say that state Sen. Thomas P. Gaffey's personal relationship with an associate vice chancellor for the Connecticut State University System did not influence a vote in the Senate that benefited the system. Republicans are calling for further investigation and say Gaffey should have disclosed a potential conflict of interest.

In this case, Republicans are right to call for further investigation of Gaffey. The problem is... with the exception of Dave Cappiello (R-Danbury), the Senate GOP was basically silent on the DeLuca scandal. So do they have any credibility?

This is the problem that exists Under the Gold Dome... few people seem to understand... and even fewer people seem express my view that "good government" is more important than ideology or party.

Regardless, if you read the Rennie column, I think you'll agree that this juncture of Sen. Gaffey's love interest and legislation absolutely warrants further investion.

Tim White

Barry Goldwater, Jr. endorses Ron Paul

And while I think fiscal conservatives will appreciate this endorsement, I had some really encouraging news this weekend. As I was canvassing voters in Milford, I realized that most voters have never heard of the Ob-Gyn named Ron Paul. And while that may sound bad, remember... he's raising tens of millions of dollars. So he'll be able to use the power of television to communicate his message by using that money... money that's been collected from passionate small dollar contributors, not well-heeled special interests. And he's going to continue raising money... especially on December 16... the anniversary of theBoston Tea Party.

Organization meeting of the 19th Council

We had the Council organizational meeting tonight. It was fairly straightforward. We start out with the Town Clerk, Carolyn Soltis, asking for a vote for Chairman. Matt Hall and Tim Slocum were both nominated. It was a party line vote with Matt being reelected Chairman. Then Mike Ecke and Jim Sima were nominated for Vice Chair... again a party line vote with Mike being reelected Vice Chair. Congratulations to both Matt and Mike, though... I don't think they were too surprised by their reelection.

Next we voted on "Council rules." We made a few changes and unanimously adopted the rules that were used for the past two years.

Then Matt Hall announced everyone's roles in the Council. And everything turned out as predicted by the MRJ (by Leslie Hutchison)! Finally, we got a quick recap from the Town Attorney on Freedom of Information rules, including when executive session is appropriate.

After the meeting adjourned I had a moment to ask Matt Altieri if he supported my call for a nonpartisan cost/benefit analysis of the rainy day fund. But I wouldn't want to inadvertently mischaracterize anything he said, so I won't discuss our conversation here.

Tim White

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

Problems with biofuels

Today's WRA editorializes that:

The biofuels boom is falling on hard times. And no wonder: For all the environmental and supply problems associated with fossil fuels, biodiesel and ethanol may be worse. And even Congress and the United Nations are taking note.

Congressional leaders are increasingly concerned about the future of agriculture in America's breadbasket, in part because water-intensive biofuels production is threatening to suck dry the Ogallala Aquifer.

Meanwhile, biofuels skepticism emanated forcefully from an altogether unexpected source: a U.N. official. Jean Ziegler, who represents a U.N. agency studying food issues, said he is "gravely concerned that biofuels will bring sudden hunger in their wake."

Moreover, it has been well documented that rain forests in Latin America and Indonesia have been hacked down, put to the torch and plowed under in favor of fuel-producing crops such as sugar cane and palm oil. The damage already done is incalculable, and worrisome from an environmental standpoint.

They're definitely onto something here. But I offer that the main underlying issue that needs to be addressed is land use policy.

Across America, but particularly in CT, land use policy leaves something to be desired. The sprawl and related traffic that Nutmeggers face on a daily basis is much due to sprawl... largely driven by the property tax. And part of Congressman Ron Paul's pro-environment platform is a repeal of federal subsidies that encourage the logging of national forests.

CT and America need to come up with coherent land use policies that will help address these problems with biofuels.

Nonetheless, there is real competition for land. And as I've said here before, this competition between the land for biofuels in the Great Plains and the land for oil drilling in the middle east needs to be addressed. For me personally, my preference is to deal with environmental concerns on American soil, rather than dealing with problems overseas.

Tim White

The traffic impact

The MRJ is reporting that "traffic on Route 10 would increase by more than 3,000 vehicles on Saturday afternoons if the shopping center is built, according to traffic engineers."

Tim White

Open forum 12/1

The Elim Park Christmas Party is today, Dec. 1 from 9am to 3pm (I think).

The town lights the tree on the green on... Sunday?

Maura Esposito resigned from the WPCA. The WPCA is where the unfounded ugliness of Shenanigate started last summer... I wonder if Tim Pelton will be asked to return to the WPCA... he certainly seemed to receive rave reviews from everyone when he was replaced. Regardless, Council appointments are political in nature.

I forgot to mention sooner... I was on the Dan Lovallo radio show this afternoon with Dowd Muska of the Yankee Institute, a generally conservative, CT-based think tank. The topic was... you guessed it... Ron Paul. And on a different Paul note... I got an email from a CT resident yesterday. He told me that he called the state Republican Party and asked who was running the CT for Ron Paul campaign and... they gave him my name. Ha!... actually, what's of most interest to me is the anecdotal nature of this... it's just another example of the influence of The Blogosphere!... cuz I've never spoken with anyone in GOP headquarters about Ron Paul... so I'm sure they associated me through either TWL or CTLP.

Matt Altieri responded to my email from yesterday. He asked me to call him to discuss my call for a nonpartisan cost/benefit analysis of the rainy day fund. So I need to followup on that.

Joe and Marilyn Bartoli are hosting a fundraiser for Dave Cappiello, the first GOPer to announce a run for the CT-5 against Chris Murphy. I say "first" because according to Cool Justice, a former state Rep., Tony Nania, may also be running. I wish them all the best of luck, but as I mentioned recently... incumbents tend to win.

The Council organizational meeting will be on Monday, Dec. 3. And the first regular meeting of the new Council will probably be Tuesday Dec. 11.

And since I haven't mentioned them in a long time... if you're interested in learning more about global energy issues, check out the reports produced by the Washington-based, non-profit Energy Security Leadership Council.

My favorite state Senator, Lou DeLuca, resigned today... finally!

Anyone know who the new PZC Chair will be? If it's EJ, Sean, Woody or Tim Slocum's replacement, the organizational aspect should be straightforward. But if the Chair and Vice Chair were Tali and Mickey... I would think things might get messy... who would be the acting Chair in the absence of a Chair and Vice Chair? Would there be a special vote, in which case the PZC may keep a Dem Chair for the current ND vote?

What else is happening?

Tim White

GOP gloves are off!

WOW.

Fred fired the first shot. He went after Mitt, Huck and also Rudy in this extended version of last night's debate ad. (This version is 2mins, while CNN allowed only 30 seconds of airtime during last night's debate.)He's down in the polls, so I'm not too surprised by this ad. Though I am curious about one thing... my favorite, Ron Paul, and John McCain are both excluded... yet they're both ahead of Fred in various polls in different states... maybe there's more to come?

You'd better hold on to your seats though! With the millions being raised by Rudy and the hundreds of millions in Mitt's bank account... I think this campaign is just beginning.

And I can't help but wonder if people start taking shots at Ron Paul. It could be interesting. What would they say? "He's against the war!" Heck, that's not exactly a skeleton in his closet. And I think he's fairly representative of GOP primary voters on every other issue... so it'd be interesting to see if any of the other candidates try to "let people know more about him."

Tim White

Cost/benefit analysis gaining support?

I'm not sure yet if my call for a cost/benefit analysis gained some support today, but it may have. (And if you missed my earlier posts on calling for a cost/benefit analysis, you can read more here, here and here.)

I feel it may have gained support because of what I read in Matt Altieri's letter in today's Herald. The letter was quite pleasing to see... so much so that I just sent him the following email:
Matt...

I read your letter in today's Herald.

One line in particular jumped out at me...

"Cheshire wins when we leave all that posturing at the door and look at the issues with practical and non-partisan points of view."

I agree. And since my call for a cost-benefit analysis of the rainy day fund is a non-partisan, non-ideological request... will you join me in my call for this cost-benefit analysis?

thanks,
Tim

Anyway... for the benefit of the taxpayers, I'm hoping that we can finally move forward. I mean, it seems to me that spending $5,500 for bond insurance is better than increasing taxes by $2,000,000.

Tim White
Town Council, Budget Committee

Council roles announced

I just got an email from Matt Hall announcing the roles of Council members. I think it becomes official at the Council's organizational meeting next week. And remember, if you're interested... there'll be a ceremony this Sunday in Town Hall in which elected officials take their oaths of office. At least for the Council, that includes swearing to uphold the US Constitution.

Council Subcommittee Assignments:

Budget: Michael Ecke, Elizabeth Esty, Tom Ruocco
Ordinance Review: Elizabeth Esty, Michael Ecke, Tim Slocum
Personnel: Matt Altieri, Laura DeCaprio, Tom Ruocco
Planning: Laura DeCaprio, Matt Altieri, Jim Sima
Solid Waste: Matt Altieri, Laura DeCaprio, Tim White
Audit: Tim White, Michael Ecke, Matt Altieri

Liaison Assignments:

BOE: Jim Sima
PZC: Tim Slocum
IWWC: Tom Ruocco
WPCA: Elizabeth Esty
Historic District Commission: Tim Slocum
Parks & Rec: Matt Altieri
Economic Development: Michael Ecke
Public Building Commission: Matt Altieri
Public Safety: Elizabeth Esty
Housing Authority: Jim Sima
Prison Advisory: Elizabeth Esty
Retirement Board: Tim White
Cable TV Advisory: Laura DeCaprio
Energy: Tim White
Environment: Laura DeCaprio
Performing and Fine Arts: Michael Ecke
Human Services: Tim White
Youth Services: Tom Ruocco

I'm glad to see Tom Ruocco on the Budget Committee. He wanted it. I'm sure he'll do a good job. Thanks Matt!

Tim White
Town Council, 4th District

Political update

Some of you have asked me what the new political landscape will look like next week. I can't say with certainty, but I have idea.

My understanding is that most incumbent Councilmen will be retaining the same positions/roles as each held during the current term (Dec 1, 05 to Nov 30, 07). That is, Matt Hall will remain Council Chair, Ecke Vice Chair... and committee chairmanships/membership will remain largely intact. I'm guessing that Laura DeCaprio will fill the roles held by Diane Visconti (Planning & Solid Waste) and Jimmy Sima and Tim Slocum will presumably take seats on Ord Review (previously Orsini) and Planning (previously Schrumm).

As for me, I spoke with Tom Ruocco and he'd like to be on the Budget Committee, so I hope he's seated on that committee. I figure that I'll be going to all of the meetings on the operating and capital budgets anyway... and if something is of particular interest to me, or if I feel I can really add value... I'll still attend and can always vote via the full Council. Perhaps Tom and I will switch roles with me going on Solid Waste with... Chairman DeCaprio?

And for those of you who are wondering about the rules governing all this... I believe it starts with a vote for Council Chairman... and I'm pretty sure that Matt Hall has five votes for that. Then the Council Chair decides all committee memberships, including Chairmanships... though that's all done with input from Council members, particularly the caucus of the majority.

I imagine Steve Mrowka will remain the BOE Chair, but don't know for sure.

And I'm assuming that PZC will soon have a Republican Chairman. Though due to some odd circumstances, the ND meetings will likely continue with Dem majorities (Flynn Harris, Kardaris, Maye, Coburn, Todisco) and a Republican Chair (chosen from Dawson, Kurtz, Marinaro, Strollo). And be on the lookout for a replacement for Tim Slocum's PZC seat.

Only other political note... look for Elizabeth Esty to vie for the Dem nomination to challenge Al Adinolfi for the 103rd (assuming Al runs). Why do I say "vie?" My guess is that she'll run and that due to public funding, you'll see candidates coming out of the woodwork this year... particularly Dems in the 103rd... which is one of the (if not the) most heavily registered-Dem districts in the state that is held by a Republican.... my money though? I like Elizabeth, but incumbency matters and no one works harder than Al. Look for Al to be reelected, regardless of his opponent.

Signing off for tonight.

Tim White
Town Council, ??? Committee

Public hearing closing

It was quite a meeting last night... when I left my house at 9pm, I was actually wondering if I'd get there in time to speak. ha! anyway... some thoughts...

1) I got there and the first thing I was told was the outgoing PZC Chair Patti Flynn Harris kicked off the meeting with a Freudian slip, commenting "when we approve this..." er, uh... "if we approve this...." ha! Again though, I showed up late so don't know if it's true. Nonetheless, I just had to mention it cuz it was too funny to pass by... seriously though, can anyone confirm if she said that?

2) There's been a lot of discussion about whether this proposal will be the tipping point in moving from a volunteer FD to a paid FD. And that seemed to be refuted, but we should all keep in mind that a paid FD (more precisely, two paid firemen) was on the Council's agenda just over two years ago. It disappeared without much fanfare, but it did get on the agenda once already.

3) I think of most concern to me was the fiscal impact analysis' revenue assumption for building inspection fees:

This concerned me because while the Town Manager presented this revenue of $1.16 million (with offsetting costs of approximately $100k), he didn't mention that in CT, it is basically illegal for towns to "turn a profit" in a municipal building department. In other words, building department revenues cannot exceed building department expenses... or at least that's what the Council has been told for each of the past four years whenever we've discussed the building department fees. And when I asked for clarification... perhaps I missed it, but I didn't hear anything about the law changing. So I'm still wondering... is this "million dollar windfall" for real? Or will the town approve this project, get paid these fees, then get sued by the developer and refund this $1,000,000? I don't know, but I know the Town Manager has testified with some very contradictory information.

I guess I shouldn't be too surprised though... from the continued claims that defined contribution plans don't really work for volunteers to the pool with its 40,000 annual users and $1,400 profit... I think I may need to start directing all my financial questions to our Finance Director, Patti Lynn Ryan.

4) As the clock ticked away and 2am arrived, I finally got a chance to talk. (Btw, while I was annoyed at the late hour... I don't fault PFH. It was a judgement call with good intentions... people were there and she wanted to let us speak. Unfortunately, she couldn't foresee just how long comments would take.) My early morning comments...

a) I drew attention to the flooding problems related to the 129' vs 137' floodplain elevation... including asking the PZC to ensure that no government agencies ask the town to return the $280,000 that passed thru the town on the way to remediating the collapsing aqueduct.

b) I asked if the proposal was energy independent... and keeping in mind that I was pretty groggy at this point... I think the answer was no, though the developer is looking for state and federal funding for some alternative energy projects that may alleviate their drain on the grid. And if I got this right, then this answer was unacceptable... I mean, at what point will we start taking our energy issues seriously?

c) I pointed out that this proposal was sprawl and should be rejected as presented. While there's no need for the residential, if it is included it should be above the retail and the impervious surfaces should be reduced while conservation easements should be placed on much of the land.

Again, it's a late night... so signing off with a thank you to Chiefs Cruess and Casner. I thought Mike and Jack did a really good job in compiling the information and explaining their thoughts.

Tim White

GOP debate tomorrow

The GOP will be having its CNN/YouTube debate tomorrow.

If you're a believer is less government and less war, you may want to listen to Ron Paul.

On a dem note... did anyone see Joe Biden's print ad talking up how it seems that "all the Dem candidates agree with Joe"? Well, Dennis Kucinich hit back hard today:

The Congressman has the utmost respect for Senator Biden and his years of service to the nation. He just happens to be wrong on some very major issues; and, if the other candidates agree with him, then they’re wrong, too... If voters are dissatisfied with the Biden tweedle-dums and tweedle-dees, they should vote for someone who represents their beliefs and their values. Not someone who says, ‘I agree with Joe.’ Dennis doesn’t agree with Joe. Or Hillary. Or Barack. Or John. Or Chris. Or Bill.

And back on the R side... I think things are going to heat up over the next month or two... especially on the free-for-all GOP side where it seems each of the candidates (polling outside the margin of error) is out of step with the likely primary voters on at least one of the party's main issues (abortion, guns, immigration, spending, war, etc.).

Tim White

Public safety hearing

Today, the legislature held a public hearing on the "3 strikes" law proposed by Rep. Al Adinolfi and Sen. Sam Caligiuri. Here's an AP excerpt:

The lone survivor of a deadly home invasion in Cheshire in July urged state lawmakers Tuesday to not get caught up in politics as they try to reform the state's criminal justice system.

In a letter submitted to the legislature's Judiciary Committee, Dr. William Petit said the only legitimate focus should be on public safety...

"Those horrible events not only took the lives of my beautiful and wonderful wife and daughters, but they also exposed some glaring defects in our laws and their inability to adequately ensure our public safety," Dr. Petit wrote. "Every resident of Connecticut deserves to have those glaring deficiencies in our public safety laws corrected full and promptly." (by Susan Haigh)

Tim White

She's in the kitchen now

Actually... before I go to bed... I couldn't resist posting this online "best cookie" contest for Presidential hopefuls. Needless to say, it's an online poll so Ron Paul has 95% of the vote (for his wife's apricot-coconut balls), but... what I find interesting... check out who loves oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.... I thought she had forgone baking cookies? lol.

Tim White

PZC public hearing 11/27

It's 2:15am and I just spoke at, and returned from, the PZC public hearing for the ND. I'm too tired to comment right now, but did you watch it? Any comments? I'll try to post on it tomorrow... and I'll upload the perplexing, if not misleading, fiscal impact analysis.

Tim White

Open forum 11/26

Some more upcoming dates-to-remember:

Monday Nov 26 - PZC closes (I believe) their public hearing on the ND. I have no idea if they're planning on approving the proposed sprawl... I hope not. Regardless, I hope the PZC gets an analysis on the lifecycle cost of this project... not just the next four or five years. Beyond that, I certainly hope that if the PZC is taking a "global view" of this project... they absolutely should require the development to be self-sufficient, in terms of energy needs.

Tuesday Nov 27 - legislature's public hearing on the proposed "3-strikes" law.

Saturday Dec 1 (I think??) - Christmas tree lighting ceremony on the green.

Anything else happening this week?

Tim White
Town Council, 4th District

Open forum 11/24

Elim Park is having their annual Christmas open house on Dec 1... and coincidentally, they're also hiring nurses, if you know anyone who might be interested.

The WRA is comparing the battle over Cheshire's ND to Blue Back Square in West Hartford... and there's even petitions floating around opposing the residential and retail components. For me, I'm still wondering what the residential's secondary impact will be on the town.

Everybodys' annual Christmas giveaway should be coming up soon... two weeks maybe? I know it's usually a Saturday night with doors opening at 6:30pm.

Most of the town's elected officials will be taking their oath of office on Sunday Dec 2 in town hall... it should be open to the public... for anyone who is interested.

A recent NHR article (by Luther Turmelle) provided some really useful information. It mentioned several companies that are now offering electricity to households in a competitive market... finally! It only took ten years! Anyway, with skyhigh electric prices I figured you might be interested. Unfortunately, the article is more than a week old and I can't find a handy link (perhaps because the NHR just changed the website). Nonetheless, I think Luther mentioned both Direct Energy and ConEd as suppliers.

If you're in need of a gift this season, but don't know what to get... you just know you want to spend money in town... the Chamber of Commerce offers gift certificates. I usually buy some myself because you can use them at plenty of places around town.

What else is happening?

Tim White

Debating ideas

Everywhere I turn, I always seem to hear politicians telling me what they think I want to hear. Or sometimes they talk of "process" or offer disingenuous arguments (does President Bush have any credibility when he opposes the SCHIP childrens healthcare because of cost?).

It seems so rare for politicians to be willing to engage in the grand philosophical debate of ideas. But to me, that's what they should be doing... debating the merits of the issues based on their philosophical beliefs.

But for an even better analysis of what I see in Ron Paul, here's an excerpt from his hometown newspaper, The Brazoria County Facts:

Congressman Ron Paul not only has emerged from darkhorse status to player in the race for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, he is doing it with a campaign method that is out of the dark ages. He’s saying what he truly believes. Off the cuff. Straight off the top of his head.

Watching Paul during a debate or interview is refreshing for voters. They appreciate his honesty and the passion with which he presents his case.

...we should relish the forthrightness of Paul, who is doing more than making the presidential race interesting. His unconventional campaign shows that someone with genuine, heartfelt ideas can have a voice among the tap-dancing, polished politicians. Americans have heard Paul’s message and responded. Is it too much to hope the other presidential hopefuls will hear Americans’ message about what we want from our candidates?

This, not this, is very much why I like Ron Paul. I believe he wants the debate. He wants to discuss ideas... the big ideas... candidly and vigorously.

And on a local note, that's one reason why I'll miss my 3rd district counterpart across the aisle... Diane Visconti was usually quite willing to engage in a philosophical debate... and for me, that always made Council meetings more interesting.

Tim White

Oil by the numbers

I'm pretty busy today, but since war and oil are always on my mind... I thought I'd repost part of a piece from Sept 2006...

With news of a "huge" oil reserve (AP, by Brad Foss) found in the Gulf of Mexico, it begs the question “What does 'huge' mean?”

To understand, here are some US oil numbers:

Barrels of oil
Barrels consumed per day: 20,000,000
Barrels consumed per year: 7,300,000,000
Est. barrels in the new Gulf reserve: 3billion - 15billion
Est. time to consume the new Gulf reserve: 5 months to 2 years
Est. time to consume the ANWR reserves: 6 months

Gallons of gasoline (in terms of barrels of oil)
Gallons of oil per barrel of oil: 42
Refined gallons of gas per barrel of oil: 19-20

Approximate annual US gas consumption: 140 billion gallons (7.3B barrels x 20gal)

Average American household consumption (The following numbers are rounded. Their purpose is to show reasonableness.)
Est. number of households in the US: 140,000,000
Gallons of gas consumed per US household per yr: 1,000
Gallons of gas consumed per US household per day: 3

Reserve size
Est. US oil reserves: 29 billion barrels (29 / 7.3 = 4 years supply)
Est. Saudi oil reserves: 250 billion barrels (34 years supply… if only the US, but that’s not the case.)

So it is fair to say that the Gulf reserve increases America's oil reserve by 50% (from 4 years to 6 years). But when I look at these numbers, I don't see this as a panacea. Rather, I see this as enabling us to kick the can down the road. At times that may be the best thing to do. However, with America at war, largely because of our dependence on Mideast oil, I feel we must take action now to reduce our dependence.

Can we make it happen? Well, it was once said:

"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out..." - Pres. Kennedy, May 25, 1961, on sending a man to the moon

We can and should do it. And whether or not Washington acts, Connecticut and Cheshire can and should take action.

Tim White
Town Council, 4th District

Wiki's origin of Thanksgiving

1619 Thanksgiving, Berkeley Hundred in Virginia

On December 4, 1619, a group of 38 English settlers arrived at Berkeley Hundred, comprised of about eight thousand acres (32 km²) on the north bank of the James River near Herring Creek in an area then known as Charles Cittie (sic) about 20 miles upstream from Jamestown, where the first permanent settlement of the Colony of Virginia was established on May 14, 1607.

1621 Thanksgiving, The Pilgrims in Massachusetts

The early settlers of Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts were particularly grateful to Squanto, the Native American and former British slave who taught them how to both catch eel and grow corn and also served as their native interpreter. Without Squanto's assistance, the settlers might not have survived in the New World.

The Plymouth settlers (who came to be called "Pilgrims") set apart a holiday immediately after their first harvest in 1621. They held an autumn celebration of food, feasting, and praising God. The Governor of Plymouth invited Grand Sachem Massasoit and the Wampanoag people to join them in the feast. Evidence to support that claim came from diaries of Plymouth. The settlers fed and entertained the Native Americans for three days, at which point some of the Native Americans went into the forest, killed 5 deer, and gave them to the Governor as a gift.

Wikipedia's Thanksgiving

I hope you and your families all have a nice Thanksgiving.

Tim White

IWWC 11/20

Just this evening, I heard the last Inland Wetlands public hearing would be happening tonight... so thankfully I got to the meeting (after stopping by my favorite sushi place next to the Herald for a quick bite).

As you could guess, my main concern was doing what Matt Hall suggested Council members do... he suggested that rather than have the Council act as an intervenor (with regard to the elevation of the aqueduct bypass), acting individually each of the nine Council members address our concerns directly with the IWWC and/or PZC... so I did just that... along with David Schrumm... I voiced my concerns over the flooding in the north end. So hopefully the IWWC will do everything they can, regardless of any beaurocracy that may impede them.

Next I'll need to attend the PZC public hearing. I believe that is scheduled for next Monday, November 26. Besides the flooding issue, I'll need to speak out against the proposed sprawl. Why my suggestion to "stop it or stack it" hasn't gone anywhere really makes me wonder... who's in charge? Well... I guess Republicans are now, though I'm pretty sure that neither Maidelis nor McPhee can vote on this part of the project... and Slocum is probably out too, so Kardaris, Marinaro or Maye will probably be voting.

And I'm still wondering whether this development will be self-sufficient with regard to electricity needs... at least their baseline needs, if not their peaking requirements. Does anyone know? I haven't been able to keep on top of all of this... and this, IMO, is a big question... remember... much of America's electricity is derived from fossil fuels (either natural gas or oil). So if you're concerned about America's dependence on foreign oil, then you should be concerned about this project... because poor planning here will add to that problem, if we don't tackle the issue head on.

Tim White

Barry Goldwater, Jr. & GQ Magazine

What do "AuH2O", Jr. and GQ Magazine have in common?

They both like Ron Paul!

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul today gained a public endorsement from Barry M. Goldwater, Jr.

“America is at a crossroads,” said Mr. Goldwater. “We have begun to stray from our traditions and must get back to what has made us the greatest nation on earth or we will lose much of the freedom we hold dear. Ron Paul stands above all of the other candidates in his commitment to liberty and to America.”

“Leading America is difficult, and I know Ron Paul is the man for the job,” he added.

GQ announced today the honorees for the magazine's twelfth annual Men of the Year issue=:

Ron Paul, presidential candidate - Dark Horse of the Year (no other candidates for POTUS made the list)

Tim White

Falling into Grace

That's the working title for former Governor John Rowland's new book... he mentioned it this morning at the Exchange Club's annual interfaith breakfast. He also spoke of his trials and tribulations in life... I didn't get to stay 'til the end (I had to get to work), but his comments were interesting.

Tim White
Town Council, 4th District

Your (CT-5) vote matters!

Bridgeport’s CT Post ran this article on our Congressman, Chris Murphy. I think it's a nice article, but I think Chris may have gotten one thing wrong. He said "Obviously, I know I am a perpetual target. This seat was held by Republicans for 24 years." Well, that would be true if he's talking about the CT-6, but not the fightin' fifth!

Cheshire and the CT-5 were represented by Democratic Congressman Jim Maloney from 1996-2002 before being defeated by Nancy Johnson after redistricting... I just wanted to point out that CT-5 is one of the most evenly divided “swing” districts in the entire country… and we live in it… so your vote does matter! Heck, I think it was 1998 when Jim Maloney beat Mark Nielsen with a plurality of the vote and the Libertarian candidate getting 1500 votes… making a majority unattainable by either the R or D. So remember... if you live in the CT-5... your vote does matter!

I don't yet know with certainty who will be opposing Murphy. But on the other side of the aisle, there is one declared GOP candidate... Dave Cappiello… a state senator from Danbury... and the Bartolis will be holding a fundraiser for him in the near future... details to come.

Tim White

Defined pension plans: benefit vs. contribution

I was just watching the Council meeting on Channel 14 and want to clarify a statement that was made that was, IMO, misleading (though definitely unintentional).

At Tuesday’s meeting, at least one Council member suggested that a defined benefit plan (DB) made more sense than a defined contribution plan (DC) for the fire department.

Why?

It was stated that DCs don't act as incentives because unlike employees, volunteers cannot benefit from a "matching contribution" as they do not get paid.

But “matching contributions” are largely irrelevant to the discussion of DBs v DCs.

Why?

There’s no difference in funding for the two plans… the only difference is… who takes the risk. The recipient or the taxpayer? For me, I’d prefer to take the risk off the taxpayer… and give the risk (upside or downside) to the recipient.

Here’s an example of how the two plans would work:

The DB guarantees that the recipient receives $220 in twenty years time... and the actuary instructs the town to deposit $100 in the plan today so that the $220 will be available 20 years from now. The DC plan instructs the town to deposit $100 in the plan today and the recipient gets the proceeds (whatever the value) 20 years from now.

Anyway… I didn’t understand why I heard this statement because twice in the past two years, this assertion was made by town staff during budget committee meetings. And both times I challenged the validity of the assertion, yet only a few weeks ago… this same assertion seemed to be made again in the Herald… that a DC isn’t appropriate for the FD because of their inability to take advantage of a matching contribution.

Regardless of the statements that have been made, I hope that all Council members will think more about the taxpayers and begin to ask more probing questions of staff on financial issues. I mean, understanding the difference between DBs and DCs may seem insignificant to some... but why would Council members openly oppose the drafting of a cost/benefit analysis for our ballooning rainy day fund?

I can't help but wonder if the Council's basic oversight function is being performed as well as it should be.

Tim White
Town Council, Budget Committee

Fiscal impact study for Anytown, USA

I know there's a lot of concern about the ND... particularly the residential component and the net tax benefit to the town. But I'm not sure if any bloggers have actually researched similar projects. By research, I mean just a simple google search of key words, such as:

fiscal impact study retail development

or any similar words.

Anyway, I just googled those words and found some interesting info.

Click here to see a University of Wisconsin fiscal impact study for "Anytown USA." They give you some idea of questions that may be relevant to the proposed ND and some worksheets to analyze the financials.

Tim White
Town Council, 4th District

Dems "pile on" Joe Biden

Forget about the story of him plagiarizing the British pol 20 years ago... here's a great commercial where it sounds like all the Dems want to plagiarize Joe!And about Thursday's Dem debate... I didn't see the whole thing, but I thought Biden and Richardson came across best.

Tim White

Open forum 11/15

Congressman Chris Murphy was liveblogging tonight at My Left Nutmeg.

There was a car accident on Rte 70 near I-84 (WRA, by Lauresha Xhihani).

Here is the Herald's take on the firefighters' pension vote (by Josh Morgan).

State Senator Lou DeLuca (R-Woodbury) resigned! Unfortunately, the state Senate basically punted on the whole scandal. No doubt that's because they didn't want to do anything that could hurt their motto: Comity Reigns Supreme Under the Gold Dome - don't hold fellow legislators accountable for their criminal behavior! Term limits, anyone?

And here's an excerpt from a constituent's email I received today: According to the statistics on this website, New Haven County will have 2,536 foreclosures due to subprime lending and as a result of this 166,000 houses in the county will suffer a decrease in homevalue to the tune of $2,494 for each "affected" (by the nearest foreclosures) home. The concern was related to Cheshire's revaluation.

I'll try to do more on the Council meeting this weekend. Until then... what else is happening?

Tim White
Town Council, 4th District