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