Author: Christopher Keating

Oz Griebel, the longtime business executive who is running for governor as an outsider, has picked up the endorsement of one of the longest-serving Republican senators: Tony Guglielmo.

Guglielmo, who has served at the Capitol since the days of then-Gov. Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. in January 1993, is the best-known lawmaker to support Griebel in his relatively new campaign.

“Oz is unquestionably the best qualified and strongest candidate to lead our entire slate of candidates to victory in November, as well as tackle our state’s significant economic challenges come January,” Guglielmo said in a statement. “As the only true outsider in the race, Oz’s experience at the nexus of business and public policy – coupled with his energy, charisma, and ability to build consensus – uniquely position him to take on the ultimate Democratic challenger in November.”

Guglielmo, who operates an insurance company in his hometown of Stafford, will work to help Griebel try to achieve support from the necessary 15 percent of the GOP delegates at the May convention that would enable him to qualify for the August 10 primary.

Multiple candidates are vying for the title of outsider this year.

Democrat Dannel Malloy, the longest-running candidate in the race after spending more than two years and nearly $4 million before losing the August 2006 primary to New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, often reminds reporters and supporters that he has never served at the state Capitol. The Democratic frontrunner – cable television executive Ned Lamont – is running as a business executive, and he has never held elective office outside of his hometown of Greenwich.

On the Republican side, Greenwich resident Tom Foley – like Griebel – has never held public office. In his commercials, Foley touts his outside-Hartford experience and talks about how he intends to change Hartford. Other candidates – like Newington Mayor Jeff Wright and Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton – have never held statewide office. Former U.S. Rep. Larry DeNardis represented the 3rd Congressional District that is centered around New Haven.

Griebel, an attorney and one-time baseball pitcher at Dartmouth College before entering the business world, will be working with Guglielmo to reach the delegates he needs to force a primary. Foley and Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele of Stamford have pledged that they will be in the primary battle throughout the upcoming hot summer.

“Senator Guglielmo is one of Connecticut’s most respected leaders, and I’m honored to have his support,” Griebel said in a statement. “Tony will play a critical role in our efforts to secure delegates and assist in raising the necessary funds to compete.”

State officials are preparing for a potential dust-up Tuesday morning at the State Bond Commission over Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s plans for a new, $70 million public health laboratory in Rocky Hill.

Local Democrats in Rocky Hill say they haven’t had enough time to analyze the state-of-the-art facility, which will allow testing for anthrax and various other bio-hazardous materials. Some are hoping that the five Democratic members of the bond commission will oppose the plan, thus postponing the proposal for the moment.

The new lab, to be built near the state veterans home and Dinosaur State Park, would replace the current one at 10 Clinton Street in Hartford.

While the lack of public scrutiny has been raised as an issue, insiders say that the real problem is over whether union workers will be able to perform all jobs on the work site. With the controversy swirling in the air, the governor’s office sent out 24 pages of background to the bond commission members on the project.

With the weak economy, state officials expect that the laboratory can be built for $12 million less than expected. The lab would be built on 22 acres and have parking for 200 cars.

A letter, dated July 19, 2007, shows that Rocky Hill Town Manager Barbara Gilbert was informed more than two years ago about the details of the state’s plans.

“We are looking forward to our move to Rocky Hill, and we sincerely hope to be good neighbors and welcome members of your community,” state public health administrator Elise Kremer wrote to Gilbert in a one-page letter.

Rell publicly announced 11 days ago that the Bond Commission was expected to approve the lab that will test for viral, fungal, biological, and parasitic diseases, as well as checking for drinking water quality.

The Bond Commission is scheduled to meet at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in the Legislative Office Building.

Rielle Hunter is speaking out in a magazine interview about her affair with former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, saying they are still in love.

http://www.courant.com/news/nation-world/sns-ap-us-edwards-hunter,0,7776257.story

Hartford Courant cartoonist Bob Englehart weighs in on a plan to raise park fees.

http://blogs.courant.com/bob_englehart/2010/03/march-11-2010.html

The state’s mayors are testifying today in favor of a regional sales tax and a regional hotel tax – as part of a long-running battle to obtain more money for the state’s cash-strapped cities and towns. 

New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, who first started working for the city of New Haven 31 years ago, said the municipalities have already been doing everything they can to balance their budgets in tough fiscal times. New Haven, which has a 98.3 percent tax collection rate, has already closed two schools, cut public library hours, and imposed three rounds of layoffs over the past two years in order to avoid property tax increases.

“Our core employers – Yale and Yale-New Haven Hospital  … experienced healthy growth,” DeStefano said, noting that both entities pay millions of dollars to the city. “The road to Connecticut’s economic resurgence goes straight through our central cities. … There can be no economic recovery without vibrant central cities.”

“We have one tool in our tool kit: this property tax,” said DeStefano, who ran for governor in 2006 against incumbent Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell.

DeStefano said that 87 percent of the people who work in Hartford live outside the city, while 70 percent of those working in New Haven live outside the city.

East Hartford Mayor Melody Currey spoke in favor of a regional sales tax, saying she would keep the state’s long-running sales-tax exemptions that currently exist for food and prescription drugs.

“We’ve all had to cut back services,” said Currey, a former Democratic state legislator. “In our communities, we’re doing public safety, public works, and education. That’s all we can afford to do.”

She said that Connecticut has wiggle room on the sales tax because the surrounding states have higher rates. Massachusetts is at 6.25 percent, while Rhode Island’s sales tax is 7 percent. Vermont is at 6 percent, but local jurisdictions can add another percentage point.

“Other states do it. Connecticut is in the minority of states that don’t,” said Gian-Carl Casa, a longtime lobbyist for the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. “The need for revenue diversity is acute. … What you’re hearing from local officials is really a cry for help.”

Some legislators are concerned about pitting one town against another in either making changes in the sales tax or the hotel tax. If one town gets to keep a small percentage of the sales tax, communities like Danbury and Manchester could reap huge windfalls. But the communities right next door would not. As such, the ideas of making changes in the sales and hotel taxes have failed in the past. But they keep coming back as cash-strapped communities try to raise money to balance their budgets.

Some mayors are also pushing for a permanent increase in the conveyance tax on real estate transfers, while the state’s Realtors have been working against such an increase for years.

Rep. Vincent J. Candelora, the ranking House Republican on the finance committee, said he agreed with the concerns of Rep. Pat Widlitz, a Guilford Democrat who raised concerns about pitting towns against each other. 

“One size doesn’t fit all,” DeStefano responded. “East of the River is very different from Fairfield County. … Right now, you’ve got this one choice. … Right now, all we can do is drill property tax payers.”

If he had a choice, DeStefano said he would drop the automobile tax, which provides relatively little revenue and takes up the most time to collect by local tax offices. In some communities, the cars represent about 7 percent of the overall revenue and their collection takes up more than 50 percent of the time of the local tax collectors.

DeStefano noted that Rell twice tried to eliminate the car tax in her annual budget proposal, which was “a good idea,” adding that “some of us didn’t support it because we were afraid we wouldn’t be held harmless.”

“Why exempt the film industry from taxes?” DeStefano asked, referring to the state’s sometimes controversial film policy that has prompted the filming of major motion pictures across the state.

DeStefano disagreed with Rep. J. Brendan Sharkey, a Hamden Democrat who is one of the legislature’s leading voices for property tax reform and regionalization.

“Representative Sharkey, I guess I disagree with some of your premises that these taxes are bad,” DeStefano said. “In New Haven, 70 percent of the people are not homeowners. They’re renters. … I’m lucky. We’re growing jobs in New Haven. Off non-profits. Who knew? … We are going to die if we don’t grow.”

On another issue, lawmakers are debating whether to make permanent the previous increase in the state’s conveyance tax that has been scheduled to expire several times.

Realtor Robert Casey, talking on behalf of 17,000 member Realtors statewide, “This tax is an increase on housing. It was scheduled to terminate after 15 months in 2004.”

On a regular basis, Casey said he talks to people whose homes are under water – meaning the mortgage is higher than the home is worth at the moment.

“The conveyance tax is affecting whether they are able to sell that home,” Casey told legislators.

Sen. Eileen Daily, the longtime co-chair of the finance committee, asked Casey exactly who made a promise to whom over whether the conveyance tax increase would only be temporary.

“That’s not a promise,” Daily said. “I don’t think any promise was ever made to any person. … Perhaps the real problem we have here is it keeps sunsetting.”

The regional hotel tax received mixed response.

“Why is the lodging industry being targetted for extra tax revenue?” asked Chuck Moran, president of the Connecticut Lodging Association and general manager of the Courtyard By Marriott Cromwell. “Adding another level of taxation will be detrimental.”

The problem, he said, is that the state’s marketing and tourism budget has been slashed sharply, which hurts the hotel industry.

Tim Phelan, president of CRMA, the Connecticut Retail Merchants Association, said he favors “leveling the playing field” among Internet retailers and the brick-and-mortar retailers who must compete against them in Connecticut and pay the 6 percent sales tax.

“Our members have been dealing with this issue for an awful long time,” Phelan said in testimony on the “remote sellers” bill.

Top executives from Hartford-based United Technologies Corp. said at a conference in New York City that basically anywhere they operate is less expensive than Connecticut.

The Hartford Courant’s Eric Gershon has the details at http://www.courant.com/business/hc-utc-outside-connecticut-story-0312,0,5273121.story

State Republican leader Christopher Healy said that the comments by the UTC executives should send out a warning signal to the state legislature.

“The record is clear, anti-business legislation has its effects,” Healy said in a statement. “Democrats still don’t understand that businesses and available capital create jobs, but that cannot occur if there are too many mandates and too many taxes.”

Healy also complained that UTC, as well as all other companies with more than 50 employees, would be required under law to provide paid sick days if a bill that was recently approved by the labor committee passes the full General Assembly.

“Democrats are divorced from reality,” said Healy. “Democrats continue to destroy what’s left of our economy through laws that will put everyone on permanent leave.”

Sen. Edith Prague, the legislature’s leading proponent for sick leave, said, “I feel strongly that paid sick time is what we should do for people. I’d like Chris Healy to know about the article in Forbes magazine that clearly documents it’s good for business. I feel bad enough for Pratt and Whitney without him rubbing it in.”

Longtime business executive Oz Griebel, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, said the statements by UTC are a wake-up call.

“For years, we’ve recognized and talked about the anti-business climate in Connecticut,” Griebel said in a statement. “Today’s news from UTC to move more of its operations outside the Nutmeg State provides a new sense of urgency to take decisive action in reducing the cost of doing business here.  We can’t afford to keep maintaining the status quo.  Now more than ever, Connecticut needs a chief executive officer who has experience at the nexus of business and public policy to restore private sector confidence.”

“As a longtime business leader and former CEO of the Metro Hartford Alliance, I worked daily with these very CEOs and entrepreneurs, and understand first-hand how crippling it is to operate in this climate.  As governor, I will call upon my experience as a coach, teacher and executive to bridge the gap between private sector leaders and the legislature.”

A sportsman’s club has pleaded no contest in the tragic death of an 8-year-old boy from Connecticut who shot himself by mistake in 2008 when he could not handle the recoil of an Uzi machine gun in Massachusetts.

Prompted by the death of the boy, the state House of Representatives voted unanimously last year to keep machine guns out of the hands of anyone under the age of 16. The House action came after the state Senate had recently voted 31 to 2 in favor of the bill with two Republicans voting against it.

The new law, which prohibits the transfer of such weapons to children, was in response to the death of Christopher K. Bizilj, an Ashford boy who lost control of a Micro Uzi submachine gun in late October 2008 in Massachusetts and accidentally shot himself in the head.

The third-grader, who was 4 feet 3 and weighed 66 pounds, couldn’t control the high-powered weapon’s recoil. A Massachusetts grand jury later indicted a police chief, the gun club and two Connecticut men in connection with the accident at the machine gun event in Westfield.

Both Republicans and Democrats have described the measure as “common sense” legislation, saying they believe that most citizens would be surprised to learn that it had been legal for minors to fire such a powerful weapon.

Rep. Michael P. Lawlor of East Haven, the co-chairman of the legislature’s judiciary committee, and Rep. Arthur O’Neill of Southbury, the committee’s ranking member, both described the measure at the time as a compromise among those concerned about gun control.

“Handing a machine gun to an 8-year-old is a pretty irresponsible thing to do,” O’Neill told his colleagues last year on the House floor. “There is widespread agreement that this is a reasonable piece of legislation. … These are very dangerous weapons.”

Children who are 14 or 15 years old are not permitted to drive a car, and they should not be permitted to handle machine guns, O’Neill said.

In the accident, the boy was firing at a pumpkin with a 9mm Micro Uzi that can fire at a rate of 1,700 rounds a minute. The boy lost control of the weapon, which he was firing at the Machine Gun Shoot and Firearms Expo, a two-day event for gun enthusiasts at the Westfield Sportsman’s Club.

While gun-control debates normally last many hours in Hartford, the debate was one of the shortest in state history on guns. The debate started at about 10:25 p.m. and ended about 20 minutes later.

Further details are at http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-ap-ashford-boy-shoots-self-uzi-0311,0,836058.story

An employee of the Department of Children and Families has been accused of selling drugs in Farmington.

http://www.courant.com/community/farmington/hc-web-farmington-drugs-0311mar11,0,2088149.story

 

HARTFORD – Michael Ian Sohn, accused of embezzling money while campaign manager for former U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, could be sent to prison for nearly four years under federal guidelines after pleading guilty Thursday.

Sohn, 35, admitted to taking more than $250,000 in campaign contributions that had been made to Shays and converting them to his personal use. He also admitted to evading federal income taxes.

“I made unauthorized withdrawals” with the campaign’s debit card, Sohn admitted Thursday in front of a magistrate in federal court.

Sohn was the most trusted aide in the Shays campaign, and he was always in the thick of the political battle during victories over Westport Democrat Diane Farrell in 2004 and 2006 and during the losing campaign in 2008 to Greenwich Democrat Jim Himes.

With authority to supervise the computer program that tracked campaign expenses, Sohn was deeply involved in the campaign finances – and some money was not discovered missing until years later.

Sohn used the money for car repairs, limousine rides, hotels, furniture, fuel oil, baseball tickets to a game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox in New York, and a charitable donation to a Fairfield synagogue where he attended. He failed to report $527,000 in taxable income from 2005 through 2008, which included the campaign contributions that he converted for personal use. He also failed to report wages that he received as the campaign manager, as well as a federal employee. As such, Sohn owes more than $95,000, plus penalties and interest, to the Internal Revenue Service as restitution on the tax evasion charge.

He pleaded guilty to two of 12 counts of a federal grand jury indictment that was handed up in December. In return for his plea, the other 10 counts will be dropped by the government.

The guilty plea Thursday was a long way from the election night victories that Sohn had celebrated with Shays. No one from the Shays campaign or Sohn’s family was present in a small courtroom in the federal courthouse in Hartford.

Many longtime supporters of Shays were absolutely flabbergasted when word first surfaced that Sohn was being investigated by the FBI for embezzlement of campaign funds.

House Republican leader Larry Cafero of Norwalk, who closely followed the Shays elections for years, recalls attending a fundraiser and getting an advance viewing of a Shays commercial from Sohn. Cafero said it was “unbelievable” that Sohn could have been involved in embezzlement because he came across as a hard-working, hard-core, completely loyal Shays supporter.

“He fooled a lot of people,” Cafero said. “If you had 1,000 people in a room … he’d probably be the last guy you would pick. You could have knocked me over with a feather.”

Sohn will be sentenced May 27 in Hartford in front of Judge Robert N. Chatigny, who is facing confirmation for a prestigious seat on the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York City. Sohn declined to comment to Capitol Watch upon leaving the courtroom with his defense attorney, Harold James Pickerstein.

(In photo: Michael Sohn, left, leaves federal court in Hartford Thursday afternoon with his attorney, Harold James Pickerstein, right. Rick Hartford/Hartford Courant)

U.S. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd and Rep. Rosa DeLauro are hailing the state legislature’s labor committee for voting, 6 – 4, in favor of paid sick days for companies with more than 50 employees.

The bill has been highly controversial at the state Capitol as no other state in the nation has passed such a law. Three cities – San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Milwaukee – have adopted similar laws.

On the federal level, Dodd and DeLauro have co-authored a similar bill on paid sick leave.

“Connecticut was the first state in the nation to see a bill like this pass one of our legislative chambers, and with today’s vote we are now one step closer to seeing it become law,” Dodd said in a statement. “No one should have to choose between their job and their health or that of their family.  And thanks to the leadership of people like Edith Prague, Rosa, and my late friend Ted Kennedy, they hopefully won’t have to make that unfair choice for much longer.”

DeLauro described the labor committee’s vote Tuesday as “another step forward in the fight to ensure that every American worker has the right to take time off to deal with their own medical needs, or those of their families,”

DeLauro added, “Almost half of all private sector workers, 57 million, do not have a single paid sick day. These workers put their jobs on the line every time they take a day off. It is a simple matter of right and wrong to ensure that paid sick days legislation is passed at the national level as well.”

The Connecticut Business & Industry Association, known as CBIA, has lobbied hard against the bill, which has failed in the past. The bill passed following a marathon, nine-hour debate in the state House of Representatives last year, but it failed in the Senate without a vote after the lawmakers were deadlocked, 18 to 18.

Hartford Courant cartoonist Bob Englehart weighs in on Connecticut probate judges.

http://blogs.courant.com/bob_englehart/2010/03/march-10-2010.html

 

Dannel Malloy officially announced he is running for governor Wednesday – 13 months after starting to explore the race.

Malloy is the longest running candidate in the race, having spent more than two years and nearly $4 million before losing in the Democratic primary in 2006. None of the other candidates has returned four years later as Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell, New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, and Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz have all declined to run for the state’s top political post.

After filing papers in Hartford, Malloy walked outside into the bright sunshine and received a warm welcome from more than 100 supporters, including current and former Democratic state legislators.

“We are a great state with great people, who for many years has suffered,” Malloy told the crowd, adding that the state has not had great leadership in recent years.

“In so many ways, being the governor of the state of Connecticut is a little bit like being the mayor of a major United States city,” Malloy said, referring to his 14 years as mayor in his hometown of Stamford.

“It’s time that we have that kind of leadership in that building over there,” Malloy said from the steps of 20 Trinity Street as he pointed to the state Capitol. “The people of Connecticut are ready for change, expecting change. Quite frankly, they’re demanding change, and we’re going to give it to them.”

He wrapped up his remarks to the crowd by saying, “Just remember. When we win, we change Connecticut forever. God bless you all.”

Malloy is currently in second place in the latest Quinnipiac University poll behind Greenwich cable television entrepreneur Ned Lamont with 44 percent of the Democrats still undecided. Lamont and Malloy were both on the ballot in the August 2006 primary – with Lamont defeating U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman by 52 percent to 48 percent and Malloy losing to DeStefano by 50.78 percent to 49.22 percent.

Lamont spent about $17 million of his own money in the primary and general election in 2006, and he is expected to spend millions again as he avoids public financing.

Malloy has been raising money for the past 13 months, showing how difficult it is to raise money under the state’s new campaign finance law. Not a single candidate, including Malloy, has qualified for public financing yet.

Malloy told reporters that he did not know how much his campaign had raised, but the treasurer, Len Miller, filled in the details.

Miller said the candidate has raised about $100,000 in qualified contributions of $100 or less. Now that he is an official candidate, Malloy can go back to about 1,700 contributors who have given between $101 and $375 to his exploratory campaign. If all 1,700 contributors gave the maximum of $100 for the official committee, Malloy would qualify for public financing.

Overall, Malloy has raised about $450,000 so far from about 3,000 contributors, Miller said.

“We have a lot of work to do,” Miller told reporters following Malloy’s announcement. “I’m cautiously optimistic we can get there.”

Malloy himself told reporters that he will offer “a wealth of ideas, a wealth of experience” to go up against the big-money players from Greenwich – Lamont and former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Tom Foley, who is a close friend of former President George W. Bush.

“We will qualify [for public financing], and we’ll have enough money to get our message out,” Malloy said. “We’re going to have more than enough money to get our ideas across.”

When an expected “millionaires’ penalty” is factored in because Lamont is expected to spend millions, Malloy’s campaign expects to have $2.5 million for the primary in August. The campaign, though, cannot obtain any public financing until after the Democratic convention on May 22.

“I welcome Dan to the race,” Lamont said in a statement. “Connecticut is facing significant challenges, and I look forward to a serious discussion of the best way to bring jobs back our towns and cities and get our state back on track.”

Besides Lamont, Malloy is running against Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman, Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi and former state Rep. Juan Figueroa of Meriden. The winner of the August 10 Democratic primary will run against one of the multiple candidates in the GOP field.

Besides Foley, the Republican contest includes Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele from Malloy’s hometown of Stamford, longtime business executive Oz Griebel of Simsbury, former U.S. Rep. Larry DeNardis of Hamden, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, Newington Mayor Jeff Wright, and Chester First Selectman Thomas E. Marsh.

Former state Rep. William R. Dyson, a New Haven Democrat who supports Malloy, said it is highly difficult for anyone to raise money in small contributions that totals $250,000. He said that House members and Senators were focused on crafting the bill for legislators, adding that he was not sure that anyone was focused enough on how the system would work at the gubernatorial level. Others who were in the room at the time have said the same thing.

“I’m not sure anybody took the time to look at it,” Dyson said near the steps where Malloy made his announcement.

Dyson, who supported Malloy in the 2006 race against his hometown mayor, said he is supporting Malloy because of his experience.

“I think he’s a winner,” Dyson said, adding, “He’s a decent candidate. He’s a regular Joe Blow.”

Besides Dyson, Malloy was joined by a series of current and former lawmakers, including Senators Andrew McDonald of Stamford, Donald DeFronzo of New Britain, and Gary LeBeau of East Hartford, who recently dropped his own race for governor. Other supporters there Wednesday were Representatives Timothy O’Brien of New Britain, David McCluskey of West Hartford, Deborah Heinrich of Madison, Betsy Ritter of Waterford and Joe Aresimowicz of Berlin.

In order to balance the budget and obtain ideas on improving state government, Malloy said he would talk respectfully with the union leaders who represent “those great state employees, who I embrace and love so much.”

Malloy declined to provide details of his grand vision of where he would lead the state if elected governor in November.

When asked which taxes he would raise if the state’s deficits continue to worsen, he responded, “There will be more than enough time to talk about what we will do.”

He said, however, that he would closely examine the “tax expenditures” – an aspect of the state budget that is relatively unknown to the general public. The state, for example, does not charge sales tax on food and prescription drugs. If those items were taxed, the state would collect millions of dollars each year in sales taxes. Some lawmakers have studied the numbers, but the list of tax expenditures has remained essentially the same as it has been for many years – despite the state’s worst economic downturn in decades.

Malloy, though, says the legislature should vote on the tax expenditures on a regular basis so that lawmakers are on record on which tax breaks they support.

“If I am lucky enough to be governor, I promise you that’s what we will be doing,” Malloy said.

(Photo by Shelly Sindland / FOX CT) 

Hartford Courant columnist Rick Green filed the following dispatch from the announcement:

http://blogs.courant.com/rick_green/2010/03/malloys-fantastic-journey-to-t.html

Fifteen moderate Democrats are calling for a resolution of the state budget dilemma, and Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell is pledging to work with them.

Led by Sen. Bob Duff of Norwalk, the group sent a letter to House Speaker Christopher Donovan and Senate President Pro Tem Donald Williams to say that they cannot support more borrowing to solve the state’s problems.

The four Senate Democratic moderates – Duff, Joan Hartley of Waterbury, Paul Doyle of Wethersfield, and Gayle Slossberg of Milford – all opposed raising the state income tax for couples earning $250,000 each. The number was eventually pushed up to $1 million per couple.

The letter states that the group has a two-fold purpose.

“First, we respectfully request that the legislative leadership and governor’s office go to work right away on a resolution to this year’s shortfall,” the letter says. “As you know, the governor recently unveiled her latest deficit mitigation package. While not perfect, it is a place to begin a dialogue.  While no solution is easy or without pain, we all have a responsibility to the taxpayers of this state to get our fiscal house in order. The scope and proportions of our economic crisis demand urgent and coordinated action by both the legislature and the governor.”

The letter continues: “Second, and more importantly, we cannot support any further efforts to borrow our way out of the situation. On a per capita basis, Connecticut is one of the most indebted states in the nation and to continue to travel down that path is irresponsible and makes no long-term sense. Additional debt is not the answer. The only way we can responsibly address the current deficit is to immediately reduce spending.

“We can no longer wait or hope for a miracle on Capitol Avenue. Times are tough. We stand, ready, willing and able to assist and provide the support for closing our deficits in a responsible way. There is no time to waste.”

Rell immediately embraced the request, saying, “This letter from Connecticut’s moderate Democrats to their own leadership is commendable and should be refreshing to state taxpayers. I pledge to work with them immediately to get our budget problems solved.  I wholeheartedly agree that this deficit must be eliminated now and that borrowing more money – essentially putting the bill on the state’s credit card for the next generation to pay off – is not the answer.”

While the group is calling itself the moderate Democrats, there are clearly others in the legislature who would fit the “moderate” label who did not sign the letter.

Derek Slap, a spokesman for Senate President Pro Tem Donald Williams, said, “The letter articulates what Senator Williams has been saying publicly and privately to caucus members for months – the General Assembly must pass a mitigation plan that closes the deficit and it should be done as soon as possible.”

Rep. Linda Schofield of Simsbury was the first House Democrat on the list, which also includes Steve Mikutel, Terry Backer, Corky Mazurek, Tom Reynolds, Kim Fawcett, Tom Drew, Elizabeth Esty, Ted Moukawsher, Chris Wright, and Chris Perone.

“We aren’t crazy about the level of borrowing,” Donovan told Capitol Watch on Tuesday night. “That was more the governor’s proposal than ours. The governor would rather borrow than stop the tax breaks for wealthy estates. That’s about $78 million. A new tax break for wealthy estates.”

“The letter is a little contradictory,” Donovan said. “It says let’s not do borrowing, but the governor’s proposal has borrowing in it.”

While Donovan did not characterize the group, he said it was 11 out of 114 members. “We  have a lot of members. People are concerned about a lot of proposals. … The letter is vague. It talked about working together, which I support.”

In discussing the budget Donovan brought up Rell’s idea to remove public notices from newspapers and place them on the Internet. The idea would save money for cities and towns, rather than the state. The state’s newspapers have strongly opposed the idea, saying that some citizens do not have access to the Internet and have always seen the notices published in their local newspaper.

“Right now, it’s not our proposal. It’s the governor’s proposal,” Donovan said. “It’s on the table. … The cities and towns have mentioned that they would save money.”

Referring to the advertisements that say BAD IDEA in capital letters, Donovan said, “It’s like the biggest print I’ve ever seen.”

When people come into his office with an idea that he disagrees with, Donovan says he holds up the newspaper to show them that it is a BAD IDEA.

Now that the clash between White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and U.S. Rep. Eric Massa has gone public, a remarkable video on YouTube is even more interesting.

It captures Massa’s unsuccessful race for the U.S. House in 2006 and shows him talking with Emanuel in scenes that are not often captured on film.

“I don’t want you tonight on TV to be angry,” Emanuel tells Massa in a private conversation at the start of a campaign event in upstate New York as the cameras rolled. “OK? Just take it down a notch.”

The video then shows Massa traveling in his car, saying that Emanuel “thinks I’m too fiery.”

“Obviously, Congressman Emanuel is not a veteran,” Massa said. At the time, Emanuel was the powerful chairman of the DCCC, which raises money nationally for Congressional candidates.

After Emanuel tells Massa to be more pleasant, Massa says later on camera that “He’s a pretty serious guy. I’ve never seen him smile in all the times I’ve seen him on TV.”

http://pourmecoffee.posterous.com/bad-blood-rahm-tells-massa-to-chill-in-2006

U.S. Rep. Eric Massa, a controversial first-term New York Democrat, is telling his side of the story after resigning and deciding not to seek re-election in November.

One of his stories includes a clash with fellow Democrat Rahm Emanuel, the powerful White House chief of staff and top adviser to President Barack Obama. His story is going national as Massa has scheduled appearances on major TV networks with Glenn Beck on Fox News and Larry King on CNN.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/03/08/massa-accuses-democrats-pushing-pass-health-care/?test=latestnews

U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, one of the most powerful leaders in Congress, is blowing off Massa at http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/03/hoyer-blasts-massa-health-care.html?hpid=topnews

Almost a decade ago, Michael Mehigen was the one to see as Rentschler Field rose from the ground in East Hartford.

Wearing a hard hat, Mehigen gave tours to reporters and others in 2001 as the property was transformed from a simple, flat, empty area off Silver Lane to a state-of-the-art college football stadium. Back in those early days in the winter of 2001, the site was nothing but a deep hole in the ground with tons of dirt being moved around.

Java has the details of his retirement party at Rentschler Field, which included former Gov. John G. Rowland, at http://www.courant.com/entertainment/celebrity/java/hc-nujavarent0309.artmar09,0,3562189.column

The chairman of the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee has died following a single-car accident on the Post Road in the Riverside section of Greenwich.

David Roberson, 42, had been returning Monday night from a meeting of the Representative Town Meeting, a large body of 230 elected citizens who set policy in Greenwich. A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Roberson was well known among politicians in town.

The Greenwich Time has details at http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Town-DTC-chairman-David-Roberson-killed-in-car-397920.php

Longtime Greenwich resident Ned Lamont, who is running for governor, said, “Dave Roberson was a friend, a colleague and a tireless worker.  He was a joyous and loyal person who was intensely committed to his ideals and the causes he believed in.  My thoughts and prayers go out to Dave’s mother, Charlene, and the rest of his family.”    

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, a Greenwich Democrat who is running for the U.S. Senate, said, “David Roberson demonstrated extraordinary dedication and courage as a public servant and political leader, and I will deeply miss his leadership as well as his friendship. He could always be trusted for vision and energy, as well as judgment and devotion to integrity and the public interest. I am heartbroken by his untimely and tragic passing.”

Gov. M. Jodi Rell has a new plan for the cash-strapped University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington.

The legislature has bailed out the health center with end-of-the-fiscal-year infusions of cash four times since 2000.

For years, UConn has been trying to build a replacement hospital for the John Dempsey Hospital.

http://www.courant.com/health/hc-uconn-health-center-0309,0,6776768.story

A New York sports cable television channel says that University of Connecticut men’s basketball coach Jim Calhoun might retire at season’s end.

The Hartford Courant’s UConn basketball writer Mike Anthony has the details at http://blogs.courant.com/uconn_mens_basketball/2010/03/snytv-calhoun-to-retire-son-de.html

An update is at http://blogs.courant.com/uconn_mens_basketball/2010/03/speculation-on-jim-calhouns-re.html

The game story and Calhoun’s denial of the television report is at http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-men/hc-uconn-men-st-johns-game,0,832824.story

The legislature’s labor committee is expected to vote at 2 p.m. today on the highly controversial issue of paid sick days.

Advocates on both sides have been lobbying legislators since the session began on an issue that failed to get a vote last year in the state Senate because the lawmakers were deadlocked at 18 to 18.

The bill passed in the state House of Representatives after a marathon, nine-hour debate last year, and advocates vowed to bring it back again this year.

Sen. Edith Prague, an outspoken Democrat who strongly favors the bill, told Capitol Watch that she does not know if the bill can pass in the Senate this year.

“I don’t know,” Prague said. “We haven’t had a caucus on it. Every day, people change their minds. CBIA is running around all over the place.”

She was referring to the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, which lobbied successfully against the bill last year and is back again this year.

The labor committee had expected to vote last week, but not all of the members were present when the meeting started – and Prague said candidly that she was not sure whether she had the votes to pass the bill. As such, the vote was delayed until today.

UPDATE: The committee vote was tied at 4 to 4 when the meeting went into recess Tuesday, but the vote was being held open until 4 p.m. – meaning those who were not at the meeting could arrive later and vote.

But then Rep. Barbara Lambert of Milford and Sen. Edwin A. Gomes of Bridgeport both voted in favor of the measure, making the final count 6 to 4.

Kia Murrell, an attorney who lobbies for CBIA on labor issues, said the vote is too close in the Senate to make any predictions.