Board of Finance member Tim Abbazia dropped out of the mayoral race Thursday, conceding the Democratic nomination to city Rep. David Martin and leaving him to face off against Republican candidate Michael Pavia. (Morganteen)

The mayor’s chair is an open seat this year for the first time in many, many years as longtime Mayor Dan Malloy is stepping down to focus on a run for governor. Malloy narrowly won re-election as mayor during his last gubernatorial campaign in 2005. This is a seat that both parties believe they can win.

Another interesting tidbit in this story is the incredible amounts of money being raised for this race. Pavia, according to his treasurer, has raised $142,298. Martin had about $70,000 back in April.

Source
Morganteen, Jeff. “Abbazia ends bid for city hall, averts Democratic primary.” Stamford Advocate 3 July, 2009.

The active pen here being Jodi Rell’s veto pen. In addition to the high-profile veto of the state’s budget this week, the Governor also issued seven additional vetoes today alone. According to the Courant the bills included, “one that would have required chain restaurants to post calorie counts for their regular menu items, and another that would have, as Rell put it, ‘created yet another commission to deal with environmental issues in the Long Island Sound.’”

All the vetoes have been decried by state Democrats, but I find the one about the calorie counts particularly silly. When I spent some time in New York City earlier in the summer, I found the ubiquitous calorie information as effective as it was unobtrusive. In addition, as establishments are already required to have nutrition information on hand, the argument of costs during a recession don’t hold a ton of water either.

None of these bills seem like issues that state Democrats will be willing to go to war over, let alone issues that will come to overshadow the budget battle. Instead, I think, the vetoes belie and continue to undermine the painstakingly crafted image of Governor Rell as  non-partisan, pragmatic politician. While the costs of the calorie bill may have been minor, it had a great potential to provide consumers with valuable information. Suggesting that such a bill represents a cost to “individual freedom,” as the Governor did, rings more than a bit tinny.

Several new laws went into effect yesterday.

The governor did veto the Democrats’ budget. Talks are said to be ongoing. The new fiscal year means that the governor is basically funding departments by executive order, meaning that some programs aren’t getting funding.

Richard Blumenthal says that the state can’t sue the Diocese of Bridgeport for being an unregistered lobbyist unless state ethics laws are clarified.

Lastly, there’s a press conference scheduled today in Enfield to demonstrate support for a federal grant that may make Enfield’s old Lego factory a manufacturing site for lithium/ion batteries for all-electric cars. The plant, if it happens, could mean 600 jobs in Enfield.

Today he was smote with what must have been a powerful epiphany, realizing, “if we create a public option, the public is going to end up paying for it.” As an advocate for the public option, I would argue that the public is already paying for it, and 2006 Lieberman clearly tended to agree with me. During a debate with Lamont, Lieberman invoked a “MediChoice” program that he first suggested during the 2004 Presidential campaign:

My plan will also enable all Americans who don’t have access to affordable, conventional health insurance to buy into new MediChoice health insurance pools, modeled on the health care program for federal employees. The MediChoice pools will be open to all workers who currently fall through insurance cracks. This includes self-employed, part-time, seasonal and temporary workers. It also will give stay-at-home moms, early retirees over 55 and workers in small companies with less than 50 employees access to affordable health benefits.

At this point however, a story on Joe Lieberman reversing a 2006 campaign promise has long since entered dog-bites-man territory. I’m much more interested in why Joe Lieberman chose this issue to reinflame passions within the base after several months of residence in the background of a relatively unified Democratic bloc. Since the inauguration, Lieberman has been primarily either mum or complimentary on Obama initiatives — going so far as to say he is “off to a very good start” in mid-March. During this period, Lieberman’s approval ratings have improved from a 38%/54% split in December to a 46%/44% in the latest May Quinnipiac poll.

I find it very difficult to wrap my head around both why this change in strategy was made and why it was made so vocally. With the public option polling so well currently and with a fairly comprehensive paper trail depicting Lieberman’s support of public health care in one capacity or another over the years, I can’t help but be dumbstruck by it. We’ve heard comparatively little from the Senator on Obama’s policies on Israeli settlements, and even less on the Iraq sovereignty transition going on–all issues Lieberman has been famous on in the past. Anyone care to help elucidate on Lieberman’s new front against his constitutents?

She started by explaining why she was exploring a possible candidacy for governor. First – Young people are leaving the state and fifty percent of those who attend college out of state, never return to Connecticut to live; Second – Last year, the state lost 40 thousand jobs. Unemployment is around 8% statewide but it is greater than 10% in Windham County. Third – A record number of businesses have failed in the past year. From 1950 to 1990, Connecticut lead the nation in job creation. Since 1991 the state has sunk to nearly last in the nation for job creation. There hasn’t been a democratic governor since 1991.

According to Bysiewicz, Connecticut needs a leader in green technology and renewable energy; a leader in Health and life sciences. Connecticut needs a comprehensive transportation plan that will improve rail transportation and make CT ports deep water ports for receipt of foreign shipments. She would focus on small business because 90% of the jobs are created by small business. Connecticut’s small businesses need affordable health care and affordable utility costs.

Last year, as Secretary of the State (SOTS), Ms. Bysiewicz delivered a health care bill that would permit small business, municipalities, and non profits to join the state worker’s health plan. Governor Rell vetoed such a plan. IT is coming back for signature this year (along with a second health care bill. Small business will suffer in CT if it is not signed this year.

Utility deregulation passed in the ninties has not worked and CT pays some of the highest utility rates in the Nation. Ms. Bysiewicz urges that utility pools be established that permit smalll business to obtain less expensive electricity by negotiating a rate with the supplier is a group. The high cost of utilities must be reduced.

When looking for a governor, we should consider the following- 1)Does the candidate have a plan for the future; 2) Does the candidate plan to meet personally with her cabinet officials to set goals and to insure that the targeted goals are being met. The Office of the Secretary of the State has a business plan and works to follow the plan. 3) We should want a hands on governor who sweats the details. This will avoid such debacles such as the New Haven train station and the route 84 cost overruns as well as other state wide oversights. Bysewicz would be a governor in the pattern of Ella Grasso. Bysiewicz states she will be a govenor with a work ethic, not one that only puts in 31 hours per week like the current incumbent. 4) There should be ethics and transparancy in government. As governor, Bysiewicz will ask the legislature to pass limits for size and compleixty of gifts to state employees.

In conclusion, Bysiewicz touted that she was the only CEO in the race. As SOTS, she is in charge of the equivilant of a $250 million company. She knows how to be fiscally responsible and will lead the state to do more with less. Finally, the Democrats need to win and she is the only candidate who has won a state wide primary and got 19 thousand more votes than Governor Rell in the 2006 election.

The following is a summary of the Q&A session:
Q-How do you feel about the an employee incentive program?
A- Supported such a program while in the State Legislature. We need to get state employees to work as efficiently as possible. Governor Rell opposed performance based budgeting. Tax loopholes for business should be closed just like they are in New York and Massachusetts.

Q- What would you do to resolve the current budget standoff?
A- She would follow the lead of Governors Ella Grasso and Lowell Weiker who brought leaders in from both sides of the aisle and basically said no one was leaving the room until the impass was resolved. The legislature should have focused on the budget first. The governor should have been meeting with the principle leaders prior to February Both side of the legislature and State Commissioners should all be a part of the solution. The Governor should be engaged.

Q – How resolve the small business health care issue?
A- There are two bills on the Governor’s desk, all she has to do is sign them.

Q- How keep college graduates from moving away?
A- Problem is lack of jobs and poor quality of life for young persons. Connecticut cities need to be vibriant Need to attract new businesses to CT. Young people will stay. The state should adobt “Smart Growth” principles.

Q – How solve the I95 problems?
A- Transportation should be shifted to trains. Shore Line East should stretch from the Border with Westerly all the way to New Haven. We should be able to get from Westerly to New York by train along the shore.

Interestingly enough, some members of the Waterford DTC heard from two exploring candidates last night. The Democratic Party’s other intrepid explorer, Mayor Dan Malloy, was also in Waterford attending a fundraiser at a private home. The fundraiser was scheduled just before the Town Committee Meeting so it was possible to attend both events. Malloy delivered his stump speach that was reviewed on this site when he visited the WDTC in late April.

One of the unanswered questions last night was “When will the explorers complete their exploration?” Neither explorer would be specific but indications are that the “exploring” will end after the November 2009 Municiple elections. Time will tell if that is the case.

Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman told the New Haven Independent that he is a “no” on health care reform initiatives that include a government-sponsored option as part of the package:

“If we create a public option, the public is going to end up paying for it,” Lieberman said following an hour-long confab with public-health experts at the Ashmun Street community center of the Monterey Homes public housing complex. “That’s a cost we can’t take on.”

The article goes on to reveal that Sen. Lieberman has been working with a bipartisan group of Senators over the past several weeks to hammer out a deal on health care reform.  Lieberman says that there is no common ground to be found regarding the “public option”.

“We’re not going to get the votes to pass the overall bill if [the public option] becomes a condition of it,” Lieberman claimed.

Though it has been Sen. Chris Dodd who has received all the attention in the health care debate, Lieberman’s efforts to broker a deal may well be more important to than those of Mr. Dodd.

Chris Dodd remains very weak in this deeply blue state that went 61% for Obama in 2008, allowing Peter Schiff to split the vote on the ballot inside the margin of error.
o Voters were asked: “If the general election for US Senate were held today, for whom would you vote if the candidates were (Choices Rotated)…”
Peter Schiff 38%
Chris Dodd 42%
Undecided/Ref 20%
 
Rob Simmons, who has been running for nearly six months, does not have a lock on the race against Dodd even though Simmons has likely benefited directly from any anti-Dodd sentiment and maintains higher name recognition than Peter Schiff.
o Voters were asked: “If the general election for US Senate were held today, for whom would you vote if the candidates were (Choices Rotated)…”
Rob Simmons 47%
Chris Dodd 38%
Undecided/Ref 15%

Interesting that Schiff would take a whack at Simmons in these results for not doing better–even though Simmons is leading Dodd by 9%.

Those of you who have been following along will note the similarity in numbers to last month’s Q-poll, where Simmons led Dodd 45-39, and Dodd led Caligiuri 41-39. If these numbers are anywhere near accurate, then Dodd’s recovery may have stalled out, despite some more favorable press of late. The poll was done after the ad Ted Kennedy did for Dodd came out.

It’s also interesting that Schiff is releasing these numbers. I can’t think that this is anything but a precursor to a run.

Not released or not surveyed: a head-to-head against Simmons.

He looks forward to writing for CTLP and hopes the experience will hone his opinions and forge some new friendships.

A big welcome to Adam! We had a crowded and extremely talented field, and I was humbled and grateful for the interest in this position. I’m looking forward to what Adam will bring to our site, please make him feel welcome here.

Conservative Blogger Position

I am still waiting to get information from a person or two about this position, though I haven’t made any kind of decision yet. If you are interested and want to get in a last-second application, email me before the end of the day tomorrow. I’m looking at you, longtime commenters!

Scribner, R-Brookfield, said the lien stems from a tax audit in 2005 conducted by the IRS and income that the federal agency said was filed in the wrong category.
He said that he viewed the money as employment income while the IRS viewed it as business income. A significant amount of the money owed to the IRS, he said, includes interest and fees on the original taxes.
Some of the income in question, Scribner said, could be from his time as an independent contractor delivering The News-Times from 1995 to March 2008.
“It’s really a matter of a discrepancy of total income versus tax liability,” said Scribner, who serves on the legislature’s finance committee.
“There has been a significant effort to pay down the balance and at the same time a good faith effort trying to resolve the dispute,” he said.

Yeah, it’s a drag paying that self-employment tax. Don’t I know it! But you gotta do it otherwise you’ll end up like this guy.

“We’re certainly meeting and it would be our goal obviously to have a budget agreement in place before the end of the fiscal year, but on a personal note I think it’s more important that we get it right rather than simply making it happen,” Rell said Monday.

Legislative leaders and the Governor emerged from Sunday’s meeting at the Governor’s Mansion under a negotiated cease fire agreement, which has quieted the press release war that was ferociously waged last week by the two sides, but has also stifled the flow of information out of the talks.

If no deal is struck, the Governor is ready to govern as Queen Jodi if necessary, operating the state government by executive order:

“The governor has said that she has an executive order ready to go, and that executive order will keep the government running smoothly on July 1… with no disruptions,” her spokesman, Chris Cooper, said.

The budget that passed the Legislature last week was regarded as farcical even by some Legislative Democrats while the Governor continues to dig in against tax hikes (though you never know).

Policy makers, pundits, and observers are left to wonder: who will blink first?

Alito, in an opinion also signed by Justices Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia, noted that “even the District Court” (the lower court that ruled on behalf of the city in this case) “admitted that ‘a jury could rationally infer that city officials worked behind the scenes to sabotage the promotional examinations because they knew that, were the exams certified, the Mayor would incur the wrath of [Rev. Boise] Kimber and other influential leaders of New Haven’s African-American community.”
 
The opinion proceeds to present a three-paragraph attack bio of the good reverend, going back decades over terrain familiar to Kimber’s New Haven critics.(Bass)

Basically, Justice Samuel Alito tries to place the blame for the troubles of New Haven’s white firefighters on Kimber. The full piece is a fascinating read, as is what Alito had to say. Justice Ginsberg, however, disagreed with Alito, and called his portrayal of Kimber’s (and city hall’s) role in the matter “exaggerated.”

I hope he does get in, though not necessarily because I’d want him to win (I currently don’t have a favorite candidate in the race at all), but because he’d bring a much-needed media spotlight on the neglected governor’s race.

Let’s be honest, Chris Dodd’s race is going to suck all the air out of the room again, much like Joe Lieberman’s troubles did during the last gubernatorial cycle. The result was a rather lackluster and vague campaign on the part of the incumbent. Jodi Rell didn’t need to do much to win big. People were focused on national issues, and the gubernatorial race never made much of an impression. Her formless, unfocused but incredibly strong popularity carried her through (i.e., people liked her, but might have had trouble explaining what she’d done in office to earn their vote). The same thing could happen again, and it shouldn’t. The attention a well-known figure like Lamont would bring could put this race back in people’s minds, where it belongs. Dan Malloy, Jim Amann and Susan Bysiewicz may be able to do that, eventually, but none of them would get the kind of instant attention Lamont would.

There’s probably many months between now and when Lamont and Rell will make up their minds about whether to run, so we’ll have plenty of time to speculate. Connecticut could really use a high-profile governor’s race, though–it’s been far too long.

“Peter is a non-traditional candidate,” said Andrew Schiff of his brother, an outspoken libertarian who has gained attention for correctly predicting the collapse of the mortgage industry despite mockery from other industry analysis. “We’re attracting a lot of very fervent believers.The question is whether or not this will all resonate with the voters of Connecticut.”…
“We do think there’s certainly room for the fiscally conservative, libertarian wing of the party to attract a lot of attention in the Northeast,” Andrew said, adding that Peter is prepared to develop a policy portfolio not just on finance and monetary policy, his specialty, but also on hot-button issue like health care and energy. But economics will remain is major focus…We’re leaning towards a run,” he said, however, “Peter doesn’t want to spend a lot of time and money if there’s really no chance.”

I think it’ll be interesting to see how voters react when they really start listening to some of the things Schiff has to say. Like his comparing health insurance to “plumbing insurance”.

The bottom line is that aggregate medical costs will never come down unless services are rationed more wisely. Rather than being used as a pre-payment plan for routine care, insurance should only cover unpredictable, catastrophic costs.
As a comparison, homeowners often carry fire insurance, but seldom maintenance insurance. You buy fire insurance to guard against a catastrophic loss, which is a low probability but high cost event. As a result, fire insurance is relatively affordable, since premiums paid by all those homeowners whose houses do not burn down more than pay for the losses on those few whose houses do.
On the other hand, no one carries home maintenance insurance to pay for a clogged drain or broken garage door. If insurance paid for the plumber visit every time a toilet overflowed, we would now have a plumbing crisis, and Congress would be looking to reign in runaway plumbing bills with “national plumbing insurance.”

I know some of my critics like to say I’m full of shit, but personally I prefer to think of my body as a temple, rather than a blocked toilet. And to me, there’s a pretty important difference between good preventative health care which can SAVE LIVES and plumbing. But maybe that’s why I’m a liberal.

“If left alone, the free market drives quality up and costs down,” Schiff writes. Yeah yeah. We all know the theory. But I also know what’s happening in practice with the private insurance companies, with whom I’ve personally had horrendous experiences. And if you think they are in it for quality of care, read this testimony from a former health insurance industry insider.

It’ll be interesting to see the poll results.

5th District challenger Justin Bernier took a shot at Rep. Chris Murphy today, calling Murphy’s hiring of a prominent lobbyist a conflict of interest:

Rep. Chris Murphy hired the mortgage industry’s head lobbyist as his Chief of Staff. Francis Creighton, Chris Murphy’s Chief of Staff as of today, was Vice President and Chief Lobbyist of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). MBA is the lobbying arm of the mortgage corporations that received billions of dollars in bailout money through the “TARP” program.

With government bailouts almost as unpopular as lobbyists, this approach could strike a chord with people tired of business as usual in Washington. 

National Republicans seem content to be take a wait-and-see approach to the 5th CD race this year, as The Hill reported yesterday.

McKinney Ready to Get In the Game?

GOP Senate Leader John McKinney may be getting ready to launch his Congressional campaign in the coming days, according to the same The Hill article.  They note that McKinney was widely viewed as waiting until the end of the budget process in the state legislature. 

With that process not likely to conclude in the near future - unless the Governor surprises us all and signs the budget she has criticized almost daily – the start of a new FEC quarter seems like a logical kickoff point in the 4th CD.

McKinney’s bid, along with that of Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta in New Hampshire, will be prominently-featured Congressional races for the GOP.

Sources: Bernier e-mail to supporters “Murphy Hires Chief Mortgage Lobbyist” June 29, 2009. 

Blake, Aaron.  “Northeastern 2010 GOP Picture Taking Shape”, The Hill June 28, 2009.  Retrieved at The Hill on June 29, 2009.

John DeStefano reacts:

Karen Torre, attorney for the firefighters:

I am not convinced, despite the spin coming out now, that this really hurts Sonia Sotomayor’s chances of becoming a Supreme Court justice. It was, after all, a 5-4 decision, and the justice she would be replacing made the same decision as she did.

In 2006, Krumeich came within 132 votes of unseating longtime incumbent Claudia “Dolly” Powers (R-151) for State Rep. He lost in 2008 to Republican Fred Camillo after Powers retired.

In his announcement, Krumeich criticized the politicization of the previously non-partisan Selectman’s Nomination and Advisory Committee under current First Selectman, Peter Tesei. He emphasized the need for good facilities for seniors and strong public schools.

I look forward to a Board of Selectman, BET, Board of Education and RTM who work together for the greater good of our community. This requires strong leadership and a vision of our town’s future that is clear and well thought out. And a first selectman willing to lead and the drive and know how to get things done. That is Lin Lavery. It also requires the advocacy and experience of someone who has devoted 25 years to making our town a better place to live – that’s me, by the way.

It’s shaping up to be an interesting local race here in Greenwich, as the Dems have two strong candidates and the demographics have been changing over the last few years, which a greater number of independents altering the dynamics of a previously Republican stronghold.

Courtney also touted the success of the submarine building program in recent comparisons with other defense procurement programs. Nearly every other program was reduced or even eliminated. The submarine programs were maintained. Knowledgable persons know that the submarine force is vital for the nation, not just the economy of Southeastern Connecticut. The Congressman credited the Navy, the Builders like Electric Boat, and the Workers in Connecticut for this success. He told a story that was relayed to him by some Admirals visiting his office. President Obama received a high level intelligence briefing that included information obtained by the USS JIMMY CARTER (SSN-23). After the brief, the President wanted to know why the nation only had one submarine with that capability. So, on the defense front, the news is positive.

The rest of Courtney’s address discussed the stimulus package passed in February, and its impact in Eastern Connecticut. Courtney noted that the stimulus bill was endorsed by the National Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers as well as many other organizations on both the management and labor sides. Thirty seven percent of the bill was tax relief, some of which has already been seen (the individual tax rebates) or available (the tax credit for first time home buyers). There were also targeted tax cuts for new energy projects. The purpose of the bill was to provide some government investment at a time when private investment had dried up. Thirty three percent of the bill was for local fiscal relief such as grants to New London Police and the boost in Title 1 education funding to local school districts. Before the voting, each Congressperson was able to see what funds would benefit persons in their districts. The effort was to keep up local infrastructure and provide expanded Pell grants for students.

Planned spending for Green technology is off to a slow start. Courtney stated that his office was working with state government, in particular, the Connecticut Department of Transportation, to get the $400 million alloted to Connecticut on track. Aid to AMTRAK will permit the construction of a new bridge in Niantic and Madison and Stonington. The replacement of the Niantic River railroad bridge will go out to bid in early July. The VA hospital in West Haven will get an $8 million expansion to add private and semi-private rooms at the hospital and other improvements are slated for the VA facility in Newington. These projects will create jobs in construction and the trades. The investment in surface infrastructure, education, and individual agencies is a good investment.

Courtney concluded his remarks by stating that he still is focusing on what is good for Eastern Connecticut, not just what the Democratic Caucus leaders want him to do.

Responding to questions from the audience, Congressman Courtney emphasized that government investment was not to take over American industry, but to provide a “jolt” to the economy at a time when the private sector was not investing to get the economy moving again. The stimulus should provide a springboard and a floor for further private venture spending. Eventually, the Congress will have to return to the “Pay as you Go” process of the ninties to get control of the deficit. Right now is not that time. Connecticut has many new and existing companies with new and exciting projects. Yardney from Stonington is working of the battery cells for an electic car. The state is still number 3 in the list of patent approvals. Connecticut won’t cars, drill for oil, or mine for coal. Connecticut’s asset is its brain power. Courtney sees more success ahead.

Most answers were quite boring, including that of our Governor, Jodi Rell:

CONNECTICUT: Gov. M. Jodi Rell was in her Capitol office, watching a Senate budget debate on TV. Her schedule was released, with no private appointments listed.

Nothing we couldn’t have gotten from the Governor’s Twitter feed.

Rell has been criticized in the past for keeping a very soft schedule, so it was interesting to find many Governors doing pretty much the same thing.

The tie for “best response” came from Texas Governor Rick Perry and Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman, who both marched themselves into the AP offices within an hour of receiving the inquiry.