Cleaning hosue

Saturday, March 10, 2007
Time: 5:40 PM






I'm going to take a break from blogging and concentrate on fixing some problems on this site. Things are still quite "buggy" here and I really need to fix the code.

Be sure to check out the new video of interest section in the links section of the blog. I'll add more content to the site as I work the kinks out

Be back soon.

Danbury's finest approve contract


Time: 3:50 PM

I guess we can say goodbye to the inflated rat...

Shameless plug

Friday, March 09, 2007
Time: 6:35 PM

I couple of readers informed me that they voted this site for best local blog in the Fairfield Weekly 2007 Best of series.

Now, I'm very flattered with the great show of support. Heck, I never thought this site would take off the way it did when I started it nearly two years ago; I was more concerned with getting my other site off the ground and started this one because I lived in Danbury and followed local politics for about the last ten years...funny how things work out.

So here goes my shameless plug.

If you like what you see here, please go over to the Fairfield Weekly website and vote for this site in the 2007 Best of reader's poll.

As a side note, there will be a MAJOR PR push for this site throughout the Danbury area. Be on the lookout for HatCityBLOG material in the mail or in certain locations throughout the city.

WATCH, LISTEN, LEARN, and spread the word!

Gas prices rising AGAIN


Time: 1:54 PM


Ugh, it seems like gas prices are on the rise again and there doesn't seem like things aren't going to level off anytime soon.

Here's a report on the bad news.
Now here's the good news. You can find cheap gas in Danbury if you know where to look.

That's where Gas Buddy comes in.

Gas Buddy is a community-based gas station monitoring site where people report on the lastest price for gasoline throughout Danbury. It works in real time as you can check the site and find the cheapest gas stations in your area.

Give it a try and help keep the site up to date. Here's a snapshot of the cheapest gas prices (AS OF 3:55 PM).


UPDATE: I updated the video with a local report from Channel 8.

A story of a Bush-appointed cronie


Time: 11:57 AM

First, a little background.

People in the country remember the Hurricane Katrina scandal and the lack of leadership from unqualified FEMA director and former Judges and Stewards Commissioner for the International Arabian Horse Association, Michael "heck of a job" Brown.

For those who don't know, Brown was one President Bush's incompetent appointments who recieved the job as a political favor. Here's the background.
After Bush entered office in January 2001, Brown joined FEMA as General Counsel. He was the first person hired by his long-time friend, then-FEMA director Joe Allbaugh[16], who also ran Bush's election campaign in 2000. Allbaugh later named Brown his acting deputy director in September 2001. President Bush formally nominated him as deputy director on March 22, 2002, and the Senate confirmed him many months later. Soon after, when Allbaugh left government, President Bush nominated Brown again in January 2003 for the directorship[17]. Brown was sworn in to his position on April 15, 2003.
This is the same unqualified Brown who was confirmed to run FEMA after a breathtaking 42 minutes of questioning led by George Bush's favorite Democrat, Joe Lieberman.

All of this time about where FEMA should be, whether it should or shouldn't be part of the Department of Homeland Security or an independent agency. Well, I just finished reading the confirmation hearings for Mike Brown's appointment to be Deputy Director of FEMA (his previous title). 42 minutes of shame (led by Senator Lieberman as he chaired the Committee on Governmental Affairs when the Democrats were in charge in 2002).

This hearing, in June 2002, was just before the official enactment of the Department of Homeland Security. So everyone knew that FEMA was likely to be subsumed, but it wasn't law yet. In the statute that eventually created the Department of Homeland Security, Section 803, Subsection (d)(2), Congress allowed for previously Senate-confirmed officers "appointed to fill new offices in the Department whose duties are germane to their original offices may be appointed without undergoing an additional confirmation proceeding."

It appears, then, that Mike Brown suffered 42 breathtaking minutes of serious nothingness (unless Lieberman's withering questioning regarding whether Brown would sufficiently keep the Senate informed --- duh,yes) to become Deputy Director of FEMA. When FEMA was, just a few months later, subsumed into DHS, Brown didn't need to be Senate confirmed as his new position -- technically as Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response -- was "germane" to his old position. Guess that's true. But it means that the four Senators who showed up to confirm a deputy director were, in fact, confirming the head of America's entire emergency management apparatus.

President Bush gave his political buddy Brown a gift by running FEMA and since there was a Republican majority (+ Joe Lieberman), a unqualified political hack was rubber-stamped by a shameless Congress to run a disaster relief agency. Hell, DINOBoy went one step further and even defended his rubberstamping of Brown.

LIEBERMAN BRAGGED ABOUT HIS OWN FEMA RUBBER STAMPING AFTER KATRINA: Lieberman did not just grease the wheels for FEMA’s collapse during Hurricane Katrina by ushering through Brown’s nomination. After Katrina, he actually bragged that he considered his own refusal to perform oversight was standard operating procedure. In an interview with National Public Radio on 9/14/05, Lieberman admitted his reflexive rubber-stamp tendencies, saying: “Our committee conducted a hearing on the nomination of Michael Brown to be deputy director of FEMA. And in the normal course honestly for deputy positions, you normally say, ‘Well, the president, if this person passes all the normal checks, has the right to choose who he wants so long as the person is in an acceptable range.’” [Source: National Public Radio, 9/14/05]

If you need a refresher of Brownie's "heck of a job" in managing the Katrina disaster, this video clip should bring back some memories...I guess Lieberman considers Brown's actions during this time something that's in "an acceptable range."

Enough background info? Good, let's continue.

Michael Brown wasn't the only unqualified cronie appointed by the President to run an agency...

Meet Julie Myers.

Who's Julie Myers you ask. Well Myers is another unqualified political hack who happens to be the niece of former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, wife of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff's current chief of staff, John F. Wood, and the person who's now running the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE).

Myers confirmation hearing to run ICE can just days after Michael Brown resigned as head of FEMA and during this time, her appointment came under great criticism not only from liberals and also from conservative politicians and pundits.
National Review:
Withdraw Myers

Just three days after Michael Brown resigned as head of Federal Emergency Management Administration because of the botched response to Hurricane Katrina, the Senate held a hearing for another unqualified nominee for a vital position in the Department of Homeland Security. The president’s supporters can look forward to serving in his administration, but certain key jobs ought to be reserved for candidates whose personal connections don’t outweigh their professional qualifications.

Julie L. Myers has been nominated by the White House to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a vast bureau with more than 20,000 employees and a budget of $4 billion. As head of ICE, Myers would be in charge of detaining and removing illegal aliens; investigating alien smuggling, illegal arms exports, and money laundering; fining the employers of illegal aliens (well, actually they don’t bother with that any more); plus many, many other responsibilities. She would be the officer chiefly responsible for protecting the nation against terrorist threats once they have succeeded in infiltrating our borders, which are guarded by a different bureaucracy. Her most relevant previous experience was managing only 170 employees and a $25 million budget while at the Commerce department.

Given the importance of the position and a history of mismanagement in the immigration service, Congress took the unusual step of inserting a statutory requirement that nominees have a minimum of five years of experience in both management and law enforcement. Even a cursory reading of her resume reveals that the well-connected 36-year-old attorney’s background fails to comply with this legal requirement; in fact, she meets the bare minimum only by counting her current stint in White House Personnel, where she manages, by her own account, “up to three deputies as well as support staff and interns.”

[...]

The response of House Republicans to any talk of new immigration programs has been “Enforcement First.” Replacing Myers with a more suitable candidate would signal that the White House takes these concerns seriously. Obstinately sticking to the nomination would send the opposite message.

NewsMax:
Julie Myers is 36 years old, a lawyer and a political appointee to the Bush administration with limited executive experience.

Yet, she is slated to become head of one of the nation's most critical security-related agencies, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The Myers appointment, in the wake of FEMA's disastrous handling of the Katrina Hurricane and the resignation of its chief, Michael Brown, is raising the hackles of people on both sides of the political aisle.

[...]

At a Senate hearing last week, rumblings over Myers were apparent, according to the Washington Post, with Sen. George V. Voinovich, R-Ohio, at one point baldly concluding that Myers' résumé indicated that she is "not qualified for the position."

Voinovich further announced at the time that he wanted to meet with Chertoff to discuss Myers' qualifications. "I'd really like to have him spend some time with us, telling us personally why he thinks you're qualified for the job..."

Michelle Malkin:
Oh, give me a ^*&%$# break and a half! This nomination is a monumental political and policy blunder in the wake of the Michael Brown/FEMA fiasco. And I can tell you that contrary to the Miss Mary Sunshine White House spokeswoman's comments, rank-and-file DHS employees and immigration enforcement officials are absolutely livid about Myers' nomination.

[...]

Everything was supposed to change after 9/11. No more business as usual, blah blah blah. But when it comes to immigration enforcement and border security, Bush keeps installing clueless cronies.

[...]

Why the president wants Myers to head ICE at this critical moment in time--and why his supposedly brilliant strategists don't see the stupidity of Myers' nomination--defies comprehension.

Washington Post:
The Bush administration is seeking to appoint a lawyer with little immigration or customs experience to head the troubled law enforcement agency that handles those issues, prompting sharp criticism from some employee groups, immigration advocates and homeland security experts.

The push to appoint Julie Myers to head the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security, comes in the midst of intense debate over the qualifications of department political appointees involved in the sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina.

[...]

ICE was created from remnants of the former immigration and customs services. It is widely viewed as one of the most troubled parts of the sprawling Department of Homeland Security.

Homeland Security political appointees have come under scrutiny since Michael D. Brown resigned under fire this month as head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which he joined with no experience in disaster preparedness. Several other senior FEMA officials were Bush supporters who did not have crisis-management credentials.

Unlike most political appointments, the head of ICE is required by statute to have at least five years of experience in both law enforcement and management.

Many immigration advocates, ICE employee representatives and homeland security experts said they were troubled by the nomination of Myers to take over an agency with so many problems.

Okay, I think you get the point.

Now with a cronie like Myers in charge of ICE, the actions of that agency after she took over makes more sense. The collegues at Blue Mass Group pick up on Myers and the recent actions of ICE in New Bedford MA that even has the governor enraged.
The appalling spectacle of hundreds of undocumented workers from New Bedford being herded into planes and flown off to Texas while state and local officials were still scrambling to see whether their kids had anyone to take care of them continues today, with DSS workers following them down to Texas to try to figure out whether their kids are OK. Governor Patrick is exactly right on this.

Two young children were hospitalized yesterday for dehydration after their nursing mothers were taken away, state officials said. Another 7-year-old girl called a state hot line seeking her detained mother. It was unclear last night where their mothers were.

"What we have never understood about this process is why it turned into a race to the airport," Patrick said. "We understand about the importance of processing; we get that. But there are families affected. There are children affected."

The Governor's sharp and totally justified comments sparked this lie from Washington:

Immigration agents "worked closely with DSS both before the operation commenced and at every stage of the operation, to be sure that no child would be without a sole caregiver," Julie L. Myers, the assistant secretary of homeland security, wrote in a letter to Patrick.

Julie Myers ... Julie Myers ... gosh, that name sounds so familiar ...

Oh yeah! Julie Myers, the hack, the well-connected crony with no relevant background who was put in her job via a recess appointment, thereby bypassing Senate confirmation that would have created a nightmarish battle for the Bush administration (because Republican as well as Democratic Senators were going on record with their concerns). Julie Myers, whose appointment to the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement was so obviously inappropriate that it sparked outrage from both left and right.

Here, for the record, is what appears to have gotten her the job (from a September 2005 article):

Myers also was an associate under independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr for about 16 months and has most recently served as a special assistant to President Bush handling personnel issues.

Her uncle is Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, the departing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She married Chertoff's current chief of staff, John F. Wood, on Saturday.

Coincidence, no doubt. Here's a sampling of what the right had to say about her nomination. Malkin:

My fellow conservatives in Washington refuse to learn two vital homeland security lessons, one from 9/11 and the other from Hurricane Katrina.

Lesson Number One: If you neglect immigration enforcement, you will regret it.

Lesson Number Two: If you appoint political cronies in times of crisis, you will regret it.

The Bush administration has barely rebounded from the resignation of horse show organizer Michael "Heck of a job" Brown at FEMA, and yet is pushing forward with the nomination of another inexperienced bureaucrat to a key post at the Department of Homeland Security.

If this is supposed to be a shining example of Karl Rove's political genius, get him some stupid pills quick.

The new crony waiting in the wings is attorney Julie Myers, the White House pick to head the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE).

And again,

Oh, give me a ^*&%$# break and a half! This nomination is a monumental political and policy blunder in the wake of the Michael Brown/FEMA fiasco. And I can tell you that contrary to the Miss Mary Sunshine White House spokeswoman's comments, rank-and-file DHS employees and immigration enforcement officials are absolutely livid about Myers' nomination.

National Review:

Withdraw Myers ...

The response of House Republicans to any talk of new immigration programs has been "Enforcement First." Replacing Myers with a more suitable candidate would signal that the White House takes these concerns seriously. Obstinately sticking to the nomination would send the opposite message.

Red State:

I emphatically support the right of the president, any president, to appoint just about anyone he wants to any appointive office.... There comes a time, however, when the ability and the right to appoint persons to an office trends perilously close to abuse of that ability and right.

Julie Myers is a case in point.

And, from the left,

The Bush Administration continues its policy of handing out top Administration jobs based on cronyism. Did it not learn from Michael Brown? Apparently, not.

The latest: A 36 year old Administration lawyer named Julie Myers, who has no immigration experience, has been nominated to head up ICE, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security....

Even the ICE agents' union is unhappy:

It appears she's got a tremendous amount of experience in money laundering, in banking and the financial areas," said Charles Showalter, president of the National Homeland Security Council, a union that represents 7,800 ICE agents, officers and support staff. "My question is: Who the hell is going to enforce the immigration laws?"

And what we're seeing right here, in New Bedford, is the result.

Hackery isn't just wasteful. It actually hurts people. It's actually hurting people right now.

You're doing a heck of a job Julie.

Common Council meeting highlights: BRT Tax Assessment Deferral

Thursday, March 08, 2007
Time: 7:35 PM

Okay.

I received a number of emails asking me about what happened during the the portion of the meeting when the BRT tax assessment deferral for the Crosby Street apartments was brought up for discussion.

Here's the deal, an ad-hoc committee was established to look into the issue so the issue will be debated at another time. Once the ad-hoc date is set, I'll notify everyone and attend the meeting(s).

Usually I stick around and videotape the entire meeting but I forget my camera cord so I had to work off the battery. By the time the BRT issue was brought up, I had about 10 minutes left on my camera so I shut things down a couple of minutes after the ad-hoc committee was established. I hung around until the police report was read (by this time, people in the audience make a bet to see which person on the council will be the first to jump out of their chair and call for an adjournment...it's quite a site).

I'd say the only thing that caught my eye was the lively discussion between the mayor and Common Council member Lynn Taborsak but if you attended a number of meetings like I have, you know that this is nothing really new as these two go at it during every meeting (I don't see the mayor and Lynn hanging out having drinks anytime soon). In the end, I think they both needed to take a time out.

Like I said, I left the chambers and was in the hallway talking to people from the time that the police report was read, till the end of the meeting. Everything was videotaped by the Danbury Live crew so check for the show this weekend (or maybe next weekend). In any case, here's footage form the portion of the meeting when the Crosby Street apartments was brought up for discussion as well as highlights of the public speaking speaking out against the tax assessment deferral.
HI RES format: (35.7 meg)

I hope you were paying attention...


Time: 3:40 PM

Remember when I told you this tid bit of info...
As for the budget, presentations sound great but as with anything, the proof is in th details. Democratic minority leader Tom Saadi was quick to touch on this point last night.
Democratic caucus leader Tom Saadi said he and fellow Democrats will evaluate the budget in detail over the next month, but he fears the final numbers will change if the Gov. M. Jodi Rell's proposed budget is not passed.

"This budget relies on the governor's funds. While that reliance may be 80 or 90 percent right, we are going to have to make up the difference," Saadi said.
I told you to take what Saadi stated into consideration...hopefully, you were paying attention.
The Senate Democrats called for a wholesale rewriting of Gov. M. Jodi Rell's $17.5 billion budget proposal Wednesday, saying they oppose virtually all of her tax proposals and significant parts of her spending plan.

Following their first detailed caucus since Rell announced her proposal last month, the Democrats emerged Wednesday afternoon to say that closer scrutiny of the governor's budget has revealed a series of flaws.

"It turns out that there's a lot less than what meets the eye," said Senate President Pro Tem Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, the highest-ranking senator. "This is going to be a very difficult budget year. ... This budget has a lot of flaws that did not reveal themselves immediately."

Standing next to Williams at a press conference at the state Capitol, the co-chairwoman of the legislature's tax-writing committee, Sen. Eileen Daily, D-Westbrook, said Rell's tax plans are "a real gut-punch to the middle class and to the poor."

The Democrats "just couldn't sanction" Rell's 10 percent, across-the-board increase in the state income tax, the repeal of the estate tax, and the phase-out of the popular $500 property tax credit, Daily said. She also cited opposition to the elimination of the personal property tax on cars, and using annual revenues from the casinos to help pay for the car-tax elimination.
Remember, things are not always what always what they seem. You can do all the Powerpoint presentations you want, there is a major difference between a proposed budget and the actual budget.

Since a good portion of the proposed budget relies upon Gov. Rell's budget, expect the numbers in the budget to change.

Immigrant activists up the ante


Time: 12:01 PM

Finally, the immigration debate is moving from the the biased views of mouthpieces for Elise Marciano local access show hosts and politicians who want to tackle a federal issue and towards the courts where the rule of law (not public opinion) applies.

...and the sooner all the immigration cases can be ruled in court, the better.

Yesterday, The ACLU and lawyers representing the Danbury 11 issued the following press release regarding the recent immigrant round-up at the probation office.
CONNECTICUT PROBATION OFFICE MUST ABANDON UNLAWFUL COLLABORATION WITH IMMIGRATION AGENCY, ACLU DEMANDS

Immigrant round-up by Adult Probation Office violates state and federal law.

HARTFORD, CT – The American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut and the Worker & Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic of Yale Law School today demanded that William Carbone, Executive Director of the Court Support Services Division (CSSD) of the Judicial Branch of Connecticut, order probation officers to cease and desist from interrogating probationers about their immigration status and facilitating the arrests of non-citizens for civil immigration violations by the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The ACLU discovered through a Freedom of Information Act request that the CSSD, which supervises Connecticut’s Adult Probation Offices, has a policy of collaboration with ICE. According to CSSD’s Policy 4.2 – first adopted in May 2003 – probation officers should report any non-citizen or lawful permanent resident probationer to ICE. Probation officers are told to assist ICE in “identifying, locating and facilitating the arrest of” immigrant probationers.

The letter to Mr. Carbone states that the policy violates several Connecticut laws that created the probation system and seek to protect the privacy rights of state residents, and also abridges rights and liberties guaranteed by the state and federal constitutions. The ACLU also emphasizes that this policy is contrary to the spirit and purpose of the probation system, which is intended to rehabilitate, not punish, offenders.

“This is counter-productive,” Renee Redman, Legal Director of the ACLU of Connecticut said. “The fear of being arrested causes many immigrants to refuse to comply with their conditions of probation. We’re not talking about terrorist suspects,” she added. “These are hard-working immigrants who are sentenced to probation - not prison. Their reward for serving their probation is to be taken into ICE custody and imprisoned out of state. This policy is bad for the probation system and bad for the state of Connecticut.”

Criminal defense attorneys fear that this policy will have a negative effect on the state’s criminal justice system. “The Department of Adult Probation, and the state Judicial Department itself, are supposed to be independent from ICE. This policy makes it less likely that non-citizens will accept plea bargains involving probation, thereby increasing the load on the state court system, or, that probationers will simply stop reporting to their probation officers,” said Jon Schoenhorn, President of the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.

The ACLU’s demand comes after several immigrants have found ICE waiting to arrest them when, conscientiously abiding by the conditions of their probation, they appeared for meetings with their probation officers. The immigrants were sentenced to probation as a result of DWI charges, an offense for which an immigrant cannot be deported. ICE has accused the immigrants of being unlawfully present in the United States.

Several of the arrests took place in Danbury, where City officials have recently come under fire for instigating a crack-down on immigrant communities. Danbury’s campaign to increase enforcement of federal immigration laws during the past several months has resulted in the arrests of many Danbury residents, who have been charged with immigration violations. Most of the immigrants are imprisoned in other states, far from their families and lawyers.

“These arrests have created fear in the Danbury community. One of the men arrested at probation has a wife and an 8 month old child here. Each arrest by ICE leaves children fatherless and motherless, affecting the youth that are the future of this country,” said Leonel Villavicencio, President of the Danbury Area Coalition for the Rights of Immigrants.

The ACLU is joined by the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and the Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic of Yale Law School in its demand that CSSD cease this unlawful and unconscionable practice.
As an added treat, here's the letter sent by the ACLU to William Carbone, Executive Director of the Court Support Services Division/Judicial Branch of Connecticut.






UPDATE: I noticed that the quality of the letter is bad. I'm currently working on a fix and will upadate the post shortly.

UPDATE 2: Okay, that looks better...

Danbury 2007-2008 budget address round-up

Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Time: 2:27 PM


Don't just read about it, watch it.

From last night Common Council meeting, here's video footage of Mayor Boughton as he introduces his budget to the public.

Things to note:
• The lights were turned off in the room so the audience could see the Power Point presentation.

• The reason you're able to see the mayor speak is because my video camera is equipped with a low-light enhancement setting.

• Watch Danbury Live on Saturday and you'll see the difference between my footage of the address and what was captured for the show.

In other words...MORE EVIDENCE TO SHOW THAT THE MAYOR AND COMMON COUNCIL PRESIDENT JOE CAVO SHOULD ALLOW THE AD-HOC COMMITTTEE REGARDING BRAODCASTING LOCAL GOVERNMENT MEETINGS TO PUBLIC ACCESS TO GO FORWARD. Without proper video equipment, the items the mayor has hinted he would purchase is useless.

Agh...I'll address the whole broadcasting thing some other time, I have enough on my plate right now...

As for the budget, presentations sound great but as with anything, the proof is in th details. Democratic minority leader Tom Saadi was quick to touch on this point last night.
Democratic caucus leader Tom Saadi said he and fellow Democrats will evaluate the budget in detail over the next month, but he fears the final numbers will change if the Gov. M. Jodi Rell's proposed budget is not passed.

"This budget relies on the governor's funds. While that reliance may be 80 or 90 percent right, we are going to have to make up the difference," Saadi said.

Take that into consideration when you watch the clip.

Stop the Raids immigration forum: Act 1

Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Time: 4:06 PM


Good news: I'm finally done with the video footage from last Sunday's Stop the Raids immigration forum.

Bad news: Unfortunately, do to the size of the file, I'm unable to post the entire video in one setting.


I was going to wait until Google got it's act together and allowed me to upload the entire file (Google doesn't care about size while there are size restricitons on YouTube) but since there has been several LIES told by the anti-immigrant morons in the press and on television, I thought it would be best to get the forum online ASAP. Now you can judge for yourself who's spreading LIES in the media (a.k.a. the xenophobes, bigots, and pundits who spread misinformation) and who's telling the truth about what happened (THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY ATTENDED THE EVENT).

In this video clip, Jason McGahan of the Connecticut Regional Coalition for Immigrant Rights moderates the forum, while several panelists express express their point-of-view while debunking several claims that the anti-immigrant critics embrace.









In what has to be the most riveting testimony of the night, Anabel Pimentel and Rosa Lopez spoke about their experience with the infamous Swift meat-packing factory raid in Utah. Their story definately felt an impression on the audience which you'll understand once you watch the clip.

Enjoy the video. I'll post the second half of the event later this week.

A common council meeting you shouldn't miss

Monday, March 05, 2007
Time: 5:10 PM

Look, it's simple, tomorrow's Common Council is important for several reasons but primarily because Mayor Mark Boughton is going to present his city budget address. Also of note for tomorrow will be the BRT tax assessment on the Corsby Street Apartments (a.k.a. the new dorm for the university).

If you want to see your local government at work, come tomorrow, listen to the budget, and have your calculator handy. Here's the program schedule for tomorrow...bring your popcorn.

COMMON COUNCIL MEETING –
March 6, 2007

The meeting will be called to order at 7:30 P.M.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE & PRAYER

ROLL CALL

McMahon, Nagarsheth, Johnson, Trombetta, Calandrino, Perkins, Visconti, Chianese, Esposito, Saadi, Cavo, Basso, Rotello, Diggs, Teicholz, Cutsumpas, Riley, Saracino, Seabury, Stanley, Taborsak

________________PRESENT _______________ABSENT

PUBLIC SPEAKING
___________________________________________________________
BUDGET ADDRESS
___________________________________________________________

MINUTES - Minutes of the Common Council Meeting held February 6, 2007
___________________________________________________________

CONSENT CALENDAR

___________________________________________________________

1 – ORDINANCE & RESOLUTION - An Ordinance Making Appropriations for the Fiscal Year. Beginning July 1, 2007 and ending June 30, 2008 and a Resolution Levying the Property Tax for the Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2007 and ending June 30, 2008
___________________________________________________________
2 – ORDINANCE - An Ordinance Appropriating $500,000 for Public Improvements in the 2007-2008 Capital Budget and Authorizing the Issuance of $500,000 Bonds and Bond Anticipation Notes of the City to Meet said Appropriations
___________________________________________________________
3 – RESOLUTION - Downtown Special Services District – Tax Levy
___________________________________________________________
4 – COMMUNICATION - Appointments to the Charles Ives Authority
___________________________________________________________
5 – COMMUNICATION - Request for Ad Hoc Committee Architectural Review Board
___________________________________________________________
6– COMMUNICATION - Donations to the Danbury CERT Program
___________________________________________________________
7 – COMMUNICATION - Donation to the Police Department – K-9 Vest
___________________________________________________________
8 – COMMUNICATION - Donations to the Department of Elderly Services
___________________________________________________________
9 – COMMUNICATION - Voting Machines
___________________________________________________________
10 – COMMUNICATION - Request for Ad Hoc Committee Stricter Traffic Controls
___________________________________________________________
11 – COMMUNICATION - Request for Ad Hoc Committee Establish New Ordinance
___________________________________________________________
12 – COMMUNICATION - Request for Ad Hoc Committee Cell Phone Use by City Bus Drivers
___________________________________________________________
13 – COMMUNICATION - Request for Sewer Survey Rolf’s Drive, Greta Drive, Cel Bret, Briar Ridge
___________________________________________________________
14 – COMMUNICATION - Request for Ad Hoc Committee Applebee’s – Water & Sewer Rate Reduction
___________________________________________________________
15 – COMMUNICATION - Request for Sewer and Water - Reynolds Road
___________________________________________________________
16 – RESOLUTION - LOCIP 2006-2007 Application
___________________________________________________________
17 – RESOLUTION - Meserve Memorial Fund
___________________________________________________________
18 – RESOLUTION - Danbury Youth Services
___________________________________________________________
19 – RESOLUTION - Rose Hill Avenue Bridge
___________________________________________________________
20 – REPORT - Illegally Parked Cars
___________________________________________________________
21 – REPORT - BRT Tax Assessment Deferral – Crosby Street
___________________________________________________________
22 – REPORT - 20 Deer Hill Avenue
___________________________________________________________
23 – AD HOC REPORT - Purchase of Property – 51A East Lake Road
___________________________________________________________
24 – AD HOC REPORT - Danbury Airport – Request for Lease of Adjacent Property
___________________________________________________________
25 – AD HOC REPORT - Sewer and Water – Prindle Lane
___________________________________________________________
26 – DEPARTMENT REPORTS – Police, Fire, Elderly Services, Health-Housing & Welfare, Dream Homes, Public Works, Permit, Unit, Library



UPDATE: Here is a list of the upcoming ad-hoc committee meetings this week.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7TH

5:30 PM - Ad Hoc Committee: Grenier Airport Property Acquisition Caucus Room: 3rd Floor.
Council members: Ted Cutsumpas (R-At Large), Greg Seabury (R-At Large), Fred Visconti (D-5th Ward)

6:30 PM - Ad Hoc Committee: Keep Danbury Beautiful Campaign Caucus Room: 3rd Floor
Council members: Colleen Stanley (R-At Large), Pauline Basso (R-At Large), Fred Visconti (D-5th Ward)


THURSDAY, MARCH 8TH

6:00 PM - Ad Hoc Committee: Add Charles Ives Authority to Government Entities Caucus Room: 3rd Floor.
Council members: Ted Cutsumpas (R-At Large), Jane Diggs (7th Ward), Paul Rotello (D-6th Ward)

6:30 PM - Ad Hoc Committee: First Night Danbury Caucus Room: 3rd Floor.
Council members: Jane Diggs (7th Ward), Ted Cutsumpas (R-At Large), Paul Rotello (D-6th Ward)
7:00 PM - Ad Hoc Committee: Certification of Funds for Dream Homes Caucus Room: 3rd Floor.
Council memebrs: (Mary Saracino (R-At Large), Mary Teicholz (R-7th Ward), Duane Perkins (D-5th Ward)
7:30 PM - Ad Hoc Committee: Westwood Village - Reduction in Water Rates Caucus Room: 3rd Floor.
Council members: Ted Cutsumpas (R-At Large], James Johnson (R-2nd Ward), Duane Perkins (D-5th Ward)

Mia Farrow reminds people about Darfur

Sunday, March 04, 2007
Time: 12:22 PM


UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow made an appearance on HBO Time Out with Bill Maher to talk about the ongoing crisis in Darfur.

As you know, Farrow has been instrumental in keeping the humanity crisis in Darfur on the public's radar for several years. Farrow has also commended the students at Danbury High School for their documentary on the Darfur crisis entitled "The Promise"
"I do want to commend the Danbury High students and Tim for leading this project which I found startlingly moving and remarkable and concentrated–a plea for help for the people of Darfur who urgently need it."

Farrow has also made several appearances on Ivon Alcime's Ideas at Work and Beyond promoting the high school film and has encouraged all students to stay engaged in alerting the public about this horrible genocide.
"Just because you’re a kid, doesn’t mean you’re helpless as you can see from this video." "There are too few of us now. Get together and build the numbers. Together, let us make a difference and show our leadership that America, the United States, can take the moral high ground. Tell our legislators, our congressmen, our senators we care about the people of Darfur and we want them to take action."
After her interview, a roundtable conversation featuring Maher, former Florida Republican Congressman and talk show host Joe Scarborough, NPR commentator John Ridley, and Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank, discussed the origins of the crisis and the embarrassing inaction from the world community.

View the video and get involved.

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INDEPENDENT PARTY OF DANBNRY
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CITY OF DANBURY VIDEO ARCHIVE (Dec 2012-present)

The Mercurial (RIP)
Danbury News Times
Danbury Patch
Danbury Hamlet Hub
Danbury Daily Voice
Tribuna Newspaper
CT News Junkie
CT Capitol Report

10.03.18 (PDF):
"Approval of Danbury Prospect Charter School"

10.30.20 (HatCityBLOG VID): Charter School discussion during 2020 interview with Julie Kushner

2018 (RADIO): WLAD
"State Board of Ed signs off on Danbury charter school proposal"

08.20 (VID): CT-LEAD
"Stand up for Education Justice" Rally

08.20.20 (OP-ED): KUSHNER: "Charter schools are not ‘magic bullet’ to improving Danbury schools"

09.13.20 (OP-ED): CHAPMAN
Candidate for state Senate supports charter school for Danbury

01.15.21 (VID): CT-LEAD
Danbury Prospect Charter School press conference

03.19.21 (OP-ED): CT MIRROR
"Danbury leaders do not want a charter school"

04.01.21 (OP-ED): CT-LEAD:
"Why did Sen. Kushner vote against us?"

05.06.21 (VID): Danbury rally to fully fund public schools

10.07.21 (VID): Danbury City-Wide PTO "Meet the Candidates" education forum

10.07.21 NEWSTIMES
Danbury candidates quarrel over charter school, education funding

01.10.22 NEWSTIMES
"New operator named for Danbury charter school: ‘I’m a huge advocate for parent choice’"

01.10.22 NEWSTIMES
"Some Danbury Democrats ‘open minded’ about charter school after new, CT operator named"

01.21.22 (OP-ED): CT MIRROR
"Lessons from Danbury: Ending the dual process for charter school approval"

02.09.22 NEWSTIMES
"Proposed Danbury charter school won’t open in 2022, governor leaves funding out of budget"

02.18.22 NEWSTIMES:
Danbury residents plead for charter school funds in 9-hour state budget hearing: ‘Just exhausted’

03.05.22 (LTE):
Time has come for Danbury charter school

03.12.22 (OP-ED): TAYLOR
"Why I am excited about the Danbury Charter School"

03.16.22 (LTE):
"Why a Danbury Charter School?"

04.02.22 CT EXAMINER:
"Crowding and a Lack of Options for Danbury Students, But No Agreement on Solutions"

04.04.22 (OP-ED): DCS
"Danbury Charter School plans debut"

04.07.22 (PODCAST): (CEA)
"SENATOR KUSHNER DISCUSSES POINTS OF OPTIMISM FOR DANBURY PUBLIC SCHOOLS"

04.18.22 (VID): CT-LEAD
Protest press conference

04.25.22 (RADIO): WSHU
Latino group call on Connecticut lawmakers to open a Danbury charter school

06.03.22 (OP-ED): KUSHNER:
"Career Academy ‘a great deal for Danbury"

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On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of aday laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.

The amended complaint states that plaintiffs sought to remedy the continued discriminatory and unauthorized enforcement of federal immigration laws against the Latino residents of the City of Danbury by Danbury's mayor and its police department.

Plaintiffs allege that the arrests violated their Fourth Amendment rights and the Connecticut Constitution because defendants conducted the arrests without valid warrants, in the absence of exigent circumstances, and without probable cause to believe that plaintiffs were engaged in unlawful activity. In addition, plaintiffs allege that defendants improperly stopped, detained, investigated, searched and arrested plaintiffs. Plaintiffs also allege that defendants violated their Fourteenth Amendment rights when they intentionally targeted plaintiffs, and arrested and detained them on the basis of their race, ethnicity and perceived national origin. Plaintiffs raise First Amendment, Due Process and tort claims.

Plaintiffs request declaratory relief, damages and attorneys fees.

CLICK HERE TO READ/DOWNLOAD MAYOR BOUGHTON'S DEPOSITION

CLICK HERE TO READ/DOWNLOAD MIKE McLACHLAN (then MAYOR CHIEF OF STAFF) DEPOSITION

Danbury Area Coalition for the Rights of Immigrants v.
U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security
3:06-cv-01992-RNC ( D. Conn. )

(02.25.08) Court docket

(10.24.07) Memorandum in Opposition to Defendant's Emergency Motion for Protective Order

(09.26.07) Press Release

(12.14.06) Complaint


Barrera v. Boughton, No. 07-01436
(D. Conn. filed Sept. 26, 2007)

(02.25.08) Court Docket

Amended complaint

Defendants' Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Subject Matter Jurisdiction

Defendants' Motion to Dismiss State Law Claims

Plaintiffs' Opposition to Motion to Dismiss

Order on Motion to Dismiss

Defendants' Answer to Amended Complaint

NEW HAVEN REGISTER: Immigrant's 2006 arrest was flawed Danbury mayor testifies

(10.05.07 (VIDEO) Boughton mislead the public about Danbury's involvement in raid

(09.18.07) Yale Law Students expose Danbury involvement in raid

(12.14.06) VIDEO: Interview with Yale Law Students at FOI presser

(12.14.06) VIDEO: Danbury 11 FOI complaint media roundup

City Clerk Jean Natale standing next to skinhead sparks outrage

(10.03.06) VIDEO: Danbury 11 rally

(09.29.06) VIDEO: Danbury 11 case deepens

Word of raid spread across the country

(09/29/06) VIDEO: Danbury 11 protest news conference

(09/29/06) Immigrant newspaper "El Canillita" gives best account of ICE day labor raid at Kennedy Park


trans_button Santos Family Story
VIDEO: Tereza Pereira's ordeal with ICE agents

VIDEO: Danbury Peace Coalition Immigration Forum (April 2006)
featuring Mayor Boughton and Immigration attorney Philip Berns

VIDEO: 2007 Stop the Raids immigration forum at WCSU

2007: Community protest anti-immigration forum

A tribute to Hispanic Center Director and immigrant activist Maria Cinta Lowe

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2023 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

Results:
11.15.23 Recanvass return
(Head Moderator Return Format)

11.07.23: Election night returns
(Head Moderator Return Format)

11.07.23: Initial returns


ESPOSITO FINANCE REPORTS:
Oct 10 2022
Jan 10 2023
Apr 10 2023
Jul 10 2023
Oct 10 2023

ALVES FINANCE REPORTS:
Apr 10 2023
Jul 10 2023
Oct 10 2023

CAMPAIGN SLATE DATABASE
Dem/GOP slate/ballot position

VIDEO: DRTC convention
VIDEO: DDTC conveniton


2021 (ALVES/ESPOSITO)

TOWN COMMITTEES
(VID) DDTC nomination convention
(PDF) DDTC campaign slate flyer

(VID) DRTC nomination convention
(PDF) DRTC campaign slate flyer

FORUMS/DEBATES
(VID) 2021 Danbury City-Wide PTO educational forum

CAMPAIGN FINANCE
First quarter
Alves Apr 10th SEEC filing

Second quarter
Alves Jul 10th SEEC filing
Esposito Jul 10th SEEC filing

Third quarter
Alves Oct 12th SEEC report
Esposito Oct 12th SEEC report

CAMPAIGN MAILERS
Alves "Jan 6th" attack mailer 10.21.21
Esposito "you can't trust Alves" attack mailer 10.20.21
Alves mailer 10.20.21
Alves mailer 09.30.21
Esposito mailer 09.28.21
Alves mailer 09.27.21
Esposito mailer 09.27.21


PAST CAMPAIGN COVERAGE

2005 (BOUGHTON/ESPOSITO)
Danbury 2005 election results
Newstimes Dean Esposito profile (10.25.05)

2007 (BOUGHTON/ABRANTES)
Danbury 2007 election results
(VID) Helana Abrantes TV ad
(VID) BRT tax deferral presser
(VID) Helena Abrantes "Community Forum" interview

2009 (BOUGHTON/GONCALVES)
Danbury 2009 election results
(VID) 2009 Danbury City-Wide PTO educational forum
(VID) 2009 Danbury Chamber of Commerce mayoral debate
(VID) 2009 DDTC nomination convention

2011 (BOUGHTON/TABORSAK)
Danbury 2011 election results
(VID) Saadi/Nero campaign kickoff

2013 (BOUGHTON/NO DTC ENDORSED CANDIDATE/MCALLISTER)
Danbury 2013 election results
(VID) 2013 DDTC nominaiton convention

2015 (BOUGHTON UNCHALLENGED)
Danbury 2015 election results

2017 (BOUGHTON/ALMEIDA)
Danbury 2017 election results
(VID) Al Almeida concession speech
(VID) 2017 Danbury City-Wide PTO educational forum
(VID) Al Almeida nomination acceptance speech

2019 (BOUGHTON/SETARO)
Danbury 2019 election results
(VID) 2019 NewsTimes Editorial Board interview with Mark Boughton and Chris Setaro
(VID) 2019 Danbury City-Wide PTO educational forum
(VID) 2019 Danbury Chamber of Commerce mayoral debate
(VID) 2019 convention endorsement speeches from Mark Boughton and Chris Setaro