Oh, the snow...

Friday, March 16, 2007
Time: 10:10 PM

Oh, what a day.

Sorry for the light posting but I've been dealing with assisting the national blogs by sharing my video highlights from Valerie Plame testimony to Congress today. What a perfect day for a snow-in...

Late in the afternoon, I jumped into my ride and took a trip around town to see the damage. Here's a quick videoclip of how awful the roads were on Main and White Street today.

Thank goodness for 4-wheel drive.

(note: I took the video with my small digital camera so the quality is kind of low)

I must be dreaming...

Thursday, March 15, 2007
Time: 7:28 PM


Are you kidding me?
NORTHERN FAIRFIELD-NORTHERN NEW HAVEN- WESTERN PASSAIC-ORANGE- PUTNAM- ROCKLAND-NORTHERN WESTCHESTER- 416 PM EDT THU MAR 15 2007

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM FRIDAY TO 8 AM EDT SATURDAY... ... WINTER STORM WATCH NO LONGER IN EFFECT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN UPTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM FRIDAY TO 8 AM EDT SATURDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

RAIN WILL CHANGE TO A MIXTURE OF SLEET AND SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT... EVENTUALLY TURNING TO ALL SNOW LATE. ONLY LIGHT SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED BY FRIDAY MORNING...BUT HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP FOR THE EARLY FRIDAY MORNING COMMUTE AS TEMPERATURES FALL BELOW FREEZING. A MODERATE TO OCCASIONALLY HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. THE SNOW MAY MIX WITH SLEET FRIDAY NIGHT. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW AND SLEET WILL RANGE FROM 8 TO 14 INCHES BEFORE ACCUMULATING SNOW ENDS SATURDAY MORNING.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW... SLEET... AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

NOTE: In case you were wondering, the radar image updates itself automatically.

What do Democratic State Rep. Bob Godfrey and Republican State Sen. David Cappiello have in common?


Time: 1:38 PM


Answer: They're both critical of Mayor Mark Boughton's early city budget proposal.

Now, remember when I pointed this out.
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.
And remember when I made this point...
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.
Now, rememeber to take that into consideration when you watch Democratic State Rep. Bob Godfrey detail the "folly" behind the early arrival of Mayor Mark Boughton's budget proposal as well as describe a conversation he had with Republican State Senator David Cappiello who called Boughton's budget "irresponsible."
I guess there is bi-partisanship in Connecticut afterall.

Okay, which description of Mayor Boughton's early budget proposal do you like better?


Which viewpoint do you agree with?
State Rep. Bob Godfrey characterization of the mayor's budget as a "folly"
State Senator David Cappiello's characterization of the mayor's budget as "irresponsible"
  
Free polls from Pollhost.com


Light posting

Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Time: 9:25 PM

Sorry the the lack of posts today but I'll make it up to you tomorrow.

I guess they'll connect anything to illegal immigration

Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Time: 4:29 PM

Taking a cue from Elise Marciano's xenophobic rhetoric, Bill O'Reilly has offically left the human race.

O'Reilly somehow makes a connection between the house fire in the Bronx last week that killed nine children and the mother of four of them, and illegal immigration.

MediaMatters has the infamous original file footage but in case you rather avoid the video, here's the transcript.

From the March 8 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:

O'REILLY: In the "Unresolved Problem" segment tonight, a new tactic by the pro-amnesty, open-border crowd: using children to demand sanctuary for illegal aliens.

In New York City, eight children were killed last night after a fire broke out in the Bronx. Twenty-two people were living in just two apartments, 17 of them children.

Those involved are from the West African nation of Mali and may be illegal aliens. The city of New York is a sanctuary city and does not give out that information.

Four New York City firefighters were hurt trying to save people in the blaze.

From the March 9 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:

O'REILLY: And then there is that terrible fire here in New York City, where eight children were killed, children of parents born in Mali, West Africa. Because New York is a sanctuary city that protects illegal aliens, The Factor cannot confirm whether or not all these children were in the USA legally.

What we can confirm is that 17 children were living in a rowhouse, along with five adults, that one of the men in the house had two wives -- one upstairs, one downstairs -- and that living conditions were chaotic and dangerous.

After our report last night, I received this letter from [viewer] in Houston. "O'Reilly, it was despicable to hear you question the status of those children. I was a big fan of yours but I'll never watch you again and urge others who feel compassion for immigrants not to watch you as well."

OK, [viewer], but here's the no-spin truth, so listen up. Your so-called compassion helped kill those children. They should have never been in that circumstance. If the authorities had investigated as they should have, those kids might be alive right now, legal or not.

It is against the law to overcrowd a dwelling. It is against the law to have two wives. If any one of those people were here illegally, that is another infraction. But New York City looks the other way. It doesn't want to know.

It is people like you, [viewer], who promote that kind of chaos in the name of compassion, who look the other way while poor workers and children are exploited by greedy landlords and businesses because you don't like the immigration laws.

Yeah, it's great to be compassionate sitting at home watching the tube. But for decades, our government has allowed people from all over the world to walk in here without supervision. That's why these children are dead -- because their chaotic situation was ignored by New York City authorities.

[...]

O'REILLY: I'm basically saying that we must get this situation of illegal immigration under control. The chaos is killing children. Go.

RIVERA: I think to draw -- to make the connection between illegal immigration and that horrific fire in the Bronx two days ago is an injustice to the victims of that fire. Why did they die?

There's no code violations that they found. There were no required, you know -- everything in the building so far --

O'REILLY: Twenty-two people in the house.

RIVERA: There were two batteries missing in the fire alarm.

O'REILLY: Twenty-two people in a house.

RIVERA: But, Bill, the status of the immigration is not relevant.

My legal nanny has children in school with three of those victims. It is the human cause. And if you --

O'REILLY: This is what you missed. I'm going to give you the last word. But this is what you missed. This is a sanctuary city. That means the authorities do not ask any questions about anybody's status or anybody's condition.

RIVERA: Bill, they're dead children, for God's sake, they're dead children.

O'REILLY: If they had been American children --

RIVERA: They'd still be dead children. It would still be heartbreaking.

O'REILLY: No, the authorities would have gone in and checked them out.

RIVERA: No, please. That's not so.

O'REILLY: Yes, it is.

RIVERA: You don't know that to be a fact.

O'REILLY: Yes, I do.

RIVERA: You don't --

O'REILLY: You know it is.

RIVERA: -- there are little babies dead. There are people -- mothers throwing babies out the window. They're dying. Falling onto the -- you've got to be compassionate, brother. You've got to be compassionate.

O'REILLY: Twenty-two people in a rowhouse. They don't let people do that.

RIVERA: You gotta take a step back and say, "Wait a second, this isn't about illegal immigration. This is about the human cost of a terrible tragedy."

O'REILLY: This is about a system --

RIVERA: Those firemen were crying. They were crying because the babies died.

O'REILLY: Four of the firemen were almost killed.

RIVERA: That's right.

O'REILLY: And that situation never should have existed. Never.

RIVERA: Please, I've covered poverty in this country for 35 years. I've seen legal poor people living under conditions far more squalid than that. That was a working family at a good school. You've gotta divorce their status from their victimization.

O'REILLY: They have to be supervised. And they weren't.






You know, if Bill O gained...oh lets say 500 pounds, wore cheap glasses, spread lies, misinformation, and complete b.s. (well, I guess he has that one covered), and let an obscene word "slip" out of his pathetic mouth, he could be Big T's twin (trust me, that's not a good thing).





Maybe this moron attended an United States Citizens for Immigration Law Enforcement meeting recently with the rest of the local whack pack...oh yes, that would explain everything.

UPDATE (03.14.07): My God, he's at it again...and on the day of the children's funeral.

Spokesperson fighting Hazelton ordinance speaks out at immigration forum

Monday, March 12, 2007
Time: 1:53 PM

Today marks the day when a controversial immigration ordinance in Hazelton PA will be the subject of federal court action.


Opponents of the ordinance, including the ALCU and Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund are challenging the city of Hazleton's illegal immigrant crackdown, which if found constitutional, will definitely set a precedent across the nation.


What does the Hazelton case have to do with Connecticut?


Quite simply, it's logical to assume that Danbury Republican Mayor Mark Boughton would consider adopting a similar ordinance (probably in late 2007-early 2008) since this is the same mayor who requested the Gov. Rell to allow Danbury to enter a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that would deputize the state and local police offices to enforce federal immigration laws. Anti-immigrant supporters in Danbury are aggressively lobbying city hall to adopt the ordinance if Hazelton prevails in their challenge. Trust me, the anti-immigration crowd are watching this case very closely which is why everyone should keep an eye on this case.


Recently at the Stop the Raids immigration forum, John Garcia, communications director for the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, who are part of the lawsuit, criticized the Hazelton ordinance. Garcia also challenged the anti-immigrant critics who shockingly didn't attend the forum opting instead to pull a phony photo-op for the press outside White Hall (although anti-immigrant xenophobe leader Elise Marciano was promised all the time she needed to challenge the facts presented by the members of the panel during the discussion portion of the forum).


We'll address the whole anti-immigrant cop-out at the forum later, for now, here's a video highlight of Garcia addressing the audience about the case.


(Note: I had to change tapes in the middle of Garcia's speech).
(Note 2: Although the video window is black, the file works so just hit play)

HI-RES Format: (click here).


Connecticut Opposes the War flashback: The Hartbeat Ensemble

Sunday, March 11, 2007
Time: 7:49 PM

(a crosspost from My Left Nutmeg)



Since were days away from the Connecticut Opposes the War anti-war rally, I've decided to use this week to post video highlights from last year's event.









From last year's rally at the Old State House, here's The Hartbeat Ensemble playing their special version of Jeopardy featuring Condoleeza Rice, Dick Cheney, Preseident Bush and his favorite Democratic senator, Joe Lieberman.





If you feel that this needless, idiotic war needs to come to an end, come to the rally on the 17th and add you voice to the thousands who share your opinion.





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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