Upcoming posts

Saturday, April 21, 2007
Time: 5:50 PM

Since it's Danbury clean-up day, I've decided to take the day off from blogging and get my basement cleaned up (the rain did a number of my storage and I had to throw a number of items out).

Here's a quick list of some upcoming posts:
1. Last night, I made the trip up to Hartford and attended the Democratic State Central's annual Jefferson Jackson Bailey fundraiser and I'll provide a full report of the event (including the usual video).

2. Seems like the drum beat against Mayor Boughton's decision to do the budget process a month early is getting louder and I'll examine the latest round of criticism.

3. Oh, we haven't forgotten about the Dunkin' Donuts nonsense. I'll go into the latest in this idiotic situation.

4. There will be some guest posts popping up on the site pretty soon. I'll get into this later.

5. "People over politics or politics over the people." We'll report and you decide.

6. Tons of new videos are added to the site and wait till you see what I unearthed in my video vault.

I like to take a quick moment to thank all wonderful readers who emailed me recently regarding the HatCityBLOG flyers around town. For those who found this site from the flyers, let me say welcome to my site and feel free to look around. If there is anything in particular that you're looking for, please use the search tool on the upper right hand of this site.

Read, watch, learn, and pass the word.

Bloggers at the Capitol series: Energy reform and conservation

Friday, April 20, 2007
Time: 11:40 AM




The next part of the "Bloggers at the Capitol" series focuses on energy reform and conservation in Connecticut.

For those who don't know, last month a groups of bloggers met with several top Democratic legislators at the Capitol and had the opportunity to had a question them over a wide variety of issues that are on the minds of the public. As many people know, people in Connecticut are now paying the highest electric rates in the country. In the following videoclip, State Rep Steve Fontana (D-87th Dist.), chairman of the Energy Technology committee details how state legislators are attempting to tackle this issue as well as other numerous energy problems in the state.

In my small (and rare) cameo appearance, I ask Rep. Fontana what the state is doing in terms of promoting conservation, primarily educating the public about the inefficiency of incandescent lightbulds and the benefits of using compact florescent bulbs.






Details of the bill State Rep. Fontana discussed, H.B. 7098, can be viewed here.

You can view older parts of the series below:

Part 1: Education.

Part 2: Health care.

BREAKING NEWS: Jim Himes files to run against Shays, Liveblog today at 1:30 pm

Thursday, April 19, 2007
Time: 8:55 AM

I think Chris Shays has a problem on his hands.
An announcement fresh off the griddle, Greenwich DTC Chair Jim Himes has just announced that he's filed to run in 2008 against Chris Shays in the 4th CD.


What's more, he's agreed to come by My Left Nutmeg on his first day as a candidate to talk with Connecticut voters and activists to share his thoughts on the upcoming campaign, talk about his professional and public service experience, and answer questions about his goals as Connecticut's next Democratic Congressman!


Jim will be joining us from 1:30 to 2:30pm, and I'd like to encourage lurkers and first-time-visitors to register with the site to participate in the liveblog event: it's free, but it usually takes 15 minutes or so for your password to arrive, so you might want to sign up early to avoid disappointment.

Make sure to check out My Left Nutmeg and check out the preson who's going to hand Shays his pink slip.

News-Times faces more criticism


Time: 8:42 AM

The drumbeat grows...
If you missed Geraldo Rivera’s dust-up last week with Bill O’Reilly, you don’t know what you’re missing. Rivera, normally a fellow good soldier for Rupert Murdoch’s Fox propaganda machine, actually called out O’Reilly for trying to score cheap political points by linking the death of two Virginia teenagers to the debate about illegal immigration (the driver of the truck that plowed into the girls’ car was in the country illegally, and was allegedly drunk). The heated argument saw Geraldo (who once revealed American troop locations in Afghanistan), smack-down O’Reilly with a simple, “It has nothing to do with illegal aliens; it has to do with drunk driving.”

Incredibly, a similar argument has erupted locally, in the comments section of the Danbury News-Times. Log on to read about how 30-year-old Laudermilson Teixeirawas was arrested for stabbing his 33-year-old roommate, and you can read some of the most hateful trash the internet has to offer this side of Ann Coulter’s blog. Neither Teixeirawas nor his victim were in this country legally, it appears, which in the minds of the anonymous xenophobes of Danbury, renders them inhuman, too. We won’t dignify to reprint the hate put forth by the likes of “JoeyJoeJoeJrShabadoo,” but it is interesting to see how the sewage that a guy like O’Reilly spouts filters down to the knuckledragger level.
It's also interesting how racist comments from the likes of bottomfeeders like JoeyJoe are even published in the first place...but this is expected from a newspaper that stubbornly refuses to report on local government news, palces knee-jerking headlines such as "IMMIGRANT SLAIN" (as if there the victim is not a normal human being), and willfully contributes to the "low-information voter" mentality (to the glee of the mayor and Republican-controlled Common Council).

Go take a read at the hated yourself...you gotta love Big T's audience. (note: Online Editor Elizabeth Putman has removed some of the more disgusting comments as of Thurs @ 9:00 AM).

Blame the Virginia Tech shooting on...immigration?

Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Time: 3:37 PM

More proof that members of the anti-immigrant movement are completely NUTS.

Thank goodness there are people like Keith Olbermann who has no problem bringing these morons to the public's attention.
What's next, an irresponsible, toothless, bigoted local cable show host will allow a "rumored" plan about FIREBOMBING THE HISPANIC CENTER to be broadcast on the air and not punish the coward bigot who made the statement?

idiots.

To the only person who will understand this post


Time: 1:04 PM

You were correct (technically) and I lose the bet. I'll pay up the next time I see you.

I still can't believe it's been five years...

Still pumping...


Time: 11:35 AM

Wow, I'm STILL dealing with my basement..seems like the lawn is really saturated with water and it's seeping back into my basement. For the most part, the basement is dry but I don't want to deal with any mold problems so I'm keeping an eye on things.

I'm probably be back to posting later today...

Still pumping out the basement

Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Time: 8:50 AM

Don't know if I'll have time to post anything today as I'm still dealing with my flooded basement.

Unreal...

Light posting

Monday, April 16, 2007
Time: 12:36 PM

Wow, that storm was something else.

Posting will be light today...I'm spending the day pumping the water out of my basement (I hope someone is taking care of Mrs. Mitchell basement).

Maria Cinta Lowe: She didn't back down

Sunday, April 15, 2007
Time: 12:25 PM


Well I won't back down, no I won't back down
you could stand me up at the gates of hell
but I won't back down

Gonna stand my ground, won't be turned around
and I'll keep this world from draggin' me down
gonna stand my ground and I won't back down


Hey baby, there ain't no easy way out
hey I will stand my ground
and I won't back down

Well I know what's right, I got just one life
in a world that keeps on pushin' me around
but I'll stand my ground and I won't back down

I just ran across this article regarding Maria Cinta Lowe, former head of the Hispanic Center (you know, that place rumored to be FIREBOMBED according to the hate-mongers on BigT's profanity-laced, moronic, bigoted cable show that should be ripped off the air A.S.A.P).

I thought this piece would be of interest for those who only hear the misinformation, lies and distortions from the anti-immigrants who don't like Lowe because she stood up for those who were too intimidated by the voices of hate to stand up for themselves.
Spring 2007 marks 35 years of community service for Maria-Cinta Lowe, a long-term Danbury resident and community leader. Born in Tortosa, Spain, she attended Teacher’s College before coming to the United States with her husband. She has lived in Connecticut for thirty-six years, is the mother of five children, grandmother of 12, and boasts one great-grandchild. Maria-Cinta has worked on behalf of Latino immigrants, both professionally as well as on a volunteer basis and is perhaps best known in the public eye for her professional affiliation as Executive Director of the Hispanic Center of Greater Danbury, a position she held from 1990 to 2007.

But her community work and activism started long before that. Beginning in 1972, Lowe began translating her goals and beliefs into action. Teaching and tutoring Spanish-speaking individuals learning English or helping them to prepare for the GED were contributions that spoke to her strong belief in the power of education to help individuals realize their potential.

Lowe first became involved with the Hispanic Center through its summer programs. Established in 1967, early on the Center was more like a civic group for co-ethnics to meet and to feel connected to their roots. But Danbury’s Latino community grew steadily, coming from Puerto Rico and other U.S. places, from war-torn El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua in the 1970s-80s, from economically devastated Mexico, South and Central America in 1990s-2000s, and the mission began to shift. Lowe has seen the change in focus to more language instruction, citizenship education, job-seeking skills, and immigrants’ rights advocacy.

Throughout her career, Lowe has remained a volunteer and activist in other areas, especially that of children’s rights, education, and childcare. She has worn many hats - from the municipal level - including the Danbury School District’s Board of Education meetings and working with special education and ESL coordinators – to the non-profit sector. She has worked with various state and local agencies, among them Danbury-based Children First, a local non-profit dedicated to early childhood issues. Always, she maintains a firm commitment to working at the grassroots level – working with parents’ groups and one-on-one with individual families and students.

The organizations that Ms. Lowe works with today reflect the diversity in her values and commitments – as a civic-minded community leader, as an advocate for immigrants and for children, and perhaps most strongly, her passion for human and civil rights, especially the protection of newly-arrived immigrants.

She is an active board member for: Community Relations Board of the Danbury Federal Correction Institution; the Danbury ConnCAP Collaborative; Community Health Center Board; Community Development Board; CAUSA (CT Assoc. of United Spanish Agencies); Danbury Health and Housing Partnership; GDCCU (Greater Danbury Coalition for a Community United); Blue Ribbon Commission on Immigrants; and DACORIM (Danbury Area Coalition for the Rights of Immigrants).

She is also an advisory member of ASPIRA (An investment in Puerto Rican/Latino youth, Bridgeport, CT); The Latino Scholarship; Regional Commission Child Care Rights and Abuse; and Habitat for Humanity.
Lowe is type of individual thats rarely see nowadays in our country. Never one to hold back her feelings, Lowe has been a symbol of immigrant rights in Danbury (to the displeasure of those who rather immigrants be silenced) for years and was recently thrown under the bus by those who wanted her to STFU.

Lowe's strength and determination in the face of blind racism and bigotry that has infested are area should be admired and I'm sure we haven't heard the last from her as the fight against the anti-immigrant community continues.

As a bonus for those who only know about Lowe from those who simply hated her because she wouldn't bow down to the anti-immigrant b.s., here's a video clip of Lowe's offering her support at last year's immigrant-rights march.
...developing.

Once again, anti-immigrant bigots pollute the News-Times


Time: 11:46 AM

From today's News-Times:
Police investigate murder in Danbury
At 2:11 a.m. today, Danbury police responded to a 911 call about an assault with a knife at 89 East Liberty St.

When they arrived, they found a dead male.

"We are pursuing active leads," Lt. Edward Lopes said.

The state medical examiner is on the scene.

Now, read this...
Posted by: ccp1987 Sun, Apr 15 2007
just what this city needs.
hopefully its an illegal so they can deport him(her)
Why does Geraldo Rivera's comment come to mind?

So lets see, somewhere in Danbury, a family is in mourning over the loss of a love one and the only thing that comes to the minds of the xenophobes is connecting this crime to illegal immigration. Not only is this classless, it's also heartless, disgusting, and just plain idiotic and just gives further insight into the mind of the bigots in the area.

Hopefully when the Connecticut Post takes over, they'll take a look at the comments section as a whole, do the right thing and rid the city of the feature altogether. They should go back to the old format of reader interaction directed to the forums and place the hate-mongers back where they belong.

UPDATE: Watch this case as the anti-immigrants zealots attempt to make the feeble arguement that this single individual crime reinforces their bigoted view that "illegals" are ruining Danubry.

Maybe I should give Geraldo's producer a phonecall.

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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