A dozen Connecticut delegates, including Lt. Gov. Michael C. Fedele, State Chair Chris Healy and Rob Simmons were on hand to congratulate him. About the half the seats in the state delegation, however, were empty.

School has been open for a week and STA just can't get it right. Buses are late or just don't show up. Students are left waiting for late buses on the street and at schools. Classes are disrupted by late-arriving students. Parents are having their own work schedules disrupted and also are worried about the safety of their children -- with reason.

All STA offers are excuses and promises. Not enough drivers. Unfamiliar routes. We'll get better. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe next week.

[...]

The superintendent also has indulged in excuses and promises. A contract change, after being with one bus company for 18 years, should have come with concrete performance assurances. Pascarella obviously didn't get them.

The school board voted for the change, except for one member, Joan Hodge, who questioned whether STA could perform as promised.

The board and Pascarella meant well in trying to save money, but meaning well is not enough. In addition, more should have been done to ensure STA was ready for the first day of school. When it wasn't, the board and superintendent should not have been so passive as they watched what was being done to students, parents and teachers.

STA has failed to meet its contractual obligations, disrupted the education of students and endangered their safety. Will STA be held accountable?

Now that he's done, can someone turn to the f*cking Giants game!

A bar patron's reaction to David Cappiello's "this is my first time reading from a teleprompter" speech at Cappiello's watch party at Rosy Tomorrows.

[James Galante attorney] Keefe also submitted letters from then-Congresswoman Nancy Johnson and Danbury state Sen. David Capiello, the Republican congressional candidate for the 5th House District, extolling Galante's contributions to the community.

In addition to federal racketeering and tax fraud charges, Galante was charged with three counts of making illegal contributions to politicians and three counts of corrupt practices under state election law. Cappiello was one of the recipients of Galante's generosity.

"The truth about Dave Cappiello's relationship with James Galante won't get locked up in the prison cell with the convicted mobster," said Carrie James, regional press secretary at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "There's no way to hide the fact that David Cappiello has a close relationship with James Galante. Cappiello bestowed him with honors, took illegal campaign contributions and provided him with gifts in exchange."

[...]


* 2007 -- After a story broke about his PAC receiving Galante money, Cappiello lied about when he donated the money to charity. (Hartford Courant, October 13, 2007) (Associated Press State & Local Wire, October 12, 2007) (FEC.gov)

* 2007 -- Cappiello was Against New Plans to Regulate Refuse Industry. After Galante's indictment, Cappiello opposed proposals for licensing trash haulers. (Danbury News-Times, June 12, 2007)

* 2005 -- Cappiello and DeLuca were two of just three senators to oppose a bill to expand the state's bottle bill by also letting water bottles be redeemed for deposit. A massive lobbying effort then killed the bill in the House, led by Sullivan & LeShane. While they represented the beverage industry, they were also representing Galante companies, and this bill would have hurt his bottom line by reducing municipal reliance upon curbside recycling. Sullivan & LeShane have boasted how they have defeated this expansion of the bottle bill, beginning in 1999. (Connecticut Common Cause, September 27, 2005)

* 2004 -- Cappiello Voted Against Reforming "Evergreen" Contracts. One of the abusive features of Galante's company contracts were "evergreen" clauses, which he used in Connecticut even after such contracts had been outlawed in Westchester and New York City. In 2004, Cappiello voted in Judiciary Committee against SB 399, "An Act Concerning... Automatic Renewal of Consumer Contracts." (http://www.cga.ct.gov/2004/jfr/s/2004SB-00399-R00JUD-JFR.htm) (New York Times, August 12, 2001)

* 2002 -- Cappiello solicited James Galante to contribute $100,000 at a Red Cross Fundraiser that raised $117,000. Cappiello and DeLuca repeatedly worked together in soliciting and honoring Galante; both were members of the "Italian-American Legislative Caucus."

* 2002 -- Cappiello took $15,000 in illegally funneled money from Galante for his State Senate PAC. Cappiello spent $202 at Danbury wine & liquor to thank Galante with "bottles of wine or champagne" (Hartford Courant, October 12, 2007) (Politico.com, November 5, 2007) (Hartford Courant, October 12, 2007)

* 2002 -- Italian American Legialtive Caucus, of which Cappiello is Treasurer, gives Galante its highest award. The ceremony was held in a room off the legislative chambers, just over two years after Galante had served time in Prison for tax evasion. (Danbury News-Times, 3/29/02) (Hartford Courant, 9/19/99)

B.C.: Last year, according to the numbers, you spent 104 thousand dollars...according to this report, 104,257 dollars. Now the city gave you 75,000 dollars which is about 75 percent of your budget. What other revenues did you receive? Did you make money on the show?

T.C.: There were some ticket sales, some very small sponsorships?

B.C.: Can you give us a listing of what income you had.

T.C.: I don't have that listing of that with me? But I was...

B.C.: Can you provide a copy of that?

T.C.: ...when I was doing this reporting to the ad-hoc committee on the 75,000 spent, so I'm not really prepared for that, and I'm not sure of that part of my reporting to the ad-hoc committee.

Will the 75,000 dollar investment be worth it?

Will there really be over 5,000 people attending the films?

Will the festival bring in the projected revenue for the area as promised?