2008 State of the City address round-up

Friday, December 19, 2008
Time: 2:41 PM

Boughton_SOTC2008_03

This post will be dedicated to today's State of the City Address


NOTE: For those looking for the video footage from the address, the file is still uploading. Due to the large size of the file, it will take some time for YouTube to process everything so please hold tight. The video should be available for viewing by Saturday morning.

Well, that was an interesting ride home. Took me 50 minutes to get from Mill Plain Road to Main Street. Now that I'm home, I'll get to work processing the video from today's state of the city address.

There were some rather interesting developments today.
  • Topping the list is not who's Mark Boughton's new chief of staff, but who's his new Director of Economic Development.

    Former News-Times publisher Wayne Sheppard will fill the position of Chief of Staff while, State Senator Mike McLachlan will take over as Director of Economic Development. What's interesting about McLachaln taking this role with the city is multi-fold.

    First: I think I'm correct in stating that it was McLachlan who stated in the press that he would serve as State Senator exclusively. McLachlan, Sheppard, and Boughton should be questioned immediately about when this deal was made as well as whether or not McLachlan was being straight forward with voters during the campaign.

    Second: as being, in essence, a person who has the sell the city to businesses, you can easily foresee a situation where there would be a conflict of interest between his role as State Senator and someone who to trying to promoting economic development in Danbury.

    Lastly: (and most importantly) the people who make up the 26th 24th district should be concerned that McLachlan will have Danbury's interest first over the interest of the other towns that make up the district in terms of attracting businesses to areas besides Danbury.

  • The city of Danbury is taking the steps to acquire the Transfer Station on White Street.

    There will be a special meeting of the Common Council where they will discuss this matter; what's strange is that it seemed that members of the council were just informed about this special meeting today. If they are required to vote on anything, YOU should be concerned as there doesn't seem to be a great deal of information about how the city is going to operate this facility (or more importantly, the COST involved in running this facility).

  • The economy WILL have on major impact on this year's budget. Although the mayor stated that he would not increase property taxes, sewer and water rates, as well as announced that he has not called for any layoffs (and stated that he has no plans to layoff anyone when question at the Community Forum), the question remains, with the economy going into the toilet, unemployment on the rise, number of building permits in Danbury on the decline, and the cost of living increasing, HOW will Boughton be able to juggle everything since his projected numbers from 2007 were off due to the economic crisis.

  • Recycled several points such as tackling the homeless problem, although his proposal for the homeless in 2007 didn't come to reality (more on that later), open space, crime rate, and etc, etc.

In short, Boughton is taking a rather ambitious plan to take over the transfer station while offering few details when it come to details (besides creating a Danbury Solid Waste Authority). In terms of the station, although is sounds like a good idea, MUCH MUCH more details need to be presented so the public can have a full picture in terms of what the city is getting into. Boughton, Sheppard, and McLachlan should answer questions about the re-shuffling of the deck. If McLachlan went back on his word, then he could face some rather harsh criticism.




WTNH News Report

Now, before watching the clip, a little background.

The interview WTNH conducted with Mayor Boughton happened before his state of the city address when the audience were eating their lunch and we in the press were freaking out over the amount of snow that just started to drop. The interview with Boughton in the clip was the SECOND (and VERY brief) interview they did with him...the first interview was conducted in the hallway and took...oh, I would say about 7-10 minutes (once again, I know this because I was walking back and forth checking the snow and getting rather worried that I was going to stuck at the hotel (if anyone knows that particular hotel's driveway, then you understand).

In short, ALL the footage of Boughton during the first interview in on the WTNH's cutting room floor and in exchange, the focus of the interview has to do with the ONLY subject Boughton is known for...illegal immigration.

Why is this of note? Because, as Boughton launches his next (and probably last) it's apparent that the topic of illegal immigration will be the albatross over his legacy...and depending on where you stand, Boughton will be remembered as a illegal immigration enforcement champion or an anti-immigrant bigot whose actions created an almost irreparable racial division in a city once known for it's diversity.

Also of note, listen to Boughton (or as WTNH called him "BOUGHT") as he, once again, tries to make the tired old argument that Illegal immigration was the TOP priority in the country. This is a LIE as EVEY single poll in the last two years CLEARLY showed illegal immigration down the list, not even coming close to other topics such as the war, health care, and of course...the economy.

Here's a challenge...lets see if the city has the guts to ever do a cost analysis on EXACTLY how much it would cost the city to fully implement 287G. I mean everything which includes training, purchasing of new equipment, access to the federal database, etc. You can crunch the numbers in your head but I'll just say that IT WILL COST A GOOD CHUNCK OF CHANGE...and this for a city that the mayor proudly states is one of the safest cities in the country.

Food for thought.






Mayor Boughton state of the city address




Honorable Mark D. Boughton
State of the City 2008
December 19, 2008

Thank you and I would like to thank each of you for being here today.

Congratulations are in order for Richard Steiner and his family for running an outstanding organization. The Steiner family, and the Steiner companies have been among the leaders of the Danbury business community for decades and have improved the quality of life for residents throughout the greater Danbury area.

I would like to acknowledge all of our dedicated elected officials who are here today. Danbury works because we all work together regardless of party affiliation for the betterment of our city and our community.

Joining us here today are:

We are also joined by members of the Common Council.

I would also like to recognize our Judge of Probate Dianne Yamin.

In addition, I would also like to recognize members of our state delegation that are here today.

I would also like to thank and recognize our team of dedicated city administrators and department heads for their work in making Danbury a better place.

I would like to thank Steve Bull and Harry Carey and the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce for putting this event together.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to report to you today that City of Danbury is in strong financial shape, maintaining the highest credit and bond ratings in our city's history.

Due to the hard work your finance department, this year Moody's has increased our bond rating based on our sound financial practices, and Fitch is considering an increase in our bond rating as well.

As I speak to you here today, Danbury is maintaining the lowest unemployment rate in the State of Connecticut.

We were just rated the safest city in Connecticut.

Our taxes continue to be some of the lowest in the state and our sewer and water rates continue to be 100% below the state average.

While a downturn in the residential real estate market has turned into a fuH blown economic crisis, Danbury continues to be a desirable place to raise a family. Our business community continues to meet the current economic challenges head on.

There are, unfortunately, storm clouds on the horizon. The State of Connecticut is experiencing unprecedented economic challenges.

With a projected deficit of 6 billion dollars over the next two years, the state deficit will result in severe cuts in state aid which will have an impact on our locat budget and wiH impact our ability to deliver services to our community.

In light of the economic uncertainty, I have already taken several steps to help mitigate the pending crisis. I have already implemented a spending freeze and a hiring freeze for all non-essential personnel. I have banned all out-of-state travel for training, and have begun to review the assignment of vehicles and cell phones.

Through attrition, we have eliminated approximately 10 positions in City government, and the Board of Education has announced an early retirement incentive program that will enable us to restructure some of the delivery of educational services.

We have begun an assessment of our public improvement projects to see is we can delay some those projects while we wait for more favorable economic conditions.

We have also included some 50 million dollars worth of public improvement projects in our request to the incoming Obama administration for funding in the anticipated economic stimulus program.

I n the meantime, the rest of our public improvement projects are moving forward, some highlights include:

The new Police Station which will be open and fully operational May 1, 2009, approximately 5 months ahead of schedule.

We have completed the rebuilding of three new bridges, one on Rose Hill, and two on Padanaram Rd.

The brand new Ellsworth Ave. Elementary School will be open in the fall of 2009.

We are rebuilding several fields and adding a new multi-purpose field in Rogers Park.

We are in the process of adding open space and acquired the development rights to Taylor Family farm in the Great Plain area.

We also have completed a number of projects that have added value to our community..

Paving and drainage work has been completed throughout the city.

A cut through has been completed for the residents of Pocono Lane.

The widening and streetscape of White Street has been completed.

We have completed and presented to the Veterans of this City a new building called Veterans Hall in Rogers Park.

We are also in the process of development of a strategic plan bV a task force designed to assess our Main Street and work closely with City Center. The Main Street Renaissance Task Force, led by John Kline, has helped us look at our Main Street in an objective fashion and will help us formulate a lasting strategy for its long term success.

The Danbury Schools 2020 Task force has begun its work and will formulate a strategic plan that will engage our community and corporate partners. Chaired by Rosty Siabicky and Janis Reid, we are in the process of designing an educational system that will meet the needs of the 21st century and will be cost effective and efficient.

We have started the process to update and revise our City Charter.

This administration has accomplished much over the last several years and f am proud of its record.

I am also excited and energized by the prospects of another year in office. Yes we have challenges, but we also have so much to be proud of.

I am proud of our rich multi-cultural community that celebrates me and recognizes the importance of each person in Danbury.

I am proud of our elected officials, both Democrats and Republicans; they are committed to putting the needs of our city and its residents first.

I am proud of arts community, the strong growth of the ives Authority, as well as a successful first run of the Connecticut Film Festival.

We experienced successful Nutmeg Games, hosted in our city and are gearing up for another successful summer games for 2009.

We have a University that is the flagship of the State University system, and is once again having a record year in terms of applications for enrollment and has secured funding for a multi-million dollar performing arts center on the west side campus.

We have a first class Hospital providing outstanding care to our residents.

We have a growing and diverse faith based community that has become strong care providers and partners with the city to help those who are the most challenged in our community.

This year we saw the opening of two facilities that serve the disadvantaged of our community. The Samaritan Center located on Rose Street, and the nmn located on Maple Ave.

We have a first class effort to address the issue of homelessness in Danbury.

In our community we did not wait for an economic crisis to address the issue of homelessness, we were deep into the implementation of our Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness before the economic downturn took place.

That's why we have reduced chronic homelessness in the area, and are putting new housing units on line for those among us who face the crisis of being without a home,

With the assistance of the V.A. and our local Housing Partnership team, we have created a new program called Housing for Heroes to help homeless veterans off the streets and into new housing opportunities.

I would like to thank Mark Nolan and the Danbury Housing Partnership for their dedication and their commitment to our city's homeless population. They are doing remarkable work. Their work has been recognized across the State of Connecticut and across the country as model for other communities to emulate.

We have engaged our seniors by tapping into their wealth of experience and Knowledge for the betterment of Danbury by encouraging them to donate their time to the city or their favorite non-profit in exchange for a credit on their property taxes.

While I am proud of our community, I also recognize that we do have challenges and just as you have grown to expect from this administration, we will meet them head on.

The economy is our number one challenge moving forward into 2009 and beyond. While we have taken strong measures to address expenditures in city government, we will still be challenged by falling revenues.

As many of you are aware, over the last several years, the waste hauling industry in Western Connecticut and as well as Eastern New York has been subject to a federal investigation regarding its business practices. The investigation was sweeping and far reaching, resulting in many indictments of people and companies.

The investigation has been completed and most of the assets of the companies in question were seized by the federal government. Those assets will be auctioned off by the United States Marshall Service sometime in the next several months.

The most important part of the seized assets for our region is the Transfer Station located at 307 White Street. The Transfer Station handles approximately 120,000 tons or 95% of the trash generated per year from our region. It is a critical component for the delivery of trash disposal services in the greater Danbury area.

Over the last several months, the Housatonic Resource Recovery Authority, our regional trash authority, has been pursuing public ownership of the facility, It has become evident to the Authority that it would b€ too difficult for the 11 towns in the region to acquire the facility.

It also became dear to the Authority and become dear to myself, that the City of Danbury would be uniquely positioned to acquire the Transfer Station, and ultimate.ly to operate it.

Since early September, I have been working with our legal team and our consultants, Malcolm Pirnie, to determine the economic viability of the Transfer Station, and to make revenue projections for the future.

Based on our preliminary assessment, I am reporting to you today that the Transfer Station is viable, and more importantly, could provide a significant revenue stream for the City of Danbury.

Today, I am proposing that the City of Danbury create the Danbury Solid Waste Authority to oversee operations at the Transfer Station, I am proposing that the City of Danbury, and the newly created Authority acquire the site and the facility to protect and preserve the waste disposal system we have in place.

Since the City of Danbury and the Authority will be assuming all of the risk, it is only fitting that we will be keeping all of the revenue generated at the facility.

Ladies and Gentleman, we wiH turn Danbury's Trash into Cash.

Cash that in the future, could help balance our budget, fund our schools, clean our streets, and provide much needed property tax relief to our homeowners.

At a special meeting this morning, HRRA has adopted a resolution that endorses the City of Danbury's proposal.

I am also thankful to Congressman Murphy for endorsing Danbury's effort to place the Transfer Station in public ownership.

I am calling for a special meeting of our Common Council for Monday Dec. 22°cl at 7:00 PIVI where I will ask the Council to begin the process of acquiring the Transfer Station. As I speak to you today, the notices of the special meeting are being delivered to our Council members.

Aside from the revenue that will be generated to provide property tax relief, there are other equally important reasons to have the Transfer Station under public ownership.

Equal access to the site is critical to the operations of the many haulers who operate within the area. Equal access will provide a level playing field to all haulers so that consumers will benefit from lower pricing in a competitive marketplace.

Having a citizen panel of Danbury residents to oversee the general operation of the facility will ensure that there is transparency of its operations.

Flow control, the direction of the trash stream, will finally be enforced in the HRRA region.

Public ownership will ensure that the City of Danbury's Mom and Pop Recycle Center continues to operate unimpeded for the benefit of the taxpayers of Danbury.

Public ownership over a period of time w1l1 result in lower costs to our residents by lowering tip fees to the haulers.

In light of the federal government's allegations regarding unfair competition in the market place, I believe that the only solution to restoring competition and to ensure that. another situation does not arise that restricts an open market place is that t.he City of Danbury, through the Danbury Solid Waste Authority, runs the Transfer Station.

Putting the dollars generated from our trash generated by the residents of Danburv, back into the hands of the taxpayers and businesses of Danbury, is the right thing to do.

Acquisition of the site wii! be difficult and challenging. This is a complex operation that involves many players. I also recognize that these are difficult economic times. We will place site acquisition of the a Transfer Station as well as capital work that must be completed at the facility at the top of our funding request from the Incoming Obama Administrations economic stimulus plan.

Since this is a regional facility, we will also appeal to the State of Connecticut for funding assistance as well as assistance with the various permitting fees.

The City of Danbury and HRRA are once again appealing to the federal government to work in a cooperative fashion with us to sell the Transfer Station for a minimal fee to the Danbury Solid Waste Authority.

But make no mistake.

Because public ownership off the Transfer Station is critical to ensuring that there is a place to sort our trash and recycling materials for the future for the 11 towns in our region,

Because the residents and businesses of Danbury have been harmed by over paying for services for years and have been victimized by unfair competition in the market place and deserve the revenues that are generated at the facility,

The City of Danbury will use every tool in its tool box to ensure that there IS public ownership of the Transfer Station.

The City is also entertaining two interesting land proposals on the west side of the Danbury. One proposal is for the purchase of by the city of 200 acres of open space bordering New York State and Joe's Hill Road, and the second is a development proposal for the 13 acres of city owned land along Old Ridgebury Rd.

The open space parcel is one of the most desirable in the city including what was the former Farrington compound now owned by AIG. There are several buildings on the property that could be used for the Arts as well as the Danbury Land Trust. Sanford's Pond, and the head waters of the Still River, is located within approximately 200 acres of pristine woodlands.

The second proposal includes a 400 seat independent film theater as well as 5000 square feet of flexible space dedicated to the city to host various film production efforts in the area.

As many of you are aware, Danbury has become a sort of mecca for film makers. Having flexible space for film production will help us market the city as a desirable location to make a film.

In addition, shops and a small outdoor performance center will be available for intimate performances.

A land lease would be required to use our land, and the dollars generated from the lease could be used to leverage the borrowing necessary for the acquisition of the open space owned by AiG. in addition, jobs would be created, as well as much needed tax revenue for the City.

While acquiring the Transfer Station for the region, and open space for the City are important, the issue first and foremost on our residents mind is the economy.

The City will do everything it can to keep property taxes at their current level. We will do everything we can to keep sewer and water rates at their current level.

This coming budget season, we will have to make some difficult and tough decisions. Our next budget will reflect a retrenchment of our basic services. It will be painful, but it is necessary as we manage the economic downturn.

We will also work closely with the Chamber of Commerce and the our own office of Economic Development to conduct a job fair in the spring for our residents, as weI! as partner with Westconn to conduct economic literacy programs for our residents.

We will continue to address the issue of homelessness in the City and in light of the economic crisis accelerate our efforts.

We will work to give our residents a hand up during these difficult times. We wi!! support and care for our brothers and sisters in need.

Over the years as mayor, I have been blessed with a great staff. This year! am sad to lose Michael McLachlan. Mike has done an outstanding job as chief of staff. Mike is moving OF! to be the next State Senator from the 24th District and will be moving on to a different role for the City of Danbury.

Today I am proud to announce that Wayne Shepperd, our current Director of Economic Development will assume the role of chief of staff. I am excited to work with Wayne. He has been a mentor to me (as to most of you in the room) over the years and he will do a terrific job.

Michael McLachlan will move to Wayne's position as the new Director of Economic Development. The position will be reduced to 15 hours per week. I honored and excited that Mike has agreed to take on this new role for Danbury. He brings an incredible amount of knowledge and skill to Danbury.

Congratulations to both Michael and Wayne.

I also want to take a moment to wish our new President Barack Obama, the best as he is sworn in next month and embarks on the first 100 days of his administration. He will need all of our support as he faces many difficult challenges and many difficult decisions.

Being mayor of the City of Danbury has been the highest honor for me. 1 am humbled each day that I walk in the office.

I am honored by your faith and the support that you have shown me over the years. I appreciate the feedback that many of you have shared with me.

Ladies and Gentleman, I am proud to report to you that Danbury is blessed with a strong economy. Danbury has a stable and responsive government and a compassionate and caring people.

We are a community of people from all over the world, dedicated to making this city an outstanding place to live, work, and be educated in.

In this holiday season, we need to express our faith to one another. We need to show faith in America, faith in our economy, faith in our leaders, and faith in our families.

As we move through the business of our day, let us all remember just how lucky we are. We are lucky to live in this wonderful community.

Let us renew our faith in our purpose, let us vow to continue the fight to renew our community, house by house, street by street, block by block.

These are tough times, but let us not forget, America is the shining star of our planet. We are the last best hope on earth. We will endure these times and we will continue to share the American experience.

Thank you for coming on this snowy day.

Happy Holidays to you and your families.

God Bless you and may God Bless America.

Cappiello lands new job with state GOP; doesn't rule out running for Congress again in 2010


Time: 11:18 AM

Well, that didn't take long.
State Sen. David Cappiello, whose legislative term expires next month, has been hired by the Senate Republicans as a senior policy analyst.

Cappiello, who served on the budget-writing appropriations committee for the past 10 years and knows the intricacies of state finances better than anyone in the GOP caucus, will be helping out on the budget as lawmakers try to close a projected gap of $6 billion over the next two years in the "current services'' budget.

The state is also facing a projected budget gap of more than $350 million in the current fiscal year, and Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell has called a special session for Friday, January 2 to close the gap.

"I'll be helping our caucus,'' Cappiello told Capitol Watch on Thursday, adding that he will be formulating policy on issues.

As for him running again in 2010...
Cappiello has not made any decisions about a rematch with Murphy, but he said, "I'm not ruling out running again.''

Senate GOP leader John McKinney said that Cappiello's campaign was hindered by a huge turnout for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and that Cappiello did not carry his hometown of Danbury. That would not happen again in two years, McKinney said, when Obama is not on the ballot.

...that McKinney makes me laugh being so optimistic about Cappiello's chances and all. I'd be very surprised if Cappiello gets the nomination in '10. His performance in the last campaign was anything but impressive and there are plenty of other Republicans who would consider throwing their hats into the race (including the possibility a certain mayor from Danbury).

State of the City open thread


Time: 9:21 AM

This will be an open thread for today's State of the City address.

I'll be videotaping the address and should have the video posted by mid-afternoon.

Speculations:



  • 1. The word at City Hall is that Community Services Coordinator, Ted "you're doing a heck of a job" Cutsumpas Wayne Sheppard will be named Mayor Boughton's new Chief of Staff. Based on the response from mayor at the last Community Forum two weeks ago, it seems like Cutsumpas' Sheppard's pay rate will be lower than McLachlan as well as his responsibilities.


  • 2. Speculation on how the city will handle grant agencies might come up in the speech.


  • 3. With the economy being the number one priority on the minds of most Americans (and the fact that the state is in dire straits), expect the mayor to talk about the state of the city in terms of it's financial stability. With the prospect of the state providing aid to Danbury a remote possibility, next year's budget is going to be rather difficult.


  • 4. With his open space pledge being one of his priorities in his speech last year, expect an update on his progress (i.e., Taylor Farm).


  • 5. Expect Boughton to talk about Danbury being named the one of the safest cities in the country (which doesn't explain his desire for 287g, but that's another matter).


Has Boughton kept his promises...you decide


When it comes to ANY politicians, you have to question EVERYTHING you hear. That being said, here's video footage of Mayor Boughton's State of the City addresses from the last two years

Has he lived up to his promises? You decide, we'll do the back tracking later...

Dec 2006 (SOTC Speech for 2007)

(See original post and text of the speech by clicking here)

Part 1:


Part 2:


Dec 2007 (SOTC Speech for 2008)

Off the grid

Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Time: 4:52 PM

Sorry, I'm gonna have to take myself off the grid for the next 24 hours. I'm knee deep in two very difficult papers that are making me pull my hair out.

The first paper (10-15 pages) is focused on Henry James' depiction of the clash of American and European cultures in the story "Daisy Miller" while the second (4-8 pages) is about Toni Morrison's use of "the disembodied voice" in her latest novel entitled "a mercy"

In other words, I'm FREAKING OUT as both papers are due tomorrow and I've been wrapping my head around this stuff for the last two weeks. It's not like I don't know the material (in fact, I'm a rather big fan of Morrison and James), it's that writing 10-19 pages of stuff isn't the easiest thing in the world...especially when you have to present an argument as well as facts from other sources that back up your argument.

...what the hell am I doing, I should be writing my papers as opposed to writing here. Just wanted to give everyone a heads-up on why the site hasn't been updated in a while.

UPDATE: Okay, real quick (but only because you guys were asking.

Although not as good as The Bluest Eye, Beloved, or even Love, once I finished the book, I appreciated Morrison's latest novel. It took about 80 pages to get a understanding on what was happening, but in typical Morrison fashion, once you get to the final lines, everything becomes crystal clear and you understand the message(s) (you'll just have to read it to understand).

As for Henry James...either you like him or hate him. Trust me, if you don't like Daisy Miller, you NOT going to like his other works (i.e. The Pupil, Beast in the Jungle, The Real Thing, In the Cage, etc).

Okay, that's it! Leave me be...I have papers to write and no time for local stuff :-)

A name you should know...

Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Time: 4:07 PM

Learning more about this person NOW might help you understand things in Danbury in the future.

More to come in 2009...

UPDATE: Whoops...link fixed.

Beat me to the punch

Monday, December 15, 2008
Time: 6:27 PM

Although I learned about this ruling on the Danbury 11 case on Thursday, I've simply been too busy to give this important situation the attention it's deserves.

I'll have MUCH more to offer on what decision could mean, including some important clarifications to the News-Times article as well as some other goodies, later.

...in short, when it comes to the Danbury 11 case, now we're at a point where we'll begin to learn the TRUTH.

Exposing the ugly anti-immigrant reality


Time: 2:18 PM

Today, Rosalina Tipton wrote a letter to the editor which addressed the recent anti-immigrant hate-crimes that were committed in the tri-state area. For those who don't know, recently an Ecuadorian immigrant was viciously attacked in murdered in Suffolk County...a county known for it's extreme anti-immigrant rhetoric.
n Suffolk County, N.Y., the Hispanic community is mourning the murder of an Ecuadorian immigrant, Marcello Lucero, stabbed to death by a group of teenagers in what appears to be a hate crime.

Until it is no longer excusable to deny any non-criminal person on our shores the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, until justice is denied to none, and until crimes of hate are no longer condoned silently, or with hateful rhetoric, the dreams of our forefathers cannot fully become reality.


Now, you can imagine the response from the xenophobes that pollute the News-Times boards:
Picture 17


Okay, lets review the ugly.

1. In Suffolk County, an ECUADORIAN IMMIGRANT was attacked and murdered because he was an IMMIGRANT that "looked" like an illegal immigrant.

2. In the minds of the xenophobes, the attack is justified because the person shouldn't have been in the country. In other words, if you kill someone who's "appears" to "look" like an illegal, and he or she IS an illegal, then it's okay.

Hmm...when did we hear similar batshit crazy logic like this before?



As you can see, the rhetoric and calls for violence against immigrants just as appalling in Danbury as it is in Suffolk County...and seeing the close relationship and identical rhetoric between Mayor Boughton and Suffolk County Executive, Steve Levy, this should not come as a coincidence.

UPDATE: Feedback...

Picture 19

Ah, this brings back more memories regarding racist comments from the hate-mongers in Danbury about yours truly.



Classy...

Community Forum 12.10.08 broadcast

Sunday, December 14, 2008
Time: 2:43 PM

Host: Susan Shaner
Guest: Kristen Kennen, Education Commections


© 2024 Hat City Blog | READ, WATCH, AND LEARN.
No part of the content or the blog may be reproduced without prior written permission.
PEOPLE-POWERED MEDIA.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

INDEPENDENT PARTY OF DANBNRY
DATABASE COMING SOON


“Facebook”“Twitter”“Email”

trans_button
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"

trans_button
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

trans_button


trans_button
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