Today is the opening day of the state's 2009 legislative session and I'm live blogging on everything happening at the State Capitol (including posting video footage) over at My Left Nutmeg.
Opening day
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Time: 2:30 PM
Time: 2:30 PM
Today is the opening day of the state's 2009 legislative session and I'm live blogging on everything happening at the State Capitol (including posting video footage) over at My Left Nutmeg.
...and I have a bridge in Brooklyn that I want to sell you
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Time: 6:55 PM
Time: 6:55 PM
My oh my, can you smell the B.S.?
Yeah...I'll place this right up there with the other famous whoppers we've heard from Boughton and Co (parade ordinance needed to address World Cup celebrations, the de-funding of the Hispanic Center was not racially motivated, 287g needed to fight crime, tax break to BRT was necessary, etc).
Minority Leader Tom Saadi isn't drinking the kool-aid.
For a city that spends money like there is no tomorrow, I find it incredibly hard to believe that the closing of the library (a.k.a. taking away one of the most important services to the taxpayers of Danbury) contributed to the type of savings we're hearing from City Hall. In fact, I'll bet the house that this has more to do with complaints from pissed off residents who are outraged that the library was closed on Fridays in the first place (and as someone who uses that facility on an almost daily basis, I know I'm one of them).
One only needs to go down to the library AT ANY TIME DURING THE DAY to see how many people use that facility. Hell, right after I'm done with this post, I'm taking a trip down there to do some work. The closing was boneheaded from the start and made no sense seeing that the place is open on Saturday and Sunday...in other words, how does one save energy if you have to heat the place up the next day (unlike City Hall which is closed on Saturday and Sunday)?
As for the 4-day work week nonsense in order to save cash, lets see how things worked out in Brookfield.
Maybe Danbury can learn a thing or two from Brookfield and stop screwing the people out of services which WE PAID FOR!
The city has saved more than $100,000 in energy costs since moving to a four-day work week last fall, officials said Monday.
[...]
Finance director David St. Hilaire said the final figures aren't available, but conservative estimates show the city has saved about $54,000 to date on its electricity bills as a result of the condensed work week.
An additional $24,000 added to the utility budget in anticipation of higher costs, which wasn't used, brings the total savings to about $78,000, he said.
"There's no doubt that there is a definite savings," he said. "This frees up money that we can use in other areas where savings weren't available."
Yeah...I'll place this right up there with the other famous whoppers we've heard from Boughton and Co (parade ordinance needed to address World Cup celebrations, the de-funding of the Hispanic Center was not racially motivated, 287g needed to fight crime, tax break to BRT was necessary, etc).
Minority Leader Tom Saadi isn't drinking the kool-aid.
"This is not just about dollars and cents but about the public's access," he said. "We will have to balance the savings with the feedback we receive from residents about how this has impacted them."
For a city that spends money like there is no tomorrow, I find it incredibly hard to believe that the closing of the library (a.k.a. taking away one of the most important services to the taxpayers of Danbury) contributed to the type of savings we're hearing from City Hall. In fact, I'll bet the house that this has more to do with complaints from pissed off residents who are outraged that the library was closed on Fridays in the first place (and as someone who uses that facility on an almost daily basis, I know I'm one of them).
One only needs to go down to the library AT ANY TIME DURING THE DAY to see how many people use that facility. Hell, right after I'm done with this post, I'm taking a trip down there to do some work. The closing was boneheaded from the start and made no sense seeing that the place is open on Saturday and Sunday...in other words, how does one save energy if you have to heat the place up the next day (unlike City Hall which is closed on Saturday and Sunday)?
As for the 4-day work week nonsense in order to save cash, lets see how things worked out in Brookfield.
The Board of Selectmen on Monday unanimously agreed to end the town's four-day work week.
The town moved to a four-day schedule in October, hoping to realize savings of 20 percent on energy costs, according to First Selectman Robert Silvaggi, who said actual savings were nowhere near that level.
At Monday's regular selectmen's meeting, the board received two letters opposed to the four-day week.
"This is a disservice to the town and more importantly, there is no justification for doing this," said a letter from Board of Finance chairman Ernesto Nepomuceno. "For one thing, the timing is so wrong because it hampers the town's ability to address and resolve a number of issues, particularly at a time when the audit activities in progress."
"I believe all this four-day week schedule does is to appease some town employees at the expense of the taxpayers," the letter went on.
A letter from residents John and Christa Van Devender said a couple of Fridays ago Brookfield Town Hall "was as quiet as Pearl Harbor on a Sunday morning -- nobody around."
"Interesting experiment, but it failed," their letter added. "Back to basics."
Selectmen Joni Park and Jerry Murphy also voiced wishes to end the practice.
"I would like to move that we go back to a regular five-day week and serve the citizens of this community in a way that I think they deserve," Park said.
Murphy seconded the motion.
"It just didn't work," he said. "We're not providing the services to our people."
Maybe Danbury can learn a thing or two from Brookfield and stop screwing the people out of services which WE PAID FOR!
CT-05: Second term begins
Time: 6:47 PM
Today in D.C. Chris Murphy was sworn in to serve a second term as the 5th District Congressman (while James Galante's BFF David Cappiello's lawn signs continue to litter the area).
Congressman Murphy released the following statement today.
Congressman Murphy released the following statement today.
“Today, as I welcomed back my colleagues, and greeted new ones, I couldn’t help but notice the mixture of excitement and trepidation that filled the Capitol.
“I believe we are living in a once-in-a-century political moment. All at once, our nation’s economy faces threats not seen since the Great Depression, our military is engaged in two wars, and new international crises are erupting almost daily while our nation awaits the arrival of a new President with a mandate for transformational change.
“As soon as the pomp and circumstance of the swearing in has passed, we need to get right down to work. This country cannot wait any longer for an aggressive and comprehensive economic stimulus bill that creates jobs, and President-Elect Obama has made it clear he wants to sign a bill shortly after he takes office. I want to make sure the bill gets as much assistance to Connecticut as possible, where news of layoffs is now a daily occurrence.
“I look forward to working with my friends Rosa DeLauro, John Larson, Joe Courtney, and newly-elected Jim Himes in the coming months to tackle the enormous challenges Connecticut and the nation face. I can’t think of a better team to be working together for our state.”
A sign of the times
Time: 6:22 PM
Wow...didn't see that one coming. The ONLY place in the area where you can play pool on a 9 foot table is gone.
Hopefully, someone will contact Dave and Buster's and tell them to set up shop at that location.
Hopefully, someone will contact Dave and Buster's and tell them to set up shop at that location.
Come and get it!
Monday, January 05, 2009
Time: 12:56 PM
Time: 12:56 PM
By popular demand, here's the latest version of the charter revision commission's draft. The proposed changes to the charter are underlined.
As I stated before, I'm not going to comment on this draft as now is not the time...
DOWNLOAD: Click here to download a copy of the draft to your harddrive.
As I stated before, I'm not going to comment on this draft as now is not the time...
DOWNLOAD: Click here to download a copy of the draft to your harddrive.
Updates
Time: 11:42 AM
Do freak out if the sites doesn't load properly, it's just me tweaking the code...
Danbury Live 12.20.08 broadcast
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Time: 3:37 PM
Time: 3:37 PM
Community Forum 12.31.08 broadcast
Friday, January 02, 2009
Time: 5:38 PM
Time: 5:38 PM
Host: Susan Shaner
Guests: Betsy Thomas: Speaker Coach, Kathy Caprino, Life and Career Coach
Guests: Betsy Thomas: Speaker Coach, Kathy Caprino, Life and Career Coach
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On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of day laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
