Connecticut Light & Power reported that nearly 3,500 people around Greater Danbury are still in the dark Friday morning, five days after Tropical Storm Irene swept through the state.

For many who remained without power, frustrations were boiling over about what some perceived to be utilities dragging their feet on restoration efforts.

Ridgefield with 1,978 outages, Danbury with 707 and Redding with 183 were among the hardest hit.

• Our fearless mayor who on Sunday went out of his way to defend the efforts of CL&P...
  
  Boughton twitter account (Aug 28):
  
  
  
  Boughton twitter account (Aug 28):
  
  
  
  only to use the city's reverse 911 system< less than 24 hours later to bash CL&P and Gov. Malloy while providing a rant that sounded more like a re-election rallying cry than a informational message (note how the text transcript of the call provided on the city website doesn't include the full extent of the re-election talking points Boughton provided in the actual call).
  
  TEXT PROVIDED ON THE CITY WEBSITE:
  

  Hello this is Mayor Mark Boughton with an important priority message regarding power outages in the City of Danbury. Currently 11,000 customers are out of power in Danbury. Like you, I have been deeply frustrated by CL&P's lack of response and preparedness, but will continue to advocate on our behalf for a timely restoration of power. In addition, we have communicated to Governor Malloy's office our concerns regarding the lack of restoration of power in Danbury. Finally, if you have any questions regarding your power feel free to call CL&P at 1-800-286-2000.
  
  Many of you have inquired about debris that came down during the storm. You can always drop off your brush at Ferris Mulch Products free of charge located at the Danbury landfill. If you cannot drop your brush off, we will collect it when we do our annual fall leaf pick up.

  
  ACTUAL CALL FROM August 29 at 5PM:
  
  




• AND a disgraceful state senator who has been taking every opportunity to blame Governor Malloy for all the troubles.
  
  
  
  During Hurricane Gloria in the 80s, I was without power for nearly a week...and at that time when I lived in GREATER HARTFORD. During that time instead taking cheap shots, local officials provided information on where to receive water and ice as well as calls for volunteerism, which included requests to check on elderly neighbors who could be in need of assistance.
  
  
  ...oh, did I forget to say that politicians during that time routinely thank the restoration workers who eventually got the power back across the state.
  
  During Hurricane Floyd in 1999, the damage to Danbury was FAR more significant with many residents losing their homes, roads and bridges being washed away, and overall damage estimated in the millions. I don't recall then Mayor Eruqiez taking cheap shots at Governor Rowland while Danbury attempted to recover from one of the strongest storms in 40 years.
  
  WIKIPEDIA:
  

  The effects of Hurricane Floyd in New England stretched across the region from Connecticut to Maine and included two casualties. Floyd, once a large and powerful hurricane, made landfall in North Carolina and weakened as it tracked northward along the U.S. East Coast. By September 17, 1999, the storm, downgraded in strength to a tropical storm, was situated over New England. It produced heavy rainfall and gusty winds throughout the entire region, leading to widespread downing of trees and extensive power outages before it moved away later that day. In Danbury, Connecticut, Floyd triggered severe flooding, considered the worst in 40 years, that damaged hundreds of homes.
  
  [...]
  
  As Floyd tracked up the Connecticut River Valley towards Massachusetts, it dropped heavy precipitation. The heaviest rainfall occurred in a southwest–northeast orientated swath from northern New Jersey to southwestern Connecticut, including southeastern New York. At the Danbury Airport, 11.13 in (283 mm) of rain was reported. Rainfall rates of 1 to 2 in (25 to 51 mm) per hour occurred at Bethel and Danbury. Numerous rivers overflowed; for example, the Still River and its tributaries triggered severe flooding.[8] The worst of the flooding—considered the worst in 40 years—took place at Danbury.[9] Hundreds of homes, two car dealerships, several roads, and other structures were damaged there.[8] At Greentree Motors, all 200 vehicles were declared a total loss.[9] Parts of the city were submerged with 4 ft (1.2 m) of water.[10]

  
  
  Compared to earlier storms in Danbury, besides the power outages, Floyd's impact to Danbury was next to nothing YET we have politicians taking every opportunity to capitalize on the situation for political purposes.
  
  If Jim Dyer or Gene Eriquez acted the way Mark Boughton and Mike McLachlan are acting, Republicans would be crying foul...and our current local officials should be ashamed on themselves.
  
  ...but of course, we're talking about local officials who apparently have no shame.

I would like to comment on the mayor's robo call to tell me that he wasn't happy with the time it was taking the CL&P to handle the power problems.

I felt he was saying the CL&P were the bad guys and he was the good guy because he called me and asked me to call the CL&P and complain.

I felt with the size of the job, the areas that were hit harder than Danbury might have to be helped first and maybe there was a lack of qualified people to do the work.

This call made me very uncomfortable and sounded political to me and also a waste of the system just to score points.

Sixty-seven percent -- or 4,700 of about 7,000 people who responded -- voted yes in the automated poll, which asked whether Danbury police should proceed with a partnership with ICE to enforce illegal immigration laws.

"People have expressed that they wanted input. What better way than to call up and ask them?" Boughton asked. "It's certainly not scientific. But because we had over 7,000 responses, you definitely get a sense of what people think."

However, Paul Rotello, a Democrat serving his second term representing the 6th Ward on the Common Council, questioned the motivation behind using a telephone system normally used to tell people about snow emergencies and road closures.

"There was no uncertainty in a so-called 'poll' the mayor himself states was unscientific," Rotello said in a prepared statement. "So why create more controversy? I can think of many reasons. But hijacking the people's 311 system with disingenuous leading questions that preordained results suggest the real motivation was to shore up ill-thought political positions, stifle critics and still debate."

[...]

Boughton and City Hall staff prepared a recorded poll Tuesday and then used the city's Connect-CTY system to call 20,000 residences Tuesday night.

Of the 7,000 responses, 19 percent (1,337 people) answered no, while about 14 percent (972 people) wanted more information.

Fifth Ward resident Pearl Turk was one of the undecided poll participants. She was disturbed by the poll because it was used to gauge support on a hot-button issue.

"It seemed to me the way it was worded was to make me respond yes," Turk said. "I wondered if it was just a maneuver to gain support."

The effects of Hurricane Floyd in New England stretched across the region from Connecticut to Maine and included two casualties. Floyd, once a large and powerful hurricane, made landfall in North Carolina and weakened as it tracked northward along the U.S. East Coast. By September 17, 1999, the storm, downgraded in strength to a tropical storm, was situated over New England. It produced heavy rainfall and gusty winds throughout the entire region, leading to widespread downing of trees and extensive power outages before it moved away later that day. In Danbury, Connecticut, Floyd triggered severe flooding, considered the worst in 40 years, that damaged hundreds of homes.

[...]

As Floyd tracked up the Connecticut River Valley towards Massachusetts, it dropped heavy precipitation. The heaviest rainfall occurred in a southwest–northeast orientated swath from northern New Jersey to southwestern Connecticut, including southeastern New York. At the Danbury Airport, 11.13 in (283 mm) of rain was reported. Rainfall rates of 1 to 2 in (25 to 51 mm) per hour occurred at Bethel and Danbury. Numerous rivers overflowed; for example, the Still River and its tributaries triggered severe flooding.[8] The worst of the flooding—considered the worst in 40 years—took place at Danbury.[9] Hundreds of homes, two car dealerships, several roads, and other structures were damaged there.[8] At Greentree Motors, all 200 vehicles were declared a total loss.[9] Parts of the city were submerged with 4 ft (1.2 m) of water.[10]