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Senator Gary Lebeau has suggested that the legislature be changed from a part time bicameral (2 bodies) legislature with 187 elected representatives, to a full time unicameral( one body)legislature of only 60 seats.
This appears to be nothing more than a cheap attempt by the Democrats to seize total control over our state government and should be resisted at all cost. By utilizing Lebeau's brainstorm, one party simply needs to control 40 out of the 60 districts to become a supreme dictatorship that renders the governor powerless--regardless of which party the governor may belong to. With a 2/3 majority over this "superlegislature," the legislature would have the power to simply override the governor on a regular basis and would become the "defacto governor," leaving our governor to be nothing more than a figurehead for the "superlegislature."
With Senator Lebeau's history for dirty partisan politics, I have no doubt that he has already plotted the gerrymandering of the entire state to ensure that his party would control all 60 of the 60 seats. I am also sure he likes the prospect of how the new full-time salary would impact his state pension. If you think that the legislature causes enough damage during the 2 to 3 months they are in session, imagine what they could do if they were in session year round. Just take a look at Congress if you want a vision for what this could do to our state.
This is such an obvious attempt at a power grab, that only a brainless twit could be fooled by it. The rest of the state is not ready for the sleazy politics that East Hartford has to offer. Nice try Mr. LeBeau.
Just a contiuaiton of the spread of communism in this country, like a disease.
ReplyDeletesounds like something that little mac the lesser one would have a hand in planning
ReplyDeleteSTAMFORD CT AMERICAN TEA PARTY PHOTOS...
ReplyDelete150+ Patriots met in front of the Library in Stamford Connecticut on Saturday - March 28, 2009 at 10 AM, and for such a LIBERAL area, that is a fantastic number!
pics at this link: http://community.webshots.com/album/570720131diegss
JOIN THE TEA PARTY!
Lear More at The Following Website!
http://taxdayteaparty.com/
wouldn't it be great to have one of the 4th of July Tea Parties in New Britain????
ReplyDeletesounds like something sherwack would have his sleezy little hands in.
ReplyDeleteFor information on upcoming Tea Parties in Connecticut on April 15, 2009 and thereafter, please visit the following site:
ReplyDeletehttp://taxdayteaparty.com/teaparty/connecticu...
Email the coordinator for the local events shown on that site and they will add you to their distribution list.
It was recently on T.V that they don’t want you mailing in the complete Tea Bag to tax offices or state capitals or even to the White house they are treating them as if they are a hazard , just mail the tea bag label which is attached to the tea bag string.
ReplyDeleteSupport the Tea Party and let the state and local Connecticut politicians know that not everyone supports Obama's Socialist Nightmare!
ReplyDeleteThe public has clearly rejected the socialist values of the Democratic Party with regard to our Governor's office because there hasn't been a Democrat in that office in almost 30 years.
ReplyDeleteThe Democrats are mad as hell because the public rejects them for the more responsible management and leadership of Republican values where it matters the most--in the Governor's office.
Since they can't get their socialist hands on that office, they intend to virtually eliminate the office by taking control of the Governor's power through the legislature. You are correct that anyone that can't see this one coming from a mile away is a blithering idiot.
Nice try Mr. LeBeau, but now that your true agenda is public, I doubt you could get the public to vote for your constitutional convention needed to make the change. Remember we still have that pesky document that liberals like you keep complaining gets in the way of your seizing our hard earned money to give to someone else you believe deserves it more than those who earned it. You obviously have figured out that you are no match for Connecticut's most popular Governor of all time, so you are trying to destroy her office for your selfish reasons.
What would Mr. LeBeau suggest we call this new body?
ReplyDeleteThe supreme democrat legislature?
These nit-wits need to go. I have made it a personal crusade to point out to my friends how the liberal socialist wing of the Democratic Party is undermining the republic of the United States.
Mr. Lebeau's attempt to centralize state government by eliminating representatives of the people is quite scary.
Remember all politics is local. The only effect of eliminating a representative branch of government is less representation. This would mean less local control of state policies.
Really simple stuff.
Must be someone who went to school in East Hartford and knows what a crackpot LeBeau really is!
ReplyDeleteSUSAN KNIEP President FCTO: Arbitration Puts Public Unions In Driver's Seat.
ReplyDeleteWith 12.5 million private sector workers standing in the unemployment line nationally, why are Connecticut's prison guards getting wage increases at the taxpayers' expense?
Last month, state legislators refused to follow Gov. M. Jodi Rell's call for them to reject a binding arbitration decision on the guards' contract, which will cost Connecticut taxpayers $86 million and give some state employees wage increases of 6 percent. This contract will set a precedent for future state and local government union contracts, including the agreements for about 22,000 state workers that are headed for negotiations soon.
Taxpayers in the 169 towns throughout Connecticut pay approximately 85 percent of their property taxes to support the wages and benefits of town and board of education employees, the majority of whom have yet to see a pink slip.
Connecticut taxpayers live in one of the highest taxed states in the nation, and the reason is obvious. Their elected officials are not in control of their government — the state workers unions are. And the rights of these unions have been secured by the Democratic-controlled General Assembly, which to this day, has refused to acknowledge or support Gov. Rell's sensible call for binding arbitration reform. The legislators should exercise their power to enact legislation to give town officials and the governor the tools they need to control our taxes through reforms to state binding arbitration laws.
Gov. Rell has proposed the following:
•Suspension of binding arbitration requirements for two years while confronting our economic troubles.
•Limit mandatory subjects of binding arbitration to salaries and benefits only.
Union contracts, with the help of binding arbitration decisions, control state and local governments in Connecticut. Many of these contracts go well beyond setting just the wages and benefits of their membership, and instead exert union control over such management matters as the number of students to be taught in a classroom, the use of town-owned vehicles, the scheduling of police personnel, the number of firehouses in a town and more.
What a union contract does not contain, a union may claim a right to under "past practice," which I encountered while serving as the mayor of East Hartford.
In 1989, upon taking office, I refused the mayor's car and drove my own. I concurrently instructed all town employees to cease driving home in our town-owned cars and trucks. As this benefit was not contained in any union contract, I felt confident I would win the grievance that the unions filed against me. I was wrong.
As a result of binding arbitration, arbiters ruled that I had no rights in making claim to these vehicles on behalf of the town, even though I was mayor and the vehicles were owned by the taxpayers. The arbiters put the unions in control. In essence, if the union is doing something outside the realm of its contract, arbiters have ruled they have earned the right to continue the practice. The town has only one recourse: give the union something in return that it will agree to accept.
Recently, I was asked to speak before a taxpayers group in the southwestern part of the state. Town officials in the audience explained that they, too, were having difficulty taking control of their town-owned vehicles because of the precedent setting ruling by the arbiters against me more than a decade ago.
If the Democratic-controlled state legislature refuses to comply with Gov. Rell's request, they risk driving our state and towns into further economic turmoil, which could lead us to the edge of bankruptcy. Ironically, the end result of bankruptcy could be the dissolution of government employee union contracts.
• Susan Kniep is president of the Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations (FCTO).
Do you agree? Or disagree? Be heard with a Letter to the Editor: www.courant.com/writeletter
The CPOA 85th Anniversary Meeting.
ReplyDeleteThe Citizens Property Owners Association, Inc. of New Britain held their 85th Anniversary Meeting on Sunday, March 15th at the Marchegian Club in New Britain.
President Ann Mikulak presided over the meeting where for the 18th time she was again elected as the leader and President of CPOA. Assisting President Mikulak is Vice President Tony DiPietro, Treasurer James Bachand, Jr., and Secretary Jean Bernacki. New board members Mark Fortin and Nick D’Apice were also elected.
The gathering of members were addressed by Mayor Timothy T. Stewart of New Britain and Susan Kneip – President of Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations (FCTO) plus Board of Assessment Appeals Chairwoman Mary Lou Sanders, Police Commission Chairman Michael Wanik; Fire Commission Chairman Ralph Cheney; Board of Finance and Taxation Chairwoman Cindy Faienza; and Parks and Recreation Chairman Richard Lorch.
Susan Kniep addressed the subject matter that Arbitration Puts Public Unions in the Driver’s Seat and that Connecticut taxpayers live in one of the highest taxed states in the nation. That their elected officials are not in control of their government — the state workers unions are. And the rights of these unions have been secured by the Democratic-controlled General Assembly, which to this day, has refused to acknowledge or support Gov. Rell's sensible call for binding arbitration reform. That the legislators should exercise their power to enact legislation to give town officials and the governor the tools they need to control their taxes through reforms to state binding arbitration laws.
Mayor Stewart also addressed many issues in the city; speaking about New Britain’s financial posture as being much better than other Connecticut municipalities. The Commission Chairpersons each spoke to their respective department capabilities and positioning for the present and future... After the business meeting, members enjoyed coffee, sweets and personal discussion with each other and the presenters.
Persons interested in receiving more information on the CPOA should email their interest to: cpoanb@gmail.com or drop a line to CPOA, P.O. Box 2312, New Britain, CT 06050. The mother ship of some 60 Connecticut taxpayer organizations is the Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations, Inc (FCTO). The New Britain CPOA was founded in 1924 when several property owners and businessmen bonded together to keep abreast of city government spending in New Britain. Membership in CPOA is a mere $10.00 per year for New Britain Taxpayers.