Sunday, March 15, 2009

JAMES H. SMITH: A homecoming and a promise for tomorrow - The Bristol Press (bristolpress.com)


JAMES H. SMITH: A homecoming and a promise for tomorrow - The Bristol Press (bristolpress.com)
Posted by Frank Smith at 15.3.09

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jim Smith from the Herald wrote "One thing I’ve learned in nearly four decades of covering Connecticut is that “news” is not a narrow recitation of arrests and high school dropouts and uncovering corruption. Certainly we know our responsibility to report all that.

But a good newspaper also looks for success as well as failure, beauty as well as ugliness, hope as well as despair. A good newspaper reflects its communities back to its readers wholly so that the fabric of life is woven into our coverage. A good newspaper shines a beacon to help show the way for a better future. A good newspaper holds our public servants, those who govern us, to high standards."


FINALLY... SOMEONE AT THE HERALD WHO UNDERSTANDS THAT NEWS ISN'T ALWAYS BAD. I HOPE THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL IN BRINGING "COMMUNITY" BACK INTO OUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER.

March 15, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Anonymous said...

Is the biggest political crime in American history taking place right before our eyes? Is the man in the White House INELIGIBLE, according to the Constitution, to sit in the Oval Office... is he a FRAUD... a USURPER?

Barack Hussein Obama could put the issue to rest right now by simply releasing his ACTUAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE!

But he WON'T release his ACTUAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE. In fact, he is actively RESISTING efforts to compel him to release his ACTUAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE.

He's dug in his heels. He has teams of lawyers fighting efforts to get him to release his ACTUAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE, while his underlings look down their noses at the American people and call these legitimate requests "garbage."

And the one pivotal question that those who attempt to dismiss the controversy cannot answer is:

If Barack Hussein Obama has nothing to hide, what's the problem? The more he resists, the more you have to wonder.

Meanwhile the liberal press is trying to drag this story into a dark alley and bludgeon it to death.

March 15, 2009 at 1:43 PM
Anonymous said...

it must make for a great family reunion!

March 15, 2009 at 3:55 PM
Anonymous said...

Anyone who like me, canceled their subscription to the Herald due to the sensationalism previously displayed by former Editor Levy and Reporter Guiness; should take Mr. Smith's remarks to heart and once again support our local newspaper. Levy and Guiness can find replacement employment at the National Enquirer as they have the appropriate skill set. Thank you Mr. Smith. Welcome to NB. We are a good community. - M. Wanik

March 15, 2009 at 5:43 PM
Anonymous said...

To M. Wanik

YOU ARE SO DARN PERSUASIVE, YOU SHOULD LIKE RUN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE BECAUSE YOU LIKE ARE SO SMART!!!

March 15, 2009 at 9:40 PM
Anonymous said...

O'Brien Considers NB Mayoral Bid.

Tim O'Brien (born June 13, 1968) is a Connecticut State Representative. He is a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives and represents the Twenty-Fourth Assembly District, which includes parts of New Britain and Newington.

O'Brien was first elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives in 2002, having previously served as a member of the Common Council of the City of New Britain.

As a state legislator, O'Brien has been a strong advocate for reform to Connecticut's property tax system, an effort to change the fact that middle class and poorer taxpayers, particularly those in New Britain inner city, pay a higher percentage of their incomes in property taxes than wealthy persons in Connecticut.

O'Brien also advocates for extending health care benefits to all of the residents of the state, increasing funding and more money to public schools, expanding Connecticut's prescription drug coverage and protecting workers' union rights.

In the 2005-2006 term of the legislature, O'Brien was the Vice-Chair of the Government Administration and Elections Committee, and was a member of the Finance Revenue and Bonding Committee and the Education Committee.

In the 2007-2008 term, he left the Government Administration and Elections Committee and was named to the Public Health Committee and Judiciary Committee.

As Vice-Chair of the Government Administration and Elections Committee, O'Brien worked actively for approval of Connecticut's sweeping 2005 campaign finance reform legislation. The campaign finance reform law provides for public financing of candidates for statewide and state legislative offices who agree not to accept large amounts of private campaign contributions and agree to limit their overall campaign expenditures.

O'Brien also worked for the approval of state legislation designed to ensure voter-verified hard-copy records of votes for any direct-recording electronic voting machines to be used in Connecticut.

As a member of the New Britain City Council (Common Council) O'Brien worked for the change in the way New Britain City Council members were elected from an "at-large" system, to one that ensures that every neighborhood elects Council members by and from their own neighborhood districts.

He also worked for the approval of a local law (ordinance) to provide minimum wages for the workers of companies doing business with or receiving subsidies from the city (living wage ordinance) and anti-slumlord ordinances.

March 15, 2009 at 10:41 PM
Anonymous said...

For Mr. Smith to be successful he must first end the perceived lack of old fashion journalism, no more waiting for phone calls before conducting an investigation and for crises before focusing on policy. In the past the Herald seemed to wait to be fed news. I hope that they will focus more on what is going on in government and the community. Avoid sensationalism. Use its coverage to focus more attention on what goes on behind the scenes. Pay more attention to how candidates have handled positions and situations in the past, who their advisors and staff are and to who influences decisions. Pay less attention to the petty and daily photo ops. Help the public ferrat out waste and fraud. Help them see both sides of political power plays, and bureaucratic turf wars. Focus more on administration and on how decisions are implemented.

March 15, 2009 at 10:42 PM
Anonymous said...

New Britain - Rep. Timothy O'Brien, D-24th District plus his wife and step-son will be supporting Tim in his mayoral bid for mayor of New Britain.

The report is that O'Brien family will be announcing the formation of an exploratory committee to gauge interest in a possible NB mayoral run in the November 2009 election.

March 15, 2009 at 11:22 PM
Anonymous said...

Philip Sherwood, the alderman who led the push for the new Code of Ethics in New Britain, reported that his Code of Ordinance is based on the same Ethics code adopted by Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez's principle of open government and is intended to make public the financial interests of key city leaders in New Britain to dispel suspicion of potential conflicts of interest.

However, Hartford Mayor Perez as a result of a Grand Jury investigation, was arrested on bribery charges and other arrests are forth coming as a result of Perez's secretive Hartford City Hall deals.

March 16, 2009 at 1:45 AM
Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Philip Sherwood, the alderman who led the push for the new Code of Ethics in New Britain, reported that his Code of Ordinance is based on the same Ethics code adopted by Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez's principle of open government and is intended to make public the financial interests of key city leaders in New Britain to dispel suspicion of potential conflicts of interest.

However, Hartford Mayor Perez as a result of a Grand Jury investigation, was arrested on bribery charges and other arrests are forth coming as a result of Perez's secretive Hartford City Hall deals.

DOES THIS MEAN WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO A GRAND JURY INVESTIGATION IN NEW BRITAIN?

March 16, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...

IN THE JAMES H. SMITH blog, "Anonymous says" wrote..., "As a member of the New Britain City Council (Common Council) O'Brien worked for the change in the way New Britain City Council members were elected from an "at-large" system, to one that ensures that every neighborhood elects Council members by and from their own neighborhood districts."
Anonymous said:
Truth is, every Council member votes on every issue before it, not just those affecting their districts. Do you know who are your district alderpersons? Really! Have you ever called one? Removing minority party representation in NB is the worst thing that happened to NB and "anonymous says" got it righ. Tim O'Brien was resposible.

March 16, 2009 at 12:18 PM
Anonymous said...

O'Brien wants to take credit for the make up of the last 3 common councils? Really? These folks have been BAD. Ethics problems galore.

Having a minority voice(s) on the council ensures checks and balances against a corrupt one party system. If Stewart quits, loses, retires, this City will be in for disaster. Mayor (d), council (d), maybe only 1 or 2 r's on the council? Yikes.

March 16, 2009 at 2:25 PM

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