Saturday, February 12, 2011

Gerratana, Stewart Clash In 6th Senate District Debate - Courant.com


Smith Photo

By DON STACOM
Posted by Frank Smith at 12.2.11

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

The decision couldn't have been clearer. You can vote for someone who will make the hard decisions to help get Connecticut on the right track, or you can vote for someone who will continue to go along with the rest of the liberals who control our legislature and will help drag this state right down the toilet.

Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome. one of these candidates stands for the same liberal nonsense that got our state into all this trouble!

February 12, 2011 at 8:07 PM
Anonymous said...

It was a real eye opener when Gerratana said she had called the Board of Ed and found out that there is no financial problem there.

Then she said that she supports spending $100 million for a fancy new sewer plant and saw no problem whatsoever with that expense.

Talk about being out of touch with reality.

How many teachers could that same $100 million pay for even though if you believe Gerratana there is absolutely no financial problems at the Board of Ed?

February 12, 2011 at 8:28 PM
Anonymous said...

Wow. I just lost any respect I had for Gerratana. I knew she had hired bad people to run her campaign, but she herself brought her campaign to a new low. I hope she gets creamed on election day.

February 12, 2011 at 10:15 PM
Anonymous said...

Posted on MY LEFT NUTMEG ( - promoted by ctblogger) the crappy item is printed below...

...After State Democratic Party Chair DiNardo questioned the nearly a quarter of a million dollars in no-bid contracts given out to his political cronies while in office as mayor of New Britain (with multiple payments under the bidding threshold being made the same day, or within a few days, summing up to more than the threshold), the always level-headed Timmy Stewart had this to say, that DiNardo was basing her attack on bogus numbers supplied by longtime political nemesis Phil Sherwood, saying: I hope Mark and Willie [Pabon] sue her. I hope they sue them all.
.
It seems pretty clear that Markie, Willie, Timmy and the other little rascals don't have much of a legal case against DiNardo (it's not beanbag, Timmy!). Quick, some enterprising reporter should ask 'lil Tim what he thinks about that Republican platform position that they like to bang on (a lot) called tort reform, or stopping frivolous lawsuits, or whatever doublespeak they are calling it this week. I guess "frivolous" is in the eye of the petulant child that wants to sue their political opponents for no reason.

More interesting is the psychology of lashing out against phantom enemies in the closing days of an election. Timmy must be watching his political career circle the bowl right now to be attacking Phil Sherwood (who I think is like 40) as a juvenile delinquent, despite someone else sending out a press release!

And threatening lawsuits, or suggesting that the guys who hang out in the tree house your parents built behind their house should sue, isn't exactly a sign of confidence in your campaign.

But just to be sure, click here to fill out your information and find your friends and neighbors (to volunteer, apparently you need to email info@terryforsenate.com) - then let them know to vote for Terry Gerratana and maybe hard hittin' New Britain will send an actual adult to Hartford.-30-

February 12, 2011 at 10:20 PM
Anonymous said...

Does anyone think that the mob turning out from ACORN to support Gerrantana helped her?

Maybe they even bused them in from Ohio like during the election?

February 12, 2011 at 10:30 PM
One who was there said...

Gerratana showed from the first question she was given that she is totally out of touch with the problems facing today's municipalities. Her handlers, questionable characters chosen for their dirty tricks acumen, were conspicuously absent, namely, Sherwood, Trueworthy and others. However, the infamous state capitol desk riflers, computer hacks - you know who they are, Lopes and Gerratan's son, Greg - were there. Some were seen spending the entire time of debate texting.

Gerratana flubbed one question after another and could cite only her ten year old history in the state legislature rather than showing any knowledge of current issues facing municipalities taxpayers. Gerratana's attempt to paint the Stewart administration as corrupt backfired into a flood of cheers - even from Democrats present - when Stewart challenged her to produce one shred of evidence for her claims. Rather, Stewart nailed her with the fact that Gerratana's husband had held the most lucrative - in terms of dollars paid - job of handling city employee workers compensation claims for many years dating back to before Stewart was Mayor. Stewart put a stop to that practice.

Outside on the streets and on the entrance to TOM, Gerratana flooded the area with sign wavers, so disgusting as to block the entrance to TOM. There were even some harassing taunts.

Over all, it was a sorry testimony to what has become the domination of the Democratic Party in NB by left wing radicals.

February 12, 2011 at 10:35 PM
Anonymous said...

I am a democrat at and totally disgusted with the showing of Mrs Gerratano. She was NIT prepared FOR THIS DEBATE.

She said that she was a former member of the States Election and ethics commission yet she allowed her son Greg to run for a New Britain alderman's seat while living in Berlin.

SO MUCH FOR BEING HI=ONEST.

February 13, 2011 at 10:47 AM
Anonymous said...

Maybe she supports the $100 million expense for the sewer plant simply out of support for the convicted felon her cronies put in charge of spending that money for us?

Remember how Mayor Stewart did the responsible thing and vetoed his appointment because of his criminal past, but the Democrat loons overrode that veto and appointed him anyway?

Who do you all think is going to pay for this $100 million for a fancy smancy crap plan?

February 13, 2011 at 11:51 AM
Anonymous said...

6th District Debate Focuses on Budget, Jobs, Accusations-Gerratana calls for policy; Stewart says create jobs...

...When former state Rep. Terry Gerratana and New Britain Mayor Tim Stewart met to debate Saturday at Trinity on Main in New Britain, the two 6th District state senate candidates fielded questions from the audience on a range of issues including health care, air quality, education and the economy.

To address the deficit, Stewart said the state must scale back government, put a moratorium on bonding projects, get concessions and scrutinize benefits and create a more business-friendly environment in Connecticut. Gerratana agreed. “All options must be on the table to come up with a solution to this deficit. We need to not just look at our spending side where we’re spending but also the tax side to make it a little fairer a little more equitable.” Then, she said the state could go on to creating jobs.

“The first issue is to get on that sound fiscal footing,” she said. “We have to come up with a policy in our state. Our economy in our state right now is focused on education, health care and there is manufacturing in our state,” Gerratana said, adding that she had helped manufacturing companies to purchase equipment with tax incentives in the past.
“Once we have a policy in place we have to help businesses that want to come, smaller, start-up businesses… helping these companies with targeted, temporary assistance.”

Stewart responded, saying the state’s immediate need is to bring in jobs. “We need to create a business-friendly environment in Connecticut. We’re the second worst in job growth to Michigan. That’s pretty sad for what was once the richest state in the union,” Stewart said. Stewart said he would consolidate economic development agencies to create one point of entry for businesses looking to move into the state.

Gerratana said she had helped bring New Britain into the business enterprise zone, which lured companies like Celebration Foods, the Carvel giant Stewart is known for capturing. Picking up on it, Stewart said the Celebration Foods CEO told him ‘Connecticut is the most unfriendly business state and I can go anywhere I want.’

“We were able to overcome that by putting together a team that could offer incentives to make that work,” Stewart said. He pointed to mandatory sick time and corporate taxes, saying, “sticking your hands in their pockets is not the way to make it more friendly.”

The debate closed with Gerratana openly accusing Stewart of awarding bids to “cronies and aldermanic people on the council.” New Britain Democrats had made the accusation earlier in the week. Stewart called it the “most disgusting thing I’ve ever heard,” and that “they keep trying to manufacture the issue.”

The subject had been raised by a question about municipal ethics codes, which New Britain aldermen authored in Stewart’s first term as mayor. But it opened the door for Gerratana to take a shot at Stewart and agitated, he fired back, saying her husband had been getting no-bid workman’s compensation work until he became mayor.
”
Stewart touted his record and leadership skills in bringing jobs to New Britain, saying the state needs the same. Instead, he said, the state has slapped towns “in the face with less funding, more regulations and unfunded mandates.” To counter Gerratana’s jab about keeping his job as city mayor, Stewart said, “I will work 24/7 to make Farmington, New Britain and Berlin great places to live and work.”
-30-

February 13, 2011 at 12:23 PM
Anonymous said...

Gerratana and Stewart Clash In 6th Senate District Debate-Timothy Stewart: They continue trying to manufacture an issue...

...With five minutes left in an otherwise genteel debate Saturday, Theresa Gerratana slammed Tim Stewart with accusations of letting $200,000 worth of no-bid contracts go to Republican "cronies" on the common council. Stewart fired back that those claims are "absolutely false … the most disgusting thing I've ever heard." Stewart then went on the attack against Gerratana and her husband, a local physician, saying "Your husband was getting workers' comp no-bid work until I became mayor."

Behind the scenes, local Democrats have been bashing Stewart because the city paid more than $200,000 to printing and fencing businesses owned, respectively, by Republican council members Mark Bernacki and Willie Pabon. But Finance Director Robert Curry has said that all of the jobs were for under $3,000, the threshold for requiring formal bids. Curry has said that his department sought informal price quotes from several vendors on each job, and that Bernacki's and Pabon's companies got the work only when they offered the best prices. Other printing and fencing jobs went to different companies, Curry said, and Stewart has nothing to do with deciding who receives contracts.

Gerratana let DiNardo and Phil Sherwood press the issue during the past week, but on Saturday waded in herself. She insisted that big contracts were deliberately broken into smaller jobs to get under the $3,000 threshold.

"They continue trying to manufacture an issue," Stewart said. "That's an indication of the people who are helping your campaign." The exchange overshadowed the rest of the debate, where topics ranged from school mandates to vehicle emissions standards. Some of the region's most controversial issues, such as the proposed busway, never arose.
To balance the budget, Stewart said he wants a moratorium on bonding, layoffs and benefits concessions from state workers; Gerratana said only that she'd make the taxation system "more equitable."

Stewart said he would promise to work "24/7" on behalf of New Britain, Berlin and Farmington. Gerratana's camp has criticized him for saying that if he wins on Feb. 22, he'd stay on as New Britain mayor until he felt the transition to Democrat Michael Trueworthy was complete.

State Democratic leaders have accused Stewart of "double dipping," while state GOP Chairman Chris Healy has called them hypocrites for failing to apply the same standard to Essex First Selectman Phil Miller, a Democrat who says he plans to keep both jobs if he's elected to the General Assembly.

February 13, 2011 at 1:10 PM
Anonymous said...

I was there said: An interesting commennt was made by the Mayor when he was asked about medical issues whereby he took a shot at Terry with his saying "my wife is not a doctor."

February 13, 2011 at 1:19 PM
Carl Veloshimo said...

It appears that all the folks on this blog post anonymous?

Every story that is posted here only anonymous comments?

Mr Smith you are a trouble maker

February 13, 2011 at 2:56 PM
Anonymous said...

The fine reporting of telling us newspaper readers what's happened at the 6th Senate District Debate at Trinity on Main by Kaitlin McCallum Of The Farmington Patch and Don Stacom of the Hartford Courant was just great!

But, NB Britain Sunday Herald Headline "Trading Shots" at the Debate by Staff Writer Steve Collins, drinking his Kool- Aide and/or too many SHOTS of whiskey was a waste of Newsprint?

February 13, 2011 at 3:20 PM
Anonymous said...

Any honest person realizes the Democrats cannot field a candidate better than Tim Stewart for the 6th district senate seat. Stewart's challenger in this race is nothing more than a straw candidate who is supported by ACORN fanatics bused into town to cheer and waive signs outside the debate venue.

The sign waivers are not New Britain voters, they are outside volunteers paid to intimidate and create a false sense of support for an unqulaifgied candidate. The Dems in CT have lost their integrity. They are nothing more than union organizers and that is why we currently face a $3 billion+ state deficit.

February 13, 2011 at 3:28 PM
Anonymous said...

I guess Carl Veloshima doesn't like a site that spreads the truth.

I'll bet he has never even seen an episode of the most watched news program in America 13 years running? (that's the O'Reilly Factor for all you liberals).

Maybe he should stick to the liberal one sided reporting of the Herald along with all the other kool-aid drinkers and watch MSNBC too? By doing so, he will double the ratings for MSNBC just by being the 2nd person watching!

February 13, 2011 at 4:03 PM
Anonymous said...

Carl Veloshimo said...
It appears that all the folks on this blog post anonymous?

Every story that is posted here only anonymous comments?

Mr Smith you are a trouble maker

SORRY YOU HAVE THAT WRONG I MAY APPEAR TO BE A TROUBLE MAKER TO YOU BECAUSE I AM A CONSERVITIVE DEMOCRAT AND NOT A SOCIALIST LIKE MOST DEMOCRATS IN NEW BRITAIN

frank smith

February 13, 2011 8:13 PM

February 13, 2011 at 8:17 PM
Anonymous said...

Hammering at an issue that Democrats hope will sink Mayor Timothy Stewart's run for state Senate, NB council president Michael Trueworthy has called for the city to temporarily stop buying products or services from businesses owned by elected officials, Mark Bernacki and Willie Pabon.

Trueworthy said Monday 02/14/11 that he's basing the proposal on Democratic State Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo's declaration last week that she was asking the chief state's attorney to investigate no-bid contracts during Stewart's administration.

But on Monday afternoon, the chief state's attorney said it had never seen any such request. We've received no complaint on that matter, spokesman Mark Dupuis said.

I'm not surprised at all. This whole thing has been a ruse, Republican Town Chairman Dwight Blint said. The Democrats are lying to the NB voters.

February 15, 2011 at 1:07 AM

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