OPEN FORUM NUMBER five WAS SO POPULAR THAT IT RAN OUT OS SPACE SO I AM POVIDING THIS NEW FORUM NUMBER six IN ORDER FOR THE RESIDENTS TO TELL THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT CURRENT POLITICAL ISSUES IN OUR CITY.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
OPEN FORUM NUMBER SIX
OPEN FORUM NUMBER five WAS SO POPULAR THAT IT RAN OUT OS SPACE SO I AM POVIDING THIS NEW FORUM NUMBER six IN ORDER FOR THE RESIDENTS TO TELL THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT CURRENT POLITICAL ISSUES IN OUR CITY.
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66 comments:
It took only one phone call by Alderman Sherwood to screw up the RTC’S selection for the appointment to the Board of Education with all twelve of his fellow democrats voted with him.
Thank God that the state “Republican Party” has moved into New Britain and now we will have competition for the council seats during the next election.
These whacked out liberals who are out of control with power on the council think that they are operating in a vacuum. Several of them have even been quoted as saying things like they don't care because they'll get reelected no matter what they do.
What they fail to realize, even if you tell them, they insist you are out of your mind because they truly believe no one cares what they do, but the people are paying attention, especially to things like an alderman that is so drunken with power that he will let the poor and needy citizens lose desperately needed funding from programs to feed and cloth the poor because he won't give up his power over the people to eliminate GROSS CONFLICTS OF INTEREST!!
Some of these alderman have actually been heard laughing at how stupid the people really are!
Think that statement is inaccurate, you should have heard some of the comments these men and women had to offer about their appointment of Leslie Jacobs!
It is the tail wagging the dog here in New Britain. You have 13 people on the council who seem to really feel that you, the people, are here to serve them as if they were some kind of royalty.
They can laugh now, but one day soon they will find out just how much the public has been paying attention!
They call it election day, and it is 11 months away! That is the day you will all have the opportunity to tell them to kiss your royal butt.
The Mayor cannot fire the “goof off” called Catanzaro because he is an Alderman and the Democratic loons called his fellow council members would have a field day attacking the Republican mayor for taking the right steps.
Mr. Mayor, it seems to be common knowledge among the public that this gentleman does whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and his supervisors are not able to control him because he is the “untouchable” employee that holds all the power over his supervisors. When city employees are allowed to tell their bosses what they will and will not do, isn’t there a problem?
It is about time that someone had the testicles to reign in this out of control power monger. Unfortunately, the buck stops with the mayor.
In an unprecedented move, Democratic President-elect Barack Obama has been personally phoning leading GOP members of Congress, including the ranking Republicans on committees he will need to work with next year.
Even Obama has realized that the Republicans are a force to be reckoned with. It is about time that the Democratic loons on the council take note!
The Cool Justice Report has been following the slimy trail of Enfield's Democrat Mayor Patrick Tallarita, who is currently under investigation by the State's Attorney's Office for potential political corruption.
Just moments ago, Andy Thibault and Jim Brewer sent this one out:
BREAKING NEWS: Enfield Witness Intimidated
Tallarita Goes Berserk
At Shaw’s Supermarket;
Mayor Screams In Checkout Line
And Flips The Bird In Front Of Children
As He Threatens Witness
In Political Corruption Probe
The craziest part of the story is not the fact that Mayor Tallarita issued fighting words in front of children, or that the grocery store manager has it all on surveillance tape - no, the loopiest sentence to me is that Tallarita won't be running for re-election because he may be up for a job in Congressman Joe Courtney's office.
"The craziest part of the story is not the fact that Mayor Tallarita issued fighting words in front of children, "
Two things...this was reported to have happened 2 years ago and has not been substantiated.
Mayor stewart however has been witnessed in public after a city council meeting swearing at press in front of cub scouts.
Hey Frank, you're blog has some quality control now doesn't it. Keep up the wonderful reporting.
The most important political issue facing New Britain has been
and always will be the collection of property taxes and who controls how the funds are distributed.
The continual mud-slinging and name calling here at Frank Smith Says NB and other public venues needs to stop. It is counter productive to this city.
We have seen tough economic times here in New Britain when the economy wasn't experiencing a recession/depression. Serious budget issues need addressing if
we are going to be able to keep
taxes stable. Mayor Stewart has held the line up to this last year
when we the budget saw a sizable short fall pending the sale of Pinnacle Heights. New assessments have raised property taxes but will it be enough? When Mayor Stewart took office he asked every department head to review their budgets and make cuts, some ignored
the request and many have kept things business as usual. We have
all seen surprises announced in certain budgets regarding vacation
time and overtime that was not budgeted?
If the current common council is refusing to work with the Mayor then voters take notice. It's not
enough to elect Mayor Stewart and then give him "no one to work with" .
Must be an irate Democrat, because I never knew that pointing out that no one is paying their property taxes and suggesting solutions for collecting them is "slinging mud."
That's the problem with these liberal Democrats, point out something isn't working and they try to take the focus off of their failures by attacking their critics, and nothing gets done, because they in fact are the mudslingers.
Frank, what they mean about quality control, is that they would have you only post negatives about Republicans, and would have you block any negatives about the liberals.
What a bunch of sour grapes from the cry baby liberals on the council!
To your referring that Frank Smith Says NB is mud-slinging is absolutely incorrect.
“We inform” We post all our reader’s remarks and only delete inappropriate language.
As bloggers we are not here to dictate what our readers are allowed to post there are encouraged to post whatever they feel is on their minds.
I am not here to edit out their negative comments they wish to vent about either party.
THAT IS ONE OF THE BASIC TENETS OF SOCIALISM--SILENCE YOUR OPPONENTS!
What is it about releasing the amount of unpaid taxes that has these council Democrats so nervous?
Are they (the alderman) on the delinquent tax list themselves, and they are nervous that the public will find out? Are some of the alderman afraid they will come out of a meeting at city hall and find a boot on their cars?
I can't think of any other reason why the elected representatives of the people would work so hard to keep the unpaid taxes such a heavily guarded secret?
To the liberal who said that pointing out how people are not paying their car taxes is mud slinging:
Me thinks thou doth protest too Much!
Silencing your opposition isn't as much involved in socialism as it is COMMUNISM!
NEW BRITAIN — New Web site sells New Britain better.
The City’s economic development Web site is now up and running. The Web site has a link to the Downtown District, the Chamber of Commerce, and the City of New Britain. Anyone can visit the site, but the emphasis is on business.
You’ll find the top 10 employers, who they are and what they pay and more information about business in the city
www.Newbritainmunicipaleconomicdevelopment.com lopment.com is the result of several months’ hard work and, at times intense idea exchanges between, Bill Carroll, coordinator of the Municipal Economic Development Agency and Web developer Tom Matuszewski.
Mayor Timothy Stewart was also appreciative of the foundation grant. “This is a tool to market the city’s resources,” he said. “Bill [Carroll] has done a good job putting the Web site together; hopefully, it will pay off for us.” Bill Millerick, president of the New Britain Chamber of Commerce, sees the MEDA Web site as a partnership with the chamber, the downtown district and city hall.
“Unlike some Web sites that are hard to navigate, contact information is user friendly,” said Matuszewski. “It’s easy to find what you’re looking for and the information is free.”
Frank, maybe the Democrats are right, how dare you even suggest that people should pay their taxes!
The mud slinging and name calling referred to has to do with calling certain people fat, creating certain names for people
like "sherwack". Mud slinging and name calling has nothing to do with
collecting taxes your right but the constant immaturity stands in the way of doing business in New Britain.
Check out the the new, www.Newbritainmunicipaleconomicdevelopment.com website announced in the Herald this morning.
The website looks great and is an innovative way to promote what New Britain has to offer for commercial and industrial development. The URL is
quite a long one but once your into
the site it is easy to navigate and
very professional.
May I repeat to Anonymous with regard to the mud- slinging, name calling and etc?
May you be reminded that I have posted a response to you yesterday citing that” we inform” and we post all our reader’s remarks with our only deleting vulgarity postings.
Your comments referring to name calling, creating names for certain people, and calling some fat are the remarks made by the blog’s readers and it is not my place to, as the editor of this blog, to ferret out remarks that my readers wish to react with because of the inaction or possibly the wrong doing of certain city politicians.
NO! I will not deny my readers their rights to “Vent their feelings” A case in point is the issue concerning Board of Education pick by the 13 Democrats that denied the RTC'S pick for that appointment.
Are you upset of the many postings making the thirteen elected democrats that are serving on our city council to appear like loons?
I will not accept your scare tactics directed towards me or my blog and will continue to post whatever my readers wish make about the problems with our elected officials from both parties.
Thank you for being one of my blog’s readers and we wish you a merry holiday season.
Certain people are fat! They get fatter at the expense of the taxpayers. Take Catzanaro for example. hasn't he been getting fatter by feeding at the public trough long enough???
Rolling on the floor laughing--Hey Frank, apparently Cantazaro doesn't know he is a fat a**!
Maybe we should get him a mirror?
What this communist cell on the city council would have you do is censor all postings and only allow postings that agree 100% with their liberal agenda. That is total communism!!
That is why these council Democrats are so upset with this blog, because you allow anyone to express their thoughts without regard for how SHERWACK, TRULYWORTHLESS and their ignorant brain dead followers will not like what they have to offer.
Keep up the good work!
...if these idiots weren't serious about silencing anyone who disagrees with their socialist agenda, it might even be funny....
The political theory of socialism, which gave rise to communism, had been around for hundreds of years by the time a German philosopher named Karl Marx put pen to paper. Marx, also known as the father of communism, spent most of his life in exile in Great Britain and France. He wrote the Communist Manifesto in 1848, which later served as the inspiration for the formation of the Communist Party. Communism is also known as "Marxism."
Marx believed that a truly utopian society must be classless and stateless. Marx's main idea was simple: Free the lower class from poverty and give the poor a fighting chance. How he believed it should be accomplished, however, was another story. In order to liberate the lower class, Marx believed that the government would have to control all means of production so that no one could outdo anyone else by making more money. Unfortunately, that proves to this day to be more difficult than he might have realized.
Marx described three necessary phases toward achieving his idea of utopia.
* Phase 1: A revolution must take place in order to overthrow the existing government. Marx emphasized the need for total destruction of the existing system in order to move on to Phase 2.
* Phase 2: A dictator or elite leader (or leaders) must gain absolute control over the proletariat. During this phase, the new government exerts absolute control over the common citizen's personal choices -- including his or her education, religion, employment and even marriage. Collectivization of property and wealth must also take place.
* Phase 3: Achievement of utopia. This phase has never been attained because it requires that all non-communists be destroyed in order for the Communist Party to achieve supreme equality. In a Marxist utopia, everyone would happily share property and wealth, free from the restrictions that class-based systems require. The government would control all means of production so that the one-class system would remain constant, with no possibility of any middle class citizens rising back to the top.
Marx also detailed the 10 essential tenets of communism, namely:
* Central banking system
* Government controlled education
* Government controlled labor
* Government ownership of transportation and communication vehicles
* Government ownership of agricultural means and factories
* Total abolition of private property
* Property rights confiscation
* Heavy income tax on everyone
* Elimination of rights of inheritance
* Regional planning
In the communist society that Marx described, the government has supreme authority through its total control of land and means of production. Because the government distributes land and property among the people, communism sets a standard of equality -- both economically and socially -- among its followers.
New Britain’s (Tokyo Rose)a.k.a. Alderwoman Eva Magnuszewski.
TOKYO - 1941: Iva Ikuko Toguri D'Aquino,a Japanese-American, was most identified with name (Tokyo Rose) a generic name given by Allied forces in the South Pacific during World War II to English-speaking female broadcasters of Japanese propaganda.
The problem for Aquino, though, was that (Tokyo Rose) was not an actual person, but the fabricated name given by soldiers to a series of American-speaking women who made propaganda broadcasts under different aliases.
As a result of her interview with the two American reporters, Aquino came to be seen by the public—as the mythical protagonist (Tokyo Rose).
Her 1949 trial resulted in a conviction on one count, making her the seventh American to be convicted on that charge. She was pardoned by U.S. President Gerald Ford in 1977, becoming the only U.S. citizen convicted of treason to be pardoned. She passed away in September 2006.
NEW BRITAIN - 2008: Two years after (Tokyo Rose) passed away the New Britain Council Urge President Bush and Congress to get out Of Iraq. In a party-line vote of 13 to 2 on April 23 2008, the New Britain Common Council adopted a Resolution that urges the President and Congress to end the War in Iraq and re-direct federal spending to domestic needs.
The propaganda Resolution was written by Chairman John McNamara DTC and delivered by Alderwoman Eva (Tokyo Rose) Magnuszewski.
The Liberal City’s Common Council voted in favor of the Resolution denouncing the War in Iraq.
This anti-war (Tokyo Rose) sentiment didn’t seem to bother 29 year old Captain Frank Tantillo, 29, of Tolland CT - Charlie Company 1-102nd National Guard Infantry based in New Britain. The anti-war sentiment is their prerogative – Tantillo said of the Council and he didn’t want anti-war sentiment to get Guard members confused with an Iraq War.
If you see us around town Captain Tantillo added, talk to us. Just talk to us. The 90 men of the Army National Guard unit were embarking for three days of weapons training at Fort Dix, New Jersey.
The weapons training for the troops includes firing the M-16 rifle, the newer M-4 -a shorter-barreled, more maneuverable version of the military’s favorite weapon, and the M-2 machine gun, which is also designed for close range.
The majority of the unit returned from Afghanistan only a year ago, said Lt. Garrett Sheehan, 29, of Middlefield CT. Charlie Company moved out of the Bristol Armory in March in favor of better conditions at the New Britain Armory. As citizens we can have debates, Lt. Sheehan said. But when these guys put on their uniforms, they are just doing their job.
Alderwoman Eva (Tokyo Rose) Magnuszuski, who delivered the Resolution, also said God bless them the National Guard for doing what they do, I hope they are never deployed to a War-torn country.
The mud slinging and name calling referred to has to do with calling certain people fat, creating certain names for people
like "sherwack". Mud slinging and name calling has nothing to do with
collecting taxes your right but the constant immaturity stands in the way of doing business in New Britain.
YOUR CRITIC DOESN'T SEEM TO MIND NAME CALLING OF TRUEWORTHY, BECAUSE EVEN HE KNOWS THAT TRUEWORTHY IS REALLY TRULYWORTHLESS!
To Anonymous: your comment as follows:
“If the current common council is refusing to work with the Mayor then the voters take notice. It’s not enough to elect Mayor Stewart and then give him no one to work with”.
You also stated that Frank Smith Says NB has been mud-slinging.
Please be advised that the Blog has been presenting the factual problems with the local political personalities. The blog does allow all it’s readers to vent their frustrations and cannot edit out those postings you dislike because it is attacking the party you like.
Please be advised that this blog will post all views whether adverse to one party or the other.
ONLY VULGAR LANGUAGE WILL BE DELETED AND NOT THE OPINIONS OF ANY OF OUR READERS!
I sense that you are upset because our readers have been attacking the current Majority leadership of the council since your statement cites that the voters didn’t provide the personalities on the common council that will work with the Mayor.
This blog has been pointing out the ineffectual mannerisms displayed by the Majority members of the city council towards our Mayor and as to the name calling please be reminded those were reactions of the blog’s readership, venting their frustrations against the democratic council members, for their adverse attitudes towards the Mayor and his two Republican council members.
Maybe if the elitists on the council would start listening to the public they are supposed to be serving, there would be less name calling and more productivity.
Gee Frank my post asking those who
think things will change by mud slinging and name calling really got you going! Most think I am offended and side with the liberal democrats. To the contrary. I am as republican as they come and I think the council should be wiped out in a clean sweep but campaining on their weight problems
and calling them names is not a productive message. Bloggers who want change need to really be serious with their message.
Scare tactics in my post. No. I understand the blog and freedom of
speech I just don't agree with
attacking peoples appearance. It's
a waste of time and serves no purpose. If you want to attack the
members of the council look at their votes bring the real issues
to the public.
Washington DC - Christmas Eve Dateline 12/24/08: President Bush has sent personal letters to the families of every one of the more than 4,000 troops who have died in the middle east. An enormous personal effort that consumed hours of president's time and grief.
This task, along with meeting family members of troops killed in action, has been so wrenching - balancing the anger, grief and pride of families coping with the loss symbolized by a flag-draped coffin - that the president often leaned on his wife, Laura, for emotional support.
"I lean on the Almighty and Spirit of President Lincoln and Laura," Mr. Bush said. "She has been very reassuring, very calming."
President Bush has also met privately with more than 500 families of troops killed in action and with more than 950 wounded veterans, according to White House spokesman Carlton Carroll.
Many of those meetings were outside the presence of the news media at the White House or at private sessions during official travel stops, officials said.
Regardless of your politics or whether or not you think the cause is right or wrong, I can only hope and pray that our next Commander in Chief has the character that this President has had to stand face to face with the families of the men and women that he puts in harms way and grief with them.
God bless Mr. Bush, God bless Mr. Obama and God bless our troops.
Mr. anonymous Republican:
New I understand where you are coming from but you must be alerted to the fact that the name calling and attacks on peoples appearances is not from this blog directly but that of our readers who are venting their own frustrations with their posting their own remarks onto this blog.
To blame this blog for the name calling is absolutely wrong.
As I have posted that all remarks posted by this blog’s readers will be posted no matter what party it may offend as long as their messages do not contain profanity.
Sincerely,
Frank Smith Says NB
Mr. Republican,
How about the fact that two of them are directly responsible for the loss of badly needed funds for the poor because of their gross personal conflicts of interest? Is that good enough an issue for you? All they need to do in order for HUD to restore the needed funds is resign from the council, but they are too selfish to do the right thing, or is it wrong to call this behavior selfish on the part of Trueworthy and Cantazaro?
Yes, they should resign from the council in order to re-store the much needed funds to HUD. For Paul
and Michael to blame the "whistleblower" for harming the poor just shows how they wish to continue to do business in this city . I don't think that name calling will bring them around to doing the right thing. I hope to see intelligent opposition to this group of 13 whether republican or democrat this coming 2009 election.
Food for Blog thought.
High School 1957 vs. 2008
Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.
1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2008 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny
and Mark. They are both charged with assault and both are
expelled even though Johnny started it.
Monday, December 22, 2008 10:35 PM EST
By RICK GUINNESS
Herald staff
NEW BRITAIN — Conservation Commission member Thomas Talalaj has resigned in protest, saying that the board, which canceled its December meeting due to lack of quorum, is being controlled by Municipal Development Director Ken Malinowski and Planner Steve Schiller.
He said he was looking forward to the December meeting, but was told that the panel did not have a quorum and that it would be canceled once again.
“I resigned the following day,” Talalaj said. “I gave my letter of resignation to the mayor.”
He said he told the mayor that the meetings were constantly being canceled, and that it begs the question as to why there should be an inland wetlands panel.
Inland wetlands is an administrative function of the Conservation Commission, which is an advisory panel.
Talalaj said he works at Target.
“How can I be on a committee that doesn’t meet?” he said, adding that his replacement on the panel “is set in stone I was told.”
But he did not expound on who that might be.
Talalaj said in a letter to the editor in today’s Herald that the Inland Wetlands Commission had not met since April and that he had resigned last week after talking to Mayor Timothy Stewart, who appointed Talalaj.
Stewart would not comment on the issue, according to his staff.
Malinowski was on vacation.
But Schiller told The Herald Monday that “there are things statutorily required to go to the commission.”
But he said that he and Malinowski have been designated as having administrative power to act on certain matters.
For instance, if work is not in the wetlands or if it is work that has previously been approved by the commission, he said it would be considered “maintenance.”
For example, the First Church on Corbin Avenue had a washout, and “we were going to take it to the commission.” But he said he called commission chairwoman Eileen Gorczyca and was told it sounded like something the staff could handle.
“If you are dumping material into a stream course, or excavating,” Schiller said, the commission would be required to approve the work.
But he said that in the case of a stream with established walls that had caved in, fixing the walls would count as maintenance, and could be approved by staff, Schiller explained.
As to the charge that the commission has not met since April, Schiller produced meeting minutes from Aug. 19, in which the five-member panel was listed as present, including Talalaj.
Talalaj, however, insists that he was told there would be no meeting in August because of a lack of quorum.
The minutes are in error, he said.
“I believe minutes have been developed and that meetings have not been held,” he said, adding that he believes the minutes of the August meeting were fabricated.
"2008 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny
and Mark. They are both charged with assault and both are
expelled even though Johnny started it."
Yes I agree. And that's because of the rabid zero tolerance tough love ideology that ultra conservatives promote.
Doesn't matter it was a butter knife, you he held it like a real knife, you're outa here!
Another example of the ultra conservative world view not working in the real world.
Kenny Malinowski's typical playing games as revealed in today's Herald regarding the wetland commission has one wondering if the same type of game playing was occurring when the HUD Agency pulled their funds from the city because Ken was overlooking the conflicts of interest by two or three of the city Alderman.
Publish this comment.
HOW ABOUT IT.
Did the city council apply for the enterprise zone in order to make it attractive for businesses to move into the Pinnacle Heights proposed project?
What's the difference how many times you arrest Johnny and Mark? Some liberal Democratic Judge is going to keep letting them go with not even a slap on the wrist.
Weekly newspapers are failures?
The Journal Inquirer reported today that Bill Doak, Editor for the past 21 years of the East Hartford Gazette has made an offer to buy the Gazette from its troubled owner--The Journal Record Co.
If weekly newspapers are so destined for failure as previously reported on here, then why is the guy who probably knows more about publishing a weekly paper than anyone else in Connecticut negotiating to buy one personally?
Perhaps Mr. Doak is privy to some celestial knowledge that the rest of us are uninformed of?
People who stoop to name calling show they lack the ammunition (brains) to carry on a meaningful debate. They prove to the world how ill equipped they are about the real issues and only care to elevate self. Only problem is, the only ones they fool are themselves because a true wise person can see clearly thru their deception and smokescreens. Personally, I would rather be obese physically than have an obese perception of myself. I would rather be the ugliest person on the exterior than have a cesspool for a heart. But then again, I care about my integrity and honor.
Obviously posted by an ignorant liberal Democrat, because you fail to see that his insult is not in being obese, but in the fact that he gets fatter by stuffing himself at numerous restaurants while he is being paid by you and I (the taxpayers) to be out picking up trash, but instead travels from restaurant to restaurant on your dime!
Now, at the same time the he runs around eating several lunches all day, he is directly responsible for many poor people in the city going hungry by causing the elimination of badly needed federal funds that were intended to feed the poor, but have been stopped because of his gross conflict of interest by being the President of the organization that is supposed to receive the funds, and an alderman at the same time.
This somehow seems to make this guy feel like a real man by being able to get paid to eat all he wants, while causing others to starve.
Maybe you will take the time to read the facts before you attack someone for posting the truth, and for you apparently the truth does hurt.
To the Democrat who posted the last message, that is how we know you are an ignorant Democrat, because you speak without knowing a damn thing about what you are talking about, just continuing to spread the liberal talking points that you clearly don't have the intelligence to understand.
With the ignorance you have shown everyone on here, you are most likely a council Democrat.
...ignorance like that could only possibly be displayed by one man in New Britain, John McNamara.
News
Authors revise ethics proposal
December 23, 2008 10:48 PM EST
By RICK GUINNESS
Herald staff
NEW BRITAIN — In the wake of opposition to any new law that would deter people from volunteering for city boards and commissions, the authors of a proposed ethics ordinance have released a statement intended to allay fears.
A Jan. 7 public hearing on the proposal has been canceled by committee chairwoman Tonilyn Collins, but aldermen Phil Sherwood and Greg Gerratana are using the extra time to get out the word about what is really being proposed.
“The ethics proposal being offered would require powerful public officials to disclose things that might cause conflicts of interest,” Sherwood said in a statement. “Almost a third of [Connecticut] municipalities already have similar ordinances and it is considered such an important ethical standard that the state legislature has been considering making it a requirement for all municipalities.”
Sherwood and Gerratana are joined by fellow first-time aldermen Eva Magnuszewski and Roy Centeno in bringing the ethics proposal.
Gerratana said he is optimistic about amending the local ethics codes to offer greater transparency.
“This initiative is meant to be preventative,” he said. “You might not be able to legislate morality but I think everyone agrees that sunshine is the best disinfectant.”
“Everyone is welcome in public service, but with public service comes an obligation to ensure that the public trust is not eroded and that public officials are not abusing their positions of power for personal gain,” Sherwood said. “Some people have misconceptions about how broad this disclosure would be. No one will have to disclose their mother’s 401(k). But public officials should disclose to the public their own business dealings.”
Republican minority leader Lou Salvio, at the same Dec. 10 meeting, objected, saying that the proposal might scare people away from public office and city commissions.
“The intent of the ethics proposal is transparency. It will respect privacy but serve the public interest,” said John McNamara, chairman of the Democratic Town Committee in a statement Tuesday.
However, Salvio and Mayor Timothy Stewart confirmed separately Tuesday that they are against the proposed ordinance.Stewart confirmed Tuesday that the local ethics panel had met Monday night to discuss a complaint against alderman Paul Catanzaro brought by Lou Salvio.
The complaint against Catanzaro is based on his working for the Parks and Recreation Department while also sitting on the Common Council and participating in discussion about whether to hire a contractor to do landscaping work on city property or to let the Park and Rec department handle the work.
The state’s Municipal Ethics Task Force recently announced that they will be introducing legislation that would require municipalities to provide disclosure if they did not do so through their own local ethics codes.
“We want to get ahead of the game in light the state is more seriously considering mandating disclosure. We want to make sure this meets the needs of New Britain, and fits well here instead having the state force it on us,” Gerratana said.
Sherwood said massive scandals throughout the state prompted the move.
Haaaaaa Look We Found Sherwood busy
at work on his ethics proposal. Admirable considering all of his council pals have ethics conflicts.
Phil, what's the number on those
car taxes?
To Mr. Anonymous: With regard to you’re stating “ignorance like that could only be displayed by one man in New Britain, John McNamara”
The Blogs policy is to post all comments presented even if this blog disagrees with the statement.
Your statement has been posted by us and we personally do not believe that Mr. McNamara would display comments as you have stated.
But thank you for your comments.
Sincerely Yours,
Frank Smith Says NB
It has been announced that the planned Ethics sub-committee meeting of the New Britain city Council that was planned to be held on January 7th has been cancelled.
It appears that the opposition to the Sherwood’s group received a rash of opposition from residents citing that this proposal discourages any desire for volunteerism on the part of the citizenry of our city to serve on boards or commissions.
If I may propose the best solution that could happen to the whole idea would be to place it into the “proverbial waste basket.”
IS NEW BRITAIN NEXT???
No one's admitting anything in Shelton
By: Michelle Tuccitto Sullo, Special to the Weekly
SHELTON - Jason Perillo, a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission in 2006 when it voted on a Bridgeport Avenue project that has become part of a federal corruption probe, said no one ever approached him to try to influence his vote.
Perillo is one of the two commissioners who voted against the project. Of the people on the PZC at that time, only Perillo responded to phone calls seeking comment this week.
Developer James Botti, who was arrested Monday, is accused of bribery to win support for his Bridgeport Avenue development projects.
Botti's indictment specifically mentions two votes by city landuse boards, including the PZC's vote on Botti's proposal for two restaurants and a bank at 828 Bridgeport Ave. - which later became LongHorn Steakhouse, Chili's and a TD Bank, and the Inland Wetlands Commission's vote on Crown Point Center, a shopping plaza on Bridgeport Avenue.
"I didn't think it was the right project, and I didn't feel any pressure in any way, shape or form," Perillo said, referring to 828 Bridgeport Ave. "I stand by my vote. My concern was that on a corridor like Bridgeport Avenue, you want to create opportunities for the highest tax revenue possible, and I didn't think two restaurants and a bank did that. I thought there would be better opportunities, like office buildings."
Botti, 45, is accused of bribing "Public Official #1" - identified by sources as Mayor Mark Lauretti - with cash and home improvements, to get support for his projects and help getting them approved. The indictment references work done at the public official's house in 2002. That year, Lauretti had work done on his David Drive home, including adding a two-car garage with living space above it and enclosing a porch, city records show.
At a meeting June 20, 2006, the PZC voted 4-2 in favor of Botti's 828 Bridgeport Ave. project. Commissioners Dan Orazietti, Karen Tomko-McGovern, Virginia Harger and Allan Cribbins voted in favor, while commissioners Anthony Pogoda and
Perillo voted against it. Commissioner Leon Sylvester abstained, meeting minutes show.
A week earlier, on June 13, the commissioners held a lengthy discussion about the project, minutes show. According to the federal investigation, the commission preliminarily was split 4-2 against the project.
Botti allegedly gave Lauretti "a monetary benefit" to induce him to support the project and use his influence with the commission.
In the week between the two meetings, Lauretti allegedly contacted a PZC member to muster the necessary votes to have the project approved.
Botti's indictment doesn't identify any of the commissioners by name.
Thomas Carson, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office, refused to identify any of the individuals referred to in the indictment.
According to the indictment, the PZC member, identified only as "Commissioner 1" then contacted two others, "Commissioner 2 and 3," in an attempt to convince them to approve the Bridgeport Avenue project.
Botti allegedly directed another commissioner, "Commissioner 4" to approach commissioner 2 about attending the meeting and voting in favor of the project. The indictment alleges that commissioner 4, who had received construction services from Botti without charge, directed commissioner 2 to attend the meeting and vote in favor of the project.
After the vote, Botti allegedly gave two commissioners who favored his project gift certificates, and provided a gift certificate to commissioner 4. Botti also allegedly gave $2,000 to commissioner 2 for an event Botti held at commissioner 2's business.
Neither Lauretti nor any members of the land use boards have been charged with any wrongdoing.
According to Carson, the investigation is "ongoing."
The indictment also mentions a meeting in March 2004, where Botti obtained approval from the Inland Wetlands Commission for his Crown Point plaza project.
Minutes of that meeting show those who voted were all in favor, including Alvaro DaSilva, Norman Santa, Gary Zahornasky, Celeste Beattie and Joseph Ballaro.
The indictment alleges that Botti had discussions with an unnamed Inland Wetlands commissioner, whereby Botti "would receive approval from the commission in exchange for Botti using his influence with Public Official #1 to help the Inland Wetlands Commissioner."
Santa said Friday, "It wasn't me."
"I think I voted in favor of the proposal, but I had no discussion with Jim Botti," Santa said.
Beattie said Friday she is not familiar with any such incident.
The other wetlands panel members from that meeting could not be reached.
In May 2004, Botti provided a check to public official #1 for $8,925 for services purportedly rendered by the official's business in December 2003, the indictment claims.
Botti has entered not guilty pleas to all the counts against him.
Pogoda, Harger and Sylvester are still on the PZC, while Zahornasky, Beattie and Santa are still on Inland Wetlands board.
Steven Duke, a professor of law at Yale University, said of the descriptions in the indictment involving unnamed commissioners: "It is bribery only if something is given in exchange for a particular act or vote.
"Federal law prohibits illegal gratuities," Duke said. "Prosecutors would have to prove that gift certificates or the free construction were a reward for the vote, which would make Botti guilty of a crime. The commissioners would only be guilty if they accepted them."
Sounds like a "good ole' boys" system of doing business in Shelton. What nationality are most
of these guys?
Merry Christmas, Frank Smith Says
NB and A Happy New Year!
No on ever seems to admit anything in New Britain either.
It appears that the opposition to the Sherwood’s group received a rash of opposition from residents citing that this proposal discourages any desire for volunteerism on the part of the citizenry of our city to serve on boards or commissions.
Since when do these elitists care about what the public wants? They demonstrated with their appointment of Leslie Jacobs, against the massive outcry of parents and taxpayers, that they couldn't care less about what the people have to say.
What makes you think for one minute that they are listening now?
Subject: The Saga of Court Hearings on Municipal Code of Ethics....?
The Government Elections and Administration Committee took a step forward toward eradicating political corruption at the municipal level when it approved a bill that would force all Cities and Towns (like New Britain)to adopt a code of ethics by 2007.
The substitute bill calls for municipalities to establish procedures to investigate allegations of misconduct by its public officials, public employees, and paid consultants.
The state has yet to pass its own contract reform package. The General Assembly has passed legislation toward that end three times, but Governor M. Jodi Rell vetoed all three attempts. State Rep. Christopher Caruso, [D-Bridgeport], said that municipalities, like the state, routinely award multi-million dollar contracts and in most towns there is no process for the public to address the behavior of public officials.
Two Glastonbury residents, Karen Emerick and Dana Evans, know what Rep. Caruso means all too well. They were in Hartford Superior Court filing writs of mandamus to enforce their legal rights. Since 2003, Emerick and Evans have been asking the Glastonbury Ethics Commission to specify how the public may initiate complaints alleging a violation of code, or how the public might request access to the commission's advisory opinions.
They say they have yet to receive an answer, though Karen Emerick says she was told on one occasion, in letter from the ethics commission chairperson, that the commission would not accept complaints directly from the public. Evans said she had wanted information on a code that would allow public officials to represent a developer and others doing business in the town, but was told advisory opinions are not for the public. If it becomes law, the substitute bill approved by the committee today will change that.
After filing and winning numerous state Freedom of Information Commission complaints and non-compliance actions against the Glastonbury Ethics Commission, Emerick and Evans said they felt they had exhausted all other avenues.
After filing the writ, Emerick said there should be a regional ethics commission, so that people on the commission do not hear cases from residents in their own town. She said she would support a statewide ethics code that doesn’t require public officials to disclose the contents of their bank accounts, but they would have to disclose all financial interests in property and list the names of their limited liability companies and private employers.
The substitute House bill that the committee approved prohibits public officials and public employees from representing private interests against the interests of their employer municipality, and closes the loophole in the revolving door policy so public officials can't take jobs with private companies that do business with the town.
Before it can become law, the bill still must be approved by the House, the Senate, and Governor Rell. Susan G. Kniep, former East Hartford mayor and President of The Federation of Connecticut Taxpayers Organization (FCTO) said that every time a public official writes a local ethics code for a town so that in the future he may, as an elected or former official, do business with the town - then the taxpayer again loses his/her shirt.
Without strong ethics laws on a local level, common sense tells you that local elected officials cannot and will not police their own, said Susan Kniep, President FCTO.
Posted by Anonymous to Frank Smith Says NB at December 24, 2008 8:18 PM
Today Trueworthy and Catzanaro are sitting down to stuff their faces with Christmas goose while due to their blatant conflicts of interest, the federal funding was withheld by HUD for programs meant to feed the poor.
The saddest part of the story is that the over sized egos of these two individuals are such that in their minds it makes them "real men" to have so much good food to eat while directly being the cause of others starving.
Bah humbug.
Leslie Jacobs will be returning to the school board. The common council overrode Mayor Timothy Stewart's veto of Jacobs' reappointment.
Can you imagine that the entire democratic common council voted for
this flunky to oversee the majority
of the taxpayers entire budget! She
will vote on how most of our money is spent this year and Trueworthy made this long speech about how a BOE appointment is not that important at the last council meeting. Wait until we can't meet payroll at city hall this coming year and then we'll talk
about the BOE.
The dumbocrats will try to blame the 2 republicans for their disaster. Most of them on the council don't even know whats going on anyway. I dunno.... huh?
The New Britain Herald has announced today that the talks on saving the newspaper will resume this coming Monday the 29th.of December.
Frank:
Sherwack and his new deputy, ethically challenged Goratuna must be genetically predisposed to nastiness and smart alekyness. There must have been something in the baby formula they were fed. And they want to spearhead the move for stronger ethics regulations in town. The Democrat mascot for these two is cpmpletely appropriate, the donkey or ass in their case.
Haaaa, Haaaaa, isn't it the truth.
Don't these guys get it? There are going to be some job openings in Illinois. I hear they are scouting
for some honest democrats to head
up that state. Maybe we can send our bunch over there with their ethics reform measures.
Where on God's green Earth do you plan to find some honest Democrats? Certainly not in the New Britain council!
Anonymous said:
There have been dozens of comments on this blog about the inept Baker's dozen of Democrats on the NB Council. Many of these comments say some awful things - much worse than inept - about these Council members.
What NB voters are learning is that these 13 "Dirty Dozen" are lead around by the nose by three spiteful Ds (Chatty Cathy Bielinski, Trueworthless and Sherwack) who care nothing about NB citizens. They care only about an ultra liberal socialist agenda.
In putting their agenda forward, the three have treated the other ten Ds like cannon fodder. Of course, the ten allow it to go on which goes to show that a supermajority of Ds on the Council doesn't equate with brains and self worth.
It is doubtful is many of those 10 followers even have the sense to come in out of the rain, or if they would even know if it were raining.
Thomas Joseph Dodd (May 15, 1907 – May 24, 1971) was a United States Senator and Representative from Connecticut, and the father of U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd.
In 1967 he was censured by the Senate for using campaign funds for personal purposes.
It would appear to some that the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree.
Anonymous said...
No one seems to be monitoring the Board of Education and it up coming BUDGET The presentation is Monday night at seven at the regular BOE meeting
As an outsider I wonder what foolish amount the QUEEN will ask the overburned taxpayers to shell out. $ 130,000,000 ? ? ? ?
January 3, 2009 5:36 AM
After Posting our some fiver years ago that Alderman Catanzaro continue to persist as long has he holds his two positions and that is being an Alderman and a city employee.
THAT IS THE CONLICT IN ITS SELF!
January 5, 2009 5:43 AM
Brian Said: The Conflict being committed By Alderman Catanzaro has been pointed out a number of times by Frank Smith Says NB with his pointing out the appearance of conflict for a city employee to serve on the City Council exists.
The Democratic Council members were extremely quick to defend The Alderman’s indiscretions with the Ethics Commission of the City because they are aware that other members are also afflicted with the same exposure of conflict and are afraid that these exposures will become public.
The State of Conn. does not allow its employees to serve in the state Legislature while being an employee due to the conflicts it presents.
Why Does New Britain allow this appearance of conflict to occur?
So I do agree with Frank Smith Says NB that the Alderman should resign at least one of the positions Also be reminded that the conflict of interest charges directed to this Alderman by the HUD Agency has not been resolved or at least if it has; it has not been made public.
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