Ken Dixon's Blog-O-Rama

Friday January 30, 2009

Speaker of the House Chris Donovan told reporters a couple hours ago that Rep. Jim O’Rourke, D-Cromwell, who was the last person to see a 41-year-old woman alive before she was found dead of exposure in Rocky Hill last week, is going to have to answer questions from reporters about the incident.
He’s been cleared of foul play, but O’Rourke has been the talk of the Capitol all week.
“I think people want to know what’s on his mind and with him walking around, people have a lot of questions and maybe getting it over once might be the best way,” Donovan said.

Wednesday January 28, 2009

Here’s the breakdown of sessional employees in the Capitol, to run as a companion to last week’s staff salaries. HDO HRO SRO SDO indicates House Democrats, House Republicans, Senate Repoublicans and Senate Democrats, respectively. It’s daily pay, by the way.

Adinolfi, Alfred $113.64 HRO
Ahern, Nancy 125.29 SRO
Antonetti, Zaiga 125.29 HRO
Appleton, Timothy 133.69 SDO
Arnini, Harry 57.55 SDO
Askham, Patricia 125.29 SRO
Auger, Bernard 220.28 SDO
Baird, David 20.75 SDO
Balducci, Carmela 108.64 SDO
Behot, Michael 113.64 SDO
Bianca, Pamela 113.64 HDO
Brittell, Sean 125.29 HRO
Brooks, Alton 51.18 SDO
Buonocore, Dominic 125.29 HRO
Burns, Vanessa 125.29 SDO
Calabrese, Christopher 100.00 HDO
Carroll, Dennis 113.64 SDO
Celentano, Frank 91.55 HRO
Celentano, Susan 57.55 HRO
Centini, Frank 83.52 HDO
Chadwick, Tricia 113.64 HDO
Coleman, Garey 235.85 HDO
Coutu, Don 133.69 SDO
Cremer, Marvin 55.90 SDO
Dall, Elaine 125.29 SDO
Davis, Roslyn 51.18 HDO
Demicco, Michael 119.33 HDO
Donn, Elliott 51.18 HDO
Dunion, Patrick 51.18 HDO
Falkevitz, Robert 125.29 HDO
Ferraiolo, Ronald 113.64 SRO
Fitzgerald, Jill 113.64 HRO
Flynn, Eileen 125.29 SDO
Frankel, Robert 691.73 HDO
Fulco, Dominic 80.89 HRO
Futtner, Edwina 125.29 HRO
Gibney, Art 51.18 SDO
Gillette, Elizabeth 125.29 HRO
Goodwin, Elizabeth 108.64 HRO
Grabinski, Madeline 125.29 SRO
Graff, Randall 125.29 HDO
Green, Christopher 100.00 HDO
Greene Jr., Leonard 119.33 HRO
Harlamon, George 113.64 HDO
Haviland, Derek 100.00 HDO
Hayes, Katharine 113.64 SDO
Headley, Barbara 20.75 SDO
Hennessey, Charles 80.89 HDO
Hennessey, Richard 62.97 SDO
Izzo, Patricia 51.18 SRO
Johnson, Gloria 125.29 SDO
Kelbick, Amy 113.64 SDO
Kelly, Lois 133.69 SDO
Kimball, Sean 125.29 SDO
Krawiecki lll, Edward 113.64 HRO
Kreonides, Nicholas 83.52 HRO
LaRosa, Paul 51.18 HDO
Langan, Eugene 55.90 HDO
Latronica, Andrew 57.55 SRO
Lazowski, Philip 20.75 SDO
Lichtenbaum, Harry 125.29 SDO
Linskey, Amy 125.29 HDO
Littmann, Lori 125.29 HRO
Maffia, Frank 58.96 SRO
Malitsky, Joseph 57.55 HDO
Malloy, Kerri 161.60 HRO
Marien, Cory 113.64 SRO
Marinelli, George 119.33 SRO
Martinez-Cintron, Ruth 100.00 HDO
Marvell, John 125.29 SRO
McCall, Brandon 113.64 HDO
McCarthy, John 55.90 SDO
McGrath, Theresa 113.64 HRO
Monteiro, Virginia 113.64 SDO
Musumano, Louis 55.90 SRO
Nakhimovsky, Zalman 108.64 SDO
Nappi, Phyllis 113.64 SRO
Nock, James 32.08 SDO
Noren, Beverly 80.89 HDO
O’Reilly, Maureen 113.64 HDO
Prior, Michael 83.52 SRO
Rajala, John 57.55 SDO
Ramsey, Anne 119.33 SDO
Richards, Sarah 113.64 SRO
Rossetti, Janice 55.90 SDO
Rudd, Dawn 125.29 SDO
Russell, Anna 112.00 SDO
Salois, Andre 119.33 SRO
Salvio, Kathleen 113.64 HDO
Sanders, Mary Lou 91.55 SRO
Savva, George 55.90 HDO
Schaechter, Harry 55.90 SDO
Schlechtweg, Sherrie 51.18 HDO
Schlechtweg, Walton 108.64 SDO
Schmidt, Anne 119.33 SRO
Schroll, Corrine 133.69 HDO
Shea, Kathleen 113.64 SDO
Shea, Kathy 133.69 HRO
Sheridan, Thomas 235.85 SDO
Shields, Thomas 108.64 SDO
Slopak, Dianne 125.29 SRO
Smith, Jemar 108.64 SDO
Spinella, Kevin 113.64 SDO
Suchinski, Bruce 57.55 HDO
Thompson, Barbara 113.64 HRO
Trestman, Jody 113.64 HDO
Turner, Jonathan 83.52 HDO
Varunes, Nicholas 220.28 HDO
Veltri, Richard 125.29 HRO
Vercelli, Barbara 80.89 HDO
Wachsman, Eileen 346.67 HDO
Wade, Bonita 113.64 HDO
Wagner, James 62.97 HDO
Wilkinson, Tyler 90.00 HDO
Williams, Barry 100.00 HDO
Young, Kenton 90.00 HDO
Zavagnin, Chris 113.64 SRO
Zenko, William 125.29 HDO

Wednesday January 28, 2009

Amid the snow and sleet in Hartford this morning, Speaker of the House Chris Donovan appeared on WNPR’s “Where We Live,” talk-and-call-in show.
The first 20 minutes or so of the hour-long show with host John Dankosky, was spent performing another autopsy on the ill-fated hiring of Jim Amann to act as his senior advisor. Donovan said that the $120,000 salary seemed to be the biggest cause of public outcry. Then Donovan said that he didn’t think Amann understood that the job would take up more than an eight-hour business day.
From there, Donovan intimated the inevitable as the state confronts multi-billion-dollar deficit both in the current fiscal year that runs through June 30 and the two-year budget that the Legislature will be crafting to take effect July 1.
“THe wealthy as well as the average person needs to kick in,” Donovan said.
For those keeping score, the billion-dollar deficit of 1991 forced the 4.5-percent personal income tax. The deficit of 2002-03 resulted in an increase of the tax to 5 percent, after Democrats pushed for a so-called milliuonaire’s tax.

Monday January 26, 2009

Democrat Jim Amann has decided to hold off his big announcement for governor until the fallout dies down over the $120K senior-advisory post for House Speaker Chris Donovan, from which he backed away last week.
Amann had booked the Klein in Bridgeport this week ,but has pushed it back to February 11, but Pat Scully, the former highly respected media guy for state Senate Democrats who was pushed out a couple years back by a Machiavellian tide of new Senate staffers, announced the date change today.
“We decided we needed some extra time to consider all the implications of the new state campaign finance laws including the proper disclaimers on printed material and a means to ensure lobbyists and contractors do not donate to the campaign as required by the new rules,” Amann said. “We are clearly being overly cautious by moving the date, but we wanted to be absolutely sure.”
Whatever,
.It’s not the backlash from the now-closed revolving House door that’s going to hit Amann, but rather the primary voters who remember Amann, a moderate Democrat, as a supporter of Joe Lieberman in 2006.
“Everywhere I go, the people of this state have turned out in far greater numbers than I ever expected,” Amann’s news release says. “The support I’ve received thus far from working families, from business leaders and from Connecticut citizens in general who are tired of politics as usual is very encouraging,” Amann said. “I look forward to the February 11th event. It’s going to very energizing and exciting.”
So mark your calendars for that Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Klein, 910 Fairfield Avenue in Amann’s native town of Bridgeport.

This should sow some dissention and payday envy in the ranks at the
Legislative Office Building.
Jim Tracy, the personnel
administrator for the Joint Office of Legislative Management, has
released the names and salaries of staffers in the various caucuses.
HDO indicates House Democrats.

Doug Whiting, down toward the bottom of the HDO list, will probably
be earning that $165,000 when the budget isn’t settled by October.

Name Salary

HOUSE REPUBLICANS

Christopher R Adams 91,128
Mark J. Anderson 71,995
Antonio C Ayala 66,910
Bree M. Berner 92,700
James Bookwalter 37,036
Phyllis H. Brett 75,705
Valerie Conroy 88,065
John DiCarlo 60,504
Marc Dillon 51,500
Mary V Dombrowski 32,826
John Dooley 46,838
Michael Downes 67,151
Michael Evarts 77,189
Mark Ferrari 50,408
Nellie A. Figueroa 61,953
Christopher Fryxell 35,000
George Gallo 149,000
Dorothy J Getsie 61,640
John J Healey 71,070
Sarah Holbrook 61,532
Deborah L Hutton 144,000
Jennifer Maloney 92,000
Tracy Mancinelli 35,000
James O’Connell 36,050
Patrick O’Neil 97,000
Michael L. Rell 70,565
Cliddie Riley 44,148
Lisa Roy 55,015
Susan E Roy 43,391
Joseph A Santangelo 98,000
Jared Schmitt 82,500
Jason R Schuetz 51,396
Marie Schweitzer 57,288
Jason Stark 65,000
Bryan Sundie 42,500
Maureen Urso 45,088
John Vamos 43,221
Mark Wilde 35,704
David J. Williams 52,022
Ryan Wolfe 33,990

SENATE REPUBLICANS
Name Salary
Kimberly Anderson 43,642
Stephen Bassermann 33,000
Janice C. Bazyk 65,191
David Cappiello 103,000
Brett Cody 99,910
Gregg Cogswell 33,990
Michael J Cronin 99,327
Peggy Deschenes 85,490
Jaclyn Ferro 38,934
Yvette D. Fleming 67,233
Christopher M. Fletcher 39,501
Justin Gargiulo 93,934
Allison Godfrey 44,558
Michael Goodwine 41,043
William Grant 73,112
Daniel Grasso 49,123
Katelyn A Higgins 55,509
Lena A. Holleran 58,859
Katherine Kenneally 41,773
Elaine Kennedy 41,316
Patricia A. Krautler 68,687
Brenda Kupchick 46,000
Carrie-Lyn Lauria 37,888
Joseph Lemieux Jr 60,236
Hugh MacKenzie 86,224
Jennifer A Macierowski 128,750
Jaime J Makuc 51,577
Mary Kathryn O’Keefe 56,079
Paul Pimentel 151,000
Robert A. Poudrier Jr. 91,231
Rachel Reese 46,500
Katherine Ruppar 41,773
Catherine E. Sarault 95,610
John W Shannon 126,500
Elisabeth Swanson 35,707
John D. Titsworth 69,348
Randa Utter 68,671
John Vecchitto 62,763
Jennifer L. Wysocki 33,500

SENATE DEMOCRATS
Name Salary
Elizabeth Bannon 38,000
William P Beccaro 58,868
Dina B Berlyn 63,915
Chatham M. Bordner 53,683
Jason Bowsza 37,920
Shwana Brathwaite 38,004
Kirstin Breiner 34,894
Linda S Buchanan 63,036
Melissa Buckley 74,000
Deborah I Buffington 74,326
Jacqueline Caron 54,275
Lawrence Cook 71,576
Courtney Cullinan 50,627
Gregg Davis 56,968
Wendy Donovan 46,152
Heather Dorsey 34,898
Susan Driscoll 40,711
Jaclyn Falkowski 47,993
Teresa S Gavigan 67,749
Elizabeth Giannaros 36,032
Joseph Goldman 38,004
Melissa P. Goldschmidt 56,153
Kevin P. Graff 147,160
Laurence Grotheer 64,289
Gregory S. Haddad 108,965
Robin Havelin 49,474
Carol Hazen 38,004
Robert Kelly 38,004
David Kiner 36,115
Jacqueline Kozin 39,334
Jared Kupiec 36,115
Richard Lopes 45,244
David MacDonald 34,894
Vincent Mauro Jr. 91,227
Emanuel Merisotis 57,678
Eleanor Michael 64,000
William D Miller 64,863
Art Mongillo 46,350
Dean O’Brien 48,768
Leslie O’Brien 106,404
Stephen Palmer 36,115
Jimmy Perras 76,745
Joseph Quinn Jr 170,719
Josh Rising 63,963
Joel I Rudikoff 130,626
Kathleen Salemi 39,626
Nicholas C Salemi 54,659
Jacqueline Santiago 42,066
Ellen Scalettar 137,967
Mark Severance 45,044
Phyllis Silverman 60,455
Derek Slap 109,232
Carla C. Smith 68,188
Tasha Smith 43,976
Taylor Somerville 39,334
Thomas Spinella 38,004
Laura Stefon 42,542
Joshua Storm 48,921
Carl Strand 34,894
Liam Sweeney 38,004
Paul Tarbox 34,894
Laneka Thomas 53,560
Pamela Toohey 40,710
Linda M. Towbin 71,355
Natalie S. Wagner 77,250
Michele R Walker 51,888
Emily Westerberg 43,065
Lloyd E. Wimbish 83,227
Joshua Wojcik 38,004
Timothy D. Wolf 105,470
G. Andrew Woodcock 35,972
Shirley S. Zipadelli 38,472

January 22, 2009

It’s a few minutes after the Democratic-dominated Appropriations Committee adjourned, without discussion or a vote, on a pending raise for state engineers that will cost Connecticut $10 million. The inaction puts it on track to take place automatically in about 30 days.
Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Fairfield, and Sen. Dan Debicella, R-Shelton, ranking member of the committee, are in the Capitol Press Room now, at 5 o’clock, complaining about the opaque tactic.
“It is further evidence that the majority is unwilling to make the decisions necessary to get our economy running again,” McKinney said.”If they’re this unwilling to vote in committee, it makes me wonder why they ran for office in the first place.”
“This fails the test of bipartisanship,” Debicella said. “We expected to have a debate on it. It’s very early in the game to be acting partisan.”
.

January 22, 2009

Chris Healy, the state Republican chairman, has called for a legislative Committee of Inquiry to investigate veteran Sen. Tom Gaffey, D-Meriden, who’s the subject of an active investigation by the State Elections Enforcement Commission over alleged misuse of a cellphone and double billing his political campaign and the Office of Legislative Management.
“Democrats set the bar for ethical standards and investigated a sitting Senator less than a year ago,” said Healy of the forced resignation of Lou DeLuca, a former Republican senator from Woodbury who left office in December 2007.
. “Now, they should look into Sen. Gaffey’s admitted acts of behavior unbecoming an elected leader – including possible fraud,” Healy said.
“Democrats were quick to judge and to hold Republicans accountable,”said Healy. “If they are truly committed to have lawmakers who follow the law, they should investigate Sen. Gaffey and pass judgment.”

January 21, 2009

The Blogster imagines that it was too much to hope for, but is he the ONLY one who noticed that the newly minted president seems to have spent his college weekends studying and not sashaying around the dance clubs?
It was painful to see President Obama at the Neighborhood Ball on TV, dancing entirely out of time. Ugh. At least the First Lady’s dress, which seemed rather constrictive, was an excuse.