Ken Dixon's Blog-O-Rama

Tuesday January 6, 2009

You can tell it’s the day before the legislative session because everyone’s getting along and promising cooperation. Let’s see how long that lasts. Heading into their first news conference as partner in government, Speaker-designate Chris Donovan and Senate President Don Williams laughed when the Blogster suggested their new Democratic battlecry. “Tax and Don’t Spend,” the Blogster offered. They both chuckled. “I’ll have to remember that,” Williams lied.

Monday January 5, 2009

Former Hartford Mayor Mike Peters died yesterday at the way-too-young age of 60. At the start of a news confernece by the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, there was a moment of silence this afternoon in the Legislative Office Building meeting room.
Peters loved a good time and was a roving fixture in various Hartford watering holes. It probably didn’t help his liver. In fact, Peters received a liver transplant last fall. In the lasat few months his kidneys failed on him.
“Mayor Mike, as he was affectionately known, was one of the earliest proponents of regionalism,” said Mayor Elizabeth Paterson of Mansfield, current CMMC president, said.
New Haven John DeStefano recalled that 15 years ago, he was elected at around the time that Peters became Hartford mayor.
“The city of Hartford greatly benefited from his leadership,” DeStefano told reporters. “He was just fun to be with.”.