Ken Dixon's Blog-O-Rama

Gov Jodi Rell’s office (she’s going on a visit to Maine this weekend)  just sent out this release.

“Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that 121 small and mid-sized municipalities will share in $6.7 million in federal stimulus funds to help pay for energy efficiency projects that will ultimately lower costs to local taxpayers.

“These smart investments that municipalities make now will pay for themselves in the long run. It truly is a better, brighter way to do things and most importantly it will give overburdened local taxpayers what they desperately need in this economy – relief,” Governor Rell said. “Many projects include new windows, solar panels and other items to be purchased and installed helping put money back into local economies.”

The funding will also help pay for energy audits, retrofits, financial incentives programs and renewable technologies for municipal buildings.

Local recipients are:

• Ansonia – $78,713
• Derby – $61,004
• Easton – $44,267.40
• Monroe – $81,180
• Orange – $61,750
• Oxford – $61,273
• Seymour – $72,024
• Trumbull – $125,620

(A complete list of local recipients is attached)

More than two dozen of the state’s largest cities were eligible to apply for $15 million in stimulus grants last year for energy efficiency projects directly from the federal government. For more information on stimulus program in Connecticut:  www.ct.gov and click on the CT Recovery link.”

Breathing an apparent sigh of relief over the departure today of Jim Amann from the governor’s race, (well, maybe not) Ned Lamont, the deep-pocketed former Greenwich selectman will transition his gubenatorial candidacy from exploratory mode to a candidate committee. The Blogster has learned he’ll make the announcement Tuesday at noon in the Old State House. First question from reporters: Will you self fund or use the state’s public financing system? The first answer will probably again refer to his fellow Greenwich millionaire, Republican Tom Foley’s Machiavellian plans to use his personal fortune to buy the governor’s office. Lamont doesn’t want to be confined by the $3 million limit, plus additional increments if opponents self fund beyond that. He has a point, in a way, since Foley has invested over $2 million of his own money according to the last financial filings of the State Elections Enforcement Commission.

Quick. If you need the assistance of those hard-working state employees, or any state employee, you better get in touch with them by 4:30, because Friday’s a furlough day for budget-cutting purposes and Friday is President’s Day.

The Blogster thinks it’s past time for Dan Malloy the former Stamford mayor and failed 2006 gubernatorial hopeful, or/and Ned Lamont, the millionaire businessman whose high point of public service experience was serving as a second banana on the Greenwich Board of Selectmen, to step forward and end their “exploratory” bids for governor and finally announce their outright candidacies.

The Blogster offers kudos today to media weather forecasters who admitted that they overhyped the little Nor’easter that scared the region, resulted in Capitol cancellations and gave people a reason to never listen to the TV weather idiots. But they were merely parroting the National Weather Service, folks.

This was just posted by the Meriden-based Pipefitters union. If the link doesn’t work, Google Local 777 Plumbers and Pipefitters in Connecticut. The release is a new listing on their home page.

Mickey Herbert of Fairfield, the former principal owner of the Bridgeport Bluefish and nearly former president and CEO of ConnecticCare, heads the cavalcade – well…. a half dozen – of corporate and insurance moguls who are backing Oz Griebel’s bid to gather the GOP nomination for governor.

 The Oz squad this morning announced endorsements from “six prominent Connecticut political and business leaders,” some of whom the Blogster has even heard of.

  “As a business leader in the healthcare industry, I know first-hand how critical it is for our next governor to understand the issues at the nexus of government and business,” said Herbert, who retires March 1, in a news release. “Oz stands out as the best contender with practical public policy, business development and executive management experience needed to restore fiscal sanity, public trust and leadership to the corner office.”

The legislative Government Administration & Elections hearing on possible changes to the state’s landmark, embattled campaign finance reforms that was scheduled for a public hearing tomorrow, has been postponed because of the anticipated winter storm.