Ken Dixon's Blog-O-Rama

Connecticut politics is a contact sport

Archive for May, 2010

Around for Four Years, Expanded Elections Enforcement Unit Claims They’re Still the New Guys and Are Unfamiliar With State Regulations

by:

Granted, the US Second Circuit could turn the all-powerful, all-knowing, expanded State Elections Enforcement Commission into burueacratic dust bunnies any day now and throw out the state’s entire, highly touted 2005 campaign finance reforms. But until that day, we can muse on the recent audit of the SEEC. State Auditors Kevin Johnston and Bob Jaekle issued a short, yet-tasty evisceration of SEEC management, which has doled out too much compensatory time; paid for goods and services without taking adequate documentation; used state credit cards in a obvious breach of purchasing controls; and delayed beyond regulations the timely deposit requirement for receipts.

In its response, the SEEC said it’s updating its work rules and will adopt a process for pre-approved comp time; will process purchases according to state protocol; “Employees have been educated on the uses of the (purchasing) card;” and will develop “a system” to make sure it deposits receipts totaling $500 or more within 24 hours.

For You Folks Keeping Score at Home

by:

 

 The current scorecard of bills and vetoes shows Gov. Jodi Rell has signed 94 into law and vetoed seven, with some more, but nothing major like the energy-reform legislatrion she quashed the other day, still in the pipeline.

Blumenthal Loses 25 Percent of His Support and It Would Still Be a 25-point Landslide: Q Poll

by:

Doug Schwartz, Q Poll director, today speaking about the U.S. Senate smackdown between Attorney General Dick Blumenthal and wrestling impresario Linda McMahon: “He leads McMahon by 25 points. he has been hurt somewhat by the Vietnam controversay, but not that much. In our last poll two months ago, he was leading McMahon by 33 points, so that lead has dropped by eight points in our poll today. In terms of Linda McMahon’s favorability, her negatives have gone up since our last poll. She has not gotten a bounce out of her convention victory. Her negatives are up 13 points. In our last poll 26 percent of Connecticut voters had an unfavorable opinion of her. Today, 39 percent do…The more that they found out about Linda McMahon, the less they like her….” He noted that most registered voters say she doesn’t have the experience needed to be a senator. “She hasn’t gotten very much for the $15 million she’s spent,” Schwartz said. “People know the attorney general, they like the attorney general and they appear to be cutting him some slack on this controversy.”

Expo Center’s Final Insult: Lights Out

by:

The Blogster has decamped from the Democrats’…ah…party for the better wired confines of the Capitol, where the WiFi always works and the eletricity stays on. Promptly at 6:30, the power to the press tables went out and the Blogster’s hard-working laptop went into hibernation. Today’s score: WiFi outages 10. And the Democrats think they are relevant. Wow!

DiNardo: Cost of Dems’ Two-Day Party is $80K. Value of Energizing Democrats: Priceless

by:

Nancy DiNardo of Trumbull, the now-smiling Democratic State chairwoman, is finally looking relaxed and happy, having throw a successful two-day nominating party.

Blogster: “What are you smiling for? You have primaries for lieutenant governor, governor, secretary of the state and comptroller. What did you accomplish for that $80,000 pricetag?”

DiNardo: “We have a lot of people excited about being Democrats. People came here and really energized the convention. There were old-fashioned fights. We have people energized and the primaries, I believe, will excite us. They weren’t bitter fights.”

Primaries Ahead, Dems Gavel Convention Over at 5:26 p.m.

by:

The scramble is on for August 10. Cancel that house in Truro.

Kevin Lembo, State Health Care Advocate, Becomes the First Openly Gay Candidate for Constitutional Office

by:

Not that it matters, but Kevin Lembo of Guilfiord just introduced his spouse Charles, while accepting the nomination for state comptroller. Lost in the conversation about diversity in the Democratic slate (yes, except for Treasurer Denise Nappier, it’s pale and suburban) is the fact that a gay candidate is running for one of the top jobs in the state.

Ice Cream Treats Reveal Intrigue on Comptroller Race

by:

Gerry Garcia of New Haven is sponsoring a tent outside the Connecticut Expo Center, offering free cups of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and raising his profile as a long-shot candidate for Secretary of the State. The Blogster didn’t see any Cherry Garcia, but talking with one of the ice creamers reveals that among the convention intrigues, are efforts to trade votes from Garcia supporters for ballots that would go to Waterbury Mayor Mike Jarjura, who’s angling for comptroller, along with three others including Fairfield First Selectman Ken Flatto.

Page 1 of 712345...Last »