Ken Dixon's Blog-O-Rama

The General Assembly’s agenda this morning includes a bill to allow dogs to hang out with their people at state-park campgrounds. Another one would limit the length of boats on Candlewood Lake.

Citizen’s Ethics Advisory Board Chairman G. Kenneth Bernhard of Westport, who was caught giving campaign contributions against state rules that his board oversees, has quit. “I have had a few days to consider recent events…It is apparent that my service will be a distraction to the important work that the Board does for the people of our state and I cannot permit that to happen,” said the attorney and former member of the state House.

 The CEAB will continue to its investigation into Bernhard’s actions, which included a $100 check to Gov. Jodi Rell’s campaign.

Maybe they need higher standards for entry into the University of Connecticut. Or at least a better version of spell check. The following is a release from some students who want to come to the Capitol to protest tuition hikes, assuming they can read a map. They certainly can’t spell “legislative” or “legislators.”

Here’s the release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UCONN STUDENTS RETURN TO CAPITOL TO DEMAND ANSWERS AND ALSO HOLD FACULTY STUDENT FORUM AT STORRS.

Date: Thursday, March 4^th.

Time: 12pm-3, 6-8pm

Place: State Capitol Legistlative Office Building

UConn students will be returning to the state capitol Thursday to continue the pressure on state legistlators to keep higher education a priority. UConn students hope to continue to engage all members of the CT community in finding solutions to our current fiscal crisis. To that end we will also be hosting a combined Faculty/Student meeting to discuss the current issues surrounding our campaign and develop a cohesive plan to mitigate the looming budget cuts. With so many states facing much worse financial situations, we believe it is imperative that we act now to save higher education in CT.

All members of the Connecticut community are welcome to join us for any part of our day.

For more information or comments please contact:

Jason Ortiz: 860 639 8101  jasonjortiz@gmail.com

Nina Hunter:  860 786 8579 hunter415@gmail.com

Among the bills on the Energy and Technology Committee’s list for public hearing today, is legislation that would allow the state commissioner of Transportation to order all lights on limited-access highwys to be shut off at 1 a.m. It’s an attempt to save on the state’s $50-million annual cost of electricity. Gee, if only the lane markers were bright enough to be seen, maybe drivers could figure out where their lanes would be. If this passes, a little drunken driving, heaven forbid on a snowy night, could go a long way toward more carnage on the interstates.

The AP’s reporting that Rob Simmons’ campaign for GOP Senate nomination lifted some material verbatim from the National Federation of Independent Businesse. It’s called plagiarism. ”Regrettably, in a very small section of the plan, one of our young staffers who helped draft the language made the mistake of borrowing words from another source,” his campaign just said. “Rob Simmons takes this issue seriously, the staffer has been admonished, and the part of the plan in question will be immediately re-worded.” 

 In case you don’t think they’re playing hardball with Greenwich wrestling czarina Linda McMahon, the statement continues: “Linda McMahon is in no position to talk about credibility on jobs given spent last year receiving millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded subsidies designed to create jobs, then turning around and slashing jobs after taking them money, and then receiving millions more from the Wall Street bailout bill she supports.  At least this kid’s mistake didn’t cost taxpayers over $800 billion.

Who says the state is without a prayer? Who says there’s a separation of church and state?

The Blogster just got this e-mail from Sen. Mike McLachlan’s personal e-mail, so he’s not using his public e-mail to promote religion in the Capitol.

 Anyway here it is, in all its purple robes and prose.

“There is a new presence at the state Capitol this legislative session.  It is mostly unseen, but not without influence.  It is the influence of prayer.  Prayer walkers moving throughout the halls of the Capitol praying for legislators and staff and for righteous legislation to come forth.  A monthly prayer meeting that meets behind closed doors to lift up to heaven the same concerns.  Email alerts and updates going out to inform intercessors and believers across the state about upcoming legislation and prayer points concerning the business of the state.

Now the Connecticut Capitol Prayer Network is sponsoring a Prayer Breakfast at the state Capitol during Holy Week, on Wednesday, March 31.  The breakfast will be held in Room 310 of the Capitol, from 8:45—9:50.  The purpose of this breakfast is to encourage legislators and staff in the application of faith to their responsibilities at the Capitol and in their personal lives.  We want to raise the profile of faith in God and begin to build bridges for the CCPN to minister personally to legislators and staff.

The Family Institute is not sponsoring the breakfast, but we support the CCPN.  Here is how you can help make this Legislative Prayer Breakfast a success.  You will find a link below where you can send an email invitation to your legislators.  This is so important.  We really want to fill Room 310 with legislators and staff.  Being invited by their constituents is the best way we know to get them there!  Whatever else you want to say about politicians, they pay attention to the people whose votes they need to be elected.  That is why we are asking you to take a moment and click the link to invite your representative and senator.  (Then to follow up with a personal note of invitation or a phone call would be even better.)”

He was reticent to tussle with reporters when he first shifted his US Senate candidacy to governor last year, but Tom Foley of Greenwich, the former Bush administration ambassador to Ireland, showed some schooling this morning during a 39-minute Q and A with state political reporters. Borrowing to cover the operating deficits, like the $1.3-billion Gov. Rell wants to borrow against future revenue “is a mistake. In the business world, that’s the beginning of a death spiral for business.” Last year, Rell and Democrats also closed the 2008-2009 budget by borrowing $900 million. “Again, it just shows that the Legislature here is unwilling to consider the severity of the problem and start attacking the expense problem, which is causing all these problems.”

Veteran Rep. Chris Caruso, D-Bridgeport, still smarting from that 4.5-hour wait during a public hearing last week, called a news conference today criticisng the lack of legislation to fix the state’s 2005 campaign-finance law that was rejected in part last August in federal court. There’s a pending federal appeal, but the jaded Caruso warns that while Senate members inserted the original flawed section putting unreasonable obstacles before minor party and petitioning candidates, there now appears to be lingering opposition in the upper chamber to fix the law.

“If we can’t do something in two months, we ain’t going to do it in seven days,” Caruso warned. “So what you’ll see if the program will come crashing down, we’ll go back to the old system of bundling of money by lobbyists for their clients to particular legislators. We’ll see the old ad book come back in where corporations can give $250. We’ll  see the leadership PACS with no limitations placed on them whatsoever. That’s what we don’t want to see.”