Ken Dixon's Blog-O-Rama

“I’m on a mission,” Gov. Dannel Malloy just told Capitol reporters, only slightly less transparent than his recent trip to Afghanistan, from which selected reporters received calls after a blackout security period. “A lot of this involves phone calls and discussions with business leaders who can enlarge employment in Connecticut and I’m engaged in that on a daily basis.”

 The Blogster asked the governor why he and his office have been “cloak and dagger” about the trip, with a terse e-mail last Friday from his press office saying only he was going out of state, on the taxpayer’s dime, in the cause of economic development.

 ”Listen folks, I am involved in economic development efforts every single day. And the thing about economic development is that some of that has to be conducted person-to-person, in private. It has to involve relationship building. It certainly has to involve what we’ve already done in this state and that is to take care of our long-term economic and budgetary issues, which I can assure you the outside world is taking note of.

That brings the total up to 24. Here’s the governor’s release:

“Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that the Department of Social Services and the Office of Labor Relations has notified several state agencies of an additional nine employees who are suspected of filing false and misleading applications under the D-SNAP program as the state continues its ongoing investigation.  In addition, the 15 employees whose names were submitted to agencies last week have been given letters notifying them of the date for their individual administrative hearings.

“We have a zero tolerance policy for the misuse or abuse of government programs in this administration,” Governor Malloy said.  “While the addition of nine administrative hearings is troubling, I want the residents of Connecticut to know that this is an ongoing investigation, and I am determined to leave no stone unturned.  In addition to losing their jobs, anyone caught defrauding our government will be referred immediately to the proper authorities.  The days of looking the other way are over.”

The Governor also outlined the process by which state employees can provide tips of fraud and abuse of public funds while remaining anonymous.

“Since we first announced the administration’s investigation into the federal emergency food assistance program last week, my office has been contacted by state employees who want to report unethical practices but wish to do so anonymously,” Governor Malloy explained.  “The Office of the Auditors of Public Accounts, which is operated under the management of the state legislature, has a whistleblower unit designed to protect the identities of anyone who makes such a report.  I strongly urge any Connecticut resident who is aware of misuse or misappropriation of public funds and wants to remain anonymous to contact that office, understanding that their identities will be protected.”

Tips can be submitted either in writing or by telephone to:

State of Connecticut Auditors of Public Accounts

210 Capitol Avenue

Hartford, CT 06106

Toll free: (800) 797-1702

Locally: (860) 240-5305

Website: http://www.cga.ct.gov/apa

The Governor is urging anyone with knowledge of corruption, unethical practices, or abuse to come forward so that it can be investigated.  Additional information on rights and protections for whistleblowers can be found on the Office of the Attorney General’s website.”

The Blogster, in commemoration of the governor’s recent secret visit to Afghanistan, now gives a list of questions every Friday to the Malloy administration press office, including details on his weekend whereabouts and sources of travel funding. This is from Andrew Doba, the new director of communications:

“The Governor will be in Connecticut this weekend.  On Monday, he is headed out of state to pursue an economic development opportunity.  It will be paid for out of the General Fund.”

That $1 million to start the cleanup of the Barnum Avenue site on Bridgeport’s East Side, where someday a new Metro-North Commuter Rail station may be built, won’t be approved today, after all. The monthly meeting of the State Bond Commission, which is controlled by the governor, has been postponed until Friday, December 16.

During a conference call with reporters this morning, Susan Bysiewicz of Middletown, the former long-time secretary of the state, issued a position paper on Wall Street accountability. Here’s the link:

The State Bond Commission on Friday is set to approve $1 million to begin work on a new Metro-North station on a contaminated seven-acre parcel along Barnum Avenue on Bridgeport’s East Side. The commission action will occur the same week that a new Fairfield Metro Station opened.

“The site of this second rail station will spur further economic development,” said state Rep. Andres Ayala Jr., D-Bridgeport, leader of the city’s legislative delegation. “Currently, the City of Bridgeport has numerous projects in this area which would be well served by the second station. This could be the spark which ignites further investment opportunities and better jobs and housing for our residents.”

“This project will address one of the barriers to economic activity which is lack of access to public transportation,” said Rep. Charles D. Clemons, D-Bridgeport. “This project encompasses blight, pollution and transportation with increased avenues for economic activity.  This is money well-spent and I am eager to see the work begin.”

 Rep. Auden Grogins, D-Bridgeport, said the East Side site has been hampered by long-time industrial contamination: a brownfield that will be expensive to clean up.

“Giving additional access to our Bridgeport commuters to New York and other major Connecticut cities is key to making Bridgeport a destination city,” Grogins said. “With the prior attention having been given to Fairfield’s new train station, I am excited and hopeful that the prospect of a new train station in Bridgeport will shift the focus for future economic development in our city,” she said.

“Cleaning contaminated brownfield sites and putting them back into productive use will be a key factor in our efforts to increase the cities taxable grand list,” said Rep. Ezequiel Santiago, D-Bridgeport. “Adding to our public transportation infrastructure will help lower our carbon footprint, while the additional commuter traffic will provide opportunity for increased business at existing venues as well as a greater need for new businesses to be established.”

 Since Gov. Dannel P. Malloy controls the monthly agenda of the State Bond Commission, the placement of the $1 million item on the agenda is tantamount to approval.

Attorney General George Jepsen, acting for the Reapportionment Commission, today asked the state Supreme Court to extend the panel’s deadline to give time for Democratic and Republican leaders to negotiate a new congressional map. In documents sent to reporters, the AG’s office included the copy of the December 21, 2001 court ruling that extended the deadline of 10 years ago. “Attached is our petition and the order of the court approving the extension,” said the email from Jepsen’s office, indicating that the old court order was a new one.

State Senator Bob Duff,D-Norwalk, justed announced that he has been informed by the governor that the State Bond Commission is expected to approve $85.6 million for the construction of two traffic-congestion mitigation lanes between Exits 14 and 15 on Interstate 95, when the panel meets next Friday. Five months ago Duff wrote Gov. Dannel P. Malloy for the extra lanes.

“Once again, the State of Connecticut is making the investments needed to preserve and grow our infrastructure at both the state and local levels,” Duff said in a statement. “I have been advocating for these congestion mitigation lanes at Exits 14 and 15 for quite some time, so I’m happy to finally have the money released for this project.”

The Bond Commission, which Malloy controls, is expected to OK $85.65 million for environmental assessment and planning, rights-of-way, property acquisition and the construction of two congestion-mitigating auxiliary lanes on I-95 between exits 14 and 15 in Norwalk, including related U.S. Route 1 improvements.