Political Capitol

State employees get a bad rap in the media since newspapers generally write about when they screw something up and cost taxpayers money.

So it’s only fair to give them good publicity as well, like today’s announcement from the Governor’s office that state employees gave nearly six tons of non-perishable food and $11,000 to her annual holiday drive.

The donations go to Food Share and the Connecticut Food Bank.

“Our state employees have once again embraced this worthwhile challenge and now thousands of struggling Connecticut families will benefit from their generous spirit,” Rell said. “I could not be more proud of Connecticut employees for helping truly make this a holiday from the heart.”

I found out last week from an old editor that the first newspaper I worked for – the Regional Standard – has been shut down as part of the cuts announced by the Journal Register Company, owner of the New Haven Register.

I was hired as a reporter for the Standard, based at the time in Colchester, right around the end of 1997 and stayed there until I moved to New York City in March, 1999. The Standard covered not only Colchester but neighbors East Haddam, East Hampton, Hebron and Salem.

I knew over the last few years the Standard, which we always thought was short-staffed, had suffered from various budget cuts and no longer seemed to be covering as many stories as it used to.

The Standard is one of several JRC-owned Connecticut weeklies closing over the holidays. 

My personal feelings about the Standard’s stopping publication aside, the loss of the weeklies is bad for young reporters looking to bolster their resumes and work for larger daily papers. 

Working for the Standard allowed me to cover my first government meetings – board of selectmen, zoning committee, school board, etc. – and my first local and state elections.

And I also covered my first murder while working at the Standard – the death of an elderly East Hampton woman that I’m not sure was ever solved.

On a lighter note I also learned about the practice of raising emus (they look like ostriches) in the Standard’s part of the state, and helped one owner hunt down and capture her lost bird. Literally we wrestled the thing into a dog pen.

The point is that weekly newspapers provide much needed professional experience for young journalists. I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to begin my own career at one, and wonder where younger reporters are going to turn now.

Just got back a little while ago from the state Central Democratic Committee’s debate over how best to punish U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, the “independent Democrat” from Stamford, for his backing the Republican presidential ticket.

The debate lasted well over an hour and there were plenty of thought-provoking comments from all sides. But much of the discussion got bogged down in parliamentary procedure i.e. who was speaking about what issue and who had been recognized and whether someone could offer an amendment or call for a vote, etc. etc. etc.

At times it was painful, with someone in the front of the room trying to make a point and some poor confused soul in the back of the room raising their hand to question which amendment they were discussing.

I can just imagine the same group setting up a firing squad or deciding whether to pull the switch on the electric chair or inject the needle. Talk about inhumane to the prisoner.

Among the list of budget reductions Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell just proposed to address the current, $356 million deficit, is this: “Delay State Department on Aging Creation – $430,396.”

And yet it wasn’t all that long ago the Governor was trumpeting her decision to restore that same agency.

The Governor will probably say she made that decision before it was known the state was facing a $6 billion deficit in the upcoming 2010 and 2011 fiscal years. BUT on the same day of her announcement Rell’s budget director, Robert Genuario of Norwalk, during a special hearing testified the state’s economic outlook was getting pretty bleak.

Oh Department on Aging. We barely knew ya.

UPDATE: Rell’s office insists she remains committed to forming the department in the new fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2009. But they also acknowledge that new money will now have to be set aside in the 2009-10 state budget which the General Assembly and Governor will be crafting later this year. Everyone acknowledges this is going to be a very tough budget season because Connecticut is facing an estimated, $6 billion deficit. So I think it’s safe to say finding the money for the Department of Aging is not a sure thing despite all good intentions. But perhaps, if Rell is solidly behind it, it will still happen.

So Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell just now, at ten minutes to 5 p.m., issued a statement that she is calling the legislature into special session on Jan. 2 to enact her new proposal to do away with the current fiscal year’s $356 million budget gap.

Without even bothering to pick up the phone to call Senate President Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, or House Speaker James Amann, D-Milford, I predict their response will be as follows:

“The General Assembly is scheduled to convene for the regular, 2009 session on Jan. 7 – just five days later. We see no reason why we can’t wait until that time to address the Governor’s request, particularly since many lawmakers – both returning members and newly elected members – may just be returning from Christmas vacations.”

Rell, obviously predicting a similar response, wrote in her press release: “Some will question why I am calling the legislature into session five days before the next regular session is slated to begin … The answer is as simple as it is stark: We cannot put off reality. We cannot wait to take action.”

I also predict that when the Democrats balk at her request, Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Fairfield, and House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero, R-Norwalk, will immediately issue a joint press release accusing the majority party of not taking the state’s financial crisis seriously.

But what do I know? When I spoke to Rell a couple of weeks ago about the budget, I asked her whether she might schedule a special session in December or early January. I can’t recall exactly what she said but she did not leave me with the impression that was her plan.

UPDATE: Sen. Majority Leader Martin Looney, D-New Haven, in a brief phone interview on Rell’s proposal, doubted the special session will occur.

“We’ll have to evaluate her proposal,” Looney said. “But the timing of it raises questions – the day after New Year’s and five days before the start of the regular session.”

Maybe I’m finally getting the hang of this job.

UPDATE II: My gloating was premature. Here’s the statement issued by Williams: “We appreciate Gov. Rell’s sense of urgency in addressing the budget deficit and it is something we share. I will immediately begin reviewing the budget mitigation plan and sharing it with my caucus members.”

Of course there is no mention of coming in Jan. 2.

According to Douglas Schwartz, director of Quinnipiac University’s polling institute, it’s when 52 percent of residents contacted said they support the state Supreme Court’s decision to legalize gay marriage, 39 oppose it, and nine percent aren’t sure.

Schwartz released the results of the poll today.

But his “bare majority” description drew rapid criticism from gay marriage supporters, including Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford. McDonald and Rep. Michael Lawlor, D-East Haven, who together chair the legislature’s judiciary committee, said the poll shows “overwhelming support” for marriage equality.

McDonald and Lawlor, who are both gay, noted the poll shows residents oppose amending the state Constitution to ban same sex marriage, 61 to 33 percent.

Perhaps.

Sources at the capitol last week said the state budget office was close to finalizing the audit of the New Haven Rail Yard.

The project caused a PR headache for Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell earlier this year when it was made public the costs had exploded from $300 million in 2005 to over $1.2 billion.

The Governor decided in June to spend $630,000 to audit the plans in the hope of cutting costs – an effort that has grown in importance now that the state is facing a $6 billion budget deficit.

Last week came and went with no audit released.

Today Jeffrey Beckham, spokesman for Rell’s budget office, said the results would be out “soon.” He declined to elaborate.

I’ll say this for Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk – he’s persistent.

Completion of the Super 7 Expressway between Norwalk and Danbury is less likely than ever. Rather than reviving the decades-old project, fought by suburban/rural municipalities and environmentalists, state officials are in the midst of widening the old Route 7 to accommodate modern traffic flows.

But Duff has continually promised voters he will push lawmakers in Hartford to revive Super 7. And his latest effort came today.

Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell is compiling lists of “shovel ready” state and local infrastructure projects to present to the federal government should Congress pass another stimulus package with funding for such initiatives.

Duff today called on Rell to add Super 7 to the list.

“The use of Route 7 has long outpaced its orginal purpose and design and the federal government’s interest gives us a golden opportunity to finally get this project off the ground,” Duff said. “Route 7 has the potential to be the most direct and safe route between upper and lower Fairfield County. Small improvements are counterproductive.”

Rell spokesman Christopher Cooper said there are three reasons it would be difficult to add Super 7 to Rell’s list.

“This particular project … does not have all its permits in place. It does not have a final design. And there is no community agreement or consensus as to whether it should proceed,” Cooper said. “Other than that, it’s a great idea.”

UPDATE: Duff argues Super 7 has been on the books for so long there have GOT to be final designs sitting around somewhere at the Department of Transportation.

“This was the original shovel ready project – 40 years ago,” Duff said. ZING!!!