Political Capitol

On Saturday Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell announced she tapped Stamford-based World Wrestling Entertainment’s chief executive, Linda McMahon of Greenwich, to join the 11-member state Board of Education for an initial, two-year term.

McMahon, who founded WWE with her husband Vince McMahon, is, according to Rell, no stranger to education.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in the subject from East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. McMahon has also been involved in several education groups, including helping create literacy outreach programs and is a member of Fairfield-based Sacred Heart University’s board of trustees.

But the choice is raising some eyebrows in Hartford because of this footage being circulated of McMahon. Husband Vince and daughter Stephanie show up first, but Linda eventually gets into the act.

Perhaps McMahon’s approach will help raise test scores.

UPDATE:This footage is even better, but you need some patience. Now, to be fair, clearly this is all acting on the part of McMahon and her daughter. And when other Connecticut actors, like the great Paul Newman, spoke, people took them seriously despite the roles they played. So why not McMahon?

Citing what they argue are lower-than-anticipated enrollment numbers, the General Assembly’s Democratic-majority yesterday took $3.7 million out of the Charter Oak health plan’s remaining budget to help address the state deficit. The move leaves a balance of $7.3 million for the current fiscal year that ends June 30.

“The slow start of the Charter Oak health plan made it a logical choice for cost savings, since enrollment and expenses have not yet lived up to expectations, nor are they expected to by the end of the fiscal year on June 30,” said Sen. Jonathan Harris, D-West Hartford, co-chairman of the public health committee, in a statement.

Launched last July to provide healthcare for uninsured adults ages 19 through 64, Rell’s Charter Oak plan has had a hard time signing up physicians and hospitals wary of its low reimbursement rates.

According to the Department of Social Services, Charter Oak so far as 4,649 enrollees.

The plan has become a punching bag of sorts for Democrats critical of how it has been managed by Rell and DSS and by healthcare advocates concerned it is an inadequate attempt to address the state’s uninsured population.

But the Governor and DSS have continually said they are committed to making the program work, signing up more physicians and clients.

Harris was careful to add Charter Oak is not being singled out.

“That being said, this is not the first well-intentioned state program that has had its budget cut, nor will it be the last,” he said.

There was no word from Rell yesterday on the decision, but it is likely she or her staff would have reacted quickly were the administration totally opposed to the Charter Oak cut.

Retired Sen. William Nickerson, R-Greenwich, is being feted tonight from 6:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Richards of Greenwich.

The event is sponsored by Soundwaters and the bipartisan list of guests includes “honorary chair” Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat and Greenwich resident, Sen. Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Fairfield, Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford, House Minority Leader Larry Cafero, R-Norwalk, and the Greenwich delegation.

But lawmakers do not even appear close to taking up the bill they came to Hartford for today that would help address the current deficit. So while Rell and Blumenthal will probably make the roast, the legislators are still stuck up here at the capitol.

McKinney said the day was going so slow – lawmakers were also confirming judges – he might be able to make the drive to Greenwich, speak, head back, and still not miss a thing.

I’ve written about how lawmakers are weighing the value of the state’s film and television tax credits, which have lured many big stars to lower Fairfield County, in the face of a growing budget deficit.

Now it turns out the industry has gone and hired some lobbyists – Gaffney, Bennett and Associates, Inc.

I guess if anyone needed more proof the industry was concernd the credits are on the line, this is it.

… the health insurance pool, that is.

According to House Speaker Christopher Donovan, D-Meriden, Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell has assigned Stamford’s own Mike Fedele to participate in legislative negotiations about opening up the state employee health insurance to municipalities, non-profits and small businesses.

Donovan got a bill opening the state insurance “pool” passed by the General Assembly last year. He argued it would provide a good option for those entities struggling with health insurance costs and could also save the state money by increasing Connecticut’s negotiating power with health insurers.

Rell vetoed the legislation over concerns about implementation and costs to taxpayers but also indicated she was willing to work on the issue with Donovan.

“Last week I called the Governor and said ‘you always said you wanted to start working on this, why don’t we start?’” Donovan said.

Donovan expects the working group will also include the chairmen of the legislature’s public health, appropriations and human services committees.

“We’re starting with the disagreements we have with the Governor. We’re going to sit down and see what we can work out,” Donovan said.

There is a growing movement to open up the state’s health insurance to ensure every resident some type of health coverage. And President-elect Barack Obama has also pledged to move ahead with healthcare reform.

“If we find out midway through (Obama) has a whole new plan, go for it,” Donovan said. “But if we can start saving cities and towns money right now, why wait?”

The state Transportation Strategy Board at its 8 a.m. meeting Thursday at the capitol will get updated on a study of tolls and congestion pricing.

The $1 million study, due next month, is reviewing whether the state should install E-ZPass style booth-less tolls along Connecticut’s main thoroughfares. The goals would be to capture additional revenue for infrastructure projects and decrease congestion by charging higher amounts during rush hour to encourage motorists to use mass transit.

The South Western Region Metropolitan Planning Organization, headed by Floyd Lapp, is a big booster of the study and congestion pricing. Lapp is looking forward to attending Thursday’s TSB meeting even if the study is not complete.

“You might view this as the sixth or seventh inning of the game,” he said. “I would hope at this point – maybe I’m expecting too much – that if one listens carefully you might be able to hear directions in which policy aspects of the study are moving.”

Lawmakers have never jumped at the idea of tolls because it would politically be a tough sell in a state which got rid of them years ago and has a reputation for over-taxing its citizens.

But the current budget crisis will undoubtedly have some taking the TSB study more seriously than they might have a year or so ago when there was a healthy budget surplus.

Republican Governor M. Jodi Rell is not anticipated to be among the converts. In a phone interview last month, Rell said she does not want tolls back in Connecticut, regardless of the budget woes.

“I always hate to draw a line in the sand,” she said. “But that is not an option for me.”

UPDATE: Thursday’s TSB meeting has been CANCELLED due to expected rough winter weather.

That Elvis tune popped into my head today when I was watching Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, question DOT Chief Joseph Marie on the audit of the New Haven Rail Yard.

At one point Duff during a transportation committee hearing asked Marie when he was given the document. Duff and Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford, have wondered why Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell chose the afternoon of Jan. 2 to make the audit’s findings public. Not only was it a Friday, but it was the Friday after a holiday, making it pretty likely a lot of folks – including the press – would not be paying attention or still be on vacation.

To be fair to Duff and McDonald, in my experience lawmakers issue press releases at certain times and in certain ways for a reason. Either they want to make a big splash about something or they wish it would go away but know they have to put SOMETHING out to the public.

In response to Duff, Marie said he was given “a preliminary briefing” on the audit “some time in late November.”

So that will probably feed Duff’s and McDonald’s suspicions Rell sat on the audit for at least a month until the holidays. But that word “preliminary” also gives the administration enough wiggle room to claim the audit was being finalized for public consumption.

While waiting to testify before the legislature’s transportation committee today, DOT Commissioner Joseph Marie took a few minutes for an informal chat with me about a couple topics.

After I was done asking the questions he was the one who brought up the Stamford garage. Marie is apparently concerned the message is not getting out that the DOT does not want nor intend to let commuters down when it comes to improving the deteriorating facility, even though the agency has put its demolition on hold.

The initial plan was to tear down the 800 space garage and replace it next year. But in early December Marie told the board of MetroPool the state instead wants to partner with area developers to find a solution.

“Tearing down the garage and building a new one is to me the easy answer,” Marie told me today. “(The DOT wants to) try to see a way to craft a station which is far more integrated into the environment it serves.”

And if that doesn’t work?

“We’ll build a new garage,” Marie said.

Either way, Marie said, the DOT is not going to hang the commuters who use the facility out to dry and WILL find places for them to park during construction.

“We need those customers,” he said. “We want them to stay on trains.”