Political Capitol

1. Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont arrived a few minutes late for the event, hosted by WVIT Channel 30, blaming traffic. All that money and Lamont still doesn’t own a hover car or a transporter. What the heck?!

2. None of the candidates have any interest in ruffling the feathers of typically pro-Democrat organized labor, including Waterbury Mayor Mike Jarjura, whose responses were at times more conservative than those of his five opponents’. Responding to a question about whether the candidates would promise not to lay off state workers and to maintain their salaries and pensions in the midst of an historic budget crisis, Jarjura said “I have found that labor, organized labor, wants to be and has been part of the solution and not part of the problem.”

3. Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi really, really, really wants to install electronic, automated highway tolls to boost revenues.

4. When it comes to raising taxes on the wealthy, Jarjura said the Democrat-controlled legislature has “abused the Gold Coast (wealthy Fairfield County)” while Juan Figueroa, former head of the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut, said he would look at taxing electric company profits, squeezing more money out of the estate/death tax and targeting bonuses earned by Wall Street executives whose companies received federal bailouts. Everyone else did their best to avoid staking out a firm pro- or anti-tax position, talking about shared sacrifices, but not until spending is under control and not if it makes Connecticut less competative with other states and suggesting studies of the state’s tax structure.

5. Jarjura would work out differences with legislative leaders, Democrat and Republican, over coffee and pastry. Yummy!!!

6. Marconi offered a fun analogy for the current budget crisis. He said: “For the last few years now this state has been at a great dinner. We’re sitting at the table now, the check has come, and we’re all looking at each other trying to figure out who’s going to pay the tab.” He then shouted “electronic highway tolls!!!” Just kidding.

7. Marconi, Jarjura and Lamont are concerned if legislation is passed requiring companies provide paid sick leave it will hurt Connecticut’s business climate. Lamont said: “We have 150,000 people in the state on unpaid permanent leave. It’s called unemployment.” Former Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy and Figueroa are all for it while Simsbury First Selectwoman Mary Glassman is on the fence.

8. Malloy, Figueroa and Lamont would sign legislation abolishing the death penalty. Retiring Republican Governor M. Jodi Rell vetoed an historic bill in 2009 that would have done away with the death penalty in Connecticut. Malloy made the point of saying “there’s always time to take up important issues, regardless of the economy” while Lamont noted as Governor he would not make the death penalty a priority. Marconi and Jarjura would leave the death penalty alone. Glassman is on the fence but said it is a conversation worth having.

9. Malloy believes being mayor of the state’s fifth largest city is akin to being Governor of a small New England state. He then admitted he used to dream about Stamford becoming the 51st state and him being crowned ‘Gover-mayor for Life’. Kidding.

10. Lamont appeared worried that he and his fellow Democrats were shedding viewers, and told the television audience during his final statement: “For those of you who lasted the full hour I congratulate your sense of citizenship.”

And to those of you who read this blog post to the very end, I say “ditto.”