Blog For Connecticut

Every election cycle, someone asks the backward looking question, “are you better off now than you were four years ago?” As people graduate from school or interview for new jobs, inevitably someone asks the question, “What do you want to be doing five years from now?”

Today, I am starting my new job as Blogmaster for the DeStefano campaign. If you asked me five years ago what I would be doing today, I would have never imagined that I would be blogging for a gubernatorial campaign, yet here I am.

Years ago, Robert Kennedy, paraphrasing George Bernard Shaw said, "There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why... I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?"

When I was considering this position, I had breakfast with Mayor DeStefano. I was struck by how willing he is to dream of things that never were and how much he really does, ‘Expect More’. He talked about using this blog as a way to more fully engage people in the process of electing a new governor and of keeping them involved in governance after he is elected.

The Hartford Courant runs an AP story on the budget process in Hartford. Past years have shown conflict and delays in an attempt to pass a budget plan. Observers will now have a chance to see how the governor manages the process.

On Friday, the Connecticut Post reported that Governor Rell's office did not allow Connecticut Department of Transportation officials to travel to a recently held regional conference on transportation planning from sister DOT's throughout the Northeast, based on the travel ban ordered by Rell in November.

The conference focused on regional cooperation on land use and transportation planning. Officials from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, and Delaware attended. Despite Connecticut's economic stagnation and its direct link to traffic congestion, no one from Connecticut was in attendance.

The New York-based Tri-State Transportation Coalition, a public transit advocacy group wrote of Connecticut's absence:

"The ConnDOT lived up to its reputation as the least reconstructed,least responsive state transportation agency around with its failure to attend the New Jersey/Pennsylvania DOT conference,"

Rell's office was contacted to see whether the ban should have included the NASTO conference. This ban was also the reason Rell did not attend the National Governors' Association Conference, where Governors from throughout the country banded together on issues like Medicaid and Education Reform.

Kate Slevin, Tri-State's associate director, said her group was disappointed at Connecticut's absence. "Every state is facing fiscal problems and infrastructure problems," she said. But Selvin stressed that it is critical for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut DOTs meet in order to solve congestion problems plaguing the region. She asked how a solution would be found if Connecticut doesn't show up.

Becky Bombero is a UCONN Political Science and Communications graduate. She is currently the Mayor's campaign assistant.

Today I am going to get my very own New Haven smart card. I had a card like this at UConn – where my student ID could be used to buy things from campus coffee shops and the Co-op. The difference is that I will not have to pay to activate my New Haven smart card.

I will go to Atticus to get my free card and put $50 dollars on it which I can then use at many downtown merchants. It will be great – I’m notorious for forgetting to go to the ATM so I rarely have cash on me – I can fill this up one time and not have to worry about running to the ATM all the time.

It will be even better when the smart card meters start showing up over the summer. Yesterday I spent nearly $2 filling my meters and I had to dig through my ashtray for 5 minutes to find all those quarters.

The news of the week has been dominated by civil union coverage. It started on Sunday with and editorial in the Record-Journal and has been covered since by everybody from Houston newspapers to MTV.

Reuters reports that Connecticut opposes the MetLife Acquisition.

The Day (free registration required for archives) reports on the Connecticut Immigrant and Refugee Coalition's celebration of its 8th Annual Immigrant Day. It was also covered in the Waterbury Republican-American.

WTNH covered the opening of Pfizer's new research facility in New Haven.

Yesterday I was with John for a trip to TJ Maxx. John needed t-shirts (and as it turned out he bought a belt too). We moved on to the check-out counter.

"Aren't you Mayor DeStefano?" asked one clerk. John said yes and began making small talk. The woman worked at TJ Maxx but also is a 911 dispatcher.

John asked her what she liked about being a dispatcher, what she didn't like. And that is when the conversation changed. John was not just asking her questions to be polite. He was interested in the workings of the 911 dispatch and this dispatcher.

It surprised me. Most people make small talk and stay on the surface. But John dug deeper. He learned more about a part of his city and about one of his city's citizens.

Maybe that's what sets John apart, his desire to learn more, to do more. And maybe that is why he expects more.

I had such a great time last night in New Britain!

Alderman Paul Catanzaro, Alderman Sal Bonola, Alderman Michael Trueworthy, State Representative Peter Tercyak and Democratic Town Chair John McNamara held an event for New Britain Democrats to get to know me and my campaign better--and for them to tell me what is important to them.

There was wonderful energy in that room. The Democrats in New Britain are coming together energetically about their own Jason Jakubowski's Mayoral candidacy against Republican incumbent Tim Stewart.

People were excited. Many of the Democrats were excited not only about winning New Britain, but about winning Connecticut. We asked them to sign up for email updates and help us build our list of supporters. 16 people signed up! I need you to do the same.

Sign up! Ask your friends and neighbors to sign up. Let's double our list by the end of April.

Today the Mayor announced a historic partnership between the ctiy and four vibrant local non-profit institutions. The very first partnership of its kind and among the first of its kind in the nation, the New Haven Voluntary PILOT Initiative involves Yale University, St. Rafael's Hospital, The Community Foundation and Casey Family Services contributing voluntary payments into the city's General Fund that total over $2.5 million. 

Connecticut is more reliant on the property tax to fund local education than any other state in the country leading to towns and cities being crushed by high property taces, sprawl and lack of single family housing. In a city like New Haven--whose tax base is over 50 percent tax exempt--this reality has made it impossible to maintain the quality of city services while remaining an inviting place for middle class people to own homes and for businesses to locate.

Today John visited the Barnard School where a massive solar photovoltaic project was launched.  What is a photovoltaic project you may ask? (I sure did)  It's a solar power system that will cover 16% of Barnard's school electricity needs and save nearly $300,000 over the lifetime of the system.

The Connecticut Clean Energy fund helped support this endevour along with New Haven and the State of Connecticut.

This is just another step in John and New Haven's initiative requiring a minimum standard of 20% of New Haven's energy to come from renewable energy by 2010. 

Unlike the absent energy policy at the national level, New Haven is leading the way to developing renewable energy sources.   

Becky Bombero is a UCONN Political Science and Communications graduate. She is currently the Mayor's campaign assistant.

93 New Haven students received acceptance letters from the University of Connecticut.  They join the 45 students from 2 years ago, and 55 students from last year who were welcomed by the Huskies. This is no small accomplishment considering that UConn's standards are rising on the helms of UCONN 2000 and last year's two national titles. 

The increase in students from New Haven truly impresses me - but does not surprise me.  New Haven public schools have experienced a metamorphous over the past decade.  With the landmark $1.3 billion school construction project and the dramatic reduction of the drop out rate down from 12.5% to 6.4% over the Mayor's tenure - New Haven students are poised for success.

Like the mayor, and so many Connecticut residents I am a UConn grad.  I graduated last May and am proud to see the continued popularity of my alma mater.  But my growing concern is the rising cost.  While it is terrific to see 93 New Haven students gain acceptance from UConn I worry that tuition may still be a barrier for them.  In my four years at UConn tuition increased nearly 50%.  While I was on academic scholarship my award; which was 50% of tuition when I started; did not grow as tuition did.  While my parents and I could afford to make up the difference I am worried that others may not be able to afford the wonderful opportunities that await them at UConn.