Taco Bell runs for the border… the East Hartford/Glastonbury border.
I’ve been noticing on the minutes and agendas coming through my mail box that a piece of new development appears to be on the way for Putnam Bridge Plaza on the East Hartford/Glastonbury line. In addition to the Arthur Treachers/Roasters Express/Nathan’s combo restaurant accompanying Shop Rite (Soft open on the 23rd! thanks Bill), Home Depot, Pet Smart, TD Bank, Cingular and a variety of other businesses, with even more on the other side of the road, it appears a new Taco Bell is imminent.
I am not exactly sure yet where in the plaza the taco bell will be located. With an application Address of 1 Main Street it would have to be in the right side of the plaza.
My hat is off to the Andreo family, owners of the Putnam Plazas. While it seems we can’t get government backed development in East Hartford that doesn’t include bottom line busting tax exemptions and property giveaways this entrepreneurial family has brought millions of dollars in development to both East Hartford and Glastonbury and improved the quality of life for all of the residents of East Hartford’s south end and Glastonbury’s north end. And all with no incentive but to succeed. Keep it up Andreo family.
The new Taco Bell received the approval of the Design Review Committee on 05/25 and there will be a Public Hearing on the application before the Planning and Zoning commission on June 23rd at 7:30PM in the council chambers. The application appears on the regular agenda for action following the Public Hearing.
A new direction for the East Hartford GOP?
Every new slate of officers offers the East Hartford Republicans a fresh chance at breaking the monotony of tax increases and land slide elections. This time is no different. The question is, will the outcome stay the same?
Back in March the party took a much needed step in choosing new leadership and at the same time put forward somewhat of a surprise decision in electing the late, long serving Councilman Don Pitkin as the party chairman. Sadly, due to illness, Don never had the opportunity to sit in the Chairman’s seat. East Hartford will miss Don Pitkin, I miss Don Pitkin.
In a decision on the 14th the Town Committee made yet another surprise decision in filling the vacancy of the Chairman’s position with Joe Kronen who serves as an MDC and Real Estate Commissioner. Joe is a stickler for process and a believer in doing things. His election, supported by a majority of the Town Committee offers a chance at renewed vigor.
Don’s council replacement was chosen on the 14th as well with the choice being an experienced student of Don’s, Pat Harmon. She enjoyed the vote of a considerable majority of the committee. Pat is known as perhaps the best there is in constituent service. I have heard her ideas and speeches and I know she has the ideas to represent the reasoned position of the prudent taxpayer on the Town Council. I have been critical of her in the past for sitting idly by and voicing no public cry of disgust and concern for the irresponsible actions of the Majority sitting aside and opposite her, despite what she may have thought quietly to herself. I believe we need that voice. We need to hear our Council members say out loud, for all to hear, what we are saying to ourselves or yelling at our TVs. I have expressed my sincere hope that this new Republican council makeup will be more effective at having its opinion heard than the vuvuzela toting soccer fans of South Africa. That is a tall order, but one which can, and should, be served.
Unfortunately there is no GOP candidate to oppose Tim Larson, former Mayor, in his re-election bid for the 11th assembly district seat. Similarly in the 10th district Henry Genga is seeking re-election unopposed. The 4th, 5th & 6th districts had nominated John Ryan to oppose Genga but unfortunately Mr. Ryan had to withdraw for personal reasons.
In the 9th district East Hartford, Manchester and Glastonbury republicans chose Dennis Brenner to oppose Jason Rojas and republicans from the multi-town 3rd Senatorial District selected Robert Gonzalez to oppose Gary LeBeau.
This will be an interesting year. I hope it’s interesting because we address issues such as charter revision to achieve automatic budget referendum and a budget cap. I hope it’s an interesting one because more 18-35 year olds get involved beyond campaign activism. It wont be too many more years before I’m not a young republican anymore and it sure feels lonely being one sometimes. In a little over 2 years I’ve seen plenty of interesting personal issues. Now I am ready to see some interesting political issues.
Closing thought… hold onto your principles. If you fall into someplace you didn’t intend to be you’ll find principles are the only thing that will keep you afloat.
Mayor Signs Budget – Referendum Has Begun
Mayor Currey signed the budget last night opening the door for referendum on the out of control 6.8% tax increase. Budget petitions have already started going out.
Petitioners will be at Stop & Shop on Silver lane from 9am until 12PM tomorrow if you’d like to come by and sign a petition or pick up some petitions to assist in the process. With the voter registration surge the Obama campaign inspired the referendum effort requires a little over 4,000 signatures to get on the ballot up from the 3,700 range in the past.
If anyone would like a petition they may pick one up at the Town Clerk’s office or call me at (860) 930-4149.
Petitions must be turned in by 5:00PM March 26th.
The Citizens’ Budget Project has already halved the Mayor’s budget deficit and I am seeking volunteers for the citizens’ budget committee.
Town Council fails in their duties again. 6.8% Tax Increase Approved. Budget Referendum Imminent.
I kind of feel like I got gang-mugged last night. Gagged, beaten and mugged, all while my attackers repeatedly insisted it wasn’t their fault and patted each other on the back for doing me a favor.
It may not be their fault that the economy is upside down, but it is their fault East Hartford can’t remember what economic growth is. It is their fault that employee wages and benefits are bankrupting this town. It is their fault that the Board of Education spends more every year for a worse education. Where is the leadership?
I will give the Republicans some credit, they at least took the basic procedural step of moving to amend the budget this year, an action that has been conspicuously absent from past budget sessions.
I won’t give the Democrats any credit. The ball was in their hands and they decided the best thing to do was nothing. Both parties’ budget proposals were abysmal at best. Marcia LeClerc was entirely unknowledgeable and contradictory in her criticism of Eric Thompson’s suggested removal of administrator raises (really? administrator raises?) and take back of administrator vehicles which in some cases go across the state and out of state every night. Her suggestion that these cuts can’t be done because these non-union employees are protected by union contracts removes any faith that I have that these people know what they are doing.
All told both parties proposed about 2.2 million dollars in cuts from the Mayor’s proposed 8.1 million dollar deficit. Unfortunately both budget proposals cut the same things making them almost identical. Neither proposal included any sign of political courage or desire to protect we the taxpayers. Neither proposal even looked in the direction of ensuring that the same problems driving this year’s budget won’t be back next year. The result, next year we will have a 6 million dollar shortfall from federal funny money (Thanks Bush & Obama), wage increases we can’t afford, benefit increases we can’t afford, and more capital expenditure requests for the Mayor’s pet project of turning Town Hall into the palace she clearly deserves (is there a sarcasm font?).
Hey, at least when we can’t afford birthday & Christmas presents for our kids or Thanksgiving dinner thanks to this 6.8% tax increase we can take them by Town Hall for a tour of the new granite curbing to show them where our priorities are.
Thank you East Hartford Town Council. Thank you Mayor Currey. Together you have ensured I have no faith in my government. This man does have faith in one thing though, referendum and initiative. I will sign the petition and vote for referendum and I encourage my neighbors to do the same.
If 2010 is going to go down as the year of political cowardice I can’t wait to see what 2011 will bring. In this meeting nobody wins the performance award. Nobody performed and everyone loses.
Action Alert: Please Attend Garbage Tax Meeting – Monday March 8, 2010 @ 7PM
Are you in favor of the new plan to make you Pay As You Throw by buying town garbage bags? Did you know this program will cost East Hartford taxpayers at least $80,000 per week? Did you know this program will cost East Hartford Taxpayers between $4,000,000 and $8,000,000 per year year in bag fees?
I can’t afford to pay another $390 per year in bag fees. Can you?
If you are as fed up with the runaway tax and spend policies of this administration as I am please attend the Special Meeting on this new Garbage Tax tomorrow in the Town Council chambers at East Hartford Town Hall at 7PM.
Feel free to protest in front of Town Hall before the meeting and bring your signs inside to show the Council we have had enough of irresponsible leadership.
Where:
East Hartford Town Hall
Town Council Chambers
When:
Monday, March 8, 2010
7:00PM
What:
Garbage Tax Protest
Can’t attend? Send the Council an email and let them know how you feel.
CLICK TO SEND COUNCIL EMAIL
More information:
http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local-beat/East_Hartford_Trash_Bags_Hartford.html
http://www.brainflation.com/2010/03/05/town-council-calls-special-meeting-on-garbage-tax/
http://www.courant.com/community/east-hartford/hc-east-hartford-trash0305.artmar03,0,7487374.story
Something stinks in East Hartford. Mayor/Public Works propose a new tax to pay for garbage.
Is this coming to East Hartford?
Mayor Currey and Public Works Director Billy Taylor took the lid off a plan they’ve been discussing behind closed doors for a while at Monday evening’s Public Works budget presentation before the Town Council.
The pair are pushing a plan which will require every household in East Hartford to purchase special garbage bags in order to dispose of their trash. According to the Hartford Courant the estimated cost per bag is $2 for 33 gallon bags, $1.25 for typical 14 gallon kitchen size bags and $0.63 for an 8 gallon bag.
In a sinister fashion this plan is being pushed as an alternative which can trim 2% off the 9.2% proposed tax increase if the Town Council adopts it this year. Based on the Mayor’s calculations in her budget message a decrease in the tax increase of 2% would yield a $78 savings, yet the cost to a taxpayer who disposes of 4 kitchen bags of trash per week will be $260. Clearly this is an ill thought idea or one whose motives are not truly rooted in any sort of fiscal prudence.
We get a clearer look at what the true story might be with the following from the Mayor.
“I believe this is where the rest of the country is going to be in the next 10 to 15 years,” Mayor Melody Currey said. It would enable the town not only to save money, she said, but to be an environmental leader. If all goes according to plan, and residents cut back as much as WasteZero says they will, the town’s 17,489 tons of trash output could be reduced to less than 10,000 tons.
“I know we are a poor community, but that doesn’t mean we have less of a responsibility,” Currey said.
Let’s be clear. The Town will not save a single dollar, the taxpayers will pay substantially more taxes while satisfying the personal moral objectives of certain elected leaders, the wallets of the taxpayers be damned.
Every dollar in reduced tipping this plan could save can already be saved through efficient single stream recycling. No new tax is needed, no new tax is wanted. Just as we saw a significant increase in illegal bulky waste dumping, such as at Gorman Park, when the Town decided to charge a permit fee for disposal we will almost certainly have examples like the above photo around town if this plan is implemented when those of us already struggling can’t afford to dispose of our garbage legally.
East Hartford 7th District Republican Primary Results – Endorsed Slate Takes It
-Updated-
The results are in for the controversial 7th District Republican Primary. Somewhere between 4,800 and 7,000 dollars later the entire slate endorsed at the Republican Caucus in February was elected to the Republican Town Committee 7th District Committee.
Final costs for the district primary will be in the range of $50-70 per vote cast with 97 102 (including 5 absentee ballots not yet tallied) of just over 600 Republicans coming out to vote.
I don’t have the vote counts for each candidate but The vote counts are now below. The lowest vote getting endorsed candidate received 70% of the vote while the highest vote getting petitioning candidate got 39% of the vote.
The Candidates were: (* = winner)
Endorsed Slate
George Vernon Barrow Jr.* 78
C. Edwin Carlson* 81
Charles H. Clarke* 76
Esther B. Clarke* 81
Robert J. Damaschi* 86
Lois Gero* 73
Peter R. Gero* 80
Carolyn V. Kronen* 68
Joe Kronen* 68
Vincent J. Mondo Jr.* 82
Petitioners
Michael R. Brinius 35
Victoria Gaudette Brinius 36
Daniel F. Moura Sr. 37
Public Hearing on 9.2% Tax Increase Wednesday, March 3rd @7PM
I hope to see you at the public hearing on Wednesday at 7PM at East Hartford Town Hall. If anything is going to get you out to a public hearing a 9.2% tax increase ought to do it.
Peter Schiff Campaign HQ Grand Opening Bursting at the Seams
One word can describe the average Peter Schiff supporter at last night’s campaign HQ. Sardine. The house was packed tight like Times Square on New Years Eve. Parking had overflowed from the office parking lot to the industrial park across the street and adjacent commercial lots around the HQ.It was a well subscribed event. Most notable about the attendees was their party status. Most were not in any way associated with a political party outside of voter registration making this gathering uniquely composed amongst events of it’s type.
Rob Simmons who is the establishment candidate in the race on the Republican side has been traveling the state with a tea bag in his pocket claiming it as his Tea Party credentials. Newsflash Mr. Simmons, a tea bag doesn’t make you a good candidate. Principle does. While Mr. Simmons has a tea bag, Schiff had multiple well known Tea Party folks milling about in the crowd. It appears that although Simmons wants to be the Tea Party candidate Mr. Schiff actually is.
Word is that Schiff is also well on his way to receiving the endorsement of the Independence Caucus, a coalition of various groups formed to vet candidates for office. These are interesting times and it will be interesting to see how many NY-23s pop up across the country in response to establishment GOP candidate choices.
The biggest wild card in this race is still Chris Dodd. Will he stay in? More and more names are coming out opining that Chris ought to retire. It just may happen.
Video: Schiff speech @ HQ Opening & Questions
Picture Slide Show
Dump Dodd Rally – CT Science Center – 12/11/09
Anti-Dodd Protesters and Democratic opponent Merrick Alpert showed up to show their displeasure at Friday’s $500 Dodd fundraiser with VP Joe Biden at the CT Science Center. Dodd announced at the last minute that he would be staying in Washington and skipping the fundraiser stiffing a group of suit dressed donors and offering up his wife in his stead.
Despite his failure to attend his alter ego Odd Dodd attended riding in the back of a Dump Dodd pickup. Check out the picture slide show and videos of the rally and an interview with Merrick Alpert. If CT Democrats have any sense they will put Merrick in Dodd’s place on the ticket. I don’t agree with Merrick beyond Term Limits, but he is still a better choice than Dodd.
