Friday, October 24, 2014

Connecticut Contest Will Come Down to Towns

Sorry for the disconnect:

"In Conn., governor, challenger spar over relations with towns" by Susan Haigh | Associated Press   October 22, 2014

HARTFORD — Governor Dannel P. Malloy, a Democrat, and his Republican challenger, Tom Foley, portrayed themselves Tuesday as friends to cities and towns, with Malloy reminding local leaders that he kept his promise nearly four years ago to not cut state aid in order to balance the budget.

‘‘If I lose this election, it’s because I kept my fidelity to you,’’ Malloy told members of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, which held its annual convention in Hartford. Malloy said his administration has increased overall funding by $500 million in ‘‘four of the toughest budgets that anyone could possibly have faced.’’

Malloy, a former Stamford mayor, is in a tight reelection battle with Foley, who on Tuesday promised that he, too, would not cut state aid to cities and towns. Foley said he would maintain the same amount set by Malloy, a promise that was greeted with applause.

Steady levels of state aid are important to local leaders, who must rely mostly on local taxes on motor vehicles and property for the rest of their revenue.

Throughout the campaign, Malloy has emphasized how he approached the state’s budget deficit crisis differently. The first-term Democrat has accused other states, including New York, New Jersey, and Wisconsin, of balancing their budgets by shifting the burden to municipalities, resulting in cuts in local services or higher costs for local services.

I wonder how he handled lower tax revenue.

Malloy said he is proud that he is not responsible for a single policeman, firefighter, teacher, or snowplow driver in municipal government losing a job.

But Foley, a Greenwich businessman and former US ambassador to Ireland, maintained that the relationship between the state and Connecticut’s 169 cities and towns can be improved, and he said his approach would be different than Malloy’s.

‘‘I want you to know that not only will I listen, not only will I sit down and work with you to solve your problems, but I want to help you lower the cost of government in your communities,’’ said Foley, who accused Malloy and the Democrat- controlled General Assembly of imposing too many unfunded mandates on cities and towns.

Foley promised to stop ‘‘the further mandating of requirements’’ on municipalities and pledged to look at ways to reduce the costs imposed on cities and towns by the executive branch of state government.

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NEXT DAY UPDATES:

"US Labor Secretary Tom Perez said Malloy is seen as a friend to the administration, someone who has been able to implement initiatives in Connecticut that are important to the White House. The list includes gun control, a higher minimum wage, paid sick leave, and a successful rollout of the Affordable Care Act. President Obama is expected to headline a rally in Bridgeport for Malloy on Nov. 2, while Michelle Obama is scheduled to appear at a campaign event on Oct. 30 in New Haven."

Well, the website didn't work and they were not refunded all the tax losses, but at least you can see why the staged and scripted psyop of Sandy Hook was carried out in Connecticut.

Meanwhile, just over the state line:

"An Enfield man has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging police shocked him at least 10 times with a stun gun after he entered the wrong home while sleepwalking. Christopher Demski, a married father of four who has no previous criminal record, said in the lawsuit filed Wednesday that even after the homeowner told police Demski was not a danger and neighbors yelled for police to stop, officers repeatedly shocked him, beat him with batons, and had a dog attack him."

Out-of-control cops in Connecticut, 'eh?

At least the guy was on Ambien.

I sleepwalked through the rest, sorry, but that hit on the head should wake you up.