tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72833761614846276022011-04-21T13:31:38.699-07:00authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.comBlogger2231100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-2483256074548835122009-05-12T14:19:00.001-07:002009-05-12T14:20:19.961-07:00

5/10/09Maybe this isn't the best time to talk about privatizing government services.It's been a long-standing conservative view that government at any level is wasteful, bloated and corrupt. Partly because that's often true, it helped lead to a lot of Republican electoral success. "Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem," or so said Ronald Reagan.But the country

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-56804341950760320332009-05-12T14:16:00.000-07:002009-05-12T14:17:27.102-07:00

5/10/09This is part of what it means to live in a poor city.It's not just more crime, aging infrastructure and fewer opportunities. Living in a place like Bridgeport also means your kids are more likely to get sick.A laudable program from the federal Environmental Protection Agency aims to improve that situation. It's a good idea and deserves support.The problem in this case involves what are

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-72275106428658947732009-05-12T14:11:00.000-07:002009-05-12T14:14:54.351-07:00

5/5/09In depressingly typical Bridgeport fashion, an appointment that should have been a sure thing has gone sour. Mayor Bill Finch's choice to fill a vacancy on the Planning and Zoning Commission has city officials trading barbs and raising accusations of bad faith.It was easy to see coming. Jose Tiago, owner of Tiago Construction on Seaview Avenue, has fought with zoning officials over his

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-69413496446964735972009-05-12T14:10:00.000-07:002009-05-12T14:11:49.161-07:00

5/03/09No one gains if the Bluefish fold. Bridgeport doesn't need another high-profile failure, and the Ballpark at Harbor Yard is, no matter its history, a nice place to see a game. But the bigger question is this: What is Bridgeport doing with a baseball team? As the team struggles at the gate and faces questions about its future, that's the real issue. No one wants to lose the team, because

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-62765432600929442812009-05-12T14:08:00.000-07:002009-05-12T14:28:22.492-07:00

4/19/09Another failure for UConn and Jim Calhoun. Junior center Hasheem Thabeet announced last week that he will forego his final year of college eligibility and make himself available for the NBA draft. A 7-foot-3-inch behemoth, he's projected to be among the first few players chosen. Given the NBA's salary structure, he will be guaranteed a two-year contract worth at least $2.5 million per

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-8759079214942731712009-04-16T13:13:00.000-07:002009-04-16T13:15:22.578-07:00

4/12/09To most of us, it's nothing but a blur of numbers.The state budget runs hundreds of pages, each one a jumble of charts and lists detailing the collection and disbursement of billions of dollars. The totals make headlines once in a while -- a tax increase here, a deficit there -- but most of it is crafted and voted upon with hardly anyone knowing what's going on. Everyone is affected, but

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-87450731050146635802009-04-08T12:09:00.000-07:002009-04-08T12:12:41.634-07:00

4/5/09 "Those cheating Huskies," read a headline in a CBS Sports column. The New York Times opened its "Meet the Final Four" piece by discussing recruiting improprieties. It's been Topic A on ESPN for two weeks. Maybe my lifelong fanhood for all things UConn should stop me from weighing in on this. To me, it doesn't change the fact the men's basketball team is being wronged. The charges were

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-77782672129697470362009-03-23T09:30:00.000-07:002009-03-23T09:31:47.571-07:00

3/22/09Everyone loves a scapegoat. And Chris Dodd is a convenient target.But his current controversy puts Countrywide mortgages and his 2007 Iowa move to shame. He, along with some rich, previously anonymous AIG executives who live in Fairfield County, is at the top of the nation’s enemies list for, so the charges go, letting the people who ruined the economy collect huge bonuses, paid for by the

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-42743728510709206712009-03-23T09:29:00.000-07:002009-03-23T09:30:04.179-07:00

3/4/09This didn't have to be a big issue. If University of Connecticut men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun had kept his temper in check, this story would have gone nowhere.He didn't, of course, and now his insulting response to a question at a post-game news conference has become the talk of the sports world, and beyond. It's about far more than salaries and deficits -- it's about basic

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-4781850092495767332009-03-23T09:27:00.000-07:002009-04-08T12:20:15.508-07:00

3/9/09You can blame the unions and public employees if you want to. But when there's only one group of people that can feel remotely secure in their employment, I have a hard time taking them to task.At every level, the call is for concessions. Teachers should forego raises, union contracts must be renegotiated, city workers need to sacrifice benefits. The story in Bridgeport City Hall is the

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-73916721034501524352009-03-23T09:25:00.000-07:002009-03-23T09:26:57.408-07:00

2/22/09Whether he deserves it or not, Chris Dodd will be fine. He's taken a beating for a year, and almost all of it could have been avoided. Whatever his reasons, he hasn't handled his problems with much dexterity. The infuriated reactions from his constituents were entirely predictable.But as his poll numbers drop and he gets ready to run for re-election next year, he lacks the one factor that

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-84165391306168223022009-02-11T11:28:00.000-08:002009-02-11T11:30:30.022-08:00

2/08/09It was not a good way to start a campaign.Former state Rep. Jim Amann made news not long ago by agreeing to take a newly created job with the state Assembly. As an adviser to the House speaker, the Milford resident was slated to earn a six-figure salary while he began his campaign for governor. In the midst of a budget disaster, the move didn't go over well.Amann quickly reconsidered,

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-14889390794372917492009-02-04T09:09:00.000-08:002009-02-04T09:10:30.866-08:00

1/29/2009Whatever the city of Bridgeport is going to accomplish on Steel Point, the all-but-abandoned spit of waterfront land east of the Pequonnock River that has forever been the target of large-scale development dreams, it won't happen soon. In the meantime, the city should let people who are putting the land to use go about their business.For more than a century, the Pequonnock Yacht Club has

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-90683367757905380702009-02-04T09:08:00.000-08:002009-02-04T09:09:06.848-08:00

1/23/2009At Steel Point, the city of Bridgeport's longest-running disaster movie, the script has changed.Again.Tempting as it would be to write off this latest permutation as a consequence of a crashing economy, such a conclusion would ignore the last generation of city history. Through good times and bad, every boom and bust, Steel Point has remained constant -- an overgrown, uninhabited,

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-88354780110383537412009-02-04T09:05:00.000-08:002009-02-04T09:06:21.025-08:00

1/04/09Of all the local development projects to fall apart alongside the national economy in the past year, perhaps the most disappointing has been the plans for the former Stratford Army Engine Plant. Just when it looked like the project had momentum and a real shot at moving forward, the ground fell out from under it -- again.Now, another deadline has passed with nothing to show. The 78-acre

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-22308398468591561782009-02-04T09:03:00.000-08:002009-02-04T09:04:09.169-08:00

1/18/09What is left to say about another letdown in Bridgeport? A developer comes to town promising big things; city leaders envision a long-awaited turnaround. Instead, there's nothing but a dusty, empty lot. Same old story.This time it was a celebrated visit from NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson that set the process in motion. Since his playing days ended, Johnson and his development company,

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-72010485022290378642009-02-04T09:02:00.000-08:002009-02-04T09:03:09.654-08:00

12/21/08Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch took office about a year ago with no way to know about the fiscal time bomb about to go off in his city. Years of easy credit and questionable mortgages were just beginning to yield the mountain of foreclosures that has hurt the entire country, and devastated places like Bridgeport.As part of his election campaign, Finch promised a return to budgetary honesty.

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-47215925683234441232009-01-29T13:46:00.000-08:002009-01-29T13:48:10.539-08:00

1/25/09Of course he's overhyped. Of course the expectations are too high. Of course he can't change the world overnight.That's not what matters. President Obama has already changed this country for the better by one simple fact -- not just who he is, but who he isn't.In 2004, there were many Democrats who couldn't make themselves overly excited about John Kerry, but still worked their hearts out

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-68201599141065898752009-01-29T13:42:00.000-08:002009-01-29T13:44:22.161-08:00

1/11/09It's hard to avoid the feeling Bridgeport missed its chance. The window of opportunity was narrow, but it was real. For a few months there, with the economy chugging along and housing prices soaring, and the demand for luxury accommodations spiraling upward, the city had a chance to fill a void in the local market.The rest of Fairfield County had outpriced the population. Bridgeport, it

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-47795437437786622982008-12-22T14:08:00.002-08:002008-12-22T14:15:43.940-08:00

12/21/08I love our letter writers. Really, I do. They're informed, loyal, passionate and thoroughly infuriating.With them in mind, from the person who gets a first look at our readers' thoughts, the following is a seasonal-appropriate wish list. I don't expect it to change many minds, but I figure the long-running issues on our letters pages deserve an occasional response. -- To start with, other

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-74802042767713864282008-12-10T07:35:00.000-08:002008-12-10T07:37:23.785-08:00

"The people have spoken," read a recent letter to the editor. "It's too bad we in Connecticut never had that same opportunity to protect our families."The writer was talking about California's Election Day passage of Proposition 8, which changed the state Constitution to restrict the definition of marriage to a union between a man and a woman. Connecticut is now one of two states where same-sex

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-66865944253915864792008-11-19T12:31:00.000-08:002008-11-19T12:32:38.446-08:00

11/18/08Toward the end of this year's presidential campaign, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman took his message to a conservative radio show, where he was asked, "Do you agree ... that if we don't at least have the fire wall of the filibuster in the Senate that in many ways America will not survive?" The host was talking about Democrats potentially winning as many as 60 caucus members, which would bring

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-71066860972393484032008-11-19T12:29:00.000-08:002008-11-19T12:30:59.200-08:00

11/16/08If nothing else, Joe Lieberman is a survivor.The Democratic leadership has every right to toss him to the curb. But in the name of bipartisanship, not holding grudges or maybe self-flagellation, he's likely to stay on as chairman of the Senate committee on government oversight.Funny how when Republicans win elections they aren't expected to cater to the other party's loudest

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-35656424004188726492008-11-11T11:02:00.000-08:002008-11-11T11:05:30.575-08:00

11/9/08All along, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman knew what he was doing. He knew consequences were likely, for himself and the state he serves, if he continued his actions. The inevitable got under way last week as Lieberman, the former Democrat who ran as an independent and wholeheartedly supported the Republican presidential ticket, met with Senate leadership to begin determining his fate. He is

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-15710857569148789442008-11-11T11:00:00.000-08:002008-11-11T11:02:49.915-08:00

11/9/08There's a temptation among those who backed the winners last week to gloat, but most understand it would be unseemly. This isn't a football game; it's not about winning elections, it's about changing policies.But so much happened last Tuesday that can't be ignored. The results ran counter to everything we've been told for the past few years about our country's politics.If we're a

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-10072930620477335172008-11-06T07:35:00.000-08:002008-11-06T07:36:45.885-08:00

11/6/08As the collective surprise and euphoria that greet the end of the presidential race subside, the country is faced with an unexpected question: Just how big a change was this?Political scientists will tell you any Democrat would have been favored to win the White House this year. With a tremendously unpopular Republican incumbent, voters would naturally look to the opposition party for a

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-87256354071782532802008-11-06T07:33:00.000-08:002008-11-06T07:35:05.654-08:00

11/5/08It's possible Barack Obama will remember the past two years as the easy part.His accomplishments cannot be overstated - winning the Democratic presidential nomination over a hugely favored opponent; becoming the first person other than a white male to head a major party's ticket; and, of course, on Tuesday, winning the nation's popular vote and electoral college, and thereby the

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-71147632111320679892008-10-15T10:57:00.000-07:002008-11-06T07:37:28.050-08:00

10/12/09John McCain, you could argue, had no choice. He saw he was on pace to lose this election, his last shot at the presidency. He wants to win, so he apparently thought he had to resort to unsavory tactics. He has nothing to lose. His reputation will be fine; no matter what happens, he will be welcome on every Sunday morning talk show as long as he wants to show up. Why not pull out all the

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-61411257749016660862008-10-06T10:14:00.000-07:002008-11-06T07:39:35.740-08:00

10/5/08Last week’s defeat of the Wall Street bailout package in Congress should have made political writers faint with joy. It was just so bipartisan! Among Democrats, it was 140 yes and 95 no; for Republicans, 65 supported and 133 opposed. That’s about as far from a party-line vote on a contentious issue as you’ll ever find these days.Isn’t that what we’re supposed to support? Reaching across

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-68293996582659761262008-09-19T18:27:00.000-07:002008-10-06T10:15:33.117-07:00

The Sarah Palin phenomenon is burning out faster than Lehman Brothers. Two weeks ago, her favorability ratings were off the charts. Now they're already in negative territory. But who cares -- Americans hardly ever vote based on the bottom of the ticket. As for the health of John McCain should he be elected, we could all follow Joe Lieberman's lead. Asked at the Republican convention about Palin's

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-28378679572378182992008-09-19T18:25:00.000-07:002008-09-19T18:26:35.738-07:00

9/14/08Bridgeport can't be blamed for this one. The momentum behind most of the major development projects in town has stalled. Steel Point is in limbo, downtown construction is at a crawl and there's little to report from the other large-scale projects around the city. But there's probably nothing that could have done differently. The slowdown is hurting development across the country. But

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-40353120651013144052008-09-19T18:24:00.000-07:002008-11-06T07:43:05.282-08:00

9/20/08This is a scenario Bridgeport knows something about. A sports stadium earns favorable tax agreements on the promise of economic growth. In the end, the stadium benefits the few while the many foot the bill.It's not the Arena at Harbor Yard, it's the boondoggle in the Bronx. The new Yankee Stadium, a report shows, is costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and offering almost

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-28657785010789977602008-09-19T18:22:00.000-07:002008-09-19T18:23:46.208-07:00

9/19/08It's the curse of Connecticut. With 169 towns and cities vying for their own slice of the pie, neighboring communities have little incentive to work together. For well-off towns, that's no problem. But the cities that have lost business and industry over the decades have little recourse. It's one of the main reasons our state looks the way it does, with rich towns surrounding poor cities,

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-46422411378778594282008-09-19T18:15:00.000-07:002008-10-06T10:18:24.162-07:00

9/18/08No one can deny the emotion surrounding the case of convicted rapist David Pollitt and his much-discussed release from prison last year. But we count on our elected officials to make fact-based decisions, not outbursts. In this regard, Gov. M. Jodi Rell and Attorney General Richard Blumenthal failed the people of Connecticut.The Pollitt case is difficult for any number of reasons.

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-10129733703311795262008-09-19T18:11:00.000-07:002008-10-06T10:18:44.577-07:00

9/17/08There was a time (for many, we're still in it) when the fashion was to rail against government regulation in all its forms. If only we could get that pesky oversight out of the way, then the economy could reach its real potential, or so the thinking went. If the events of the past week haven't convinced people of that notion's fundamental misguidedness, it's likely nothing will.The

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-15420804974874513042008-09-19T18:08:00.000-07:002008-11-06T07:43:52.687-08:00

9/11/08It's unfortunate this needs to be said, but some people don't believe it: No one -- no one -- has forgotten 9/11. To this day, seven years after the most terrifying morning in recent American history, the attacks continue to be used as a political cudgel. People who disagree about matters of foreign policy are accused of "forgetting" Sept. 11, 2001 -- as if that were possible, let alone

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-50053569879653797282008-08-31T08:37:00.000-07:002008-11-06T07:44:14.404-08:00

8/31/08So many memories.All the focus is on choosing his successor, but who will take a moment to pay homage to the White House's current occupant, the only president we've got?President Bush's term has taken us places we never thought we'd go. Who knew eight years ago we'd have national discussions about torturing people?Everyone is familiar with the Bush team's greatest hits, where torture,

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-50236827705450480082008-08-31T08:33:00.000-07:002008-11-06T07:44:44.237-08:00

8/22/08 November's election, we're told, is all about the economy. Past years' concerns about war and terrorism are supposedly out the window — voters will make up their minds based on $4 gas and the mortgage crisis. That should be bad news for incumbents. Tough economic times can be all the reason voters need to make a change. But one local politician should consider himself lucky. President

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-21935522792957040302008-08-18T11:52:00.001-07:002008-11-06T07:42:34.078-08:00

7/24/08So who’s a bigger threat, the terrorist or the blogger? They’re both convenient stand-ins for the downfall of society.But as we consider the dangers, maybe we can all agree on one thing — no more hyping the existence of bad guys as if there are people out there disputing the matter.“There are terrorists out there who really do want to destroy our civilization and murder millions of

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-21863597347049793462008-08-18T11:51:00.001-07:002008-11-06T07:45:41.717-08:00

7/12/08For left-leaning 4th District voters, what’s so bad about Rep. Christopher Shays? He’ll again face a close race this fall, but is he worth tossing aside?He’s pretty good on global warming. He supports alternative energy. He says he wants universal health care. What’s so bad about all that?His biggest selling point may be that he no longer faces what could be called the “Lincoln Chaffee

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-71961012899267268432008-08-18T11:50:00.000-07:002008-11-06T07:46:25.478-08:00

6/29/08Let’s get this out of the way first: Sen. Christopher J. Dodd should have known better about his sweetheart mortgage deals. People are up in arms about it, and for good reason. It’s not just impropriety; it’s the appearance of impropriety that causes problems.So, to paraphrase Chris “Mad Dog” Russo: Bad job, senator. Bad job.Having said that, I don’t much care. I can’t imagine Dodd would

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-86960157487615181852008-08-18T11:47:00.000-07:002008-11-06T07:50:42.410-08:00

6/1/08The presidential primaries have dragged on, but it’s hard to figure how all this is a bad thing. It’s been years since anyone cared who won such votes in places like Oregon or South Dakota. The more involved, the better.And anything is better than leaving party nominations up to a pair of unrepresentative states that nonetheless have a huge say in who gets the final nod. New Hampshire and

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-1458620377122647452008-08-18T11:46:00.000-07:002008-11-06T07:51:19.565-08:00

5/1/08First, we need to redesign and rebuild every town in the U.S. The rest should be no problem.That’s about the state of our plans for dealing with global warming in this country. If this is as serious a problem as we’ve been told, and all signs indicate that it is, we’re going to have to do a lot better on solutions.The crux of the problem is that this country, outside a few metropolitan

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-72365524918465327182008-08-18T11:45:00.000-07:002008-11-06T07:51:58.373-08:00

4/1/08Maybe a year from now, when President McCain confers with newly installed Defense Secretary Joseph I. Lieberman, we’ll finally get a sense of what we’re doing in Iraq. That will be about the six-year anniversary of “Mission Accomplished,” so maybe that would be a good time to hear some answers.The prognosis will probably sound something like this — conditions are improving, but not to the

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-4705799408356787482008-08-18T11:44:00.002-07:002008-11-06T07:52:35.924-08:00

3/2/08What was most impressive about Barack Obama’s speech last week wasn’t the subject matter or the delivery. What leaves the biggest impression is the fact that, by all accounts, he wrote it himself.It’s hard to internalize the idea of a president who talks to people like grownups. We’ve had seven years of one disaster after another, all delivered by someone who sounds like he’s talking to a

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-66348100154215543842008-08-18T11:44:00.001-07:002008-11-06T07:53:18.958-08:00

2/17/08Surely no one thinks this is an isolated incident.There was a collective gulp last week among believers in the future of downtown Bridgeport on the news that one of the area’s signature projects might be in trouble.Developer Phillip Kuchma, whose Bijou Square has been moving along nicely for months, is looking for help from the City Council to complete his $24 million, 84-unit structure on

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-53188788753082932812008-08-18T11:42:00.000-07:002008-08-18T11:44:14.074-07:00

1/20/08Rep. Christopher Shays just can’t understand it. Why can’t he convince everyone about Iraq?The congressman is either the truest of true believers or a world-class actor. In his most recent visit with this newspaper’s editorial board, he struggled to understand why his listeners wouldn’t grant him the benefit of the doubt when he talked about improving conditions in Iraq.He’s the expert,

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-84098617684324727962008-08-18T11:40:00.000-07:002008-08-18T11:42:54.391-07:00

12/23/07With our good friend Joe Lieberman back in the news, it seems as good a time as any to go over again just what it is people find so disagreeable about him.No, it’s not the fact that he endorsed a Republican, John McCain, for president. “Independent” is not the same as “unpredictable,” and this move shocked no one. If he’d endorsed anyone else — say, a Democrat — that would have been a

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-52462814473585406832008-08-18T11:39:00.000-07:002008-08-18T11:40:10.837-07:00

12/16/07In the history of baseball, no one had ever hit more than 61 home runs in a season. Between 1998 and 2001, it happened six times. Were we to believe some sort of fitness craze brought that on?As a baseball fan, it’s hard to see how the recent report on steroids and other illegal drugs in the sport will change much, except to make Roger Clemens’ life a little more unpleasant. But he’s not

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-41233081281981385592008-08-18T11:38:00.000-07:002008-08-18T11:39:35.340-07:00

11/18/07Nothing drives someone out of a neighborhood faster than a boarded-up building.Bridgeport’s South End has some outstanding housing developments, in the works and already open. The trend of turning abandoned factories and schools into fashionable lofts has taken off.But amid those new oases, in an otherwise nondescript residential neighborhood, there they are — burned-out, falling down,

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-24771440685721351752008-08-18T11:37:00.002-07:002008-08-18T11:38:38.612-07:00

11/04/07Forget about neighbors. Listening to contenders for local office come through for endorsement interviews the past several weeks, it’s hard to believe some of these communities are on the same planet.Candidates talk about what’s making news in their towns, and it’s striking how priorities differ. Some are concerned about maintaining the Colonial charm downtown, or fighting overdevelopment.

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-46485479295961788282008-08-18T11:37:00.001-07:002008-08-18T11:37:51.168-07:00

10/28/07If there’s such a thing as an urban planning hell, it probably looks a lot like New Roc City, a multi-use complex in Westchester County, N.Y.A 1.2 million-square-foot entertainment/retail/residential complex in the heart of downtown New Rochelle, the project makes a mockery of everything planners hold to be important. It takes notions like walkable streets, mixed uses and transit-oriented

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-30077788444226385612008-08-18T11:36:00.000-07:002008-08-18T11:37:12.734-07:00

10/7/07It shouldn’t matter.What are the New York Mets to me? Twenty-five people I’ve never met and who have never given me a second thought. Why should their collective actions affect me?But they do. A team I’ve followed since the fifth grade, I watched them blow what should have been an insurmountable seven-game lead in two weeks and miss the playoffs. It was like a slow-motion train wreck. Each

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-31852897410004458932008-08-18T11:35:00.000-07:002008-08-18T11:36:33.741-07:00

9/16/07It’s nice of Joe Lieberman to tell us what he finds unacceptable.An advertisement paid for by an online political action committee was called “an outrageous and despicable act of slander that every member of the Congress — Democrat and Republican — has a solemn responsibility to condemn.”It must be serious to get him all worked up like that. Whoever did it must be responsible for thousands

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-35477464705765776552008-08-18T11:34:00.002-07:002008-08-18T11:35:37.488-07:00

9/2/07Connecticut lost a seat in Congress after the 2000 Census. We’re not getting it back anytime soon.People aren’t moving here, and people who were born here are leaving. If population growth remains anemic, we could lose another seat in the next few decades. Our neighbors in Massachusetts and New York are in serious danger of losing even more representatives to Southern and Western states.And

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-49438302199208855272008-08-18T11:34:00.001-07:002008-08-18T11:34:56.799-07:00

7/08/07Joe Lieberman has something in common with the terrorists.No, he’s not blowing up any buildings, but their goals are the same. They both want us to be scared.Terrorists know they can’t kill every person they want to kill, so they plan their acts for maximum effect. It’s not just about exploding a bus, it’s about making people think twice about getting on a bus. It’s about changing the way

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-67861536023737349912008-08-18T11:29:00.002-07:002008-08-18T11:34:04.766-07:00

6/24/07The mayor was mad at me.In response to some unkind words I wrote in this space a few weeks back about the pace of downtown Bridgeport’s redevelopment, Mayor John M. Fabrizi offered to take me around town and show me all the bright spots, all the progress being made.I was happy to accept, mostly because, since I haven’t been doing this all that long, I liked the idea that the mayor knew who

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-21248656391495222092008-08-18T11:29:00.001-07:002008-08-18T11:29:45.433-07:00

8/14/08Public officials, take note: A remarkably small slice of the electorate has decided who will represent the major parties in state and local elections this fall.Democratic primaries throughout Connecticut on Tuesday brought a few surprises, but it must be disheartening for winners as well as losers that turnout was so light. Even in heavily Democratic Bridgeport, where a number of

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-1350008426266508522008-08-18T11:27:00.002-07:002008-08-18T11:28:09.937-07:00

8/10/08Is there any hope for an honest discussion of the Shakespeare Theater?It’s a beautiful facility, a model for similar structures worldwide. But it’s also been out of use for two decades. Anyone who thinks getting it back into shape will be easy and cheap is kidding himself.But it doesn’t pay to be the bearer of bad news, and that was the position representatives of the BL Cos. of Meriden

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-8577991396366573742008-08-18T11:27:00.001-07:002008-08-19T08:35:11.917-07:00

8/10/08How did we forget about anthrax?For years, we’ve heard defenders of the Bush administration’s record argue that, despite anything else you could say, at least the U.S. hadn’t been hit by another terrorist attack since 9/11. But it’s not true, and never was.The weeks following the destruction of the World Trade Center were terrifying in their own right, with the deadliest bioterror attacks

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-2106724976512545732008-08-18T11:23:00.002-07:002008-08-18T11:26:53.934-07:00

8/4/08Stratford officials need to withhold judgment on a price estimate to reopen the Shakespeare Theater until all the facts are in. Though initial numbers look high (as much as $19 million, compared to the chosen theater operator’s $3 million), council members need to hear the details before making a decision.The theater has been closed for decades, and after years of false starts and

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-24229835490321850032008-08-18T11:23:00.001-07:002008-08-18T11:23:32.079-07:00

8/4/08What is going on in Stratford? How is it only now that the Federal Aviation Administration is making a fuss over the use of a parking lot for Long Beach West?The town is looking to sell that beautiful stretch of land to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — a deal that is years in the making and makes sense for the town, the environment and anyone who is interested in maintaining the beach

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-56435543845124932742008-08-18T11:22:00.001-07:002008-08-18T11:22:58.881-07:00

7/27/08The town of Stratford should approve the sale of Long Beach West to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It’s the best plan for everyone involved.It’s been a long haul to reach this point, but the community has a genuine opportunity. The objections are hard to pin down, but they seem to revolve around unfounded fears that the beach’s federal caretakers would exclude people for the benefit

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-34167898391386036132008-08-18T11:21:00.002-07:002008-08-18T11:22:25.206-07:00

7/14/08Supporters of real estate developer Sal DiNardo think he’s being picked on. Why are only his tax deals subject to scrutiny, they ask. Don’t people know what he’s done for Bridgeport?Indeed, the wave of support for the beleaguered buyer of brownfields has crested in recent weeks, with letters of support and full-page ads in local media. But every time the din recedes, a new instance arises

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-33241764380076319452008-08-18T11:21:00.001-07:002008-08-18T11:21:55.050-07:00

7/13/08Would it be the Shakespeare Theater without Shakespeare?According to recent reports, the Stratford Town Council may award the contract to revive and operate the long-shuttered theater to a Rhode Island producer who has said he doesn’t believe Shakespeare would sell in the 21st century.That producer, William J. Hanney, is entitled to his opinion, but officials should think carefully before

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-8149085100724789542008-08-18T11:20:00.002-07:002008-08-18T11:21:16.470-07:00

7/10/08Yet another abject lesson in how nothing ever gets done in Bridgeport: The case of the future oyster beds.Adjacent to Seaside Park sits the former Remington Products factory site, which has stood vacant for years. Instead of an inviting destination with pristine views of Long Island Sound, the land lies fallow, closed off to the public.A developer has a $500 million plan to transform the

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-76125052245889318332008-08-18T11:20:00.001-07:002008-08-18T11:20:43.922-07:00

7/9/08Is there a bigger bunch of bandwagon-jumpers than the baseball fans of Connecticut? Maybe not, judging by the results of the latest poll from Quinnipiac University, which showed state residents now prefer the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees, 41-40 percent.It’s a small margin, but consider the change over the past few years. In 2003, the Yankees led Boston by 47-33 percent. Since then

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-15007155614509537692008-08-18T11:19:00.002-07:002008-08-18T11:20:11.404-07:00

7/7/08For months, Congress has been debating a bill that would legitimize illegal spying on Americans. It remains just as bad an idea today as ever.The Senate, scheduled to vote Tuesday on a measure that would immunize from civil lawsuit corporations that may have helped the government break the law, must stop this disaster. The legislation would dismiss all cases pending against

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-9037918493352655142008-08-18T11:19:00.001-07:002008-08-19T08:31:23.318-07:00

7/2/08There is no question that Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman has a point: Terrorists could strike America early in the next president’s administration.They could also strike tomorrow. Or never. Or we could all die of avian flu. The possibilities are endless!Lieberman, of course, has no ability to predict the future, about terrorism or anything else. That’s not the point — the point is to scare people

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-48411083056629861882008-08-18T11:18:00.000-07:002008-08-18T11:19:00.126-07:00

6/25/08Sen. Christopher J. Dodd made a promise. He should stick to it.No, not about his VIP mortgage deals, which continue to raise eyebrows across the state. Mounting a fight on behalf of homeowners in need while receiving special treatment from targeted lenders will get people talking.But the promise in question concerns the Democrat’s vow to fight a provision in a bill on warrantless

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-32018898650326074472008-08-12T13:48:00.002-07:002008-08-18T12:57:49.927-07:00

6/13/08“The laws and Constitution are designed to survive, and remain in force, in extraordinary times.”So wrote Justice Anthony Kennedy on Thursday in the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that foreign terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay have rights under the Constitution to challenge their detention in U.S. civilian courts. By the narrowest of margins — the 5-4 count that seems to define each

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-76214929458321672732008-08-12T13:48:00.001-07:002008-08-18T12:59:33.620-07:00

6/5/08For all Americans — people who voted for Barack Obama, people who didn’t or won’t, and people who don’t know about him — Tuesday was a historic day. For the first time in our nation’s history, someone other than a white man earned the votes to be a major political party’s nominee for president of the United States.It was a long journey. For months, Obama, a U.S. senator representing

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-87038039523578534602008-08-12T13:47:00.002-07:002008-08-12T13:48:01.913-07:00

5/26/08When does it end?When do we stop adding by the hundreds each year names to be remembered on Memorial Day?This country recently marked the five-year anniversary of the start of our war in Iraq, and the fight in Afghanistan has gone on even longer. U.S. troops by the thousands are dead, and citizens on all sides of the political spectrum are wondering how long it will continue.The answer, as

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-30786169265356317952008-08-12T13:47:00.001-07:002008-08-12T13:47:33.381-07:00

5/21/08Gov. M. Jodi Rell is threatening to veto a bill that would greatly increase access for state residents to affordable health care. She says the price might be too high.That view is misguided; she should sign the bill.The proposal would allow towns, cities, small businesses and nonprofit agencies to join the state employee health plan. Insurance officials, though, have caught the governor’s

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-14391649127512031292008-08-12T13:45:00.002-07:002008-08-12T13:47:04.350-07:00

4/29/08A school panel made the right decision last week on the fate of a closed school, but the incident made for yet more bad news for the administration of Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch.The School Building Committee in Bridgeport, acting on previously approved plans, went ahead with its decision to level the old McKinley School and make room for playing fields for the new Tisdale School, which

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-67565203424406361592008-08-12T13:45:00.001-07:002008-08-12T13:45:37.352-07:00

4/22/08The course of national environmental policy may change along with the administration in Washington, but for now, the outlook is clear. It’s up to the states to get anything done.That much is obvious after seven years of inaction and some seriously misguided policy proposals. Instead of simply calling a program “Clear Skies” or “Healthy Forests,” it would be nice to actually achieve those

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-48880786789767624312008-08-12T13:44:00.002-07:002008-08-18T13:00:20.013-07:00

4/15/08After months of rumors, half-truths and hearsay, area residents want to hear some real answers on the potential sale of some highly valuable property.Representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be in Stratford on Wednesday to answer questions about the possible $10 million deal to sell Long Beach West, a 35-acre peninsula considered among the area’s prime waterfront

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-46505756857032473892008-08-12T13:44:00.001-07:002008-08-12T13:44:39.528-07:00

4/11/08The end of Broadwater doesn’t mean the end of problems surrounding the region’s energy future. But it does show that as we search for the right way to make changes, we can all recognize the wrong way.New York state decided to reject the proposal to moor a liquefied natural gas plant in the middle of Long Island Sound, bringing an end to at least one phase of a debate that united

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-81364602490171023222008-08-12T13:43:00.002-07:002008-08-18T12:59:06.439-07:00

3/27/08No one ever thought redeveloping downtown Bridgeport would be easy. But the way it’s playing out has been more difficult than even some of the skeptics were predicting.The latest blow came this week with the announcement that the Fat Cat Pie Co., long touted as a key cog in the development plans, has given up on the city. A Norwalk-based gourmet pizza restaurant, Fat Cat had been slated

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-40525588159710733692008-08-12T13:43:00.001-07:002008-08-12T13:43:41.071-07:00

3/23/08Give credit to state Rep. Christopher Caruso on this one. Someone needs to raise questions about the return of our corrupt former governor, and Caruso took it upon himself to do it. Whether it will make any difference is yet to be seen.Former Gov. John G. Rowland, he of the hot tubs and cabin renovations, resigned in disgrace several years ago and eventually went to prison for corrupting

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-29865744334936440572008-08-12T13:42:00.002-07:002008-08-12T13:43:11.732-07:00

3/14/08The dramatic downfall of New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer will have impacts far beyond the Empire State, and one of them might be in the middle of Long Island Sound. The governor’s voice was expected to be vital in the decision over a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal in New York waters, and his sudden resignation leaves his state’s role up in the air.The Broadwater terminal would be

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-24407712381849614282008-08-12T13:42:00.001-07:002008-08-18T13:00:40.830-07:00

3/13/08A one-party system is no way to run a city. But with Bridgeport’s overwhelming Democratic voter registration edge over Republicans, or any other party, that’s been the rule for at least the past few decades. Tuesday’s special election for a vacant state Senate seat may have been a step toward changing that.Rob Russo lost twice to Bill Finch in the 22nd state Senate District, but the

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-58631205305288934692008-08-12T13:41:00.000-07:002008-08-12T13:42:06.894-07:00

3/3/08Everyone loves seeing a movie star. Celebrity sightings are exciting. Watching your hometown in a big-budget movie? Good times all around.But none of this is happening by accident. The state Legislature in the past few years has made life awfully easy for movie studios looking for a place to do business, with huge tax credits offered in exchange for House Speaker James A. Amann to call the

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-14300039867043554882008-08-12T13:40:00.000-07:002008-08-12T13:41:32.045-07:00

2/28/08As the more compassionate voices in the national immigration debate have noted, we as a nation ought not punish children for the sins of their parents. Though illegal immigrants may have any number of reasons for being in this country without documentation, surely it is in no one’s interest to make their children, many of whom have never known a life in another country, pay the price for

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-50442174488545281932008-08-12T13:39:00.001-07:002008-08-18T13:00:59.515-07:00

2/27/08Continuing his fight against unsafe toys, state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal recently joined with a coalition of environmentalists and health advocates to demand stricter regulations. It’s an important fight, and one that demands continued attention.Fewer issues are more worrisome to parents than the idea that the toys their children are playing with could be doing them harm. But

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-2741085351983996182008-08-12T13:38:00.002-07:002008-08-12T13:39:14.597-07:00

2/27/08Connecticut primary voters were offered a rare treat this week — their votes actually counted for something.Though not decisive on either side, Connecticut’s primaries were hard-fought and attracted high turnout. Republican John McCain moved closer to wrapping up his party’s nomination by besting his challengers here and around the Northeast, while Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-86105734142659620942008-08-12T13:38:00.001-07:002008-08-12T13:38:39.449-07:00

2/26/08It’s an odd set of priorities that allows the hyping of the terrorist threat above all others and then the cutting of funds for those who would respond to terrorism. But as President Bush winds his way through his final year in office, this is just what he has in mind.The administration’s 2009 budget proposal calls for a 79 percent cut in the largest state homeland security grant program,

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-81974446128762957702008-08-12T13:37:00.002-07:002008-08-18T12:58:39.869-07:00

2/22/08It was a few years and several E. coli scares ago that the nation was introduced to the “downer cow,” a feedlot animal so ridden with disease that it couldn’t walk on its own. But, as we found to our collective disgust, such animals were not necessarily deemed unfit for human consumption. Indeed, many were pushed or otherwise moved to the slaughterhouse, where their meat mixed with that of

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-38555272301744759932008-08-12T13:37:00.001-07:002008-08-12T13:37:37.825-07:00

2/17/08The numbers ought to be shocking.Connecticut’s prison population keeps growing, and all our lawmakers are doing is thinking up new ways to lock people up. The cost of keeping people in prison continues to rise, but all we hear from Hartford is how we need to hire more people and pay them more money to keep people locked away.From 1985 to the present, Connecticut’s prison population rose

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-91061905918039784652008-08-12T13:36:00.000-07:002008-08-18T13:01:31.872-07:00

1/30/08Experience matters. But it’s not everything.In staking her claim for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Hillary Clinton has made her decades in public life her top selling point. She alone among the available choices, she says, is able to step in and be ready to lead the nation on her first day in office.Her argument is not without merit. But there are many politicians with more

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-89330208642905321012008-08-12T13:35:00.002-07:002008-08-18T13:02:33.580-07:00

1/28/08Sen. Christopher J. Dodd says he’s not interested in running for majority leader in the U.S. Senate. Given the performance by the position’s current occupant, maybe Dodd will reconsider.During Dodd’s ill-fated run for the presidency, his support for civil liberties and the rule of law against an out-of-control White House and its corporate backers was viewed by critics as a cynical attempt

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-50294786015589523992008-08-12T13:35:00.001-07:002008-08-12T13:35:55.304-07:00

1/10/08It’s only a number, an arbitrary dividing line on a trajectory that’s far beyond expectations to begin with. But when oil prices briefly passed the $100-per-barrel mark last week, it shocked observers and once again reminded consumers that the days of cheap energy are over.There are so many factors that determine the price of oil that it often seems regulators are making it up as they go.

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-24371648594556668962008-08-12T13:33:00.002-07:002008-08-12T13:34:11.875-07:00

1/18/08While the state Supreme Court takes its sweet time deliberating over last year’s Democratic mayoral primary in Bridgeport, state election officials have launched their own probe into alleged voting violations. With numerous allegations and countercharges, an official investigation is welcome and warranted.Mayor Bill Finch last Sept. 11 defeated opponent Christopher Caruso by a small — but

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-67430841180173571472008-08-12T13:33:00.001-07:002008-08-12T13:33:42.570-07:00

1/12/08Politics are in flux in Bridgeport, with the Fabrizi team going out and the Finch crew on the way in. It’s natural certain tasks will fall through the cracks, and there will be a huge pile of work for the new administration.But with a multimillion-dollar lawsuit pending over the city’s flagship development, on Steel Point, city officials must be as forthcoming as possible. A former

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-53634715862351471622008-08-12T13:32:00.002-07:002008-08-18T13:01:58.120-07:00

1/6/08To the surprise of no one, including, likely, himself, Sen. Christopher J. Dodd didn’t get very far in his race for the presidency. Despite spending much of the past year traversing the back roads of Iowa, Connecticut’s senior senator barely registered in Thursday’s first-in-the-nation caucuses. Seeing no possibility of a rebound, Dodd quickly bowed out of the race. Welcome back to

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-72234721729948430762008-08-12T13:32:00.001-07:002008-08-18T13:02:56.795-07:00

12/27/07It was drastically late and ridiculously overbudget, but one of America’s great cities this week finally finished maybe the most important public works project of the last 50 years. Boston’s Big Dig essentially freed that city from decades of noise, pollution and shadows by putting the city’s overhead arterial highway system underground and away from view.Unfortunately, nothing like that

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-35111097930600429772008-08-12T13:31:00.002-07:002008-08-18T13:03:23.678-07:00

12/21/07It ranks among Sen. Christopher J. Dodd’s finest achievements. Having seen enough lawbreaking, secrecy and unchecked expansion of executive power, Connecticut’s senior senator decided to do something about it.The Bush administration wants an expansion of eavesdropping powers for the ostensible purpose of fighting terrorism (as every power grab is justified). But included in the bill

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-60488177045019951622008-08-12T13:31:00.001-07:002008-08-18T13:03:44.292-07:00

12/20/07The damage done to this country by politicians scared of being labeled “soft on crime” is incalculable. Generations of poor and inner-city children are raised in broken homes because overly harsh drug sentences rend parents from their families.The notion that our drug laws are discriminatory is based on a simple fact: Crack cocaine, used primarily by black people, results in prison terms

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-44144187163408704842008-08-12T13:30:00.000-07:002008-08-18T13:04:05.559-07:00

12/7/07Proponents of the federal government’s unfettered right to spy on Americans without oversight like to muddy the issue with false claims, dubious propositions and appeals to base instincts. But there are basic tenets this country can’t turn its back on, and one of those is that the White House can’t just listen in on your conversations with no reason, and anyone who helps them do that can’t

authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03482176063548360597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7283376161484627602.post-75222067385923720112008-08-12T13:28:00.000-07:002008-08-12T13:30:56.927-07:00

12/4/07There’s little chance the Bush administration’s call last week to slash Homeland Security funding will be put into effect. Congress will have its say on the department’s proposed budget, and it’s unlikely its $3.2 billion request would be cut to $1.4 billion, as the White House is asking.But if this is just Washington budgetary shenanigans at play here, it’s an odd place to make a point.

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