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Monday, November 7, 2011
Linda McMahon To Greet Voters, Support Local Candidates on Election Day
Saturday, November 5, 2011
DPH updates list of public water systems under boil water advisory
For more information go to http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view.asp?a=3987&q=490332 or see attached.
All information in the this post was contributed and it is unedited here.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Roraback: Require Generator Backup for Cell Towers
Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed. It is unedited here.
"As cell phones become more and more ubiquitous, ensuring uninterrupted service, especially during a severe and sustained power outage, has become more than a matter of convenience, it is a matter of public safety," said Senator Roraback. "During a sustained electrical outage like that which Connecticut experienced in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene and like the one we are still experiencing this week, a cell phone can be one's only means of communication with emergency personnel and services. Moreover, it can be the only means of communication between state agencies, first responders and local officials responding to a crisis. Equipping cell phone towers with generator backup is an affordable, common sense way to improve communication and public safety."
AT&T and other Connecticut service providers experienced widespread disruptions to their networks following this past weekend's storm and power outages. While some of the disruptions were the result of physical damage to phone towers, the majority of disruptions were the result of electrical outages. In response service providers have been scrambling to deploy more than 1,000 electric generators across Connecticut to power their networks. Senator Roraback's legislation will require the service providers to have generators in place before an emergency situation occurs.
Sens. Lieberman & McCain Receive the 2011 American Patriot Award Presented by the National Defense University Foundation; Odierno, Petraeus, Dempsey all Speak
Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed. It is unedited here.
Sens. Lieberman and McCain Receive the 2011 American Patriot Award Presented by the National Defense University Foundation
CIA Director Petraeus & Army Chief of Staff Gen. Odierno Made Personal Tributes to the Senators
Washington, D.C., November 3, 2011—Senators Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) received the prestigious 2011 American Patriot Award today presented by the National Defense University Foundation (NDUF). Nearly 500 guests gathered to celebrate both Senators' patriotic leadership and devotion at the 10th Annual American Patriot Award Gala, one of Washington, D.C.'s most prominent galas, held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.
Lieberman and McCain were recognized for their outstanding record of contributions to America's national security, armed forces and veterans throughout their impressive careers in government. U.S. Army Chief of Staff General Raymond Odierno and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director David Petraeus gave personal tributes to the honorees.
Award-winning journalist Leon Harris, ABC7/WJLA-TV anchorman, emceed the awards program. Notable attendees included General Martin Dempsey, USA, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.); the Honorable Ashton Carter, Deputy Secretary of Defense; Congressman Michael Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.); Vice Admiral William Gortney, Director of the Joint Staff; Congressman John Larsen (D-Conn.); Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas); Vice Admiral William McRaven, USN, Commander, Special Operations Command (SOCOM); Congresswoman Laura Richardson (D-Calif.); and, Vice Admiral Ann Rondeau, USN, President, the National Defense University..
In addition, as part of the Sponsor a Patriot Program, specially selected active duty service men and women attended and received special recognition. These young service members from each military service branch were chosen by their commanders for their character, dedication to duty, and service to our nation.
"As true patriots, both Senators Lieberman and McCain are most deserving of the National Defense University Foundation's American Patriot Award because of their inspirational leadership and selfless dedication in serving our nation's ideals, values and democratic principles," said Albert C. Zimmerman, Chairman of the Board of Directors, National Defense University Foundation.
Past recipients of the American Patriot Award include: former President George H.W. Bush, General Colin Powell, USA (Ret), Dr. Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates; General David Petraeus, USA, and the Extraordinary Men and Women of CENTCOM; Senator Bob Dole; Senator John W. Warner and Representative Ike Skelton; Senators Daniel Inouye and Ted Stevens; Astronaut and Senator John Glenn; former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger; and The Men and Women of our Nation's Defense Team.
The Gala showcased and benefited the National Defense University (NDU) and its crucial mission of preparing military and civilian leaders from the U.S. and allied countries to examine national and international security challenges through multidisciplinary educational and research programs, professional exchanges, and outreach. The main campus is located at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C.
The National Defense University Foundation is a non-profit organization that has provided private sector support for the NDU in mission-oriented areas for more than 29 years. Additionally, in collaboration with the NDU, the Foundation develops and manages outreach programs that help educate and engage the public for a better understanding of critical national security issues and the vital role NDU plays in addressing them. For more information, visit www.NDUFoundation.org.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
PRESS RELEASE: Torrington Mayor Ryan Bingham Endorses Linda McMahon for U.S. Senate
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Thursday, September 22, 2011
Support offered for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
This is a copy of that letter:
New England Govs FY12 LIHEAP Ltr- Leaders 9-21-11
Statement: Connecticut Delegation Stands Strong for Federal Disaster Funds
Connecticut Democrats in a prepared statement today said they applaud "members of Connecticut's House Delegation for their united votes against a Republican plan that tried to hold $1 billion in federal disaster relief funds hostage."
The statement said: "Republicans sought to tie the federal disaster funds to cuts in the advanced technology vehicle manufacturing program, cuts that Democrats said could hurt 12 projects in the early stages of review that could create more than 10,000 jobs.
"Connecticut residents are struggling to recover from the impact of Hurricane Irene, and Republicans want to play politics with people's lives and livelihoods," said Connecticut Democratic Party Chair Nancy DiNardo, also in the statement. "I applaud our House members doing what's right for the people of our state and voting against this plan."
"The plan failed in the House of Representatives as Speaker of the House John Boehner was unable to muster the support of his own party.
The Senate has already passed a bill to replenish the Disaster Relief Fund to the end of the year and through 2012 that does tie disaster relief to offsets."
The statement was issued from the office of Jaclyn M. Falkowski; Communications Director,Connecticut Democratic Party
Friday, May 20, 2011
"I hope this legislation will help those who have suffered discrimination and give them the chance to live free from fear and intimidation,” said state Rep. Gary Holder-Winfield, D-New Haven.
Holder-Winfield supports the bill and is vice chair of the Judiciary Committee, one of the panels that held a public hearing on it.
House Bill 6599, An Act Concerning Discrimination, prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression in employment, public accommodations, the sale or rental of housing, the granting of credit, and other laws over which the state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities has jurisdiction.
Language in the bill defines “gender identity or expression” as a person's gender-related identity, appearance or behavior, whether that identity, appearance or behavior is different from that traditionally associated with the person's physiology or sex at birth.
Debate began in the House early Thursday evening and it passed late into the night.
“We shouldn’t discriminate against people just because Mother Nature or God made them differently,” said Rep. Linda Scholfield, D-Simsbury, a health care consultant who provided her fellow lawmakers a detailed explanation of how people can be born with gender assignment issues, such as a mismatched mental gender and physical gender.
Yet some lawmakers said they had concerns that legislation could be abused or have unintended consequences.
House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero Jr., R-Norwalk, said employers and businesses might not understand what it means to be transsexual or transgendered and could unknowingly violate the law and wind up facing a $2,000 penalty and possible jail time. He urged the majority Democrats to somehow fix the bill before the debate ended.
To help address some lawmakers’ concerns, Rep. Gerald Fox, D-Stamford, the co-chairman of the General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee, offered an amendment that allows a court to seek evidence of person’s gender identity issues, such as medical history, to determine if they’ve been discriminated against. The amendment passed on a voice vote.
If it becomes law, then the legislation would make it a class A misdemeanor to deprive someone of rights, privileges or immunities secured or protected by the state or federal laws or constitutions because of the person's gender identity or expression.
Violations would be punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of up to $2,000 or both.
Sixteen states have passed similar legislation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Fwd: Connecticut Joins Agreement To Curb Tobacco Sales to Minor
HARTFORD – Attorney General George Jepsen said Connecticut has joined with the attorneys general of 38 other states and the District of Columbia in a multi-state agreement with Circle K Stores Inc. and Mac's Convenience Stores LLC to curb the sale of tobacco products to minors.
The agreement affects the nearly 3,000 company-owned and franchise stores of Texas-based Circle K, including 10 franchise stores in Connecticut, and more than 1,100 stores of the Delaware-based Mac's Convenience Stores. No Mac's stores are located in Connecticut.
"More than 80 percent of regular adult smokers say they began smoking as children," Jepsen said. "The younger a person begins smoking, the more likely it is that he or she will be unable to quit in later life and will suffer a disease attributable to tobacco use."
"From a public health perspective, we can't afford it. From a public policy perspective, we have to do whatever we can to make sure existing state laws are followed and tobacco products are kept out of the hands of children and teens," Jepsen said. "This agreement will help to accomplish that goal."
Connecticut prohibits the sale of tobacco products to consumers younger than 18. The attorneys general estimate that 690 million packs of cigarettes are sold illegally to children each year and that more than 400,000 Americans die each year from tobacco-related illnesses.
The agreement applies to the company-operated stores and on an advisory basis to the franchise operations. It requires comprehensive training of company store employees and franchisees about the health reasons behind the sale restrictions on tobacco products; requires government-issued forms of photo identification for purchasers who appear under the age of 30 and prohibits self-service displays, the use of vending machines and distributions of free samples on store property.
In addition, the company will hire an independent company to conduct compliance checks at 500 stores every six months and pay the attorneys general $225,000 for their investigative costs. Connecticut's share of that money has not been determined.
Assistant Attorney General Heather J. Wilson represented Jepsen in this matter.
The agreement, negotiated by the National Association of Attorneys General Tobacco Retailer's Group, is the 14th with retailers of tobacco products. Others were reached with companies such as Walgreens, ExxonMobil, Wal-Mart, Rite-Aid and 7-Eleven.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Conn. Attorney General Questions Sony Playstation Data Breach
HARTFORD -- Attorney General George Jepsen today alerted consumers to a data breach, which may affect as many as 77 million users, in the popular entertainment console Sony PlayStation's online network.
Sony has confirmed the compromised data may include a wide range of personal information such as user names, addresses, birth dates, e-mail addresses, account login data, and potentially credit card information. In addition to video game playing, Sony's network can also be used to access other entertainment networks such as Netflix, Facebook and Twitter.
In a letter to Sony, Jepsen asked for more details about the extent of the breach, what third-party products may be affected, and the steps the company is currently taking to protect its users. He also expressed concern about whether Sony promptly detected and alerted customers about the breach.
"In this era of increasing reliance on technology, it is vitally important that all entities entrusted with nonpublic personal information employ the highest levels of data security," Jepsen wrote.
"I expect Sony to work with and protect any consumers harmed as a result of this breach, and will review Sony's efforts to protect private information."
Sony first detected an intrusion on April 20 and reported it as a network outage. On Monday, five days after the initial intrusion, Sony analysts confirmed the actual data breach. The company alerted customers Tuesday that their personal data may be at risk.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew Fitzsimmons is representing Jepsen in this matter.
Editor's note: Information here is from a press release
Monday, April 18, 2011
Leading Advocates for Liberal Politics Talk at Yale about Reclaiming the Left
NEW HAVEN —Three leading advocates for a progressive political agenda will discuss the future of the Left in American politics in an open forum at Yale on Wednesday, April 20 at the Yale Law School auditorium, 127 Wall Street, at 4 p.m.
The panel will be headed by six-term Governor of Vermont, former head of the Democratic National Committee, and one-time presidential hopeful Howard Dean and editor of The Nation magazine and well-known television political pundit Katrina vanden Heuvel. Yale professor Jacob Hacker, author of "Winner-Take-All Politics" and most noted champion of the "public option" in health care reform, will lead the discussion. Rounding out the panel will be Yale junior Daniel Hornung, president of the Yale chapter of Roosevelt Institute, the national undergraduate progressive political organization.
No press credentials or prior registration is required, but members of the news media are advised to arrive early for this first-come, first-seated event.
Editor's note: This is a Yale news release.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Consumer affairs news
State Insurance Commissioner Thomas B. Leonardi has issued a cease and desist order against three out-of-state companies who have been marketing health insurance products to Connecticut consumers without proper license to do so. The order also names an individual who allegedly aided and abetted in the solicitation of those unauthorized plans.
“This order serves notice to these companies and any company that tries to skirt state regulations that we will find you and hold you accountable. Consumers must have the protection of health care plans backed by licensed entities that are regulated and monitored closely by the state Insurance Department. That protection includes having covered claims paid by the insurer in a timely manner,” Leonardi said.
The order has been issued against:
North Carolina-based Metropolitan Business Alliance, LLC doing business as the National Association of Business Leadership (NABL); New Jersey-based Hudson Valley Consultants (HVC), doing business as CEO Club Benefits; Kevin Dunn, of Montville, N.J., NABL president and managing consultant of HVC.
The Commissioner said the companies, which have largely marketed over the Internet, have 30 days to provide to the department a list of all Connecticut consumers who have enrolled in these unlicensed plans. According to the order, the department may also seek civil penalties.
“We have rigorous requirements for companies to market their plans in Connecticut and there are no exceptions, no shortcuts. Health insurers must be licensed by the department before they can take a dime from consumers,” Leonardi said. “If consumers have any question whether the company they are doing business with is licensed, we urge them to check our Web site or call our Consumer Affairs unit.”
The order requires that the companies immediately stop any and all solicitations, including Internet solicitations, sales or negotiations of health insurance or health discount programs in Connecticut and to Connecticut consumers.
The companies have the right to a hearing before the department and have 30 days to request a hearing before the Commissioner. If no hearing is requested, the facts and findings of the order will be deemed final.
The cease and desist order comes on the heels of a consumer alert issued this week by the department that identifies several unlicensed or unauthorized entities that have been known to market health insurance, limited medical plans or medical discount cards through Web sites, by phone, e-mail and by fax.
The following is a list of unlicensed or unauthorized entities that may be selling health insurance products in Connecticut:
Metropolitan Business Alliance LLC; United States Contractors Association; United States Contractors Trust; Viking Administrators, LLC; Association of Independent Managers; Integrated Insurance Marketing, Inc; AIM Health Plans, Inc; Insurance Resource Group; Venture Support Group, LLC; Southeast Insurance Advisors, LLC; Wilshire Holding, LLC; and World Wide Family Benefits Association, Inc.
To determine whether a health insurance company is licensed to do business in Connecticut:
Call the Department’s Consumer Affairs Team at 800-203-3447
Ask a Question through the Department Web site at www.ct.gov/cid
Verify a license through the Web site at: for a daily updated list of licensed insurers at http://www.catalog.state.ct.us/cid/CLIC/VerifyLicense.aspx
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Malloy picks Madison resident as Conn. comissioner
HARTFORD — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has named Terrence W. Macy of Madison to serve as commissioner of the Department of Developmental Services.
Macy has been executive director of SARAH Tuxis Residential & Community Resources since 1990.
In making the announcement, Malloy said: “As everyone knows, I spend a great deal of time talking about our citizens with developmental and intellectual disabilities, the community providers who serve them, and the need for state government to be a better partner to both.
“This is an agency that many people don’t know much about. I’m hoping that will change. Caring for some of the neediest in our society is a moral obligation government has, and should have.”
Malloy often talks of the teachers and family members who helped him over the years to deal with his dyslexia.
At SARAH Tuxis Residential & Community Resources, Macy has led efforts to provide support to people with disabilities along the central Shoreline, focusing on direct care and creating environments where individuals with disabilities thrive, the prepared announcement said.
He was responsible for administering a staff that grew from 42 to 300 and has since become one of the largest providers of individual supports of any state Department of Development Services-funded agency.
Macy is known for developing a culture of collaborating with community partners to expand creative support systems, including the development of innovative and individualized supports for seniors, the statement said.
“Understanding the fiscal reality both the state and country face, I’m hopeful that my experiences in partnering with community private and public providers in a quest to expand creative support systems while generating efficiencies will allow these programs to be maintained in an efficient and cost-effective manner,” Macy said.
Macy previously worked seven years at DATAHR Rehabilitation Institute (Ability Beyond Disability) as director of vocational services and director of residential services, developing training programs, training staff in new work skills development programs, and increasing services for people with autism and traumatically brain injured adults.
Prior to that, he held several leadership positions in the public sector in Ohio. He began his career working at the Hartford Regional Center in the recreation, education and residential programs.
The Department of Developmental Services serves more than 19,000 people with intellectual disabilities, including more than 4,000 infants and children.
Terry Edelstein, president of the Connecticut Community Providers Association, said he is looking forward to working with Macy to convert services in institutions to community settings; to restructure rates for day programs and residential services; and address the impact on service delivery with the continued freeze in residential reimbursement.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Municipal leaders to gather for CCM Day at the State Capitol
Municipal leaders from the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, the statewide association of towns and cities, will assemble for a CCM "Day on the Hill" on April 13; and CCM-member local leaders will conduct a news conference on Governor Malloy's proposed state budget at 11:30 a.m. this Wednesday in the State Legislative Office Building, Room 2D, according to a statement.
Featured speakers scheduled for the news conference are:
n Frank Chiaramonte, First Selectman of Harwinton and Vice President of CCM
n John DeStefano, Mayor of New Haven
n William Finch, Mayor of Bridgeport
n Pedro Segarra, Mayor of Hartford
n Ryan Bingham, Mayor of Torrington
n Scott Jackson, Mayor of Hamden
The speakers will be joined at the press conference by mayors and first selectmen from across the state. Municipal leaders will then be talking with their state legislative delegations during the day as part of CCM Day on the Hill activities.
"Municipal leaders will be assembling at the Capitol on Wednesday morning to let state legislators, residents. and businesses know that Governor Malloy's proposed state budget is a good one for towns and cities and their property taxpayers, " said Jim Finley, CCM Executive Director and CEO, in the statement. "While not perfect, it is a budget that protects most municipal aid, diversifies and expands municipal revenues, and is remarkable in the context of a $3.2 billion state budget deficit. Alternatives to Governor Malloy's proposed budget would not be municipal-friendly."
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
LIEBERMAN ISSUES STATEMENT ON CHINESE ACTIVIST AI WEIWEI
"The detention and "disappearance" on Sunday of Ai Weiwei, one of China's most prominent artists, is profoundly concerning. It also fits squarely into a broader disturbing pattern of repression by Chinese authorities against dozens of human rights lawyers, journalists, and other members of civil society over the past two months. Numerous Chinese citizens like Mr. Ai have "vanished" into a legal limbo in recent weeks or have been held in extrajudicial detention, while others have been arrested and charged with "inciting subversion of state power." The Chinese government has also taken its longstanding restrictions on Internet freedom to absurd new lengths, including apparent disruptions to Gmail service and censorship of words such as "jasmine."
"The Chinese government's crackdown on citizens exercising their universal human rights is inconsistent with its international commitments and represents a clear violation of the rule of law. At a moment when people across the Middle East are peacefully demanding fundamental freedoms and accountable self-government -- joining the democratic wave that has spread, over the past forty years, from Latin America to East Asia to Central Europe -- the Chinese government's repressive actions against its citizens seem both out of touch with the rest of the world and incompatible with the values that define global leadership in the 21st century.
"I commend and thank the State Department's spokesman for calling for Mr. Ai's immediate release. I urge senior officials in the Obama Administration to repeat this call in the days ahead. I also hope the Administration will work with our allies and international partners to make clear to the Chinese government that Mr. Ai's release, and that of other Chinese citizens who have been unjustly detained, disappeared, arrested, and jailed, is a matter of serious international concern."