E L E C T I O N   2 0 1 0   I N    C O N N E C T I C U T
Coming up:  Debates in the Fall...
October 7, 2010 Ridgefield Playhouse - Save the Date!

The Ridgefield LWV is sponsoring a debate between those candidates running for the Connecticut State Senate District 26 (Toni Boucher and John Hartwell) and the 111th Legislative District (John Frey and Joseph Heyman).  The debate is scheduled for Thursday, October 7, 2010 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge Road, Ridgefield.  Jean Rabinow from the LWVCT has graciously consented to be the moderator for the event.

The State Senator from the CT State Senate District 26 represents the towns of Bethel, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport and Wilton, and we have been advised that the incumbent, Toni Boucher will only be participating in two debates this year (one being Ridgefield’s).  Consequently, we would like to invite the Leagues in those Towns and members of their communities to join us at the debate on October 7th.
Primary results: Weston voters pick Malloy, Foley and McMahon
Weston FORUM
Written by Patricia Gay
Tuesday, 10 August 2010 21:25

Voter turnout was light today in Weston for the state Democratic and Republican primaries, with just 24% of all eligible voters casting their ballots.  Of the town’s 2,186 registered Democrats, 462 voted, as did 460 of the town’s 1,887 registered Republicans.  There were 29 Democratic absentee and overseas ballots cast and 38 Republican absentee and overseas ballots cast, for a total of 989 voters overall in the primaries. Unaffiliated voters and those registered with other parties were not allowed to vote in the primaries.

Democratic primary

In Weston, for the governor’s race, Democrats favored former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy with 272 votes over Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont, who got 217 votes.  For lieutenant governor, four-term state comptroller Nancy Wyman got 297 votes while four-term Simsbury first selectman Mary Messina Glassman received 166 votes.  For secretary of the state, longtime state representative for the 54th District and house majority leader Denise Merrill received 248 votes, while financial advisor Gerry Garcia got 199 votes.  In the comptroller’s race, Weston voters favored Kevin Lembo, head of the state’s Office of Healthcare Advocate, with 338 votes, while five-term Waterbury Mayor Michael Jarjura received 102 votes.

Republican primary

For the governor’s race, in Weston former U.S. ambassador to Ireland Tom Foley got 242 votes, while lieutenant governor Michael Fedele got 165 votes, and Oz Griebel, president and CEO of a regional development organization, received 80 votes.  For lieutenant governor, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton got 244 votes, while businesswoman Lisa Wilson-Foley got 215 votes.  In the race for U.S. senator, Linda McMahon, former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, got 254 votes, Westonite Peter Schiff, head of an international brokerage firm, received 150 votes, while Rob Simmons, former U.S. representative for the 2nd District, received 92 votes.  For U.S. representative, Dan Debicella, state senator from Shelton, got 333 votes, Norwalk businessman Rob Merkle got 83 votes, and Bridgeport businessman Rick Torres got 62 votes.  For attorney general, attorney Martha Dean received 292 votes, while attorney Ross Garber got 163 votes.  Moderators at the polls in Weston were W. Glenn Major for the Republicans and Hal Shupack for the Democrats.

PLAN AHEAD TO BE A POST-ELECTION AUDIT OBSERVER

Party Primaries (Tuesday August 10, 6am to 8pm);  over-all election information here.  
        
WESTON INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL NEW LOCATION FOR PRIMARIES...

Two electronic votings machines:
NEW LOCATION FOR AUG. 10 VOTING - INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL GYM
Formal portrait at left, "WIS" and its new facilities are part of the overall school system -  right, WHS volleyball team practice.


Weston Intermediate School (W.I.S.) site of Party Primaries August 10, 2010 from 6am to 8pm
Aug. 10 primary: Weston's polling place is moved
FORUM
Written by Kimberly Donnelly
Wednesday, 21 July 2010 12:02

Weston’s regular polling place will change for the Aug. 10 primary elections because of construction and asbestos abatement at Weston Middle School.

Voting will take place in the gymnasium at the town’s newest school, Weston Intermediate School.

Town officials learned from school officials last week that the roof replacement project at the middle school — where elections normally take place — might make it necessary to move the polls from the gymnasium to the cafeteria.

But, Laura Smits, the Democratic registrar of voters, said when she and other officials did a walk-through of the building on Friday, July 16, they then learned that in addition to the roof replacement construction, asbestos abatement is also taking place at the middle school.

First Selectman Gayle Weinstein said that by law, no one under the age of 18 is allowed on a site when asbestos abatement is taking place. Although most voters are over 18 (17-year-olds who will be 18 by the general election Nov. 2 may also vote in their party’s primary), Ms. Weinstein said she did not want to disenfranchise any parents who might bring young children to the polls.

“We decided it’s not worth taking any chance with asbestos,” the first selectman added. She also did not want to ask the schools to hold off on the abatement, as that might cause costly delays to the construction project.

Dan Clarke, director of facilities for the school district, said the intermediate school could be used instead.

Although she said she wishes the town had been notified earlier, “Dan Clarke has been very gracious and willing to do whatever it takes to make this work,” Ms. Weinstein said.

Because a legal notice stating the polls would be at the middle school has already been published, and because it is less than 30 days before the election, the registrars asked for and received an emergency waiver from the secretary of the state in order to move the location of the polling place.

Signs will be posted along School Road the day of the primaries, and security officers will be posted at the middle school, directing voters who might be unaware of the change to the intermediate school.

“We want to make sure people know where the polls are,” Ms. Weinstein said. “We want it to be as easy and to cause the least amount of confusion as possible.”

Voting

Parking is available in the two lots in front of the intermediate school, as well as in a rear lot near the tennis courts and playground.

Polls will be open at the intermediate school gym for the primary elections Tuesday, Aug. 10, between the hours of 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. Only registered Republicans and registered Democrats may vote in their respective party primaries; those registered as unaffiliated may not vote in a primary.

For the first time, 17-year-olds who will turn 18 by the Nov. 2 general election may vote in their party’s primary.

Voters may register to vote any weekday between 9 and 4:30 at Weston Town Hall.

Registering

The registrars of voters will hold a special session at Weston Town Hall next Tuesday, July 27, from noon to 2 for the purpose of registering electors eligible to vote in the upcoming primary.

Mail-in registration forms are available from the registrars’ office at town hall, as well as online on the secretary of the state’s Web site, www.sots.ct.gov, and on the town of Weston Web site, www.weston-ct.com.

Mail-in applications for new voters must be postmarked by Aug. 5, and received no later than noon Aug. 9.

The last day to register in person for new voters and for unaffiliated voters to declare a party is noon on Aug. 9 at the registrar’s office in town hall.

Absentee

Absentee ballots for those who will not be in Weston between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Aug. 10 are available.

Absentee ballots may be obtained in the town clerk’s office. Absentee ballot applications may be downloaded from the secretary of the state’s Web site, www.ct.gov/sots/.

For more information, call the Weston registrars of voters at 203-222-2686.

Why not have the League moderate a "cumulative time" format debate series?
Candidates question if debate format helps voters make the right choice
Mark Pazniokas, CT MIRROR
July 16, 2010

Oz Griebel was frustrated.  He saw the latest gubernatorial debate as another futile exercise, illuminating little about the abilities of the candidates to lead Connecticut.

"To me, it's how does a person think?" Griebel said. "What are their experiences? How do they react in difficult situations? How do they react in emotional situations?"

None of those questions were explored in a debate Wednesday night on NBC30 - or in most previous encounters, said Griebel, who is trailing in a three-way race for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.

His two would-be Democratic opponents, Dan Malloy and Ned Lamont, watched the debate and agreed with his assessment, but drew opposite conclusions.

Lamont is through with debates for the primary campaign.

Malloy says the answer is a wide-open format.

Griebel says he is with Malloy: The fewer the rules, the better -- and more debates, not less. Malloy has proposed a series of 17 encounters, one in every community with a daily newspaper.

"Hey, man, go for it," Griebel said. "I'll be right there."

Griebel will get to debate his Republican rivals, Tom Foley and Michael Fedele, at least twice more before the primary election on Aug. 10.  Not so with Malloy and Lamont.

WNPR radio and WFSB, Channel 3 are making a last effort to convince Lamont to debate Malloy the week before the primary.

But Lamont, who refused an invitation by WTNH, Channel 8 and The Day of New London for a televised debate on July 27 before 1,500 spectators, said he saw nothing Wednesday to change his mind.

"You end up with one-minute sound bites. I don't think it's particularly revealing," Lamont said.

Griebel said a debate could be revealing if the questioners went beyond a list of standard, unrelated questions and gimmicks like viewer emails and video queries posed by voters.

On Wednesday night, NBC30 played a video of a package store owner opposed Sunday liquor sales as a burden and asking the candidates their position. In a Democratic debate, the station played a video about support for tourism.

Griebel said those issues undoubtedly are important to narrow groups, but do they help anyone pick a candidate for governor in the one of the toughest fiscal environments ever to face the state?

On Wednesday, he was criticized by Foley and Fedele for being open to tolls as a way to pay for transportation infrastructure. He said his opponents were not adequately challenged about how they would meet the state's obligations in a time of flat revenues and a projected deficit.

"Yeah, tolls are on the table. Shoot me," he said.

His Democratic opponents empathized.

"I think Oz has got it about right," Lamont said.  "I saw the debate, not much of substance. Everybody seems to be fixated on Sunday liquor sales, and we're going bankrupt."

Malloy said the NBC30 debate was better than others, because the format allowed the candidates  to question each other, if only briefly. And he noted that candidates share some responsibility for formats, which the campaigns typically negotiate with the sponsoring television station.

David Doebler, the president and general manager of NBC30, said the segment in which the candidates questioned each other was praised in hundreds of viewer emails Thursday. He agreed it yielded the most interesting exchanges, and he would consider expanding it allow follow up questions.

"We would love to open it up," he said.

Doebler said some of the candidates might have disliked the viewer questions, but the station felt it important to include the perspective of voters.

Griebel's criticisms went beyond the debate Wednesday. He said what is missing from modern political debates is a sustained discussion, where a candidate must think on his feet and not get by with a pre-packaged talking point.

"There is something missing here where I don't see the public gets a full explanation of things. You jump from school vouchers to liquor laws," Griebel said. "I get frustrated."

Griebel said he was amazed that no one from NBC30 asked Foley about recent disclosures about two arrests after motor-vehicle incidents in 1982 and 1983, including one in which he was charged with assault. Neither case was pursued.

"Why did I have to ask the question on the arrests?" he asked.

Malloy, a former Stamford mayor who served with Griebel on the state Transportation Strategy Board, said he agreed with Griebel that voters need to get a sense of the candidates' leadership qualities. There is no better way than to see the candidates side by side, testing each other, he said.

"They know they are selecting the person who's going to have to make very important decisions about their future and their children's future," Malloy said. "I think that's one of the reasons that debates are very important.  I think that's one of the reasons Ned doesn't want to debate."

Lamont said he finds that voters can get a better sense of him and his vision for the state at town hall meetings he is conducting in person and on teleconferences. Voters have the opportunity to press for answers until they are satisfied.

Malloy said Lamont's town hall meetings are a great idea. One way to make them better: invite him.

"If anyone can get him in a room around a table or at a podium," Malloy said, "I'll show up."

Two courts hand down contradictory rulings on public financing
CT MIRROR
By Mark Pazniokas and Keith M. Phaneuf
July 13, 2010

In a dizzying one-two punch of state and federal court decisions today, the public financing of campaigns in Connecticut was upheld, but key provisions that could affect the race for governor were invalidated.

A federal appeals court ruled that the state cannot give supplemental grants triggered by an opponent's spending, while a state judge separately denied a motion to bar Republican gubernatorial candidate Michael C. Fedele from receiving $2.18 million in public financing.

Fedele's grant includes money that the federal court says was inappropriately given, but there is no legal prohibition on him from spending the $2.18 million awarded to him last week by the State Elections Enforcement Commission under the Citizens' Election Program, part of sweeping campaign finance reforms passed in 2005.

Superior Court Judge Julia L. Aurigemma today denied a request by Fedele's GOP rivals, Tom Foley and Oz Griebel, for a temporary injunction stopping him from spending his public grant. Foley immediately appealed to the Connecticut Supreme Court.

"We are disappointed in the judge's decision today, but we look forward to a trial on the merits of these issues and plan to appeal this preliminary ruling," said Justin Clark, Foley's campaign manager.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit issued two decisions today in response to a ruling nearly a year ago by U.S. District Court Judge Stefan Underhill, who declared the public financing law unconstitutional, saying it discriminated against minor parties. It overturned Underhill on several issues and returned the case to him for further action.

The appellate court found no discrimination against minor parties, but it concluded that a bar on contributions and solicitations by lobbyists and their spouses violated free-speech rights under the First Amendment.

Most significantly for candidates seeking public financing, the appellate court negated an order by Underhill that would have imposed an injunction on the program until all its constitutional defects were cured by legislative action.

"Underhill's decision would have padlocked the program completely," said Beth Rotman, director of the Citizens' Election Program.

She praised the state court and said the state will immediately seek a stay from the U.S. Supreme Court of the federal decision, citing the impact on statewide primaries for governor that are less than a month away.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell said the legislature should quickly alter the law to comport with the federal decision, which Attorney General Richard Blumenthal says leaves most of the public financing program intact

"Today's decisions uphold significant provisions of the Citizens Election Program and the state's ban on political contributions by state contractors, but strike down bans against lobbyist donations and solicitations of contributions. The decisions also strike the provision providing additional funding to candidates when an opponent spends beyond a publicly financed candidate's threshold," Blumenthal said.

The court decision does not affect the ability of candidates' to seek and obtain public financing, but it bars them from obtaining supplemental grants triggered by an opponent's excessive spending, a long-term complication to the campaigns of the two publicly financed candidates for governor, Fedele and Democrat Dan Malloy.

"Today's decision is just one step in a long process, a process that I am confident will result in Connecticut's public financing law remaining in place. In the short-term, the decision has no impact on the primary election I'm engaged in - I'm as confident as ever that we're going win on August 10th because this campaign represents values and experience that money can't buy," Malloy said.

The campaign of Democrat Ned Lamont, who has opted out of the voluntary public financing program to use his own wealth and privately raised funds, had no comment on either court decision.

"This was a frivolous lawsuit," Fedele said of the action initiated by Foley and joined by Griebel. "It was Tom Foley trying to silence me."

Fedele said he that tomorrow he will launch a media campaign, including television advertisements, and that he plans to spend all $2 million in public funds available to him in less than one month. The gubernatorial primaries arer Aug. 10.

"We have a plan and we are ready to go," Fedele said, predicting Foley's lawsuit and planned appeal would weaken his standing with voters. "While Tom Foley spends his time with his lawyers, I'll be spending it with the people of Connecticut."

Foley's campaign issued a statement expressing its disappointment with the federal decision. It had no immediate comment on the rejection of its request for an injunction.

The supplemental grants were not a factor in legislative races two years ago, when only one legislative candidate was given an extra grant of a few hundred dollars.

"Campaign finance is alive and well," Rell said.

But the court struck down a ban on contributions by lobbyists, a provision demanded by Rell over the warnings of lawyers that it might be unconstitutional. The court found that the state made compelling case to restrict the free-speech rights of lobbyists.

"I'm disappointed to say the least," that bans on lobbyist contributions, and on the ability of lobbyists and contractors to solicit contributions for candidates from their clients, were struck down, Rell said. "I still think that whatever we could do to keep special interests out of campaigns I would support."

House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan, D-Meriden, and Senate President Pro Tem Donald E. Williams Jr., D-Brooklyn, were reviewing their options for a special session consider legislative fixes. Still, Donovan found the overall decision good news for advocates of public financing.

"We came out on top," he said. "We kept the public financing."

The governor said she believes the legislature should act quickly in special session to resolve the lobbyist contribution issue, suggesting a $100 limit. That was the legal advice Rell rejected in 2005, when the campaign finance reforms were passed.

"I think it would be very simple for the legislature to put the same threshold in place that they put for everyone else," she said. "I think that would be an easy fix."

"I believe campaign finance reform works," she said. "I support it. I believe that the Republicans would benefit from campaign finance reform because I think it helps to level the playing field."

By late afternoon, advocates of public financing were pressing legislative leaders to act quickly.

"The enactment of Connecticut's reform was one of Connecticut's proudest moments," said Tom Swan, executive director of the Connecticut Citizen Action Group. "It is time for the legislature to act. This late in the election cycle it is important for the legislature to clarify the rules under which people are running in the fall. We call on the legislature to come into special session to enact a fix."

"Connecticut voters overwhelmingly support the landmark Citizens' Election Program," said Cheri Quickmire, executive director of Common Cause. "The legislature and the Governor should act quickly to amend the program to comply with the court ruling. Candidates are mid-stream and the primary is weeks away."

In the race for governor, the ability of Fedele to collect a further supplemental grant triggered by the spending of Tom Foley seems in question. The appellate court struck down that provision.

Malloy already has collected and, presumably spent, a supplemental grant of $1.25 million triggered by the spending of his opponent in the race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, Ned Lamont. Fedele received a basic grant of $1.25 million and a supplemental grant of $937,500.

Based on Foley's continued spending, Fedele was expected to seek and receive another $312,500.

Opponents and supporters of public financing praised the mixed federal decision.

"Connecticut's so-called Citizens Election Program is fatally flawed and should be repealed. The law's perverse incentives, convoluted logic, and unconstitutional provisions have already had a shameful impact on this year's elections, regardless of which candidates ultimately are nominated and elected," said Fergus Cullen of the Yankee Institute.

But Secretary of the State Susan Bysieiwcz credited public financing for a 12-year high in the number of candidates running for General Assembly. She said public financing has encouraged that trend.

"Candidates for state office in Connecticut still need clarity on the rules for raising and spending campaign funds, and I hope we soon get the clarity we all seek," she said. "We must not forget the big picture, which is that we need to stay committed to concept of clean elections in Connecticut."

Special voter session set for Tuesday, July 27
Weston FORUM
Sunday, 11 July 2010 00:00

A primary election will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 10, at Weston Middle School between the hours of 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. Only registered Republicans and Democrats will be eligible to vote.

The registrars of voters will hold a special session at Weston Town Hall on Tuesday, July 27, from noon to 2 for the purpose of registering electors eligible to vote in the upcoming primary. At that time, the registrar will hear requests by persons removed, for adding their names to the registry list.

Questions may be directed to the registrars of voters at 203-222-2686.

Residents of Connecticut who are U.S. citizens and will be 18 years of age or older on Election Day (Nov. 2) may register to vote any weekday between 9 and 4:30 at Weston Town Hall.

Mail-in registration forms are available from the registrars’ office at town hall, as well as online on the secretary of the state’s Web site, www.sots.ct.gov, and on the town of Weston Web site, www.weston-ct.com.

Mail-in applications for new voters must be postmarked by Aug. 5, and received no later than noon Aug. 9.

The last day to register in person for new voters and for unaffiliated voters to declare a party is noon on Aug. 9 at the registrars’ office in town hall.

Absentee ballots may be obtained in the town clerk’s office. Absentee ballot applications may be downloaded from the secretary of the state’s Web site.

For more information, call the registrars of voters at 203-222-2686.


NEXT STOP ALONG THE ROAD TO ELECTION DAY:  Primaries for Governor on both sides expected.
Since the only real news at this point is who won the Party endorsements for office - those who received 15% of the Convention votes have the right to file for a Primary -  filings are not due for a while...

KEVIN LEMBO MAY HAVE A COMPROLLER PRIMARY IN AUGUST, AS MAY SEC'Y OF STATE WINNER DENISE MERRILL, NOT TO MENTION GOVERNOR WINNER DAN MALLOY.   ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE,  SOME POSSIBLILITIES, TOO - SEC'Y OF STATE WINNER MARTHA DEAN,  U.S. SENATE WINNER LINDA MCMAHON,  GOVERNOR WINNER TOM FOLEY...A BUSY SUMMER!

Gov. Rell Not Seeking Reelection in 2010; Stunning Announcement Shocks Capitol; Few Knew In Advance
Hartford Courant
By Christopher Keating  on November 9, 2009 5:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In a stunning announcement, an emotional Gov. M. Jodi Rell told reporters shortly Monday evening that she is not
seeking reelection...full story here.

NOTE:  This item below is not an endorsement of any candidate for any office
E-Democracy:  A 21st Century Citizen's Right to Know and Participate

LWVCT Fall Conference 2007
Keynote speaker was CT Att'y General Richard Blumenthal

3 Democrats — 2 senators, 1 governor — to retire
YAHOO
By LIZ SIDOTI, AP National Political Writer
January 6, 2010

WASHINGTON – With the 2010 election year barely under way, two senators and one governor — all Democrats — ditched
plans to run for re-election in the latest signs of trouble for President Barack Obama's party.

Taken together, the decisions by Sens. Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota as well as Colorado
Gov. Bill Ritter caused another bout of heartburn for Democrats as they struggle to defend themselves in a sour political
environment for incumbents, particularly the party in charge.

As 2009 ended, Democrats watched a string of their House members announce retirements and one congressman defect to the GOP.

Now, with Dodd, Dorgan and Ritter out, Republicans have even more to crow about, if not better opportunities to pick up
Democratic-held seats.

Democrats, who have a 60-40 Senate majority that includes two independents who vote with them, now will have to defend four
open seats in the Senate. The others are Delaware and Illinois, where Sens. Ted Kaufman, who replaced Vice President Joe Biden,
and Roland Burris, who replaced Obama, aren't running for full terms.

Among governors, Democrats are seeking to maintain their 26-24 majority in a year when those elected will oversee the redrawing of
congressional and legislative districts for the next decade.

Republicans and Democrats alike say they now expect competitive races for the Senate seat in North Dakota, a GOP-tilting state,
and the governor's seat in Colorado, a pivotal swing state that has trended toward Democrats in recent years but may be shifting
back toward Republicans.

But in Democratic-leaning Connecticut, Dodd's retirement may actually heighten the likelihood that the seat he's held for five terms
will remain in Democratic hands. The party can now recruit a more popular candidate to run, bolstering the prospects of thwarting
a Republican victory.

Longtime Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal told The Associated Press on Wednesday morning that he will run
for Dodd's seat. Blumenthal, a Democrat, is seen as one of the state's most popular politicians. He planned to publicly announce
his candidacy later Wednesday.

Considered by many insiders to be the most endangered Senate Democrat, Dodd planned to announce his retirement Wednesday,
according to Democratic officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to publicly pre-empt
the senator's remarks. Dodd told Democrats of his plans late Tuesday...