LonSeidman.com » Politics

What CL&P Needs to Do Right Now

admin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:12:01 +0000

CL&P continues their downward spiral of self destruction. It’s one thing to have nature deal an unexpected blow, it’s another to have a lack of attention to maintenance issues make the impact worse than it should have been.

As Connecticut residents continue to lose confidence in their electric utility monopoly, the company’s messaging isn’t helping restore that trust. Here’s what CL&P needs to do right now:

Apologize and admit fault
CL&P’s COO Jeff Butler was asked point blank this morning by a reporter if he’d be issuing an apology on behalf of the company. His answer was to stick to his company’s line of acknowledging frustration but not admitting fault. He even took it a step further and patted himself on the back for doing a good job. This is an old school technique for a time when information was not as readily available or transmittable as it is today.

It didn’t take long for the media to discover that CL&P short paid or outright delayed payment to out-of-state crews that helped after Tropical Storm Irene. Maintenance shortfalls, understaffed line crews, and other pre-storm preparedness deficiencies also started coming to light.

Consumers have the tools to be savvier and as such our “BS detectors” have no tolerance for superlatives that even Baghdad Bob wouldn’t make. Butler would do well to simply acknowledge the company has screwed up and will be working to make things right for their customers. They can start by saying the company will absorb the repair costs and not be asking rate payers to cover them. As I wrote yesterday, they were very quick to reassure shareholders after Irene that repair costs would not eat into profits.

Stand and Answer Questions from the Media, and Later the Public
Jeff Butler’s body language says quite a bit. While he’s understandably under a lot of pressure, he’s not helping his cause by racing for the door as he did at this morning’s press conference. Butler should give enough time so that every member of the press at the briefings has an opportunity to ask him questions.

When the lights do come back on, CL&P has an obligation to appear before customers to explain what happened and what they will do to improve. That should have happened after Irene and didn’t. The company decided to instead meet with towns through regional planning agencies. They would not provide me with the dates of those meetings when I requested them.

Stop Using Social Media as a Propaganda Tool
Nothing is more insulting to families sitting in cold, dark houses than to see Tweets and YouTube videos of corporate spin. CL&P proudly touted two videos yesterday of storm damage – like somehow that will make people feel better about their lack of response.

I spoke of this before, and I think it’s worth repeating: social media does not belong solely in the hands of PR officials. Customer service should be there to answer customer questions and try to work out their individual issues.

Stop Relying on Municipalities for Customer Service Communication
In this age of direct communication, CL&P continues to cling to the notion that somehow municipalities and local property tax payers should be the ones responsible for communicating with customers. It backs up my belief that the company is not customer focused, but rather sees themselves as a customer of regulators and shareholders.

Yesterday Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra gave exactly the kind of update that CL&P should be doing:

Why rely on elected officials to do this? Why not have your own people communicate with customers? The answer is simple: Customers are not the company’s first priority.

Conclusion: It needs to be about customers!
Again all of this comes back to putting customers first. Large corporations in competitive markets are starting to realize that consumers are getting far less complacent. Just look at Bank of America’s decision to reverse some of their ATM charges this week. CL&P has not learned that lesson mainly because up until this year they didn’t have to.

My only hope is that people angry now stay angry. I felt like a lone voice as I fired off my rants in August, especially after lights came back on and life got back to normal. The company is counting on this happening again, and it simply can’t be allowed to happen. Our voices need to remain loud to be heard.

CL&P’s Lack of Customer Focus Leads to Disaster

admin — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:14:32 +0000

Following Tropical Storm Irene, hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents were without power for over a week. I was one of the early voices criticizing the company’s response, leading to an article that ran in most of the Journal Register Company‘s Connecticut newspapers.

A high voltage utility poll that serves my business and others that employ several hundred in the Essex Industrial Park. Look at the overgrowth.

My argument was that the company wasn’t customer focused. They communicated completely through the mass media in very controlled situations, not even giving their customer service reps useful information to pass along on the phone. CL&P was woefully behind in operating a 21st century communication operation.

They did, however, make sure to soothe investors as revealed in a September 8, 2011 article that ran in the Wall Street Journal:

A top executive of Northeast Utilities assured investor analysts Thursday that the company will not turn to the bottom line to pay $100 million in costs related to restoring power after the remnants of Hurricane Irene hit New England, but has not determined exactly how it will eventually pay the tab.

Chief Financial Officer David McHale said the Aug. 28 storm was the costliest ever for the Hartford-based utility, with about 800,000 customers losing power at the peak of the storm.

“Now the focus will be on cost recovery for sure,” he said. “We haven’t gotten down to exactly how it is we’re going to proceed with this.”

Separate storm recovery applications or a rate case could be filed with regulators in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, he said. Right now, Northeast Utilities will finance the costs through its credit line and seek somehow to recover the costs in the future, he said.

“You will not see us sort of charge off these amounts,” McHale said.

The second next pole in the string that serves high voltage service to the Essex Industrial Park. Nobody's cleared away vegetation in over a decade.

People’s attention went elsewhere after the lights came back on. CL&P took advantage of this shift in attention, pointing to favorable results on a Quinnipiac University poll (most likely due to the performance of line crews, not their management). They did participate in a fluff legislative hearing where they were but one small part of a less than comprehensive review of stakeholder performance during the storm. In fact most legislators didn’t even have a chance to ask questions of the utilities.

Then the winter storm hit. And once again hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents lost power for what will likely be more than a week. Crews were nowhere to be found for days as residents shivered in unheated homes and people died of carbon monoxide poisoning. It was learned this week that many of those the company hired to complete the post-Irene repairs weren’t paid, with some checks not being cut until yesterday – over 60 days after the fact. Scorned contractors went elsewhere with their trucks when the snowstorm hit.

How can such a big company be so incompetent? It’s because as a regulated monopoly they don’t have to focus on their customers. Their monopoly is essentially guaranteed a profit, and as the only game in town they really only need to keep their regulators and shareholders happy. Regulators too closely tied to the industry looked the other way as line crews were cut significantly, and shareholders welcomed the profit margins that came from a growing customer base. It also led to CL&P running to analysts assuring them that ratepayers would pick up the tab for repairs – the result of the company’s decades-long negligence in maintaining its infrastructure.

Connecticut Light and Power has failed the people of Connecticut. We should have seen the warning signs when they stopped caring about us.

Senator Dodd’s Farewell Speech

admin — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 14:54:15 +0000

Chris Dodd has represented me in Washington for as long as I’ve been alive. He was first elected to the United States Congress representing the Second Congressional District in 1974, re-elected in 1976 (the year I was born) and was elected to the United States Senate in 1980.

Senator Dodd chose not to run for re-election this year. He delivered his farewell remarks on the floor of the Senate yesterday. It’s worth a listen (or a read).

The following is a transcript, thanks to CTBlogger for the video link above.:

For more than 200 years, a uniquely American story has unfolded here in the chamber of the United States Senate – a fascinating, inspiring, and often tumultuous tale of conflict and compromise, reflecting the awesome potential of our still young democracy–and its occasional moments of agonizing frustration.

For much of my life, this story has intersected with my own in ways that have been both thrilling and humbling.

As a 14-year-old boy, I sat in the family gallery of this chamber, watching as my father took the oath of office as a new Senator.

A few years later, in 1962, I sat where these young men and women sit today, serving as a Senate page. John F. Kennedy was our president and Lyndon Johnson presided over this body.

Eighteen years later, in the autumn of 1980, the people of Connecticut gave me the honor of a lifetime when they asked me to give voice to their views, electing me to serve as their United States Senator.

For the past thirty years I have worked hard to sustain their trust. I am proud of the work I have done, but it is time for my story and that of this institution, which I cherish so much, to diverge.

Thus, Mr. President, I rise to give some valedictory remarks as my service as a United States Senator from Connecticut comes to a close.

Now, it is common for retiring Senators to say the following; ―I’ll miss the people – but not the work.

Mr. President, you won’t hear that from me. Most assuredly, I will miss the people of the Senate. But I will miss the work, as well.

Over the years, I have both witnessed and participated in some great debates–moments when statesmen of both parties, gathered together in this hall to weigh the great questions of our time.

And while I wish there had been more of those moments, I will always remember the Senate’s debates on issues like Central America and Iraq, campaign finance reform and securities litigation, health care and financial reform.

And when I am home in Connecticut, I see the results of the work we did every day.

I see workers coming off their shifts at Pratt & Whitney, Electric Boat, and Sikorsky, the lifeblood of a defense manufacturing sector so critical to our national security, and to the economic well being of my state.

I see communities preparing for high-speed rail and breaking ground on new community health centers,

I see the grants we fought for helping cities and towns to build sustainable communities and promote economic development.

When I am home, I meet parents who, because of the Family and Medical Leave Act, don’t have to choose between keeping their jobs and taking care of sick children.

I visit with elderly folks who will no longer have to choose between paying for their prescription drugs and paying for their heat.

I hear from consumers who have been victimized by unfair practices on the part of credit card companies–and who will no longer be subject to those abuses.

And I meet young children who, through Early Head Start or access to afterschool programs, have blossomed academically in spite of difficult economic circumstances.

As proud as I am of the work that has made these stories possible over the last three decades, I am keenly aware that I did not do any of it alone.

Until this last Congress, with rare exceptions, every major piece of legislation I authored that became law, including the ones just mentioned, had a Republican cosponsor as well as support from my Democratic caucus.

So, to my Democratic and Republican Senate colleagues who joined me in all these efforts, I say thank you.

I also want to thank the unsung heroes of this institution: the Senate staff and my personal staff.

It would be a grievous understatement to say simply that they make the trains run on time. Without them, the trains would never make it out of the station.

The floor staff, the cloakroom professionals, and the hundreds of unknown and unseen people who show up every day to make this critical institution of our democracy function–without them, no Senator could fulfill his or her obligation to the American people.

Many of my personal staff and Committee staff are present in the Senate gallery today. And neither I, nor the millions of Americans whose lives you have enriched and whose burdens you have lightened, can ever thank you enough. I only hope that your time with me has been half as fulfilling as my time with you.

Of course, I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the people of Connecticut whose confidence, patience, and spirit has given my life and its work meaning. As rich as our common language is, words cannot come close to capturing the depth of my affection for and appreciation of the people of Connecticut.

For almost four decades – three terms in the House of Representatives, and five terms in the Senate – you have entrusted me to labor on your behalf. I thank you.

And lastly, my family. My parents are long since deceased, but their guidance, inspiration and example have never departed.

For the past 30 years, I have sat at this same desk occupied by my father during the 12 years he served here.

His courage, character, and conviction have been a constant reminder of what it means to be a United States Senator.

I thank my siblings and their children and other relatives for their enthusiastic support, particularly during the rough patches. From time to time, we all need the safe harbor of family at the darker moments.

To Jackie, Grace and Christina, who have supported and inspired me every day: You mean more to me than I could ever say in these few short moments, so come January, I’m glad I’ll have more time to say it more often.

And to Jackie in particular: You have been my anchor to windward in the rough and turbulent waters of public service. When it was the darkest – you were the brightest. So to you and my two young ladies: I love you more than life.

As this chapter in my career comes to a close, a new chapter in the Senate’s history is beginning. When this body is gaveled to order in January, nearly half its members will be in their first term.

And even though I could spend hours fondly recalling a lifetime of yesterdays, this new Senate — and the nation — must confront an uncertain tomorrow.

So, rather than recite a long list of personal memories or revisit the video highlights of my Senate service, I’d like to take this brief time to offer a few thoughts to those who will write the Senate’s next chapter.

I will begin by stating the sadly obvious: Our electoral system is a mess. Powerful financial interests, free to throw money about with little transparency, have corrupted the basic principles underlying our representative democracy. And, as a result, our political system at the federal level is completely dysfunctional.

Those who were elected to the Senate, just a few weeks ago, must already begin the unpleasant work of raising money for their reelections six years hence.

Newly-elected Senators will learn that their every legislative maneuver, their every public utterance, and even some of their private deliberations, will be fodder for a 24 – 7 political media industry that seems to favor speculation over analysis and conflict over consensus.

This explosion of new media brings with it, its own benefits and drawbacks–and it is occurring at the same time the presence of traditional media outlets are declining.

So while the corridors of Congress are crowded with handheld video and cell phone cameras, there is a declining role for newspaper, radio and network journalists reporting the routine deliberations taking place inside subcommittee hearings.

Case in point: Ten years ago, 11 or 12 reporters from Connecticut covered the delegation’s legislative activities. Today, there is only one doing the same work.

Meanwhile, intense partisan polarization has raised the stakes in every debate and on every vote, making it difficult to lose with grace, and nearly impossible to compromise without cost.

Americans’ distrust of politicians provides compelling incentives for Senators to distrust each other, to disparage this very institution, and disengage from the policy making process.

These changes have already had their effect on the Senate. The purpose of insulating one half of the national legislature from volatile shifts in the public mood has been degraded.

And while I strongly favor reforming our campaign finance system, revitalizing and rehabilitating our journalistic traditions, and restoring citizen faith in government and politics, I know that wishes won’t make it so.

I have heard some people suggest that the Senate as we know it simply can’t function in such a highly charged political environment, that we should change Senate rules to make it more efficient, more responsive to the public mood, more like the House of Representatives, where the majority can essentially bend the minority to its will.

I appreciate the frustration many have with the slow pace of the legislative progress. And I certainly share some of my colleagues’ anger with the repetitive use and abuse of the filibuster. Thus, I can understand the temptation to change the rules that make the Senate so unique — and, simultaneously, so frustrating.

But whether such a temptation is motivated by a noble desire to speed up the legislative process, or by pure political expedience, I believe such changes would be unwise.

We one hundred Senators are but temporary stewards of a unique American institution, founded upon universal principles. The Senate was designed to be different, not simply for the sake of variety, but because the framers believed the Senate could and should be the venue in which statesmen would lift America up to meet its unique challenges.

As a Senator from the State of Connecticut — and the longest serving one in its history — I take special pride in the role two Connecticut Yankees played in the establishment of this body.

It was Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth, delegates from Connecticut to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 who proposed the idea of a bicameral national legislature.

The Connecticut Compromise, as it came to be known, was designed to ensure that no matter which way the political winds blew, or how hard the gusts, there would be a place for every voice to be heard.

The history of this young democracy, the Framers decided, should not be written solely in the hand of the political majority. In a nation founded in revolution against tyrannical rule, which sought to crush dissent, there should be one institution that would always provide a space where dissent was valued and respected.

E Pluribus Unum – out of many, one. And though we would act as one, the Framers believed that our political debate should always reflect, that in our beliefs and in our aspirations, we are, in fact, many.

In short, our Founders were concerned not only with what was legislated, but, just as importantly, with how we legislated.

Now in my years here, I have learned that the appreciation of the Senate’s role in our national debate, is an acquired taste.

Therefore, to my fellow Senators who have never served a day in the minority, I urge you to pause in your enthusiasm to change Senate rules.

And to those in the minority who routinely abuse the rules of the Senate to delay or defeat almost any Senate decision, know that you will be equally responsible for undermining the unique value of the United States Senate, a value greater than that which you might assign to the political motivations driving your obstruction.

But in the end, this isn’t about the filibuster. What will determine whether this institution works or not, what has always determined whether we will fulfill the Framers’ highest hopes or justify the cynics’ worst fears, is not the Senate rules, the calendar, or the media.

It is whether each of the one hundred Senators can work together – living up to the incredible honor that comes with the title, and the awesome responsibility that comes with the office.

Politics today seemingly rewards only passion and independence, not deliberation and compromise as well.

It has become commonplace to hear candidates for the Senate campaign on how they are going to Washington to shake things up — all by themselves.

May I politely suggest that you are seeking election to the wrong office. The United States Senate does not work that way, nor can it, or should it.

Mayors, governors, and presidents can sometimes succeed by the sheer force of their will. But there has never been a Senator so persuasive, so charismatic, so clever, or so brilliant that they could make a significant difference, while refusing to work with other members of this body.

Simply put, Mr. President, Senators cannot ultimately be effective alone.

As I noted earlier, until last year’s health care bill, there had not been a single piece of legislation I had ever passed without a Republican partner.

Of course, none of those victories came easily. The notion that partisan politics is a new phenomena, or that partisan politics serve no useful purpose, is just wrong.

From the moment of our founding, America has been engaged in an eternal and often pitched partisan debate. That’s no weakness. In fact, it is at the core of our strength as a democracy and success as a nation.

Political bipartisanship is a goal, not a process.

You don’t begin the debate with bipartisanship – you arrive there. And you can do so only when determined partisans create consensus – and thus bipartisanship.

In the end, the difference between a partisan brawl and a passionate, but ultimately productive, debate rests on the personal relationships between Senators.

A legislative body that operates on unanimous consent, as does the Senate, cannot function unless the members trust each other. There is no hope of building that trust unless there is the will to treat each other wi

ICE Domain Seizures Moving From Virtual Items to Counterfeit Goods

admin — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 16:38:48 +0000

The DHS made waves last week seizing the domains of websites distributing copyrighted material like movies and music. Today they announced the seizure of domains of websites allegedly selling counterfeit goods. Read the full press release below:

ICE seizes 82 website domains involved in selling counterfeit goods as part of Cyber Monday crackdown

List of domain names seized

WASHINGTON - Seizure orders have been executed against 82 domain names of commercial websites engaged in the illegal sale and distribution of counterfeit goods and copyrighted works as part of Operation In Our Sites v. 2.0, as part of an ongoing investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

"The sale of counterfeit U.S. brands on the Internet steals the creative work of others, costs our economy jobs and revenue and can threaten the health and safety of American consumers," said ICE Director John Morton. "The protection of intellectual property is a top priority for Homeland Security Investigations and the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center. We are dedicated to protecting the jobs, the income and the tax revenue that disappear when counterfeit goods are trafficked."

The coordinated federal law enforcement operation targeted online retailers of a diverse array of counterfeit goods, including sports equipment, shoes, handbags, athletic apparel and sunglasses as well as illegal copies of copyrighted DVD boxed sets, music and software.

During the course of the operation, federal law enforcement agents made undercover purchases from online retailers suspected of selling counterfeit goods. In many instances, the goods were shipped directly into the United States from suppliers in other countries using international express mail. If the goods were confirmed as counterfeit or otherwise illegal, seizure orders for the domain names of the websites that sold the goods were obtained from U.S. magistrate judges. Individuals attempting to access the websites will now find a banner notifying them that the domain name of that website has been seized by federal authorities.

"By seizing these domain names, we have disrupted the sale of thousands of counterfeit items, while also cutting off funds to those willing to exploit the ingenuity of others for their own personal gain," said Attorney General Eric Holder. "Intellectual property crimes are not victimless. The theft of ideas and the sale of counterfeit goods threaten economic opportunities and financial stability, suppress innovation and destroy jobs. The Justice Department, with the help of our law enforcement partners, is changing the perception that these crimes are risk-free with enforcement actions like the one announced today."

The operation builds upon Operation in Our Sites I, which was announced in June 2010. In that first action of this broader law enforcement initiative, authorities executed seizure warrants against nine domain names of websites offering pirated copies of first-run movies.

The nationwide operation was spearheaded by the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) led by ICE’s Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), in coordination with the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and nine U.S. Attorneys’ Offices including the Southern District of New York; District of Columbia; Middle District of Florida; District of Colorado; Southern District of Texas; Central District of California; Northern District of Ohio; District of New Jersey; and the Western District of Washington. The Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section also provided significant assistance.

The IPR Center is one of the U.S. government’s key weapons in the fight against criminal counterfeiting and piracy. The IPR Center is led by ICE HSI and includes partners from U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the FBI; the Department of Commerce; the Food and Drug Administration; the Postal Inspection Service; the General Services Administration, Office of the Inspector General; the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; the Army Criminal Investigative Division’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit; the Consumer Product Safety Commission, INTERPOL; and the Government of Mexico Tax Administrative Service. The IPR Center allows law enforcement and the private sector jointly to address the growing transnational problem of counterfeit products. The IPR Center coordinates outreach to U.S. rights holders and conducts domestic and international law enforcement as well as coordinates and directs anti-counterfeiting investigations. To learn more about the IPR Center, visithttp://www.ice.gov.

Senator Dodd’s Announcement to Supporters

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:37:23 +0000

I received an email just a few moments ago from Senator Dodd’s campaign with a note from the Senator on his decision to not seek re-election. I was hoping he would stay in the race for Senate and fight it out, but it is not to be.

Senator Dodd has always put the people of Connecticut first in his job, and on important Democratic Party matters he has always put the party first as he is doing today. Some may disagree, but we have been lucky to have him in Washington. We’re losing a great wealth of experience when he leaves office next year.

Here’s his note to supporters:

Dear Lon,

Today I announced that after 35 years of representing the people of Connecticut in the United States Congress, I will not be a candidate for re-election this November.
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I want to express my deepest gratitude to the people of Connecticut for the remarkable privilege of being elected eight times over the past four decades to our national assembly.
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You have honored me beyond words with your confidence.
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Let me quickly add that there have been times when my positions and actions have caused some of you to question that confidence. I regret that, but it is equally important that you know I never wavered in my determination to do the best job for our state and nation. I love my job as your Senator, I always have, and still do. However, this past year has raised some challenges that insisted I take stock of my life.
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Over the past 12 months, I have managed four major pieces of legislation through Congress; served as Chair and acting Chair of two major Senate Committees, placing me at the center of the two most importance issues of our time — health care and reform of financial services; lost a beloved sister in July and in August — Ted Kennedy; battled cancer over the summer; and in the midst of all this, found myself in the toughest political shape of my career.
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Now let me be clear, I am very aware of my present political standing here at home; but it is equally clear that any certain prediction about an election victory or defeat nearly a year from now, would be absurd.
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Strange as it may sound, I’m not confident I would be standing here today making this announcement if these situations had not occurred. None of these events or circumstances either individually or collectively is the cause of my decision not to seek re-election.
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Yet together these challenges have given me pause, and to take stock, and ask the question that too few of us in elected public life ever do — why am I running?
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On a cold morning two weeks ago tomorrow I asked myself that very question.
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On the early frigid dawn of December 24th, Christmas Eve, with snow piled high along the streets of our nation’s Capitol, I cast one of the most important, if not the most important votes of my years in the Senate — a bill to fundamentally reform the health care system of our country.
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An hour later I was standing on the Virginia hillside at Arlington Cemetery, where Ted Kennedy rests, along with his brothers in eternity, as he is in history, wishing I could have seen the look in Teddy’s eyes as the Senate took that historic step only an hour before. I thought about the dozens of fine public servants, Democrats and Republicans, who have joined me in serving Connecticut over the course of my career at the local, state and national level.
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I thought about the countless Connecticut families — ordinary people with extraordinary courage and spirit, whose lives have touched me, and whose stories have profoundly affected my decisions in the Senate.
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I thought about the dozens of patriotic Senators with whom I have had the privilege of serving in an institution I dearly love. I have been a Connecticut Senator for 30 years. I’m proud of the job I’ve done and the results delivered.
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But none of us are irreplaceable.
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None of us are indispensible.
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Those who think otherwise are dangerous.
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The work to make our nation a more perfect union began long before I was elected to the Senate, and it will go on long after I’m gone. Our country is a work in progress. And I am confident it always will be.
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That is what I thought about as I stood on that hillside in Arlington on Christmas Eve morning.
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That is what I’ve talked about with Jackie over this holiday season.
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And that is how I came to the conclusion that, in the long sweep of American history, there are moments for each elected public servant to step aside and let someone else step up.
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This is my moment to step aside.
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There will be time to reflect in more detail on the years I’ve spent in public service.
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There will be time to celebrate victories, mourn setbacks, share laughs and memories, and to thank profusely the talented, tireless, and numerous staffers, many of whom are here today, who have made my Senate work possible.
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But that time is not now.
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My service is not over.
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I still have one year left on my contract with the people of Connecticut.
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One year from this week, our state will have a new Senator. In the meantime, we have important work to do.
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A few closing thoughts.
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I believe in bipartisan solutions, but I also believe you only achieve those results with vibrant, robust, and civil partisan debate.
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I am a Democrat and very proud of my party’s contributions to the vitality and strength of America.
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I would never have had the opportunity to serve in the Congress had I not had the support and backing of my political party over the years.
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I appreciate the passionate party activists who have never faltered in their support of my efforts.
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And lastly I want to say thank you to my family for their tolerance of yet another generation of our family in the political arena. I am especially indebted to Jackie for her fierce loyalty, unyielding commitment to fairness, and her unlimited capacity of empathy for the needs of others.
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She has been my anchor to windward in these stormy political waters.
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Now there is nothing more pathetic than a politician who announces they are only leaving public life to spend more time with their family.
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The result of this announcement today will, I hope, create that opportunity — but it is not the reason for my decision.
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I am a very late arrival to fatherhood, and I am told repeatedly how rapidly these young children — Grace who is 8 and Christina who is 4 — will grow up.
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So while these young ladies are not the reason for my decision — they will be an incredible benefit of my choice. On this, the 6th of January, the Epiphany, 2010, I am still driven by the same passions that motivated me to try my hand at politics so many years ago.
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Just as I’ve encouraged the people of Connecticut, I am looking to the future with a spirit of optimism and confidence.
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Finally, once again, thank you for the opportunity you’ve given me to serve.

John Boehner Killed a Lot of Trees to Make a Misleading Point..

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:36:22 +0000

Is the healthcare bill really 1900 pages? To quote a famous government official, it all depends on what your definition of a page is.

As with everything in government, things that we are accustomed to out in the world don’t actually work the same way in government.

When most of us boot up Microsoft Word, we’re given a 12 point font and an 8.5 x 11 inch page that has one inch margins top, bottom, left, and right. When the bill printers in the capitol print a bill, it’s on an 8.5 x 11 inch paper, but nearly triple spaced, huge fonts, and a margin of 2 inches on the right and 1.75 inches on the left, with no more than 25 lines of text per page. See a random page from the healthcare bill below and click here to see it full size:

So if the bill was placed in a word processor that you and I use every day, what would it look like? This morning I embarked on two experiments. The first was to paste the bill unformatted into a text editor. The resulting document? 206 pages.

But to be more realistic I went to the printer friendly display on the Library of Congress’ Thomas Site, saved it out as html, and opened it in Microsoft Word. The result? Only 506 pages.

John Boehner sure did kill a lot of trees unnecessarily to make his point didn’t he? Just another example of the twisted facts and mass hysteria some are inciting to block a bill designed to help people.

EVENT: Examining the Importance of the Youth Vote

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:35:50 +0000

I have been team teaching a class this spring as part of the University of Hartford‘s new Political Practitioner in Residence program. It’s been great to return to my alma mater twice a week this semester to help build this new program.

Tonight (Wednesday, April 22nd) I am hosting a roundtable discussion at the University to talk about how young voters are becoming increasingly more influential in elections at all levels of government. We have a great panel and I hope you can join us for this interesting conversation.

Here are the details:

WHAT ― Political experts will examine the impact of the youth vote on the 2008 Presidential election during a panel discussion at the University of Hartford. They will also look into the trend of more young people participating in the political process.

Panelists include 100th District State Rep. Matthew Lesser (D, Middletown), Mary McClelland, deputy political director of Rock the Vote, and Matt Blocker, director of the University’s Center for Community Service. Bilal Sekou, an associate professor of political science at the University, will moderate the discussion.

WHEN ― Wednesday, April 22, at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE ― Suisman Lounge, Gengras Student Union, University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Ave., West Hartford

Thank a Plow Driver

admin — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:00:08 +0000

Today in Connecticut we received a healthy serving of the white stuff, approximately a foot in some places and a little bit less here at my place.

Many of us here in Connecticut often take for granted just how well our state and municipal road crews clear the roadways no matter what the size of the storm. These hard working men and women often work through the night in nasty weather conditions to keep our roads safe and operating smoothly.

One only needs to look at how poorly some other states deal with the snow and ice to appreciate just how great a job crews in Connecticut do.

So the next time you see a tired snow plow driver, thank them for their work. I’m sure they don’t hear that often enough.

“So am I”

admin — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 05:51:41 +0000

“I know these steps won’t sit well with the special interests and lobbyists who are invested in the old way of doing business, and I know they’re gearing up for a fight as we speak. My message to them is this: ‘So am I.’” - President Barack Obama

President Obama is gearing up to fight the special interests who received tens of billions in dollars in taxpayer subsidies from the Bush Administration.

They will fight dirty with half-truths and downright lies just as they did during the stimulus debate.

For those of you on Facebook, I created a new group to help get fight the false rhetoric. The big oil, insurance, and banking industries have a lot of taxpayer subsidies to lose, and they will spend millions to keep them – a drop in the bucket compared to what they were getting from the prior administration.

Let’s stand together to help fight the false rhetoric by using this group as a rapid response network. Get your friends to join and let’s work together to set the record straight any time we see one of these false statements on Facebook.

The above video is an excerpt from President Obama’s February 28th weekly address.

Vice President Biden at the Eastern Inaugural Ball

admin — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 05:59:53 +0000

I finally had a few minutes to dump the rest of the video off of my Panasonic LX3. Here’s video of Vice President Biden at the Eastern Inaugural Ball:

Video: Goodbye George Bush

admin — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 04:09:04 +0000

Don’t worry about the mess, we’ll clean it up.

Video of President Obama from the Eastern Ball #inaug09

admin — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:28:08 +0000

Check out this video from the ball we attended last night:

Click here to view in high definition on Facebook.

Rumors were swirling that the President would not make it to the Eastern Ball until well after 2 a.m., and with an early flight in the morning we decided that we just couldn’t stay up that late and still be functional enough to get ourselves home and back to work.

Just as we were heading out we ran into some friends and were talking maybe forty feet away from the stage that President Obama was due to appear presumably much later in the evening. To our surprise the lights went on, the flags came out, and the next thing we knew we had one of the best seats in the house for his remarks to the attendees. I especially like how the cell phones and cameras sprouted up from the crowd as he took to the stage.

I’ll get some pictures up a little later tonight. I didn’t have my fancy camera with me so I will do the best I can with my point and shoot’s output.

Inaugural Photo Gallery and a few Random Thoughts #inaug09

admin — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 07:57:06 +0000

What a day today was! It’s now nearly 3 a.m. and I need to get some sleep ahead of my flight home tomorrow, but I did want to get the big day’s photo gallery up for you to enjoy. Click here to see it!

The crowds were overwhelming at times, but it wasn’t too bad considering there were well over a million people crammed onto the Capitol lawn and the Mall.. We did heed the advice of many and got on line at just before 6:00 a.m. which turned out to be a very wise decision. Once we were inside, it was stunning to see the density of the crowd both on the Capitol lawn and across the way on the Mall increase almost exponentially as we drew closer to the 11 a.m. start time.

One thing the television coverage could not capture was the feeling of the event.. Feelings like experiencing the sound of a million people behind us on the mall singing the Star Spangled Banner in unison, hearing their roaring cheers and applause when President Obama took the oath of office, or seeing what must have been a hundred thousand waving American flags along on the mall. Every so often I’d turn around and just take a look at a sea of humanity so large it was impossible to see it all within my field of vision.

Tonight I attended one of the official inaugural balls, and we had a relatively up close and personal greeting from the President and Vice President. Although I did not bring my obnoxiously large camera to the event I did manage to grab some photos and vidoes with my point and shoot. I’ll post those sometime tomorrow.

Wow

admin — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:31:29 +0000

President Obama just gave his address. This has been an amazing experience, not the least of which hearing the cheers of millions behind us in the mall.

Now begins the task of actually getting back to Dupont Circle. This should be interesting .

We’re In!

admin — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:28:14 +0000

We are in!! My fingers are numb so can’t type. People are excited and the mall is already filled!

On a Line To History

admin — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:41:18 +0000

We’re about fifteen minutes away from the gates opening here at the Capitol. There were thousands of people here when we arrived at six this morning.

There’s a lot of excitement in the air! We are standing here with a photographer from Iowa, a student from GW, and another student from Texas.

More updates soon when we get inside.

Lots of activity

admin — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 10:45:04 +0000

It’s quarter of six but things are already hopping here in Dupont Circle. People are marching to Capitol, a few of the open restaurants are full with breakfast eaters. The cab driver this morning said people were already lining up at 3 am.

Soldiers closed the street near where we are staying. It’s going to be a very interesting morning.

Warmer than CT!

admin — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 10:26:48 +0000

Well it’s 5:30 am and we’re about to begin our trek to the big event. It’s cold out there but much warmer than Connecticut has been!

Photo Gallery from Monday, Prepping for Tuesday

admin — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 04:19:01 +0000

Click here to see the full gallery from today!

What a long day today was.. One thing is for certain: there are millions of people in town for this event and they are all going to be congregating in one single place tomorrow. Today was crazy enough with no major events taking place on Capitol Hill, so I can only imagine just how totally insane it’s going to be tomorrow.

The plan for tomorrow is to get up at literally the crack of dawn and walk from where we’re staying in Dupont Circle over to the Capitol lawn. The event does not begin until 11, but with millions of people all going to the same place it won’t be easy to get there.

I’ll try to post from the cell phone during the journey. In the meantime, enjoy some of the photos I took today by clicking here. I was hoping to get some video up tonight of the sights and sounds around Union Station, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.

International Journalists Swarm DC

admin — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:21:16 +0000

Here’s a quick photo I took in a taxi of some international journalists interviewing somebody on the street.

There must be thousands of journalists from all over the world here, they are everywhere eagerly interviewing people.

Metro Systems are Overwhelmed – Pictures and Photos to Come Tonight

admin — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 21:44:41 +0000

Not sure what others are experiencing, but twice now the turnstile has held me hostage with my all day pass.. It eventually starts working with enough attempts.

We stopped back briefly at our temporary quarters before we head back to Capitol Hill for a party tonight. If tomorrow’s weather is anything like today it will be very comfortable with enough warm layers.

I took some photos and shot some video of the huge crowds of people coming to DC for this event. I’ll post everything later this evening. As with all of these events the schedule is just crazy so there’s more time to collect the media than actually distribute it . Stay tuned.

Law Enforcement From all Over

admin — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 21:09:06 +0000

Just saw a few San Francisco area BART officers patroling the Metro this afternoon. Looks like law enforcement was brought in from all over the country.

Bring a snack

admin — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 20:20:19 +0000

So here’s a tip if you’re coming to DC today or tomorrow: bring a snack. Every place we’ve eaten at (or attempted to) has been completely overwhelmed. It just took us two and a half hours to get seated at the capital city brewing company to get a couple of burgers!

We will now brave the overloaded metro system to head back to our temporary home away from home to get ready for the CT delegation party tonight. Pictures and video to come!

Crowds, crowds, and more crowds

admin — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:38:40 +0000

Melissa and I ventured out into the city this morning to go visit Congressman Courtney and staff.

The metro was packed, especially at the transfer points. Everywhere you go there are more people crowded into many places than this city is accustomed to. Locals haven’t seen anything like it.

The lines to get into the congressional offices snake for blocks. The trick is to find the shortest one and then traverse through the basement to get to other buildings. Inside it’s a very festive atmosphere. Some members even have baloons and other party decorations adorning their offices.

We’re now at the Capital Cityl Grill waiting to grab lunch. It’s packed to the gills! I’ll have some pictures up tonight.

Resting Up

admin — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 04:12:57 +0000

We’re here! We unfortunately arrived too late for the concert in the mall, but every where we went people were talking about it.

Thankfully we were fortunate enough to miss most of the traffic on the way in, but there’s definitely many more people than this city is accustomed to on a Sunday night! Restaurants are jammed, and even the CVS around the corner from where we’re staying seemed a little overwhelmed by the crowd.

Tomorrow will be a tourism day for us. We’ll be heading over to Capitol Hill to say hello to Congressman Courtney’s office, and then do some sight seeing. Stay tuned for photos!

On Our Way to DC!

admin — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 17:52:15 +0000

We’re packed with far too many suitcases for the big event on Tuesday. Our flight leaves at 2:30 for Baltimore and we’ll be in DC for dinner.

I have some great video and photo gear along for the ride so I should be beaming back photos beginning tomorrow. I’ll post from my cell phone whenever possible. Stay tuned!

Blago’s Pick Built a Monument to Himself

admin — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:44:39 +0000



Photo credit:  Flickr user southbound_07

Just when you thought this Blago situation couldn’t get any weirder (or disgraceful) comes the above photo of the mausoleum that his senate appointee, Roland Burris, built for himself in Chicago. Time Magazine reported on it this morning, and thankfully an enterprising person on Flickr went out and captured an image of this unbelievable site for all to see. Click here to see a high res version of the above photo so you can read all about Burris’ resume, accomplishments, and “other major accomplishments” that are already carved onto his very elaborate grave.

Time has a great fact sheet on the former Illinois Attorney General and wannabe Senator that can be found here.

The “Biblically Fast” Electric Car Needs a Practical Refueling Solution

admin — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:03:56 +0000

Tesla Motors is slowly trickling out their groundbreaking electric car, hopefully at a pace fast enough to keep them from shuttering their doors during the economic downturn.

The folks at Top Gear recently got a hold of it and ran it hard, finding that although this car breaks many of the electric car stereo types, it still relies on a battery that takes over 8 hours to charge:

Electric only vehicles clearly suffer from a lack of infrastructure to support them. When the battery dies you’re stuck for 8-16 hours – a seemingly insurmountable deal breaker. But Israeli entrepreneur Shai Agassi, sick of seeing his nation purchase oil from countries that are funding terrorists, has come up with an innovative solution involving high technology and old fashioned logistics that just might make electric vehicles practical. Take a look at this extensive Wired article that details Agassi’s plan to convert the world to electrically powered vehicles. He just might be on to something.

University of Hartford Hosts Election Forum

admin — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:02:05 +0000

I will be one of two “Political Practitioners in Residence” at the University of Hartford starting in January, team-teaching a course on parties and interest groups with a member of the political science faculty. In addition to team-teaching a class we will also be hosting public forums, the first of which was held on November 12th with my fellow practitioner Marshall Collins, a fellow UofH alum who taught in the fall semester.

Here’s an article about the event from the University of Hartford Student Newspaper, The Informer:

Panel Discusses Issues Ahead

By: Brendan Brust

Posted: 11/13/08

On Wednesday night, the University’s Wilde Auditorium hosted a forum examining the issues facing president-elect Barack Obama and Congress. Entitled, “Where Do We Go From Here?”, the occasion saw the attendance of former congressmen, Democrat Jim Maloney of Connecticut’s fifth district and Republican Rob Simmons of Connecticut’s second district. Two practitioners in residence, Marshall Collins and Lon Seidman, moderated the hour-and-a-half long discussion.

After a welcome and two brief opening statements, the panelists began addressing questions from the moderators on foreign policy, the economy, immigration, civil liberties and domestic issues. Questions from the audience were then taken before both former congressmen and the panelists wrapped up their hopes and predictions for the future Obama administration in a closing statement.

In his opening statement, Simmons called this year’s election “historic.” He revealed that while he supported John McCain during the campaign, it should be clear that he and a great majority of the country recognize the significance of an African-American entering the White House. He continued on to say that many are optimistic about the prospects of a new administration. “However, the devil is in the details,” Simmons noted, and the details in Obama’s policy shall be dependent on who the president-elect incorporates into his team.

Maloney opened in agreement with his former colleague, but immediately made a distinction on why he felt this election was historic. “This was a realignment election,” Maloney observed, “which means that a certain coalition has come to power to replace another coalition.” He added that there is reason to believe this transfer of power will last for a long time.

The first question addressed to the panelists focused on the economy and how Obama will manage the country’s struggling financial system. Maloney asserted that Obama will most definitely support a stimulus bill drafted by Congress, as well as tax cuts for those Americans making below $200,000 a year. He added, “particular industries, like the currently ailing auto-industry, will receive specialized stimulus packages,” in order to create economic incentives.

Addressing the subject of the economy, Simmons voiced his concern about the economic collapse, namely the lack of congressional oversight over bank loans. The current handling of insurance group AIG distressed him further.

“It bothers me that AIG gets $85 billion through a bailout and then spends half a million dollars on an executive weekend less than a week later,” the former congressman said.

The next question posed by the moderators moved the discussion along to issues of civil liberties. Collins asked what the incoming Obama administration plans to do about the detainees from the controversial Guantanamo Bay detention camp, which he has recently promised to shut down. The two panelists firmly disagreed on the subject, Maloney arguing they should be treated as military combatants, however irregular, while Simmons deemed the idea of granting the detainees civil trials “inappropriate.”

Before long the question of healthcare was raised. On the question of whether or not Obama’s healthcare plan is workable in Congress, Maloney replied a confident, yes.

“The plan will get passed. Often times, the criticism of the plan is that it appears too expensive – no actually, not passing it is too expensive,” Maloney asserted. “In business, healthcare costs are 20 percent of payroll. In other industrialized countries with universal healthcare this is not so; meaning the cost of making a car in Germany is 20 percent less. We have to reform healthcare in order to be competitive.”

Simmons argued that Obama is building on the current healthcare system and as a result will have to persuade members of his own party, some of who want single-payer universal healthcare where the government itself funds health care providers.

Responding to questions on foreign policy, there was room for agreement. Both men agreed that America’s current reliance on foreign oil is undesirable. Simmons noted “70 percent of our oil is imported from countries that don’t necessarily support us overseas.” Both men acknowledged the current struggles on the warfront, particularly in Afghanistan.

“There’s been talk of negotiating with the Taliban and we’ll have to wait and see if cooperation can be achieved that promises stability,” Maloney said.

In their closing statements, both men offered optimism, support, encouragement and sometimes criticism for the incoming administration. Maloney saw this election as a confirmation that the people of America are ready to tackle all the problems discussed and more. “I’m very hopeful that Obama really meant his commitment to bipartisanship,” he said.

As the night came to a close, Simmons stressed to everyone in the room that a huge part of the night’s main question, “Where do we go from here?” is dependent on the American public, now more than ever. “Our involvement must continue past the election. These are important things for all of us to consider, because we are lucky enough to be part of the process.”

Video: Powell Endorses Obama!

admin — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:28:54 +0000

This is huge. A very articulate endorsement by Colin Powell for Barack Obama. Let’s see how long it takes for the Republican attack machine to go after Powell in the closing weeks of this election. Here’s video of Powell’s endorsement courtesy of MSNBC: