House Republican Press Release

July 24, 2006

Press Office: 860-240-8700

So Many Topics; So Little Time . . .

By State Representative John J. Ryan

It is already the last week in July, many locals will be heading off to (or are already at) Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Maine, etc., and will anyone read these columns until September? While we still have topics to cover on important issues where substantive legislation did not result from this year's legislative session, there are just too many loose ends and current news items to pass up!  So in no particular order:

• You probably missed the small news item that the projection for the state's budget surplus from the fiscal year that just ended on June 30 now exceeds $940 million!  If there has been any editorial comment in our local daily papers, I have missed it. Would you think that someone might be interested that you taxpayers were overtaxed to the tune of a billion dollars this year? While it is very good news to have this excess, and better news that Governor Rell was able to get much of it into the Rainy Day Fund (rather than just spend it, which the majority Democrats are on record as proposing), doesn't someone want to know which taxpayer groups or specific demographics in our "government revenue system" are overproducing (maybe lower Fairfield County taxpayers)?? Will the editorialists notice the incongruity that the two Mayors that are running for Governor are still proposing tax increases? Will anyone be surprised if there is a deficit on the books as soon as next year?

• And I am also disappointed that (as predicted in my last column) have I not seen editorial comment on the budget problems in our other two "tri-state" neighbors, or analogies/lessons-to-be-learned analysis; or do our daily newspaper folks think that the political trends (or silly positions) are unique only to the Constitution State?

• My "Resilient Rell" column a month ago mentioned how Governor Rell did not take the bait on the supposed "big ethics flare-up" concerning her Chief of Staff; did you see the relatively sparse news coverage on the revelation that a key staff person from the House Democrat Office admitted to making a nearly identical alleged misstep in distributing fundraiser invitations? Isn't it odd that the media never followed up on that story, which died in one day? Did you notice that Governor Rell did not dignify that incident with any comment either?

• And on the topic of Rell, I never cease to be amazed that editors and "journalists" do not get the basics of political/governmental analysis. Someone named Stan Simpson had a piece in the July 22nd Hartford Courant in which he made interesting observations about the two Mayors running against Rell, but then closed with "After the primary, I suspect we'll see a more competitive race for governor. Registered Democratic voters still outnumber registered Republicans in this state-though the unaffiliated are the largest voting bloc. Let's not forget that the biggest knock against Rell when she succeeded Rowland is that she was largely unknown. Lamont had similar woes. Now they are both on top of the polls. You never know." You mean to tell me that "columnists" can't figure out that Lamont has tapped into the most emotional, "hot button" issue of this political era and is riding that wave, and that might be a slightly different situation from the folks running for Governor?

• The Resilient Rell column also urged you to peruse her website at ct.gov/governorrell and note the number and variety of initiatives taking place. Did you see the one from Monday on the $522 million contract award for our new rail cars, the Governor's July 17 proposal on energy prices, the July 14 shutdown of a trucking firm with extensive safety violations? The "actions speak louder than words" aphorism will obviously be the unstated theme for the Rell re-election campaign.

• And you might be interested to know that on July 1st, Public Act 06-136 took effect. This legislation will provide for improvements to highways and mass transit in all corners of the state, allocating $2.3 billion over a 10-year period.  Projects to be funded include capital improvements to Metro North rail lines with new parking and rail stations on the New Haven Line. (Viewers of the long-running Saturday Night Live program may note that during certain current episodes, the evening's musical guest performs alongside a Grand Central Station platform sign featuring stations along this line, including our own Darien, Noroton Heights, and Rowayton stops!)

• Finally, you can expect to be inundated between now and August 8th with unrelenting media coverage of the primary (an all-Democrat event). So will the media even remember to focus on whether the new August primary event, part of the "new election calendar" schedule was such a good idea in hindsight?

Please feel free to contact me with your concerns and issues. As your state representative, it is my job, and my priority to represent you and to make sure that your needs and concerns are addressed at the capitol.  You can write to me at Room 4200, Legislative Office Building, Hartford, CT 06106-1591, send me e-mail at John.Ryan@housegop.state.ct.us or call my office toll-free at 1-800-842-1423.