22 May 2014
NB Holds Its Own With Population at 72,939: Counting Heads Key To Amount of Funds City Can Receive
New Britain's population is holding steady according to US Census data estimates reported by the Courant May 22nd.
The city's estimated population in 2010 was 73,202 and was 72,939 in 2013, a drop of 263 residents.
The census counts are a key to funding formulas for a wide variety of state and federal funding programs that support cities and towns.
A Brookings Institution brief points to the importance of population numbers in terms of public investments and economic aid. Billions of federal dollars flow into communities based on the results of the census that is taken every 10 years. The latest numbers show New Britain -- an economically distresses city -- is faring no better or worse in the way state and federal funds are disbursed.
The count also figures in the way Congressional districts and political boundaries are drawn.
For example, New Britain was once part of the 6th Congressional district prior to 2000 but population drops reduced the number of Congressional districts to five.
04 May 2014
Whatever Happened To the CPOA? Taxpayer Group Goes Silent And Partisan
Whenever even a rumor of a property tax increase came out of City Hall over the last generation you could count on one group of citizens to make noise and try to mobilize residents against any change in the mill rate.
The New Britain Citizens’ Property Owners Association (CPOA) had a reputation as a group of outspoken conservatives who never saw a tax rate or tax hike they liked. It didn't matter who held office or what the revenue needs were for the city in a particular year. CPOA leaders rose up as citizen gadflies to challenge taxes and spending.
Flashback to former six-term Mayor William "Billy Mac" McNamara in the 1980s, who upon hearing the group's complaints once too often, took to referring to the acronym CPOA as the "Communist Party Of America" -- a slap in the face to the right-leaning CPOA membership.
In 2014 the prospect of a 4.88 mill rate increase is more than a rumor. City government is looking to cut spending by the millions and is even contemplating a nuclear option of borrowing money from banks to pay for operations.
Nary a word has been heard from these self-appointed guardians of the public purse about a tax increase and cutting the "frills" out of local government. The last update on the CPOA's website for its members was six months ago. And you can bet there'll be continued silence about the current Stewart Administration's spending during a "spending freeze."
Wouldn't a legitimate property taxpayer group be raising questions about:
- GOP Republican Chair Peter Steele's $45,000 part-time job in the mayor's office with nebulous job responsibilities;
- The return of Stewart for Mayor fundraiser Ken Malinowski at $102,000 to municipal development where the misuse of federal funds administered by Malinowski under former Mayor Stewart raised concerns with federal officials and led to Malinowski's departure two years ago.
- The apparent signing of the Republican-leaning lobbying firm, Gaffney Bennett & Associates, by Mayor Stewart at $48,000 for as yet to be announced consulting work. If correct, this inexplicable expense comes after the New Britain legislative delegation has reached out and met with the Mayor more than once to address city business in Hartford.
Such spending would normally be juicy stuff for the "oldest tax-payer advocacy group in the State of Connecticut" (founded in 1924) committed to "a long tradition of fighting for the property owning tax payers of New Britain."
Over the last decade, however, the CPOA clearly lost its mojo and independence. Through eight years of Tim Stewart 's mayoralty, no dents were ever made in city spending. Ominously, the elder Stewart kept counting fictitious sales of development land and ignoring pension obligations as a Democratic Common Council (made weaker by charter change) went along. The CPOA ignored these financial mortal sins but continued to love Tim Stewart for his effectiveness at keeping dollars for education to a minimum.
Stewart administration apologists, including those in the CPOA leadership, continue to pin all of the blame for the city's deep fiscal hole on inflated revenue projections of the one-term O'Brien administration. As noted by the New Britain City Journal, the New Britain GOP's mouthpiece:
The transformation of the CPOA into a wholly-owned subsidiary of the New Britain GOP is a development that creates opportunity. The CPOA, always opposed to adequate school funding and absent from debates about reducing tax regressivity, won't be missed by residents in need of tax equity and fundamental change. It's taken on too much partisan baggage to be taken seriously.
At the state level House Speaker Brendan Sharkey has taken the first steps toward meaningful property tax reform in years. These reforms include relieving localities of the cost of special education and reducing the burdens of the property tax on homeowners and tenants, particularly in economically distressed cities.
The situation invites a new kind of citizens' group here that is independent of either major political party and is committed to tax fairness, equity in school funding and responsible budgets.
There's no better time to organize "New Britain Citizens For Tax Fairness" than now.
The New Britain Citizens’ Property Owners Association (CPOA) had a reputation as a group of outspoken conservatives who never saw a tax rate or tax hike they liked. It didn't matter who held office or what the revenue needs were for the city in a particular year. CPOA leaders rose up as citizen gadflies to challenge taxes and spending.
Flashback to former six-term Mayor William "Billy Mac" McNamara in the 1980s, who upon hearing the group's complaints once too often, took to referring to the acronym CPOA as the "Communist Party Of America" -- a slap in the face to the right-leaning CPOA membership.
In 2014 the prospect of a 4.88 mill rate increase is more than a rumor. City government is looking to cut spending by the millions and is even contemplating a nuclear option of borrowing money from banks to pay for operations.
Nary a word has been heard from these self-appointed guardians of the public purse about a tax increase and cutting the "frills" out of local government. The last update on the CPOA's website for its members was six months ago. And you can bet there'll be continued silence about the current Stewart Administration's spending during a "spending freeze."
Wouldn't a legitimate property taxpayer group be raising questions about:
- GOP Republican Chair Peter Steele's $45,000 part-time job in the mayor's office with nebulous job responsibilities;
- The return of Stewart for Mayor fundraiser Ken Malinowski at $102,000 to municipal development where the misuse of federal funds administered by Malinowski under former Mayor Stewart raised concerns with federal officials and led to Malinowski's departure two years ago.
- The apparent signing of the Republican-leaning lobbying firm, Gaffney Bennett & Associates, by Mayor Stewart at $48,000 for as yet to be announced consulting work. If correct, this inexplicable expense comes after the New Britain legislative delegation has reached out and met with the Mayor more than once to address city business in Hartford.
Such spending would normally be juicy stuff for the "oldest tax-payer advocacy group in the State of Connecticut" (founded in 1924) committed to "a long tradition of fighting for the property owning tax payers of New Britain."
Over the last decade, however, the CPOA clearly lost its mojo and independence. Through eight years of Tim Stewart 's mayoralty, no dents were ever made in city spending. Ominously, the elder Stewart kept counting fictitious sales of development land and ignoring pension obligations as a Democratic Common Council (made weaker by charter change) went along. The CPOA ignored these financial mortal sins but continued to love Tim Stewart for his effectiveness at keeping dollars for education to a minimum.
Stewart administration apologists, including those in the CPOA leadership, continue to pin all of the blame for the city's deep fiscal hole on inflated revenue projections of the one-term O'Brien administration. As noted by the New Britain City Journal, the New Britain GOP's mouthpiece:
All of New Britain's fiscal woes started 24 months ago when Tim O'Brien took office. Up to that time the prior Stewart Administration over eight years was the nadir of fiscal responsibility."Not even Mayor Stewart has had the gall to promote this lie, leaving her allies in the CPOA and the yellow journalism of the City Journal to play the blame game. Stewart's own forensic audit found much the same as Mayor O'Brien's audit when he took office. The city's fiscal troubles date back more than a decade and were largely created by the former Stewart administration's one-shot revenues and fiscal gimmicks that were the opposite of fiscal responsibility.
The transformation of the CPOA into a wholly-owned subsidiary of the New Britain GOP is a development that creates opportunity. The CPOA, always opposed to adequate school funding and absent from debates about reducing tax regressivity, won't be missed by residents in need of tax equity and fundamental change. It's taken on too much partisan baggage to be taken seriously.
At the state level House Speaker Brendan Sharkey has taken the first steps toward meaningful property tax reform in years. These reforms include relieving localities of the cost of special education and reducing the burdens of the property tax on homeowners and tenants, particularly in economically distressed cities.
The situation invites a new kind of citizens' group here that is independent of either major political party and is committed to tax fairness, equity in school funding and responsible budgets.
There's no better time to organize "New Britain Citizens For Tax Fairness" than now.
18 April 2014
City Council Gives Nod To $10.10 An Hour A Year Early
Council President Mike Trueworthy's resolution on a $10.10 minimum wage for city employees not covered by labor agreements or other contracts won a 10-5 vote at the Common Council April 9th.
It came on the heels of President Obama's visit to CCSU to rally support for federal legislation that languishes in the GOP controlled U.S. House of Representatives. The point of Obama's visit was that states and localities now need to lead and pressure Speaker Boehner & company to adjust the federal minimum which hasn't changed in a long time.
Thinking nationally and acting locally worked. Nine Council Democrats were joined by Ward 4 Alderman Don Naples, an unaffiliated who ran with GOP Mayor Erin Stewart last year.
Ward Five Alderman Carlo Carlozzi, Jr. led the majority's argument for the city to go to $10.10 in 2015-2016 after a council committee exempted independent contractors from the increase. Carlozzi, pretty much a fiscal conservative with a record of voting against municipal budgets, made the "moral' argument. Invoking the experiences of his labor Democratic parents Carlozzi noted that the compromise measure on $10.10 won a unanimous vote in committee and he was surprised to hear opposition on the Council floor. "Are we really telling people we can't afford paying them 50 cents more an hour?" asked Carlozzi, noting that the state minimum goes to $9.60 the year after next and won't reach $10.10 until 2017.
City officials estimate the impact of $10.10 for eligible employees would be somewhere north of $80,000. But Carlozzi, who delivered a budget-cutting soliloquy on ways to avoid tax hikes at the start of the meeting, insisted that even the most austere municipal budget should find room for half a buck an hour more for entry level wages in city jobs. Approximately 160 employees, part and full time, would be covered by the new minimum.
"Democrat" Daniel Salerno, a member of the Council's Republican caucus, and Minority Leader Jamie Giantonio, led the opposition to the measure on jurisdictional and fiscal grounds. Salerno, being a good soldier for the Stewart Administration, argued minimum and living wages are not the concern of elected officials in local government. Giantonio, noting the precarious financial condition of the budget, indicated that the city could use the money for other things instead of upping the minimum for a limited number of city employees a year ahead of the state mandated wage policy.
The GOP Aldermen, wanting to have it both ways, quickly endorsed "living wages" that exceed $10.10 in theory but fell back on familiar arguments used whenever proposals to have minimums catch up with the cost of living: it'll kill jobs and drive costs up for consumers (taxpayers).
Alderman Salerno makes a good point: if Congress, specifically the GOP House was doing its job to adjust the $7.25 federal wage, neither city nor state would need to debate the issue. The $10.10 an hour would already be in the calculations for the current budget let alone next year's or the year after that.
The Common Council, however, did the right thing in passing more than a feel good resolution backing state and federal action after the Obama visit. The need for constrained spending and austerity in municipal budgets is undeniable. But paying an additional 50 cents per hour for the least paid among city workers is a step toward fairness and away from the excuses and myths that always come from opponents. Excuses and myths are holding the minimum to $7.25 nationally but not in Connecticut nor New Britain.
It came on the heels of President Obama's visit to CCSU to rally support for federal legislation that languishes in the GOP controlled U.S. House of Representatives. The point of Obama's visit was that states and localities now need to lead and pressure Speaker Boehner & company to adjust the federal minimum which hasn't changed in a long time.
.jpg) |
| Front Page from The Recorder, CCSU's student newspaperafter President Obama's visit. |
Thinking nationally and acting locally worked. Nine Council Democrats were joined by Ward 4 Alderman Don Naples, an unaffiliated who ran with GOP Mayor Erin Stewart last year.
Ward Five Alderman Carlo Carlozzi, Jr. led the majority's argument for the city to go to $10.10 in 2015-2016 after a council committee exempted independent contractors from the increase. Carlozzi, pretty much a fiscal conservative with a record of voting against municipal budgets, made the "moral' argument. Invoking the experiences of his labor Democratic parents Carlozzi noted that the compromise measure on $10.10 won a unanimous vote in committee and he was surprised to hear opposition on the Council floor. "Are we really telling people we can't afford paying them 50 cents more an hour?" asked Carlozzi, noting that the state minimum goes to $9.60 the year after next and won't reach $10.10 until 2017.
City officials estimate the impact of $10.10 for eligible employees would be somewhere north of $80,000. But Carlozzi, who delivered a budget-cutting soliloquy on ways to avoid tax hikes at the start of the meeting, insisted that even the most austere municipal budget should find room for half a buck an hour more for entry level wages in city jobs. Approximately 160 employees, part and full time, would be covered by the new minimum.
"Democrat" Daniel Salerno, a member of the Council's Republican caucus, and Minority Leader Jamie Giantonio, led the opposition to the measure on jurisdictional and fiscal grounds. Salerno, being a good soldier for the Stewart Administration, argued minimum and living wages are not the concern of elected officials in local government. Giantonio, noting the precarious financial condition of the budget, indicated that the city could use the money for other things instead of upping the minimum for a limited number of city employees a year ahead of the state mandated wage policy.
The GOP Aldermen, wanting to have it both ways, quickly endorsed "living wages" that exceed $10.10 in theory but fell back on familiar arguments used whenever proposals to have minimums catch up with the cost of living: it'll kill jobs and drive costs up for consumers (taxpayers).
Alderman Salerno makes a good point: if Congress, specifically the GOP House was doing its job to adjust the $7.25 federal wage, neither city nor state would need to debate the issue. The $10.10 an hour would already be in the calculations for the current budget let alone next year's or the year after that.
The Common Council, however, did the right thing in passing more than a feel good resolution backing state and federal action after the Obama visit. The need for constrained spending and austerity in municipal budgets is undeniable. But paying an additional 50 cents per hour for the least paid among city workers is a step toward fairness and away from the excuses and myths that always come from opponents. Excuses and myths are holding the minimum to $7.25 nationally but not in Connecticut nor New Britain.
05 April 2014
Remembering Rev. King and 4/4/68 at MLK Park Monument
New Britain's Mary McLeod Bethune Club (MMBC) observed the anniversary of the assassination of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 5th -- a memorial event club members have organized for most of the 46 years since the civil rights leader was killed in Memphis on April 4, 1968. CCSU Anthropology Professor, Dr Evelyn Harris, the featured speaker at the King Monument Memorial held at the MLK city park at the corner of Stanley Street and MLK Boulevard, told a small gathering that New Britain's King monument was one of the first memorials of its kind in the country. Participating in the program were MMBC President Chery Niccolls, NBPD Officer Marcus Burris, Master of Ceremonies; Music Soloist Linda Vickers with Marzell Jackson laying the wreath at the monument. Ward 3 Alderwoman Shirley Black and NAACP President Ron Davis shared remarks at the monument.
Other speakers, including longtime Club President Janice Edwards, recalled that the city's King monument was originally located at East Main and MLK Boulevard on a traffic island, a target of frequent vandalism and even visits from local KKK adherents. The Bethune Club organized residents to stare down the Klan nonviolently when they showed up and began the effort for a better site.
 |
| Alton Brooks, a leader in the effort to establish MLK Park, with New Britain's finest. |
 |
| Police Officer Marcus Burris and MMBC President Chery Niccolls |
 |
| Democratic District Leader Mario Santos and Board of Education member Merrill Gay participated. |
 |
| Duane Hinkson with sons Dillon and Devon and MMB Club Member Janice Edwards |
02 March 2014
Murphy Joins Other Senators In Support Of New Ukrainian Government Threatened By Moscow
With Russian forces crossing over to Crimea this weekend, concerns grow about an outbreak of hostilities between the new Ukrainian government and Russia. That is especially so among families in New Britain's Ukrainian-American community that includes three parishes and an estimated 3,000 residents.
 |
| Chris Murphy |
U.S. Senator Chris Murphy and other senators of the Foreign Relations Committee wrote President Obama on Friday to support efforts to ensure a "peaceful transition of power" in the Ukraine with the new government seeking entry into the European Union.
The letter, sent prior to the Russian incursion, stated:
“We write in support of the administration’s efforts to help Ukraine to consolidate democratically elected government, preserve its territorial integrity, and enjoy the freedom to exercise a sovereign decision to sign and implement an Association Agreement with the European Union. We are prepared to work with your Administration to reinforce your efforts by authorizing U.S. loan guarantees to Ukraine and increasing assistance to facilitate a peaceful transition of power.
"We also believe that the U.S. should make use of the tools at its disposal, including targeted sanctions; and asset recovery targeting corruption, to dissuade individuals who would foment unrest to undermine Ukraine's territorial integrity or employ coercive economic measures against the Ukrainian people and the new Ukrainian government.”
The senators also raised concerns about “actions and rhetoric” of the Russian government “to actively undermine Ukraine’s unity” and “use provocative and dangerous tactics to extend their control on the ground.”
“We do not seek confrontation with President Putin and his government, but simply to ensure that Russia abides by its commitments and adheres to core principles of international law. A peaceful, democratic, stable, and sovereign Ukraine is in our national interest,” wrote the senators.
26 January 2014
It May Be A "Magic Bus" After All: NB As The Center Of Rapid Transit
CT Fastraks -- called the "magic bus" to critics such as former Governor John Rowland -- will start rolling 12 months from now (February 2015) on the 9.3-mile rail right of way from New Britain to Hartford.
The New Britain Herald's Scott Whipple previews the potential of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) for New Britain folks using the bus to get to Hartford's theater and cultural institutions in a Sunday story.
At drive time I've listened to WTIC's Rowland carp about a project (ironically) launched during his time in the Governor's office.
But next winter I am counting on it to get to the job in Hartford instead of sitting in stalled traffic on I-84. It just so happens that the I-84 trek that intersects with I-91in Hartford has the most traffic volume anywhere in the nation. Not surprising given the limits and difficulty of what CT Transit busses currently offer.
 |
| New Britain's Terminal Takes Shape (CT DOT) |
Right now, if the work day in downtown Hartford takes me past 5:30 pm, I'll miss the last departure for the "2" Express to the commuter lot at Brittany Farms. I am left to get home some other way. The CT Fastraks -- BRT or Bus Rapid Transit is a better name -- will keep going well into the night for the same regular bus fares we pay now.
For New Britain the BRT system means a lot more than getting back and forth from Hartford for work, school or seeing the sites. The terminal being built at the old Greenfield's site is the only stop with a significant amount of parking. The two large municipal garages are expected to be utilized in an a yet to be defined arrangement between the city and the state Department of Transportation.
With ample parking and unused, long vacant commercial property in the center of New Britain, BRT is setting downtown up for transit-oriented developments in retail, housing and new businesses. A small-scale renaissance is possible bringing people and commerce back after they left for the malls and the burbs a generation ago. Not exactly the "magic bus" Rowland and the naysayers are predicting.
Critics like Rowland linger. They predict low ridership will turn the region's first real stab at rapid transit into a boondoggle. But more knowledgeable opponents who favored rail over a BRT system are resigned to making the project work as part of a network inclusive of rail or other options that will reduce traffic on the deteriorating I-84/I-91 corridor and connect communities for work, school and just getting around.
Twelve months and counting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)