Jon Lender breaks the story that a secret closed door session of the Judicial Selection Commission cleared the way for Bob Genuario to be eligible for appointment as a superior court judge. I bet Susan Bysiewicz would love to get that kind of secret action on those little legal technicalities too. Lender reports concerns held by Sate Senator Andrew McDonald, head of the legislative judiciary committee:

“Bob’s a very bright guy and I think he’d make a great judge someday. … [But] as much as I’d like to see him become a judge down the line, we still have to first deal with the fact that the judicial branch is breaking under financial pressure and needs all sorts of critical positions filled immediately. New judgeships aren’t among the positions cited by Judge Quinn as essential to the branch’s immediate needs.” Chief Court Admin- istrator Barbara Quinn had testified Jan. 19 about the judicial branch’s woes.

Any judicial nominee, including Genuario, would have to undergo a confirmation hearing before the committee co-chaired by McDonald and Rep. Michael Lawlor, D- East Haven, who last week voiced a dim view of hiring new judges when the court system has so many other pressing needs.

Like Lawlor, McDonald said Friday that he would have trouble moving judges’ nominations forward for approval by the full House and Senate until the administration shows a willingness to support legislation to help the judicial branch financially. “Even approaching the question of judgeships before we deal with the critical issues cited … as [judicial officials'] primary concerns seems unwarranted and irresponsible,” McDonald said.

It seems that the issue revolves around the dire financial state of the judicial branch. Remember that this past year the judicial branch wanted to close the Norwalk court house and ended up in a compromise to close the juvenile court house instead. As Lender reports:

When the state legislature’s judiciary committee held a hearing on Jan. 19 to try to address a lack of judicial branch funding that some said threatens to cripple the court system, it was Genuario, the budget director, who sat at the microphone and delivered an uncompromisingly glum financial forecast in behalf of the Rell administration.

Genuario was asked by a committee co-chairman, state Sen. Andrew McDonald, D- Stamford, what to expect in the next one or two years with regard to hiring freezes affecting executive- and judicial-branch agencies involved with law enforcement and courts.

“I see more of the same, Senator,” Genuario answered in the televised session. “I think hiring is going to have to be very tight across the board for the remainder of this fiscal year, and probably for the next one. The fact of the matter is that revenues are significantly down.”

Bob Genuario currently serves as director of the state’s budget office which deals with all those hiring freezes and budget issues.

State Senator Andrew McDonald has questions about the recent Rell announcment that Connecticut interstate service plazas have been awarded to a Subway restaurant franchiser in a 35 year contract deal that starts December 7th, 2009. �These service plazas are located along I-95, the Merritt and Wilbur Cross Parkways and I-395. The dealmakers are preferred developer Doctors Associates/Paul Landino (DAI), which represents Subway, and global private equity firm The Carlyle Group.

Peter Lattman of �The WSJ opined:

The so-called public-private partnership calls for Carlyle and its partners to invest $178 million in the service areas. Carlyle-owned Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants will be added to the rest stops. They will also house Subway sandwich shops, whose parent company is joining Carlyle in the investment.

Though a relatively small deal, the transaction could serve as a harbinger of bigger things to come, as state and municipal officials are looking to private capital to meet their infrastructure needs amid deep budget shortfalls.

Rells’ presser explained the whole job generation thing:

About 750 people are currently employed at the various service plazas. It is expected that 100 construction jobs will be created during the first five years, and that once all the service plazas have undergone transition approximately 1,000 people are expected to be employed. Equally as important, the majority of the companies involved are Connecticut-based.

Note that Rell did not explain the deal struck with SEIU, Service Employees International Union, who will provide the custodial jobs for the plazas on I-95.

The goal apparently is to transform the state’s 23 service plazas along the major highways by adding more types of restaurants and upgrading facilities. Two will be rebuilt, the others transformed. Sounds nobel right? Here’s what’s going to happen–8 service stations get to keep their McDonald’s but Subway, Dunkin’ Donuts, and a convenience store, will be added according to a Rell Press release. The fuel component, which had been serviced by Exxon for over 20 years is now�Alliance Energy, a New England petroleum-marketing distributor, who will run the fuel and convenience stores.

Aside from the incredible lame choices presented, the real issue should be on what the financial deal for arguably the most valuable commercial realestate in the country.

Christine Stuart of�CT NEws Junkie reports:

Upon learning of the new contract, Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford, said he wants the nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis to analyze the contract and the revenue sharing agreement with the state.

“We need to figure out what this means to the state in terms of revenue on an ongoing basis,” McDonald said Thursday in a phone interview. He said the agreement doesn’t require legislative approval, but “we need to understand what it means for the state.”

According to Department of Transportation officials the new contract is expected to bring in at least $248 million in revenues to the state over the next 35 years.

“This is extraordinarily valuable real estate that Connecticut is putting in the hands of these�operators, and the people of Connecticut need to know what, if any, real revenue gains they are going to see over the next three decades,” McDonald said.

“We would welcome any review by anybody including OFA,” Judd Everhart, a Transportation Department spokesman, said Friday.

Everhart said revenue wasn’t the primary consideration.

“We were focused on getting the best possible services,” he said.

Under the former contract, Connecticut received “too small a portion of the hundreds of millions in revenue, and the plazas had not received significant improvements in 25 years,” McDonald said.

The Hour reported earlier today that a budget cut itemized in the state budget will result in bus and train fare increases. The man who inspired solitaire play in the Legislature had this to say:

State Rep. Larrence Cafero, R-142, called that passage “another reason why I voted against this budget, and said some last-minute money juggling from the Democrats produced a $15 million shortfall in bus and rail subsidies.

“My prediction is there will be a rate increase (Oct. 1),” Cafero said. “Where’s that other $15 million coming from? I asked the author of the budget that very same question, and he didn’t have an answer.”

State Senators Bob Duff D- Norwalk and Andrew McDonald D-Stamford and State Reps Chris Perone-D Norwalk and Gail Slosberg D-Milford were quick to refute that characterization and held a press conference at the SoNo Train station later in the day.

According to Bob Duff, it was Governor Rell who added the budget cut of $3.95 million to the rail/bus subsidy line item. Duff pointed out, “Connecticut has the lowest train subsidy in the nation.” Here we pause, to think about the 45% pie slice of all Connecticut tax revenue that comes from Fairfield County. Impassable by road Fairfield County.

The cut apparently was put in the last hours of�budget�gotiations because Governor Rell wanted �some money put back in for personnel in some loosely named slushy type line item at the DMV and DOT. In addition to the $3.5 million, $4.2 million of “consultant services” was taken out of something relation to the train operations, maybe something to do with the New Haven Rail yards, so that Rell could have her slushy personnel budget account. Consultant services? Where? Who?

It would seem that while Larry Cafero was arguing against the last minute add-ins to the state budget, Rell was off playing solitarily.

The legislature will reconvene on September 23rd and 24th for a special session.

Capitol Watch reports the decision to expand in Stamford:

The Stamford Advocate reports:

The arts center, which also owns the Palace Theater at 61 Atlantic St., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last summer in state Superior Court in Bridgeport after experiencing financial distress for several years as state funding dwindled from $2.5 million to $500,000. …

NBC’s plans are “heaven sent” for the arts center, especially since the state plans to reduce next year’s SCA funding to $250,000 and then offer nothing the year after that, said Michael Freimuth, Stamford’s director of economic development.

“From that perspective, it will help them close what is projected to be a huge gap in state funding,” he said.

Here’s a bit of color for the story: Jodi Rell, who supported the cuts in State funding that put the Rich Forum under water, arranged to be in Southport today. She snuck down to Stamford on about an hours’ notice, in an effort to take sole credit for this. NBC wasn’t even there.

Why pull this clever little stunt? Same reason she appointed Stamford Mike Fedele (who is a nice enough guy, but way, way down the list of Republicans who would be considered qualified for his office, never mind successor to hers) as Lieutenant Governor:

NBC’s pending arrival is an exciting development for the city, said Mayor Dannel Malloy.

“The city has always made an effort to encourage and support the arts, and this deal is testament to the value we place on such projects in Stamford,” he said.

Advocate Political Reporter Brian Lockhart nails it on his most-readable blog Political Capitol:

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