Not only does Stamford have a brilliant mayor in Dan Malloy, but it looks like their legislative delegation realized that the strength in numbers strategy makes for strong political statements. Like, the one that appears in Brian Lockhart’s article in the Norwalk Advocate:

“We’ve sent a message, loud and clear, that this plan doesn’t work for Stamford,” Shapiro said. “If this is the (tax) plan in a year when there’s a surplus, what would the taxes look like for Stamford in a bad year?”

[Read more →]

This is part of an ongoing series of guest posts about issues in Norwalk yourCT.com is a non-partisan site dedicated to airing all sides of an issue That can’t happen without valuable contributions from our readers

By Elliot Kalner, Norwalk

As a retired Greenwich High School social studies instructor of 30 years and current adjunct professor of history at Norwalk Community College, I am absolutely appalled by the contemplated reforms of the Norwalk Public Schools’ grading system - particularly as it affects the high school level (news stories, May 20 and 28).

[Read more →]

Ok, this post serves as nothing more to act as a placeholder for the furor and foment of political mudslinging. Or something in between. Try and be civil though, and remember that you shouldn’t say something online that you’d be afraid to say in person.

I called this category Eggs and Bacon Bits.

[Read more →]

Sal Corda likes to muddle the English language and obfuscate numbers. But Hartford apaprently has a new chief in town who doesn’t worry about sounding official, he just wants to get the job done. From the Courant:

The Hartford public schools may lack for many things, but candor from their latest schools chief isn’t one of them. Shortly after being hired a year ago, the former Cincinnati superintendent of schools crunched the numbers, perused the student performance data and said decisively: Hartford’s graduation rate is 29 percent; only 15 percent of its third-graders are reading at grade level.

[Read more →]

This tucked into a longish inside baseball article about last night’s CT Senate vote on the budget.

In another tax hike, some real estate agents are upset that the Democratic majority is supporting a permanent increase in the real estate conveyance tax, which had been increased during a budget crisis in 2003 and then extended since then.

“It is disappointing and frustrating that at the same time legislative leaders are touting a plan to enact a middle-class tax break, they are approving a hidden, regressive tax on home sales that hurts the elderly and growing numbers of people selling homes at a loss,” said Robert Fiorito, former president of the Connecticut Association of Realtors.

[Read more →]

According to Alexandra Fenwick Norwalk Advocate it took 4 hours for parents and teachers to weigh on on the proposed mandates from Corda’s “instructional specialists”. From the article:

Parents got a chance to weigh in last night on proposed policies on homework, grades and student promotion and retention - and weigh in they did in a meeting that lasted four hours and had to be moved to City Hall’s community room to accommodate the crowd.

About 20 attendees, including some teachers and one student, debated the policies with instructional specialists who presented the proposed changes. The crowd was allowed to submit written comments on a form circulated at the beginning of the meeting.

[Read more →]

I think I’ll just read news articles from the last paragraph backwards. Such a treasure trove of info. In today’s Advocate, Brian Lockhart reveals that Fairfield County Dems are not happy with the current budget being proposed by their leadership. They shouldn’t be happy, the budget as proposed raises taxes on many and gives us bacon bits back. It would be one thing to send that money back to Fairfield County so that infrastructure and services could be improved here, but no, Hartford prefers spending Fairfield County money on Meriden and New Brittain, despite Stamford recently displacing New Haven as the third largest city in the state. From the Advocate:

[Read more →]

Not only do people like cars, but they drive them. All of which will come as no surprise to people who live and work in Norwalk. But the forum was not without some interesting data points. Of the 78 people who took the survey, 99% take a private car and 92% think traffic congestion is a big problem. The consensus appeal, fix the pot holes and get rid of speed bumps. And fix the traffic lights and crosswalks. In other words, people like their cars to move quickly from point A to point B.

[Read more →]

Otherwise known as House Bill No. 6856, or in that ever bureaucratese “An Act Establishing A Municipal Stormwater Authority Pilot Program.” today. This was the bill that was co-sponsored by State Rep. Chris Perone. According to his press release;

“The city of Norwalk has suffered for more than 20 years due to an antiquated, crumbling storm drain system. It is time that Norwalk have the tools it needs to repair, improve and maintain our city’s inadequate storm drain infrastructure.”

[Read more →]

According to the Courant, Senate Dems are convinced that voting on increasing taxes is a good thing. They frame it by saying it is an introduction of a progressive income tax. A progressive income tax is a good thing. A lower progressive income tax is a better thing. From the Courant:

Senate Democrats today intend to defy Gov. M. Jodi Rell by approving a progressive income tax scale that Democrats say will lower taxes for most residents and raise taxes on households earning more than $270,000 annually.

[Read more →]