We could all see this one coming. When Rep. Richard Roy, D-Milford, went on a crusade to get the state legislator to pass a statewide ban on hand held cell phones, the likely outcome was going to be what we see now. People still drive, yakking on cell phones, held in their hands. Except that maybe they have some hands-free device sitting in the car with them, unused.

Naturally Richard Roy wants to revisit the legislation, and increase the fine, currently $100 and spending tax money on an education program, presumably to alert people to the law. As if people were actually unaware. Which is not the problem.

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The Advocate reports that the Norwalk Police Department have released crime stats for the year, with the serious crimes (arson, assault, burglary, kidnapping, homicides, auto theft, and sexual assault ) clocking in 2 less than last year.

“Obviously I would like to see the numbers lower, but overall I’m pleased. We did not experience an increase that that other communities have seen,” Police Chief Harry Rilling said. “I think we have ended up rather well this year.”

Five homicides occurred last year, compared with eight in 2005. Automobile thefts declined 31 percent, kidnappings dropped 12 percent and burglaries fell 5 percent.

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Today the Norwalk Department of Public Works held their open hour to the public. Each department within DPW has a display and staff on hand to explain what was going. Naturally I made a beeline to road paving. The good news is that I found out that Quintard is scheduled and budgeted for road paving next year. So hang in there Quintardians, you will one day have a road without ruts and potholes.

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It looks like Banner WInes & Liquor and Crossroads Pizza 3, both on North Main ave had a fire early this morning. By the looks of things, more fireman were going in and out of Banner, but I saw more smoke coming out of Crossroads. The early morning fire drew 2 ladder trucks, a water truck and a rescue truck. There did not appear to be any injuries. The Norwalk fire department arrived on the scene shortly before 7:50 am and looked to be wrapping up by 8:20 am.

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There’s more going on, and I have a golf course to play this afternoon, but don’t let that stop you form commenting on anything else. I suspect that Mr. Greenpeace might have a few concerns to air about the construction accidents.

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Following on the 2005 endorsement, the Fairfield County Building Trades endorsed Dick Moccia for Mayor.

“Two years ago it was a surprise,” Moccia said. “This time, I really am overwhelmed by you coming here and advocating my candidacy.
“The office of the mayor is important to me, but your support and your friendship … is more important, and I appreciate that,” Moccia added.

More than a dozen representatives of local unions who belong to the Building Trades attended the endorsement.

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Well this is certainly a depressing development. While State Senator Bob Duff-D works to get Super 7 on the radar of legislators, State Rep Toni Boucher-R uses her bigger stash of mojo to erase any mention of Super 7 studies from the bonding bill. The Hour reports:

Duff inserted language on line 3,046 of a bonding package that would require the state Department of Transportation to report, using available funds, on the viability of Super 7 by the end of 2008.

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Chris Shays must have been thinking about this when he floated out his “give me a chairmanship or I quit” demand a few weeks ago. This being the reports that are scuttling many plans to for Republican congresscriters to fund challenger campaigns.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) reported $1.6 million in cash on hand and $4 million in debts as of Aug. 31. The group helps bankroll House campaigns for GOP candidates.

Its counterpart, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, reported $22.1 million, more than 10 times its Republican counterpart. 

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The ongoing showdown about who is going to have the final say on the bonding package continued its theatrical performances. Wednesday’s special session open and closed, a silent statement in reaction to Rell’s state trooper order that the special session be called.

Rell had attempted a district pleasing appeasement that the legislature approve the school construction bonding parts, and the legislature wasn’t buying it.

Democratic legislators defied Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell on Wednesday by refusing her demand that they reduce a $3.2 billion bond package to a few hundred million dollars for school construction projects.

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The Courant is reporting that the State Supreme Court has upheld an appellate court ruling that unused vacation pay could not be tacked onto the last year of an employees earnings. Pension payouts are determined by the salary earned during the top 3 highest paid years.

The case was brought by two retired assistant attorneys general - Donald Longley and Richard K. Greenberg - who had challenged the decision by the state Employees Retirement Commission not to factor into their pension equation the dollar value of their accrued, unused vacation pay. Both lawyers had received lump sum payments for that accrued time - $53,183 in Longley’s case and $42,934 in Greenberg’s case.

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