Brian Lockhart writes about the relative obscurity of the Lt. Governor in Connecticut government. Bottom line? Fairfield county needs every voice in Hartford it can get.

Freshman state Rep. William Tong, a member of the city’s majority-Democratic state delegation, said having Fedele in Hartford is helpful for addressing local issues. Fedele is also a constituent of Tong’s.

Tong credited Fedele with helping to delay the reconfiguration of J.M. Wright Technical School for a year. Concerned about declining enrollment, the state had proposed changing the school into a career academy serving high school juniors, seniors and graduates.

“We do speak with him. We do talk with him. We do bounce ideas off each other,” Tong said.

House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero, R-Norwalk, said having Fedele participate in budget talks adds another voice from lower Fairfield County to the mix.

“That means something when you’re at the table and decisions are made amongst six to eight people,” Cafero said. “I’ve been there 16 years. I know the difference it makes.”

But having Fedele in office has not led to gains in state aid for Stamford.

Despite boosts in education funding, the city, according to the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, comes in second to last in state aid this year with a 1.89 percent overall decrease.

Cafero blames that on the General Assembly’s Democratic majority.

State Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said lower Fairfield County has never received enough state attention despite being home to many legislative leaders and state officials from both parties.

“It takes a lot of people to do things,” Duff said. “There are competing interests all the time.”

Duff believes area businesses have benefited from having someone with Fedele’s background in office.

“He seems to have the trust of the governor,” Duff said.

source: Advocate, Lt. governer Fedele takes lack of interest in stride, By Brian Lockhart, February 17 2008