While some people are still asking 'What's a GMO?' others are urging politicians to support a bill that would make Connecticut the first state to require that Genetically Modified Organisms be listed on fool labels.

The prevailing point of view among hundreds who trekked through the rain to the ballroom at the Westport Inn on Sunday for an event billed "Don't be Fooled by GMOs," was that citizens have the right to know what is in their food.

Surprise panelist US Senator Richard Blumenthal joined state representatives Kim Fawcett, Tony Hwang, Jonathan Steinberg, Dick Roy, and Brenda Kupchick, who all spoke in favor of the GMO labeling bill, HB 5117.

"This is an issue where the recurring quality is the consumer's right to know," said Blumenthal.
Health Risks

The forum, sponsored by Westport Farmers' Market, WakemanTown Farm and Right to Know CT, drew attention to the fact that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require GMO testing. According to Right to Know CT's website, genetically engineered foods are in 80% of packaged foods.

Genetically Engineered foods, which are derived from GMOs, have never been proven safe for human consumption but have been on the market for the last two decades.

Forum host and Patch blogger Glen Colello, owner of Catch a Healthy Habit Café recently explained in his blog that "GMOs are genetically modified organisms that are produced by taking the genes from one species (i.e. animals, plants, bacteria or viruses) and literally forcing those genes into the DNA of a food crop or an animal to introduce a new trait."

GMOs have grown enormously in the United States, though every panelist contrasted that news with the fact that 50 countries have already severely limited or banned GMOs.

When 'Natural' Means Nothing
Guest speaker Analiese Paik of the Fairfield Green Food Guide pointed out that rules on food labeling fall short, and, for example, the claim "100 percent Natural" is meaningless.

Steinberg added, "We have been asleep at the switch. We didn't know any better. We've heard many people say that we expected the FDA to be looking out for our interests. The FDA doesn't get that yet."

Appealing to the next generation
Former New York City prosecutor turned Holistic Health Counselor, Tara Cook-Littman, shared stories of children's reactions to learning about GMOs for the first time. At Saturday's Food For Thought Expo at Fairfield Warde High School, Cook-Littman said, "These children looked at me and they said, 'Well, that's weird,' and a lot of them said said, 'Ewwww!' and I have to say these are children, without filters, who are just speaking the truth."

The high number of high school students at the forum was hard to miss, though the presence of Michael Aitkenhead, Program Director at Wakeman Town Farm(WTF) who doubles as an AP Environmental Science teacher at Staples High school, may not have been a coincidence. According to Liz Beller, chair of WTF committee, "Mike has taken farming and made it cool for kids."

Give Me Organic
Cook-Littman shared some advice. "If you eat organic then, in theory you are okay. You are not eating GMOs," she said. Breaking out in a smile she spoke of a chef friend of hers named Daniel Lanzilotta, who recently suggested that GMO should instead stand for "Give Me Organic."

Fawcett recalled a time not long ago when when she first learned about GMOs from a colleague. "She struck all the right chords with me when she said, 'You're a mom, Kim. You need to care about this. Do you know what you're feeding your children?'" Fawcett went on to say she always assumed the FDA would not let the food chain become dangerous. "There is this notion, that we trust our federal government."

Panelists Cook-Littman and Colello, both certified health counselors who organize educational events on health and wellness topics, both suggested that if just 5 percent of people voiced their opposition to GMOs, the movement would reach a tipping point.

Hwang encouraged said "You are embassadors. You are advocates. this is a simple concept of 'Righ to Know.' You can make a with your peers."

Ten-term state representative Dick Roy, who drafted the GMO labeling bill, HB 5117, said the language of the bill should be finalized this week. Roy urged the hundreds in attendance to write to their legislators. "Bad things happen when good people fail to act," warned Roy.

Anyone wishing to contact their Connecticut State Representatives to lend their support to the GMO labeling bill can find links on Right To Know CT.

For a list of hidden GMO ingredients and tips for avoiding GMOs, go to www.NonGMOShoppingGuide.com.

Education is a top priority on the legislative agenda for 2012. This is great news for Connecticut’s kids, their future employers and all of us with a stake in the state’s economic health. The General Assembly, Governor Dannel Malloy and the state’s new commissioner of education, Stefan Pryor, are partnering on a series of bold initiatives that will address longstanding challenges in our schools. Now is the time to act!

Over the past several months the Connecticut General Assembly has engaged in the challenging task of exploring education reform options for our state. The feedback from teachers and town residents has thoughtfully addressed the complexity of the bill and I want to thank everyone publicly for sharing their concerns. The feedback is making a difference and helping to shape change for the better for everyone. On March 26, the Education Committee adopted a revised version of SB 24 by a bi-partisan 28-5 vote. A summary of the new bill and several other relevant documents are available on my website at www.housedems.ct.gov/fawcett or www.housedems.ct.gov/EducationReform/index.html.

I am pleased to report that many changes were made to the bill to address most of the major concerns expressed by teachers. For example, in the revised bill:

• Teacher evaluation and certification were decoupled.
• The linking of teacher evaluation and tenure was eliminated, but the commissioner is directed to develop a plan with the teacher unions for how a link may be established.
• Most restrictions on collective bargaining were eliminated.
• The requirement for school districts to contribute $1,000 for each charter school student was eliminated.
• The number of low performing schools in a new “Commissioner’s Network” was reduced from 25 to 10 until a more detailed implementation plan is developed.
• The number of new state-funded pre-school slots was doubled to 1,000.
• The qualifications for a professional certificate were increased to require a master’s degree, rather than merely 30 credits beyond a bachelor’s.

Please note that the revised legislation must be approved by the Appropriations Committee and will remain in negotiations with legislative leaders, the governor and commissioner, teacher unions and other stakeholders. Therefore, further changes are inevitable before a final bill is presented to the Senate and House for final action.

I am very pleased that the Education Committee made changes in response to teacher and public input. I am also very excited that we have the opportunity to enact historic reform and to make significant new investments in public education, to address the needs of our lowest performing schools, and to support our teachers more effectively.

The General Assembly's powerful Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved a midterm budget adjustment to take effect July 1 that's about a million dollars below the governor's $20.7 billion proposal.

The budget would eliminate the scheduled 4 percent fare hikes for the state's train and bus riders that would take effect Jan. 1. "It's really, really important to many of our districts," said Rep. Kim Fawcett, D-Fairfield, co-chairwoman of the committee's transportation panel, who recommended the fare freeze.

In addition, a nearly $2 million program would be established for smaller transit-oriented improvements, with funding taken from a larger infrastructure program.

The committee's budget, which next heads to the House, would double the 500 preschool slots that the governor proposed last month.

The committee rejected the governor's proposal to make arts and cultural destinations compete for money from a multimillion-dollar pool.

Under the committee budget, Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport would receive about $373,000, an increase of nearly $20,000 over the current level.

The Norwalk Maritime Aquarium, also zeroed out under Malloy's proposal, would get $575,000 next year, about $40,000 more than it now receives.

The Stamford Center for the Arts would receive more than $398,000, a raise of $20,000. The New Haven Festival of Arts and Ideas, which received $797,000 last year, would get more than $839,000 under the proposal.

"I don't think that's a major philosophical difference," Malloy told reporters of the arts funding restoration during a midafternoon news conference. "That's not a gigantic fight."

He said there are five weeks left before the May 9 adjournment deadline to agree on issues including education reform and the overall budget adjustment for the fiscal year starting July 1.

The committee budget essentially shuffles around the governor's proposed social service funding, including housing programs in the state Department of Economic and Community Development.

HARTFORD — Two state lawmakers are trying to etch a permanent spot in the state budget for maintaining train stations and building bike paths, but acknowledge it will be a political challenge to make that happen.

Rep. Kim Fawcett, D-Fairfield, and Sen. Joan Hartley, D-Watertown, put forward a plan Tuesday to channel about $4 million in state transportation funds into a new fund dedicated solely for mass transit projects.

They made their pitch with just seven weeks left in the legislative season, though, and with no sign of active support by House or Senate leaders. And when asked how the plan was greeted by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's office, Fawcett replied, "It was neutrally received with interest."

Even so, they insisted that the measure is worth pursuing.

"This is a very important starting point," Hartley said in a meeting with reporters at the Legislative Office Building.

Hartley and Fawcett gathered a small group of Fairfield County legislators and mass transit advocates to support their plan.

"Our rail system has been under-appreciated for many years," said Sen. Toni Boucher, R-Wilton.

Metro-North's New Haven line has gotten hundreds of millions of dollars for a new fleet of rail cars and a new maintenance yard. Connecticut has also spent federal funds to replace a substantial amount of its transit buses. But there's no budget set aside for renovating its stations, or for building bike and walking paths, or expanding the system of bus routes, Fawcett and Hartley said.

The state has already identified $120 million in improvements needed at Metro North's stations in Connecticut. Allocating a fund to pay for that kind of work would eventually reduce the backlog, Fawcett said.

"It's discouraging that there's not enough money, but that doesn't mean we don't begin the process of focusing on mass transit," said Fawcett, who hopes to get appropriations committee approval of the plan.

"It's almost like graffiti on buildings — if you let the train stations go to pieces, people will get discouraged and won't use them," said Carol Leighton, co-chair of the Connecticut Citizens Transportation Lobby, in a brief talk endorsing Hartley and Fawcett's plan.

The proposal comes after Fairfield County's legislative delegation was rebuffed in its bid to tie Metro-North fare increases directly to railroad operations. Passengers on the New Haven line — and CT Transit riders around the state — are paying 4 percent fare increases this year, and commuter groups have said the new revenue should be spent only on improving the rail and bus systems. They've complained that Malloy's budget would let the money cover other state expenses.

HARTFORD — A small, bi-partisan group of legislators is proposing to establish a dedicated fund for mass transit projects in the state budget.

The lawmakers are proposing to redirect $3.9 million in unused funding in the Department of Transportation to finance smaller mass transit projects.

“I just feel we must put a focus on our mass transit infrastructure,” said Rep. Kim Fawcett, D-Fairfield, the House co-chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee’s subcommittee for transportation.

Fawcett and Sen. Joan V. Hartley, D-15th District, the transportation subcommittee’s Senate co-chairwoman, called a news conference Tuesday to call attention to the proposal.

The fund would be used to finance improvements to train stations, bolster rail and bus service, expand walking and bicycle paths and provide planning grants for transit-oriented development projects.

“The reason we decided to highlight these four categories is because these are areas of needed investment that continually struggle to find funding and thus are constantly stalled into the status quo,” Fawcett said.

As proposed, the DOT would prioritize projects for funding.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy proposed to allocate $5 million in DOT’s budget for highway and bridge projects that are not being financed through state bonds.

Hartley said the proposed transit fund would be a “tandem account” to this new lineitem “Transit — rail and bus — is equally as important in this conversation, and so many times when you talk about quality-of-life issues it is those small things that make an exponential difference, and that is what this account is driving at, the small, non-bondable programs,” the Waterbury lawmaker said.

Fawcett and Hartley said the $3.9 million represents a small investment, but it is a starting point.

“We are calling it the Transit Improvement Program, and the idea here is really to give some equality in the budget to our mass transit system and to those commuters who rely on our buses and our trains each day,” Fawcett said. Carol Leighton, co-chair of the Connecticut Citizens Transportation Lobby, expressed support for the proposed transit fund.

Rep. Kim Fawcett answers questions as Reps. Jonathan Steinberg (D-Westport) and Brenda Kupchick (R-Fairfield) listen.

As co-chairs of the Appropriations Committee’s subcommittee for transportation, Fawcett and Hartley proposed re-directing $3.9 for transportation in the 2012-13 state budget to a new transportation account, the Transit Improvement Program, dedicated to mass transit investment, expansion and planning. About $750,000 of the money would come from the transportation account designated for “other expenses.” The balance is in other transportation accounts but not allocated.

“While investment into our bridge and road infrastructure is critical, and this year’s budget expands our commitment to bring this infrastructure into good repair, so, too, must we emphasize investment in our mass transit system,” Fawcett said.

“Metro North alone moves 38 million people a year, and unfunded station upgrades amount to nearly $120 million each year,” Fawcett said. “For mass transit there is a critical need for expansion of service and transit oriented development planning as we work to move our state towards a community more reliant on our transit systems and away from our roads.”

“Having this re-directed funding in an account for mass transit would allow the Department of Transportation to prioritize projects for train station improvement, better service and bicycle path expansion,” she said.

Other Democrats hailed the proposal. “By making this funding available, we will be taking a major step forward toward modernization of our mass transit network for our state,” said Rep. Edward Jutila (D-East Lyme, Salem). “I applaud Sen. Hartley and Rep. Fawcett for recognizing this need, and I look forward to working with them to make this happen.”

Joining the group at the press conference were Carol Leighton and Jill Kelly, co-founders of Connecticut Citizens Transportation Lobby, who welcomed the legislative proposal. “We are happy you are prioritizing for these critical needs in the proposal,” Leighton said.

Several Republicans also expressed their support for the proposal. “There needs to be a dedicated amount of money to help maintain the most used rail line in the entire country,” said Rep. Brenda Kupchick (R-Fairfield). “The state needs to make our rail infrastructure a priority.”

As co-chairs of the Appropriations Committee's subcommittee for transportation, Rep. Fawcett and Sen. Hartley are proposing adjustments to the 2012-13 state budget that would re-direct already approved transportation funding to a new transportation account dedicated to mass transit investment, expansion and planning.

WHO: Rep. Fawcett and Sen. Hartley

WHAT: Legislative proposal to redirect transportation funds to mass transit projects

WHEN: 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 20

WHERE: Room 1B, Legislative Office Building, Hartford

It is well-known that Connecticut is home to some of the highest-performing and lowest-performing schools in the nation, resulting in the worst achievement gap of any state. And even as our highest-ranking students consistently graduate from top colleges, other disturbing trends have emerged. High school graduation and college attendance rates have remained stubbornly stagnant, even among high-performing schools. As Governor Malloy said in his state of the state speech, employers have raised alarms about a diminishing pool of workers with the skills needed for the jobs of today and tomorrow. Also disturbing is the fact that Connecticut students are falling behind in an increasingly competitive global economy. In math, Connecticut 8th graders rank 30th in the world, behind Japan, France, Germany, and Canada.

Left unaddressed, this situation threatens our state’s competitiveness, as well as our children’s hopes and dreams. So I’m excited to see the governor and state legislators – both Democrats and Republicans – working together on solutions that will assist students and teachers in the classroom. The education reform package currently in development in the legislature addresses five areas:

• Improving school and district accountability
• Targeting support to the lowest-performing schools
• Improving teacher/administrator training and review
• Updating the Education Cost Sharing formula
• Increasing aid for public school choice

These reforms would:

• Eliminate the “adequate yearly progress” benchmark created as part of the federal No Child Left Behind law and replace it with a smarter, more nuanced system of analyzing school success. Schools struggling the most would join a newly created Commissioners Network allowing the state’s Department of Education more direct administration over those schools.
• Establish new teacher performance guidelines that take into account student learning, classroom performance, peer and professional evaluations, and the achievement of both the school and district.
• Create new opportunities for teachers’ professional development, higher standards for graduation and a revamped tenure system.
• Change the Education Cost Sharing formula to better measure for child poverty and town wealth. While towns like Fairfield and Westport would not see their state grants cut, additional grants would be made available to challenged districts that are also working to meet expectations. Successful charter schools in our inner cities would be eligible for additional funding as well.

The details must be debated and worked out, but these proposals are an important step in Connecticut’s effort to get serious about education reform.

How is your school doing? Check this report card to find out.

Protecting Our Kids

Ripples from the Penn State child abuse scandal are reaching state legislatures nationwide, including Connecticut’s. In 2012, the General Assembly will be reviewing our current mandatory reporting statute and exploring ways to strengthen the law to better protect our kids. Changes in the law are likely to impact all youth athletic leagues and potentially make volunteer coaches “mandatory reporters” of suspected child abuse. The proposal is now making its way to the House Floor for a vote later this spring.

Around Town

“No Thru Truck” Update – Our efforts last year to fully enforce an existing truck ban on Rte. 136 in Greenfield Hill, as well as other state roads, continue in 2012. Thanks to the residents of Greenfield Hill, Westport, Weston and Easton who joined me to testify in 2011, we made significant progress in drawing attention to the problem of trucks barreling through residential neighborhoods on Rte. 136 – despite the presence of No Thru Truck signs. I have introduced a new bill to clarify the existing No Thru Truck statute to explicitly empower local police to issue tickets to trucks traveling on these designated roadways. The proposal is currently under review by the General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee. Stay tuned for information on additional public hearings on this issue in 2012.

Learn more about Fairfield's own not-for-profit that is connecting our kids with international communities around the world. www.humanitynow.us

Legislation (HB 5324) introduced by the Children’s Committee would prohibit leg-hold traps within 1,500 feet of schools, daycare centers, parks, playgrounds, public roads and highways.

“What parents need to know is that when they are hiking with children in designated open space areas and state parks near private property lines these types of traps could be hidden in the underbrush. It is not just an animal that could get caught up,” Fawcett said.

Leg-hold traps catch animals by the foot or leg when animals step onto a tension device that triggers the jaws of the trap to slam shut onto an animal’s body. The legislation is also designed to prevent cruelty to household pets.

“The proposed legislation not only protects our kids, but also protects our public safety officials and helps eliminate the possibility of a tragic accident involving young people who purchase these guns for fun,” Fawcett said at a press conference Thursday at the state Capitol.

Simu guns or simulated guns are imitation firearms, usually toy guns, which have been altered to look as if they are real firearms. The proposed legislation would prohibit altering imitation firearms to look like real guns. It would also ban look-a-like firearms, paintball guns, pellet-firing air guns and BB guns from school grounds.

“Over the years the line between fake and real guns has become quite small. Parents don’t realize this and it’s quite dangerous,” Fairfield Police Chief Gary MacNamara said after the press conference.

Citing the need for legislation, Stonington Police Chief Darren Stewart told the news conference about an incident in December where the police responded to a report of children on a school grounds with firearms. The responding officer arrived on the scene to discover a teenager holding what appeared to be a pistol at the head on another teenager. The officer pulled his service weapon and ordered the youth to drop the gun, but the youth hesitated. The officer had to order the youth to drop the gun a second time before the gun was dropped. It turned out that what appeared to be a pistol was not a firearm at all, but a realistic copy of a police service weapon with the colored tip, designating it as a fake, removed.

Stewart said that this wasn’t the first time Stonington police responded to a call concerning the presence of firearms only to discover that they were simu guns. He also discussed the tragedy earlier this week in Florida where police shot and killed a man wielding what the police thought was a real firearm.

“When parents see these toy guns they will be amazed at how real they look, they will quickly recognize that these weapons pose an extreme risk to our children,” Fawcett said, pointing to several simu guns on display at the press conference.

Simu guns on display at state Capitol press conference.

The first officer to arrive screamed for the teen to drop the gun, but he didn't immediately comply, according to Police Chief J. Darren Stewart.

"They had a little bit of a stand-off for just a second or two. He was pleading with the kid to drop the gun, and finally he did," Stewart said.

It turned out that the gun was an air soft gun whose owner had removed the red-orange tip that identifies it as a replica firearm that shoots plastic pellets. Without the tip, the gun looked very similar to the .45- caliber firearm carried by Stonington police.

The incident came as a surprise Thursday to most Stonington residents as police and school officials had never before publicized it.

"The officer was placed in an awful, awful position at that point in time about the use of deadly physical force," Stewart said. "The kids really didn't think it was that big a deal."

On Thursday, Stewart and Capt. Jerry Desmond joined state Rep. Diana Urban, D-North Stonington, at the Capitol to announce that the Select Committee on Children, which Urban co-chairs, was introducing a bill that would ban all "look-alike firearms" from school grounds, including paintball and BB guns.

State Rep. Kim Fawcett, D-Fairfield, admitted that she initially was skeptical of Urban's crusade against fake guns in schools. She assumed it was only the real guns one needed to worry about. But Fawcett quickly changed her views.

"I'm just completely flabbergasted and amazed that a toy gun looks like this," she said.

"Parents all across the state of Connecticut have no idea that these types of toy guns even exist."

The bill also would make it illegal to remove or cover up the red-orange tip of realistic-looking fake guns.

Urban said violating either provision of the proposed law would be a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to three months in a jail and a fine up to $500.

State Sen. Andrew Maynard, D-Stonington, is also backing the measure.

"We don't want to see a tragedy," Urban said.

Stewart said that "kids are out there with these things, and they don't recognize the consequences of them."

"In a post-Columbine high school and other tragic school shootings across the country, police are going to respond very swiftly and really get down to business whenever there's a threat of firearms on school grounds," he said.

Stewart declined to discuss any other details of the incident.

When asked for details such as the school at which the incident occurred, whether the students were punished and why they had the gun behind the school, Superintendent of Schools Leanne Masterjoseph issued this statement Thursday night:

"Stonington's Public Schools were grateful for the manner in which Stonington Police responded to our call during after school hours on December 19, 2011. While unable to comment on circumstances pertaining to specific students, we are thankful that officers quickly determined circumstances did not require use of force and that events were quickly resolved."

The Day has filed a freedom of information request seeking release of the police report of the incident.

The bill's proponents cited cases in Texas and Florida where police did fire on someone who they mistakenly believed held a real gun.

"You can see where something like this can end in a tragedy with nobody's intent to do anything wrong, and that's why this legislation may be necessary," Desmond said.

Police officials brought a small cache of toy guns with them Thursday to demonstrate how similar in appearance to real firearms the fakes can be.

"This is a SIG-Sauer P245 .45 caliber handgun," said Police Chief Matthew Reed of South Windsor, holding aloft his department-issued gun. "This is a toy gun ... There's not a big difference."

The bill defines a "look-alike firearm" as an imitation gun, "so similar in coloration and overall appearance to an existing firearm as to lead a reasonable person to perceive that the device is a firearm."

While an early version of the bill would have outlawed look-alikes within 1,500 feet of a school, Urban said the current proposal only bans fake guns from school grounds because private residences are often near schools.

One exception to the proposed restriction on obscuring red-orange tips would allow such fake guns for theatrical, television and film purposes. The Connecticut Police Chiefs Association is also backing the bill.

HARTFORD — Some Connecticut lawmakers and police chiefs are seeking support for legislation that would make it illegal to alter fake or toy guns to make them look real.

Rep. Diana Urban of North Stonington and Sen. Terry Gerratana of New Britain joined police chiefs and others to discuss the proposed bill Thursday.

The bill, which is still being written, would penalize people who deface imitation firearms to resemble real guns, such as intentionally removing an orange marking that’s required on fake guns. The offense would be a misdemeanor. The bill also would ban firearm look-alikes, paintball guns and BB guns on school grounds.

Committee Vice Chair Kim Fawcett, D-Fairfield, said she was surprised to see how real some toy guns look. Fawcett expressed concern that Connecticut parents are unaware of these realistic toy guns. She supports the ban.

Current federal law requires that manufacturers of toy and imitation firearms place an orange plug in the product’s barrel. This plug serves as a safety marker to differentiate between real and fake guns.

Despite this requirement, instructions on how to remove or obscure this plug can easily be found online. If removed or colored over, some fake firearms look identical to real guns.

At a news conference Thursday, police officers displayed examples of the altered toy guns to demonstrate how they can be easily confused for real firearms. South Windsor Police Chief Matthew Reed challenged reporters to try to discern between a real and fake weapon.

“What’s a police officer supposed to do? Say, ‘Oh, it’s a just kid, I’m not going to worry about it?' ” he asked.

Stonington Police Captain Jerry Desmond said removing or defacing the orange plug on fake guns can place both police officers responding to an incident and individuals carrying the object in danger.

“You can see where something like this can end in a tragedy when it’s nobody’s intent to do anything wrong,” he said.

Scott Wilson Sr., the president of the Connecticut Citizens Defense League Inc., however, said the proposed bill goes too far. Not every person who alters a fake gun does it with the intent of committing a crime, he said.

Those who do commit crimes with the altered guns should be punished, he said.

The proposed legislation is in response to a December incident at Stonington High School, where police responded to a report that a 15-year-old had brandished an altered toy gun on school grounds. Stonington Police Chief J. Darren Stewart would not give specific details on the incident.

Similar legislation is being considered in Michigan this year.

“Having a transportation infrastructure that carries people quickly, comfortably and cheaply is critical,” Fawcett said. “But constituents need to be assured that any new tolls or increases in rail fares would be used to pay for mass transit improvements.”

Rep. Kim Fawcett speaks at Connecticut's Transportation Future forum Friday at the state Capitol.

Fawcett, co-chairwoman of the Transportation Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, joined more than 100 planners, state officials and representatives of the transportation industry at a forum hosted by the Transit for Connecticut coalition at the state Capitol. The participants discussed Connecticut’s transportation funding options amid declining state gasoline tax revenue, uncertain federal funding, and the simultaneous need to improve mass transit and preserve existing roads and highways.

Speakers included former Department of Transportation Commissioner Emil Frankel, now a visiting scholar at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C., current DOT Commissioner James Redeker, U.S. Reps. John Larson, D-1, and Rosa DeLauro, D-3, and a panel discussion featuring five state legislators, including Rep. Fawcett, and Don Shubert of the Keep CT Moving advocacy group.

“For the past 10 or 15 years, Connecticut has faced a growing gap between its transportation needs and its investment resources,” said Frankel. “Given the nation’s severe fiscal crisis and Connecticut’s reduced demographic and political power at the federal level, Connecticut cannot look to Washington to bridge this gap.”

Federal transportation funding will likely comprise a declining share of the cost of highway and transit improvements for the foreseeable future, Redeker said.

Frankel and other speakers talked about the possible reintroduction of tolls — with Frankel drawing the distinction between the state’s unpopular former gate tolls, which required people to stop and drop coins in an electronic basket, and the new generation of E-Z Pass-style transponder tolls that allow traffic to keep moving.

But Fawcett said Fairfield County residents believe that tolls would be an unfair tax on people who live in southwestern Connecticut, if the revenue were not spent on transportation and infrastructure improvements in that area of the state.

Fawcett’s constituents see expanded mass transit to alleviate highway congestion as the state’s most important transportation issue, she said, and would support tolls only if they knew that money would fund mass transit improvements — something currently not allowed by federal law.

“Constituents need to be given a very clear message that there will be improvements to mass transit and infrastructure,” Fawcett said.

The forum was cosponsored by the Capitol Region Council of Governments, Connecticut Association for Community Transportation, O’Neill Endowed Chair at Central Connecticut State University – Legislative Policy Program, Regional Plan Association and Tri-State Transportation Campaign.

The Transit for Connecticut Coalition, formed in 2007, is a group of 32 business, social service, environmental, transportation, planning and civic organizations dedicated to increasing awareness of the benefits of bus transit and advocating for increased funding for bus transit. The Transit for Connecticut Coalition is supported by the One Region Funders’ Group that includes the Fairfield County Community Foundation and the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation.

Connecticut Network broadcast: mms://vserve.ctn.state.ct.us/ctnmulticast

HARTFORD — Connecticut will have to focus its needs, devise innovative ways to generate transportation funding and make some tough decisions if it's going to keep the state moving during a time of shrinking resources, speakers said Friday at a forum at the state Capitol.

The "Connecticut's Transportation Future" forum, organized by Transit for Connecticut, a program of Connecticut Fund for the Environment, brought more than 100 people to a Capitol meeting room for nearly four hours.

Speakers included former Department of Transportation Commissioner Emil Frankel, now a visiting scholar at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C., current DOT Commissioner James Redeker, U.S. Reps. John Larson, D-1, and Rosa DeLauro, D-3, and a panel discussion featuring five state legislators, including Rep. Kim Fawcett (D-Fairfield, Westport) and Don Shubert of the Keep CT Moving advocacy group.

"For the past 10 or 15 years, Connecticut has faced a growing gap between its transportation needs and its investment resources," said Frankel, the keynote speaker. "Given the nation's severe fiscal crisis and Connecticut's reduced demographic and political power at the federal level, Connecticut cannot look to Washington to bridge this gap."

Instead, the state "must expand its own resources" for transportation investment, "develop new revenue sources that can leverage private investment, and reestablish the tradition of financial innovation that was at the heart of Connecticut's ambitious and leading transportation infrastructure renewal program, begun in the 1980s," he said.

Frankel pointed out that the state was considered a national leader in revamping transportation infrastructure in the years immediately following the fatal 1982 Mianus River Bridge collapse along Interstate 95 in the Cos Cob section of Greenwich, which killed three people.

But it has fallen behind in more recent years, he said.

Frankel and other speakers talked about the possible reintruduction of tolls — with Frankel drawing the distinction between the state's unpopular former gate tolls, which required people to stop and drop coins in an electronic basket, and the new generation of E-Z Pass-style transponder tolls that allow traffic to keep moving.

But Fawcett, co-chairwoman of the Transportation Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, said Fairfield County residents used to feel the tolls unfairly taxed that end of the state.

Fawcett's constituents see expanded mass transit to alleviate highway congestion as the state's most important transportation issue, she said, and would suppport tolls only if they knew that money would fund mass transit improvements — something currently not allowed by federal law.
Redeker said the state has stepped up its efforts in recent years under Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. He cited the giant project to build a new Pearl Harbor Memorial bridge in New Haven — currently on time and under budget — as one example.

"The new influx of state money is unprecedented," he said.

But Connecticut has lots more infrastructure to take care of "and we're investing in it," Redeker said.

He added, however, that "bridge maintenance ... is my nightmare," and said the state's statistics on bridge maintenance are starting to look more like they did before the Mianus River Bridge collapse.

There was a constant back-and-forth between the need to generate money for highway improvements vs. the need to expand and improve mass transit.

DeLauro used the forum to advocate for passage of a bill that would create an "infrastructure bank" to help finance critical transportation projects, saying there was no reason why Britain and France can come up with the money to build a tunnel under the English Channel to connect the two countries and the U.S. can't find ways to finance projects of similar scope.

"This is a critical time for Connecticut and the country to examine ways to best maximize the available financing for transportation infrastructure and I believe the infrastructure bank idea is exactly the type of bold thinking we need to address our investment deficit, create jobs, and generate a long-term recovery," said DeLauro said.

Besides easing traffic, an infrastructure bank would help spur employment and fuel economic growth, while freeing up state money for other projects, she said.

Larson talked about the two big mass transit projects the state has received federal funds for: the New Britain-Hartford Busway and the New Haven-Springfield high speed rail corridor.

"The Northeast, and Connecticut in particular, is home to the oldest transportation infrastructure in the country," Larson said. "Federal funding is critical to projects such as the Hartford-New Haven-Springfield line and other high-speed rail initiatives that will bring our region into the 21st century"

Besides Fawcett, the panel discussion, moderated by Joe McGee of the Business Council of Fairfield County, included state Sen. Andrew Maynard , D-Stonington, state Sen. Gary LeBeau, D-East Hartford, state Sen. Toni Boucher, R-Wilton, state Rep. Antonio Guerrera, D-Rocky Hill, and Don Shubert of Keep CT Moving.

The forum was co-sponsored by the Capitol Region Council of Governments, Connecticut Association for Community Transportation, O'Neill Endowed Chair at Central Connecticut State University – Legislative Policy Program, the Regional Plan Association and the Tri-State Transportation Campaign.

The Transit for Connecticut Coalition, formed in 2007, is a group of 32 business, social service, environmental, transportation, planning and civic organizations dedicated to increasing awareness of the benefits of bus transit and advocating for increased funding for bus transit.

HARTFORD -- Federal transportation funding will likely comprise a declining share of the cost of highway and transit improvements for the foreseeable future, Connecticut DOT Commissioner Jim Redeker told transportation advocates Friday.

Though the state is rebuilding the New Haven Railyard and purchased 420 new rail cars to revamp the Metro-North New Haven Line, other critical projects to replace chunks of infrastructure such as moveable rail bridges, the Interstate 84 Hartford Viaduct and the I-84 Route 8 interchange in Waterbury will incur costs in the billions.

"The last few years, Connecticut has been able to come to the plate and come through with funding," Redeker said. "If federal funding goes down, all we will be able to do is less."

Emil Frankel, the state's former Department of Transportation commissioner, said the state needs to move forward with developing new revenue and funding sources to accomplish needed projects.

Frankel said public-private partnerships and deals such as the state's 35-year agreement with a private operator to redevelop the state's highway rest stops could be used to get projects done.

"We can't look to the federal government as an adequate basis for our transportation investment resources," said Frankel, who now serves as a visiting scholar on transportation policy for the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington.

More than 100 planners, state officials, and representatives of the transportation industry packed the Old Judiciary Room at the state Capitol Friday morning to hear Redeker, state legislators, and U.S. reps. John Larson and Rosa DeLauro discuss Connecticut's transportation funding crunch during a forum hosted by Transit for Connecticut.

State legislators including State Sen. Toni Boucher, R-Wilton, and Andrew Maynard, D-Griswold, co-chairman of the General Assembly's transportation committee, discussed funding options amid declining state gasoline tax revenue, uncertain federal funding, and the simultaneous need to improve mass transit and preserve existing roads and highways.

Larson argued that investments in infrastructure in the short term could serve as a partial remedy to a shaky economic climate and help lower the unemployment rate.

"You reduce the current unemployment level from 9 percent to under 7 and you deal with a third of the deficit and you start to see the flow of goods and services in our community," Larson said. "We also get to do this much-needed work."

State Rep. Kim Fawcett, D-Fairfield, said it is difficult to convince residents in southern Connecticut to accept increased fares or proposals to reinstitute tolls without ironclad assurances they will see improvements to roads and other infrastructure.

"Having a transportation infrastructure that carries people quickly, comfortably, and cheaply is critical," Fawcett said. "But if you are from Fairfield County, ... our constituency needs to have a very clear message about whether they will see more parking or other improvements they will see."

A legislative panel weighed implementing tolls and increasing the sales tax as ways to fund future investments in the state’s transportation infrastructure Friday at a forum sponsored by the CT Fund for the Environment.

The panel’s moderator, Joe McGee of the Business Council of Fairfield County, said that with federal transportation funding in doubt, the state faces a revenue problem in finding money for its transportation infrastructure.

Lawmakers on the six-person panel were asked to consider some unpopular options to increase revenue. McGee immediately raised putting toll booths back on the state’s highways.

Sen. Gary LeBeau, D-East Hartford, said border tolls are a regional issue, much like the Sunday sales of alcohol. However, he said the legislature should consider what is best for the entire state, not just specific regions. He suggested the state could find a way to reimburse residents of border towns.

LeBeau said adding tolls would bring Connecticut more in line with its neighboring states.

“The greatest inequity right now is that the state of Connecticut is being tromped on by out-of-state drivers who go through this state and pay nothing,” he said.

Rep. Kim Fawcett, D-Fairfield, said in order to support tolls, lawmakers in Fairfield County would have have to be able to assure their constituents the money generated would be used to support mass transit in their area.

Tolls encourage commuters to use mass transit but the rail system in Fairfield County is not equipped to handle additional people, she said.

Tens of thousands of cars pass through the state every day and because the gas tax is so high they don’t buy gas here, he said. Connecticut residents pay for the roads but out of state drivers pay no user fee, he said.

Sen. Andrew Maynard, D-Stonington, said tolls might be one of the less regressive ways to address the issue. Some of the reasons for the public aversion to tolls have been mitigated by technology, he said.

“We have to get out of the mindset that it’s the old fashioned quarter in the basket. I think too often we ask people what they think about bringing back tolls and they’re thinking ‘Okay, every 10 miles we’re going to have to stop and there will be a line,’” he said.

Rep. Tony Guerrera, D- Rocky Hill, said toll revenue could pay for transportation investments and help reduce the state’s high gas tax. He said over a five year period the tax could be reduced by 50 percent.

“Isn’t it a lot cheaper for you to go through an electronic toll than paying that gas tax?” he asked.

After the panel, Guerrera said he was planning on proposing a bill during the legislative session to implement border tolls.

However, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has said he won’t be proposing any highway tolls this legislation session and doesn’t believe the legislature will be able to get him legislation on the issue this year. He did sign legislation last year that allowed for tolls to help pay for the completion of Route 11.

Considering the political barrier to bringing tolls back, McGee asked if increasing the state sales tax by a half a point and dedicating it to transportation was a reasonable alternative.

“I would say yes except that no one would believe for an instant that that’s going to last for more than one session,” Maynard said, implying that the revenue would wind up being used for other things.

Guerrera agreed, saying Connecticut used to have a lock on transportation funding and at that time had one of the best transportation infrastructure systems in the country.

“What happened? When things got bad, they raided that lock box. Therefore, our infrastructure started going down,” he said.

Again, Malloy has said he would not endorse any new taxes so it would be a tough vote for lawmakers, who last year passed the largest tax increase in recent history. He suggested the state could look to public-private partnerships to fund its transportation infrastructure.

The jobs bill passed during the special legislative session in October included a limited provision allowing the governor to approve not more than five such projects. Transportation infrastructure is one of the areas the bill authorizes Malloy to approve the partnerships.

But the projects were capped at five because public-private partnerships were a contentious issue that pitted the governor and Republicans against the legislature’s Democratic majority.

Democrats sided with the state employee unions who said they were concerned that the partnerships, “however well-intentioned, reduce transparency, accountability, and oversight of public services.”

On Friday, McGee said greater use of the partnerships could be a game-changer on an issue the state really can’t afford to ignore.

“If all things stay the same, our $20 billion deficit in transportation will be a $20 billion deficit in transportation. And some bridge will fall, someone will die and Connecticut will go, ‘Oh my God.’ And some governor will want to shoot himself in the head if that happens when he’s governor,” he said.

Financial-aid counselors and college staff will be available to talk from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and give one-on-one advice about financial aid and planning for college. In Fairfield, the forum will be held at Sacred Heart University, 5151 Park Avenue.

Fawcett said that participating in College Goal Sunday gives students and their families a great first step on the pathway to college. It gives the students and families an opportunity to learn about preparing for college and financial aid in a comfortable setting, she added.

Fawcett said that in a single afternoon, students and their families can become familiar with college entrance requirements, learn about planning for college and obtain on-site assistance in filling out financial aid applications. In addition, there will be information about the benefits of attending college, student support services, areas of study and different degree programs. Spanish interpreters will be available.

For more information about the event, call (888) 277-2270, email info@collegegoalsundayct.org or visit website: www.collegegoalsundayct.org.

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that the towns of Fairfield and Greenwich have each been awarded Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) grants for capital improvement projects.

“Tough economic times make STEAP grants all the more important because they allow us to improve the overall quality of life, while creating jobs and stimulating the local economy,” said Governor Malloy. “Whether it’s the improvement of a public space or renewed investment in a municipal facility, these grants allow towns across our state to move forward with capital projects that will benefit residents, both locally and across the region.”

Fairfield will receive a $400,000 grant to reconstruct the main Penfield Pavilion parking lot, add and rebuilt approximately 2,100 feet of needed sidewalks along the Penfield side of the road, and add landscaping around the perimeter of the lots to make the area safer for children.

“I’m delighted that we could bring financial assistance to Fairfield to make these important improvements,” said State Representative Kim Fawcett (D-Fairfield, Westport). “Reconstructing the Penfield Pavilion parking lot and building additional sidewalks are critical.”

Greenwich will receive a $100,000 grant to aid in the renovation and expansion of the town’s Department of Health Laboratory. Renovation will allow the facility to meet the growing needs for clinical and environmental testing services. The funding will enable the health lab to increase testing capacity, remove asbestos, increase ventilation for safety and improve customer service. Some of the services done at the facility include blood testing for lead, cholesterol and Lyme disease.

The State Bond Commission, under Governor Malloy’s leadership, allocated $20 million for STEAP grants on September 23, 2011. The awards were granted in part due to project readiness and their impact on overall regional economic development.

Rep. Fawcett said the forum, to be held 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 10, at the Fairfield Public Library, 1080 Old Post Road, will provide details of the jobs legislation, tax breaks and other assistance for small-business and job-retraining opportunities.

“The legislature and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy worked hard to put legislation into place that will help our small-business community,” Fawcett said. “People and businesses will not benefit if they don’t have the information they need to succeed. This forum will hopefully get useful information into the hands of the business owners, who can expand and create jobs.”

“Small businesses are the foundation of our economy and Connecticut is relying on their growth to help stabilize the state and reduce unemployment,” Fawcett said. “Pet Extravaganza has come to Fairfield just in time for the holiday season.”

The Post Road area in Fairfield over the past several months has seen the emergence of many new businesses that have decided to open their doors and give it a go, despite the stagnant economy, said Fawcett, who lives in Stratfield.

“New businesses continue to open and they are not only good for our local downtown economy, but they also add to the fabric of our community. Each one adds to the richness of our downtown and makes it an interesting and worthwhile place to visit,” said Fawcett, who recently celebrated the grand opening of Pet Extravaganza with First Selectman Mike Tetreau.

Pet Extravaganza offers local pet owners access to the most unique and finest quality pet accessories from around the world. “I love animals and I wanted to open something unique that also reflected the French culture,” said Caroline Bahadourian, the owner of the newly opened location.

Caroline, an animal breeder from Paris, is relying on her husband’s small business background to help manage the day to day operations of the store. “We are merging Caroline’s passion for animals with my experience as an antique dealer and store owner, it’s all reflected when you enter the store,” added Johannes Bahadourian, Caroline’s husband and co-owner of the store.

Johannes and Caroline Bahadourian relocated to Fairfield earlier this summer from Paris, France. Pet Extravaganza is the product of a year’s worth of research, time and energy as they searched east coast communities that would provide the right mix of economic opportunity, quality schools and family friendly warmth.

“I read about Fairfield, Connecticut, in Money Magazine and when we visited I fell in love with it. I looked all over for a place to live and raise my family but I kept coming back to Fairfield,” said Caroline.

When they drove along the Post Road area they felt a special energy that Fairfielders know is due to a decade’s worth of redevelopment.

“The downtown district in Fairfield has a small boutique feel that we were looking for, there are many shops that offer something unique and that atmosphere grows to become a place people want to visit,” said Johannes.

Fawcett urged people to consider visiting Fairfield’s downtown shopping district during the holiday season.

Other stores that have recently joined the Downtown Fairfield business community include, the Fairfield University Bookstore. 16 Handles (frozen yogurt), Mathnasium Learning Center, Jeddie Toys, Bodega Taco Bar, Chloe's Closet (children's clothing), The Label Excellence (consignment), Jenny Boston Boutique.

Shown at the recent ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new store are (from left): Rep. Kim Fawcett, Matilda Bahadorian, store owners Caroline and Johannes Bahadorian, their dog Paris, and First Selectman Mike Tetreau.

From national political candidates to business owners on Post Road in Fairfield County, job creation is what many believe will stabilize and revitalize our nation’s economy.

In Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy and the legislature joined forces last week in an effort to attract jobs and spur economic development. With executive leadership rarely seen these days, Governor Malloy brought together a team of business and legislative leaders that came up with a package of incentives, grants, workforce development initiatives and reduced government regulatory oversight. The resulting legislation was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. Connecticut residents should be encouraged by the process and eager to participate in the benefits.

Two Jobs Bills Working in Tandem

The strategy to bring jobs to our state is a two-tiered approach that institutes short-term incentives coupled with long-term investment; the goal is to put people back to work today while we build a strengthened economic climate for tomorrow.

The jobs incentive legislation aims to strengthen growth opportunities and financial support for small business owners. The foundation of the bill empowers the Department of Economic and Community Development to directly engage businesses seeking to expand, hire, build, purchase, or train employees. Through a series of loan and grant programs geared to any business with 50 or fewer employees small business owners can find financial help and incentives to expand.

Business owners will also be happy to see reductions in the current business entity tax, new employee tax credits and streamlined government permitting processes. The business entity tax, long targeted by business lobbyists, will be reduced by 50 percent.  Business owners can also take advantage of the expanded new employee tax credits, increased from $200 to $500 for new hires and up to $900 per month for hiring unemployed, disabled and veterans.

To lend aid to any business seeking permits or government regulations, common sense solutions are on the way. The governor has directed each state agency to examine permitting processes and propose updates to improve service and reduce cost, while developing a new tiered permitting process that takes into account actual risk and eases permitting requirements for projects deemed low or no risk. We will see mandatory expediting of approvals as well; for example, projects before the State Traffic Enforcement Commission will be deemed automatically approved if action is not taken in 60 days. A “Main Street” initiative will provide funds for small towns for commercial center improvements, including sidewalk repair and attractive awnings and building facades.

Our aging transportation infrastructure also will benefit with a $50 million “Fix It First” program for statewide bridge repair. This program will improve public safety and put hundreds of construction workers back to work now.

We also will see substantial investment in our state’s bioscience industry and jobs. The keystone of this long-term investment is the creation of a $1.1 billion bioscience center to be built by Maine-based Jackson Laboratory at the University of Connecticut Medical Center in Farmington.

According to the state Department of Economic and Community Development, the Jackson project is expected to create over 660 top-flight research jobs at Jackson Laboratory within 20 years. The department estimates more than 4,600 bioscience jobs would be generated through spin-off companies and another 2,000 would be added to local service and area retail stores. The project would yield more than 840 construction jobs as well – in the near term.

This new institute will not only strengthen our existing medical and educational network but also establish Connecticut as world leader in cutting edge bioscience technologies and the emerging field of personalized medicine.

For 20 years, Connecticut has dragged its feet on job creation, falling behind most of the country. Coming off the worst recession in a half century, and with unemployment still hovering at 9 percent, we will not solve our problems overnight. But for this first time in years, we’ve given the people of our state more than hope. We’ve given them a blueprint for long term economic development, and in a bipartisan fashion we’re creating an environment that gives business the tools to grow and create jobs. That’s a terrific start.

Since the adjournment of the regular session in June, Hwang, Kupchick and Fawcett have met with and visited numerous businesses in the Fairfield area to get a clear picture of how Connecticut’s business environment was impacting the day-to-day operations of local companies.

 “Small businesses are collectively the greatest employers in the state and we need to make sure that we free these small businesses to expand and grow jobs,” said Representative Hwang. “Another essential aspect of reform is improving job training and making certain that we are properly training new employees. This package makes important changes in both these areas, and that is critical.”

“As a small business owner I see firsthand the restrictions state bureaucracy places on job growth,” said Representative Kupchick.  “The surest way for state government to grow jobs is to get out of the way of small business. I’m hopeful that some of the measures in this bill will lessen the burden on small business owners and the expansion of training programs and tax credits will help put people back to work. I think this measure heads us in the right direction, though much remains to be done.”

“This is a bold package that makes growing jobs the top priority," said Representative Fawcett. "The fact that this legislation was negotiated with bipartisan support shows that government can achieve concrete results that will help create and retain quality jobs in our state.”

Legislators met with more than 50 small business owners earlier this month who shared the needs and concerns. Those ideas were incorporated into the bill passed today:

• $60 million for training programs and tax credits;
• $10 million revolving loan fund for business at risk of closing;
• $500 monthly tax credit for new hires, $900 credit for all unemployed, disabled and veteran hiring;
• Cut in half to $125 the annual Business Entity tax.
• $40 million to establish and expand manufacturing technology training at six schools in the community college and vocational technical systems.

The bill also authorizes $340 million in Manufacturing Assistance Act (MAA) funds over the next two years.

Business owners blasted the state’s regulatory and permitting and legislators responded:

• Brownfield reclamation will be enhanced through a $20 million fund used to clean up properties and sell them privately;
• State Traffic Commission proposals not acted upon with 60 days will be deemed approved;
• An enhanced and improved informational technology portal will make it faster and easier for developers and businesses to work through the state bureaucracy.

Kids can be so inspiring when they're doing the simplest of things. Watching mine recently, as they tumbled off their respective school buses bubbling over with excitement and stories about their day, I was caught up in one of those pure and joyful parenting moments when the future seems full of possibilities.

This year, Connecticut's children and their caregivers have real reason for optimism. Sweeping public policy changes have strengthened the critical infrastructure in place to support all of our children, and to allow their hopes and dreams to flourish.

First and foremost, Connecticut leaders took an important stand in defense of education. When Governor Dannel Malloy and legislative leaders began the budget process, they declared state funding for our schools off the chopping block. While New York and New Jersey slashed K-12 education spending, Connecticut held the line in funding our schools. This decision made it more difficult to meet deficit-reduction goals but helped provide stable revenue to our cities and towns during a time of shrinking budgets. Steady funds protect class size, preserve curriculum diversity and teachers' jobs, and help mitigate property tax hikes.

Our most vulnerable children are better off in 2011 as well. Children with autism will now have access to specialists who meet more rigorous certification requirements. And new legislation ensures that following a natural disaster or act of terror, schools and day care centers have enough information to promptly reunify children with their parents. We were heartbroken to learn that following Hurricane Katrina, one child was not reunited with her parents for six months due to a lack of information. In the wake of Tropical Storm Irene and 9/11, we're reminded that disaster can strike here at home, too, and that we must be prepared.

Changes are also afoot at the Department of Children and Families, where Fairfield's own Joette Katz, a former associate justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, now serves as Commissioner. She has worked over the past year to restructure and streamline this once-beleaguered agency to make it more efficient and more responsive to the needs of children. Initiatives like the newly passed Foster Parent Bill of Rights and Special Study Foster Parent Placement Program are aimed at strengthening our foster care system and providing homes for the thousands of children who enter the system each year.

Connecticut has faced a year of challenges, from budget deficits and economic turmoil to storms and power outages. Sometimes it seems as if we go from one crisis to the next mired in frustration with government and our lack of progress. But our kids, unencumbered by politics and budget negotiations, are simply hopeful and optimistic as they begin the work of a new school year. I'm reminded that as adults, we should take a cue from them — and embrace a future of possibilities.

Dear Editor:

Hurricane Irene is finally behind us and the time to examine how our government and public utilities fared and how they can improve operations when natural disasters occur again in the future has begun. This week the legislature began public hearings that are aimed at helping shed a spotlight on how emergency response plans turned into action and what operations can be improved.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, many of us did not realize the sheer size of damage caused. With over 50 percent of all United Illuminating customers facing long-term outage, UI faced the enormous task of assessing damage, prioritizing work orders and restoring downed power at nearly 10,000 separate locations. While we waited in frustration for updates on when power might be restored, 363 work crews (four times the number typically on the road) worked to restore 75 percent of customers in three days and 98 percent in seven days. As we languished in frustration, UI work crews and our town police, fire and public works personnel went above and beyond the call of duty and did an extraordinary job.

During the public hearing, UI also candidly addressed shortfalls in emergency response planning and communications outreach. I received dozens of calls after the storm as Fairfield and Westport neighbors sought out information about damage assessment and timetables for restoration. Our conversations and your effort to share personal stories strengthened and informed my voice as I communicated with UI the frustrations you felt.

Over the next three years UI will be putting lessons learned from Irene into an updated emergency response plan. Two changes that will occur will include:

1. Better use of technology to streamline internal communications. The trucks in the field will be upgraded with software to immediately update the systems that prioritize and direct work orders, and all of this information will be more instantly shared with call centers to keep the public abreast of ongoing activity on the streets.

2. UI realizes they can and must make enhanced customer communications a priority during blackouts. Having the call centers equipped with more relevant information will help, as will their plan to increase their use of social media, email and reverse 911 to share information directly.

What can you do? Make sure your contact information, especially a cell phone number or number that may be more likely to work during an outage, is filed with the town and your utility. Help them find you when you might be hard to find.

I hope it is many years before Fairfield and Westport experience a storm like Irene again, but with lessons learned and changes implemented we can all benefit as we strive to become more prepared and better informed.

State Rep. Kim Fawcett

Nonprofit organizations and state government might not go together like PB&J, but go together they must for Connecticut to feed its hungry.

September is Hunger Action Month. A designation designed to highlight the more than 400,000 Connecticut citizens who don't have enough to eat. That number makes Deb Heinrich, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's nonprofit liaison, focus on the need for the two entities to cooperate all the more.

"The governor has been doing public service announcements to raise awareness that there is a lot of hunger," Heinrich said.

As part of Heinrich's effort to call attention to food security issues, she accepted the SNAP challenge. She is eating on $4 a day, or $28 a week.

"I'm finding it can be done. I'm not hungry, but my choices are very limited," said Heinrich, who is blogging about her experience on Patch.com. "So I end up eating the same thing over and over. You really have to plan it out. Most meals at the beginning of the day for the whole day."

Across the state 110,000 children, or 1 in 5 kids, are hungry, said Nancy Carrington, president and CEO of the Connecticut Food Bank.

Yet many of these children live in homes that don't qualify for federally funded programs such as SNAP, Carrington said. So the Food Bank started "Back Pack" which helps more than 2,000 Connecticut school kids.

On Fridays during the school year, the backpacks of children qualifying for the "Back Pack" program are quietly taken from their lockers and packed with 10 food items to tide them over for the weekend. The backpacks are replaced before the class returns from recess.

"Basically it is the non-profits stepping in across the state; especially in this time of prolonged unemployment," Carrington said.

The Connecticut No Kid Hungry Campaign is working with End Hunger Connecticut! and the governor to help end childhood hunger in Connecticut by 2015. According to End Hunger Connecticut, only 58.4 percent of schools statewide take part in breakfast programs. If that number reaches 60 percent, the state will get an additional $7.6 million in federal dollars.

"The work of the nonprofits is critical to serving and often filling the gaps where government services cannot reach," said state Rep. Kim Fawcett a Democrat representing Fairfield in the 133rd House District.

Food contributions and food drives held at schools, churches, synagogues and other organizations are perfect to help local pantries stay stocked, Carrington said. But for non-profits like the Connecticut Food bank a dollar goes a long way. Literally.

"For us $1 can go further; we can get $5 worth of food at the wholesale level," Carrington said.

The statute, PA 08-159, requires that Sound View spend a small portion of the money it receives from cable subscribers' access support fees on community programming.

Co-signing a letter that Rep. Fawcett wrote and sent to the authority were Sens. Gayle Slossberg and John McKinney, and Reps. Richard Roy, Paul Davis, Brenda Kupchick, Tony Hwang, Kim Rose and Themis Klarides.

Utilities Authority Letter (PDF)

HARTFORD — While Connecticut continues to collect data to support its application, portions of New York, New Jersey and Vermont officially have been declared disaster areas in the wake of Hurricane Irene, which puts them in a position to access funds for uninsured damage for businesses, individuals and public infrastructure.

Asked why the other states are getting faster rulings from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy Thursday said they suffered greater flood damage, which in New Jersey destroyed multifamily homes and public infrastructure, although Connecticut had the highest number of power outages.

On Thursday, state Rep. Kim Fawcett, D-Fairfield, became the first to call for an inquiry into how the utilities responded to the crisis, as well as to requests from customers seeking an estimate on when power would be restored.

“I’ve gotten so many calls from constituents who have been left in the dark — literally and figuratively — by United Illuminating,” she said. “All people want to know is approximately when they can expect their power to be restored. People need to be better informed by the utilities,” Fawcett said. She said she wants a clarification of “what breaks in communications occurred and why.”

The story in Connecticut has been the record number of power outages since Irene started to approach the state on Saturday, with 671,000 Connecticut Light & Power customers without power at the peak of the storm, along with 158,000 UI customers.

By 6 p.m. Thursday, CL&P had reduced its number to 184,661, while UI’s dropped to 29,653. CL&P now has 1,280 crews working on the problem, with 240 more expected today, while UI crews numbered 300, with 30 more kicking in today.

Projections for resumption of power remained the same, with CL&P expecting to have fewer than 100,000 customers in the dark by Saturday and the rest back on line by Wednesday. UI expects 98 percent of its customers to have power by Sunday.

CL&P Thursday started posting dates and times when individual towns can expect to have power restored.

UI spokesman Michael West said they have been giving the emergency centers in the towns daily updates on what streets they will work on, but they refused to publish this or more generalized information on when communities can expect all the lights on because he said customers tend to interfere with the linesmen.

Neither Hamden Mayor Scott D. Jackson nor North Haven First Selectman Michael J. Freda, however, said they had gotten that specific street information, which was making it difficult to schedule public works crews to help with tree trimming.

“The goal is to expedite the process and tighten up communication,” Freda said.

Freda said he did have estimates on how many customers would be taken care of daily, with the projected outage in North Haven down to less than 100 customers by the end of Sunday.

A city of New Haven spokesman reported the city has been working closely with UI, and was pleased with the communication and progress.

Frustration over the pace of the restoration effort continues to mount.

A Woodbridge neighbor of UI President and Chief Operating Officer Anthony Vallillo claimed Vallillo had power, while his neighbors remained without service.

“Don’t you think it’s odd that the president of UI had his power restored on Monday, yet thousands around him had none?” said Jamie Lecker, the neighbor. “I live 0.5 miles from him and we’re going on day five without power. I’m also the president of a company, and I get no better or worse treatment than my customers.”

UI spokesman Michael West said Branford resident James Torgerson, president and CEO of UIL Holdings, parent company of UI, does not have power. West would not comment on Vallillo specifically. A company source told the New Haven Register that Vallillo’s power has been restored for several days.

West sought to downplay Lecker’s inquiry, saying “there is certainly no favoritism when it comes to restoring power.

“There are many of our employees that work long hours and come home to no power,” West said.

Malloy, in his regular press conference Thursday updating the public on the fallout from Irene, said he was happy the number of officials from FEMA touring the state to assess the damage increased Thursday.

If total damage reaches a certain threshold for the state as a whole, as well as for specific counties, FEMA would reimburse 75 percent of expenses incurred beyond those covered by insurance.

The governor said the disaster designation for several counties in upstate New York also will give some early help to Litchfield and Fairfield counties in accessing Small Business Administration loans. He said this is based on a FEMA rule that extends disaster benefits to border communities.

Throughout the state, 70 businesses in Connecticut have applied for SBA help so far.

Malloy has said there is plenty of time for a review of how the power companies handled themselves and if they have trimmed their staffs too much to handle major weather events.

Malloy again asked that businesses and homeowners report their damage by calling 211, particularly if they have high deductibles and foresee costly damage to septic and water systems, to assist with the FEMA application.

Malloy said there are at least 132 homes that have been destroyed or heavily damaged, and that number could rise.

In other news, state parks will not charge residents fees to enter this holiday weekend, although there will continue to be a charge for camping sites.

To give residents a break, the Department of Motor Vehicles will extend the validity of driver licenses, vehicle registrations and other credentials expiring Aug. 27 through Sept. 12. They remain valid during that time period, but must be renewed by Sept. 12.

Also, the truckloads of ready-to-eat military meals and bottles of water for the towns that need them will be moved to United Technology Corp. property to allow the University of Connecticut football game to proceed at Rentschler Field in East Hartford Saturday.

Malloy said there will be separate entrances and exits for the towns to access the commodities and it should not overlap with crowds attending the game. He said the need for these goods was dwindling and it was time to start returning to some kind of normalcy. “It’s a matter of balance,” he said.

The governor has refused to get involved in a request by some utility workers to work longer than the 16-hour shifts to deal with Irene. Malloy said occasionally going over that time would not be a problem, but for a long periods of time it is too dangerous.

“While the immediate priority must be to restore power and get everyone’s life back to order, we must also look to the future and search for ways to keep people better informed while they wait for their electricity service to come back on line,” Fawcett said.

“I’ve gotten so many calls from constituents who have been left in the dark – literally and figuratively – by United Illuminating,” she said. “All people want to know is approximately when they can expect their power to be restored. People need to be better informed by the utilities.”

“Once the aftermath is cleaned up, there must be a time for us to ask critical questions, to clarify what breaks in communications occurred and why,” Fawcett said. “It’s not so much that people are angry about being without power. They were expecting that. It’s really about giving more information, keeping people better informed and giving them a better estimate on when their lives will return to normal.”

Fawcett urged her colleagues to join with her in seeking an inquiry into the utilities’ response.

“Westport is fortunate to be home to the newest Shake Shack. We're in very select company, but our town is the perfect place to extend this very successful franchise,” Rep. Steinberg said.

“This business will employ more than 60 people in these tough economic times where jobs are hard to come by,” Rep. Fawcett said. “I am very pleased with the opening if this restaurant and congratulate Danny Meyer and wish him the very best in this new endeavor.”

Shake Shack is a modern day “roadside” burger stand serving hamburgers, hot dogs, frozen custard, beer and wine, created and operated by Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group. Shake Shack’s mission is to preserve the culinary traditions of classic American burger stands. Burgers are made from a fresh ground, all-natural, antibiotic-and-hormone-free proprietary blend, a menu with zero trans fat featuring premium frozen custard made fresh daily.

The new location is constructed from recycled and sustainable materials including reclaimed antique barn wood siding, chairs and booths featuring lumber certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council and tabletops sourced from salvaged pine beams. The Shack and its signage beams are illuminated by LED light fixtures, with 100% of electric usage is offset through Wind Farm credits.

"Kudos to Danny Meyer and his partners for investing in our community and for adopting an environmentally-responsible business philosophy," Rep. Steinberg added.

Connecticut wants young people to make a down payment on its future.

An incentive program included in the recently passed jobs bill will allow graduates of Connecticut colleges and universities to deposit a portion of their state income tax liability into a first-time homebuyers account.

The program, “Learn Here, Live Here” would allow a graduate to deposit up to $2,500 annually of his or her state income tax liability for up to 10 years. Participants must remain Connecticut residents for five years.

“It’s is a creative way to address two problems Connecticut faces,” said state Rep. Kim Fawcett, a Democrat representing Fairfield and Westport in the 133rd House District. “It targets our youngest professionals and gives them an incentive to stay in Connecticut and over the long term will help bring greater stability to the housing market in our state.”

Catherine Smith, commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development, said the program is part of a broader plan to make Connecticut an attractive place to live and work.

“My observation is this is part of a renewed interest and energy in getting young people to stay in the state,” Smith said. “It will also get the homebuilding and housing industry a little healthier too.”

Statistics show Connecticut loses more people between the ages of 18 and 34 than almost any other state.

All graduates of public colleges or universities in Connecticut who qualified as in-state students and paid the in-state tuition rate and regional vocational-technical schools are eligible for the program. They must graduate on or after January 1, 2014.

The annual total for all program participants is $1 million.

Fred Carstensen, director of UConn’s Center for Economic Analysis, called it a modest gesture at best.

“The real problem is there have to be jobs here that Connecticut graduates want to take,” he said. “There is also this mythology that housing costs are a big problem in Connecticut. When you lose jobs from Groton to Cambridge, Mass. it’s not because of housing.”

Carstensen said the incentive wouldn’t really help attract and keep jobs in the long run.

“None of these things says to the business community, 'You can trust us.' Connecticut has a long history of offering incentives and then withdrawing them or curtailing them,” Carstensen said.

Smith agreed that no single initiative would change the current dynamic. Rather, she said, it’s important to look at this program as a way to help convince young people to remain in Connecticut.

Under the program, participants would apply to the DECD for a payment on their behalf for a down payment on the house. It must be participants' first home purchase. Should monies set aside exceed the down payment, that excess would go into the state’s general fund.

If someone leaves Connecticut within five years of graduation, that individual must repay a percentage on the funds. If the participant move after the first year after graduation, he or she must repay all of it.

After months of controversy, legislation championed by Rep. Fawcett was passed with unanimous support from both parties.

“The most important section of this bill clearly establishes that current rate payer fees’ be dedicated to developing public access television in our towns,” Fawcett said.

“The use of these fees has become the subject of a growing national conversation and Connecticut is the first state in the nation to clarify the language and secure public access funding,” Fawcett said. Members of Congress are also currently taking up legislation to investigate use of these providers’ fees similar to her initiative, she said.

Communities are becoming increasingly interested in watching local public access so they can follow things like school budget cuts and municipal property tax rates. “The questions about how we used the fees were impacting our local town’s ability to film board and commission meetings and keep residents informed,” Fawcett added. “The importance of securing public access funds has been intensified by the tough budget cuts our communities are facing.”

House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) added, “While the public access bill has statewide implications, Fairfield County should be proud to have such a dedicated representative looking out for them. Representative Fawcett’s energy and focus are assets for her region and our state.”

“Representative Fawcett saw this bill from start to finish, through many ups and downs and worked within her caucus and across the aisle to bring compromise and closure to this issue,” Deputy Speaker Joe Aresimowicz said.

If communities are going to put up signs proclaiming "No thru trucks," then those signs ought to be enforceable. Otherwise, they're just clutter.

Rep. Kim Fawcett of Fairfield has run into criticism for a plan that would allow police to request an itinerary or destination address for truckers on a street where they aren't normally allowed. There's nothing radical about her proposal, and it would simply allow law enforcement more of an opportunity to see that regulations are followed.

Communities can prohibit truckers from using certain streets as shortcuts, but those restrictions are lifted if a destination is only reachable by taking the street in question. This proposal would allow police to ensure that is the case.

Opponents want to make it seem like this is a dictatorial, "Show me your papers" type of law. It's nothing of the sort. If residents on a street see abuses of the road's rules, there should be a way to address those concerns.

This change would allow that.

Local residents are encouraged to drop off items for donation to Operation Hope of Fairfield’s food pantry.

Fawcett, who lives in Stratfield, said the owner of Jo Jo’s offered to have his business host the new collection site and will facilitate regular donations of food products to the food pantry.

“For those who live on the Stratfield and North Stratfield side of town we will now have a close, convenient collection site. Jo Jo’s realizes that our local food pantry is stretched to the limit and I commend him for taking action to help,” Fawcett said.

Joe D’Costa, the owner of Jo Jo’s, came up with the idea to use his centrally located store as a collection site and reached out to neighboring stores to obtain their support. The Creative Arts Studio seized the opportunity to use local talent to create signs and help spread the word. Other local stores that will be assisting in collection include Dragon 168, Salon Sazardon and the Bagel Stop.

“The Stratfield community is very supportive of Jo Jo’s,” D’Costa said. “The community has made me and my store feel like an important member. I want to give back and help support a cause that is near and dear to all of Fairfield’s residents,” he said.

“Joe has chosen Operation Hope as the beneficiary of his good will because of the growing demands being placed on our local food pantry. The need of local families continues to grow and last year more than 475 of our neighbors had to visit the pantry to provide food for their family,” Fawcett said.

“The Operation Hope food pantry provides food to more than 200 local families each month. We welcome Jo Jo’s as a partner in helping meet the need of our families,” said Carla Miklos, Executive Director of Operation Hope.

Operation Hope was formed in 1986 when local residents became aware of individuals in the community unable to meet their own basic needs of food and shelter. Clergy and lay leaders worked together to provide food and emergency shelter.

Rep. Kim Fawcett (fourth from left) joins Stratfield Village business owners (from left):
Floria Amico of Sazardon Hair Salon, Guillerma Laguna of Miaones Restaurant,
Joe D’Costa of Jo Jo’s News Stop; Mike Zou of Dragon 168, Anna Maria Najafzadeh of Sazardon,
Sue Choi of the Stratfield Drycleaners, Christine Orlando and Priscilla Igram of the Young Artist Studio.

Food Pantry Wish List
            Here are the items that can be donated to the Food Pantry

It's the Siskel and Ebert of funding decisions. Two thumbs up, a program stays. Two thumbs down, it’s the chopping block.

When deciding where to direct limited funds, legislators turn to a report card-type model called "results-based accountability," or "RBA." Goals are set for programs and then lawmakers determine what stays or goes after program report cards. Connecticut is the only state where the legislature, not the executive, drives RBA.

“Our ultimate goal is to RBA the entire budget,” State Sen. Bob Duff, a Democrat representing Darien and Norwalk in the 25th Senate District, told Capitol DisPatch. “Legislators come and go, the idea is to infiltrate this into the state bureaucracy. Otherwise it’ll be gone the day we’re gone.”

Connecticut piloted RBA long before Gov. Dannell P. Malloy implemented Generally Accepted Accounting Principals, GAAP. But most don’t know RBA exists. Yet, citizens can expect it to play an increasingly important role as the state tries to restore its fiscal health.

“There are intangible savings because it changes the culture,” Duff said. “People who rely on state funding know not to come without the RBA model.”

Duff and state Rep. Diana Urban, a Democrat representing North Stonington and Stonington in the 43rd House District, co-chair Connecticut’s RBA Work Group.

Urban, known as the Queen of RBA in some circles, said RBA prevents state government operating on cruise control.

It helps lawmakers better understand a program and hence whether to fund or cut. Agencies and those seeking funding use the RBA model to make their case.

Perhaps the most dramatic example of RBA is the Early Reading Success Program. RBA indicators showed that reading scores in priority school districts were declining, Urban said.

“Not one was reaching mastery and very few proficiency and we were spending $20 million and we were constantly asked for more money and told that would 'turn the curve,' " Urban said. “In a nutshell, we cut the $20 million and had a heart-to-heart discussion with SDE [state Department of Education].”

Now teachers must take a test before getting certified to show they have a basic knowledge of teaching reading. And after discovering some of the money was being used for things other than reading, SDE realized the necessity of attaching "strings" to the money, Urban said.

State Rep. Kim Fawcett, a Democrat, representing Fairfield in the 133rd House District, works on the section of the budget that supervises the state Department of Transportation and the Department of Motor Vehicles. In that capacity, she applied RBA.

“The cuts and efficiency we found in our work are not necessarily just for my district but would be statewide,” Fawcett said. “We use the RBA method in every conversation we have on budgeted items within DOT or DMV so we are framing the conversation with critical questions as we talk through what we are spending money on and why.”

For example, RBA led to the closing of DMV satellite branch offices.

There are also seven publicly owned and operated rest areas in Connecticut. After considering the goals of rest areas, the cost, and the number of users, all seven will be closed. That will save the state more then $20 million in operating and maintenance costs, Fawcett said.

“This is not a gotcha,” Duff said. “It will not be used politically. We’ve never once used this as a political tool. It really is a process of measuring how we can do things better.”

Fawcett said RBA makes government more accountable to taxpayers. In 2002, the state of Washington instituted a results-based program that saved $2 billion, according to Fawcett.

“I see RBA as critical to helping the state rein in spending and balance the budget, not just today because the economy is in bad shape but always,” Fawcett said. “RBA provides a method for critically questioning all spending and helps assure that we are spending taxpayer dollars only on programs that most impact citizens and achieve results.”

In nearly lock-step bi-partisan fashion, the Connecticut General Assembly moves to further protect teens from the perils of dating violence.

HB 6629 would allow teens to secure a restraining order against an abusive teen dating partner. HB 6053 would revise the state's bullying law to include teen dating violence. And SB 1138 targets cyber-bullying. The three proposed bills should get a floor vote in the coming weeks.

“The whole idea here is how teens can protect themselves through the legal system,” said Bob Kocienda, chair of the Norwalk-based Center for Youth Leadership.

HB 6629 would allow teens experiencing constant threat of present physical pain or physical injury, a pattern of verbal intimidation, threatening or stalking by family or someone in, or recently in, a dating relationship, to apply for restraining order “regardless of the age of such persons.”

Only two other states, Rhode Island and California, allow teens to get restraining orders against other teens.

“We take pride on being on the forefront of legislation like this,” said state Rep. Terrie Wood, a Republican who represents Norwalk in the 141st House District.

Under the bill, police and peace officers must inform victims of abuse about options, including restraining orders and where to find domestic violence help. The Judiciary Committee unanimously passed the bill out of committee.

“We understand a restraining order is a piece of paper and can’t stop bullying or can’t stop a knife,” Kocienda said. “But it’s important to break the cycle. Teen dating violence is often a strong precursor to adult domestic violence.”

Although widespread, most teens remain silent about teen dating violence. Indeed, 81 percent of parents surveyed said it isn’t an issue, or didn’t know it was one, according to the Hartford-based Center for Children’s Advocacy.

“Violence is violence,” said state Rep. Jason Perillo, a Republican who represents Shelton in the 113th House District. “Whether it is in the home of a husband and wife, or in the cafeteria at school. It can’t be tolerated and if a young girl needs a restraining order in order to protect herself from being terrorized by her boyfriend, then we need to make that possible. If we’re not protecting young girls from violence, then we’re failing.”

Violence in teen dating relationships is linked with increased risk for substance abuse, eating disorders, risky sexual behaviors, pregnancy, and suicide, Jeanne Milstein, a child advocate, said in testimony.

According to Office of Fiscal Analysis, HB 6629 would cost $1.58 million for fiscal year 2012 and $1.58 million for fiscal year 2013. This cost to the Judicial Department is so it can include trauma-informed care to victims as part of the functions of local family violence intervention units. Because of that associated cost, the Connecticut Conference on Municipalities doesn’t support the bill.

Kocienda said he understands these concerns, but because students spend eight hours per day inside school, it’s necessary.

“If it means an abuser has to be removed from a chemistry class and put into another class than so be it,” Kocienda said. “We can’t deny their social lives enter the schools.”

A restraining order would afford needed protection for teens, especially young women. And it sends a signal to those around the teen that this is a serious matter, Wood said.

“It makes all the sense to me,” Wood said. “It empowers young women. It gives them the ability to say ‘I have the law on my side.’ ”

Bullying behavior is often less apparent after middle school, Roberto Ceja of Center for Youth Leadership, said in previous testimony.

That’s why the center supports HB 6053. This proposed bill brings teen dating violence under the state’s anti-bullying umbrella. The bill passed the Judiciary Committee with 34 in favor, 2 against, and 9 abstaining or absent.

Bullying often changes form, imitating more extreme behaviors, such as sexual bullying and/or dating violence.

“While we are concerned about both explanations, we are more concerned with the link between bullying and dating violence,” Ceja said.

According to the Connecticut Department of Public Health, students across the state who reported verbal and physical dating violence, 30 percent considered suicide, 25 percent made a suicide plan and 20 percent attempted suicide.

Lastly, Democrat Deputy Majority Leader Chris Perone, who represents Norwalk in the 137th House District sponsored SB 1138 to protect children and teens from cyberbullying.

“One out of every four Connecticut high school students is bullied each year. And more and more of this bullying is happening via Facebook, text messaging and instant messaging,” said Perone. “The world is changing and we need to make sure that we are doing everything possible to keep our kids safe.”

Both the Education and Judiciary Committees approved the proposed bill. Currently six states have enacted laws addressing cyberbullying.

State Rep. Kim Fawcett, a Democrat who represents Fairfield and Westport in the 133rd House District, is supportive of Perone’s bill.

“I have teenage daughters and have witnessed the use of cyber bullying first hand.  It is growing and our youth are being impacted daily,” Fawcett said. "One of the biggest instigators of cyber bullies is the animosity that kids have when they are online. They feel they can say and do anything and they don't completely understand the impact of their actions."

Rep. Fawcett had the students from St. Thomas Aquinas elementary school in Fairfield participate as would-be legislators in a mock joint session of the House and Senate as she introduced a bill that would change the age requirements for front-seat passenger in motor vehicles.

After a discussion of the legislation, the students voted to approve the bill by raising their hands.

“I truly enjoy every opportunity to share democracy and our state government with our kids,” Fawcett said. “There are real teachable moments when our children can experience the law-making process and, most importantly, realize their voices matter and laws can be changed.”

Rep. Fawcett represents the 133rd Assembly District, which includes parts of Fairfield and Westport. She is also the host of “Kids Who Care,” a public access television show that highlights current issues and youths who are working to bring about change.

Rep. Kim Fawcett tells students from St. Thomas Aquinas
elementary school how legislation is created in the state legislature.

HARTFORD — In reviving a popular property tax credit, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy made his first budget more palatable to fellow Democrats Thursday but may have hurt his support among those representing Fairfield County.

“I’m very concerned about it,” Rep. William Tong, D- Stamford, said Thursday after learning that Malloy — the city’s former mayor — intended to fund a $300 property tax credit plan by imposing higher taxes on the region’s wealthier households. “The governor has a very difficult job and he’s put forward a very honest budget (but) this is a significant new burden on the people in my district.”

After Malloy’s election last November, several fiscally conservative legislators from the Gold Coast expressed relief the state had a governor who shared their concerns that state government too often relied on the region’s wealth. Malloy as mayor stood behind Stamford’s mostly Democratic delegation in recent years when members bucked their leaders and joined the Republican minority in voting against income tax increases.

The $1.5 billion tax package the governor proposed in February, while asking more of higher earners, was praised locally for spreading the pain to close a $3.2 billion deficit, in part through the elimination of a $500 property tax credit.

“At least in this budget, every single corner of the state will feel the impact,” Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, who has also fought against income tax hikes, said at the time.

On Thursday, Duff was not among those Democrats celebrating Malloy’s change of heart.

“It’s important to some people but for most down in my neck of the woods it’s not as significant as many make it out to be,” Duff said. “The governor’s got to get a majority (of budget votes) in the Legislature and I understand that. But any adjustments need to keep that covenant of not having a bull’s eye on Fairfield County.”

Roy Occhiogrosso, Malloy’s senior advisor, argued the governor remains sensitive to the issue and his income tax proposal remains highly competitive with neighboring states.

Rep. Kim Fawcett, D-Fairfield, said she will vote against Malloy’s overall budget plan when it comes before the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee, possibly next week.

“Restoring the property tax credit is critical for some families,” Fawcett said. “I’m just not convinced we’ve done all we can do with spending cuts to justify the taxes.”

“It is more important than ever that people take the time to come out and share their thoughts and concerns about state spending priorities,” Fawcett said. “When we hear from constituents we can be more effective as legislators.”

“Many difficult choices will have to be made as we work getting the state’s finances in order — and I want to hear what Westport residents really think we should do about the budget,” said Steinberg. “I encourage anyone who is not able to attend to contact me at Jonathan.Steinberg@cga.ct.gov or call me at 1-800-842-1902.

Fawcett, who was re-elected to the Connecticut General Assembly, said that this is the continuation of a series of meetings with residents that will allow an open exchange of ideas.

Any constituent who would like to talk about the 2011 legislative session and cannot attend the Friday meeting is welcome to call for an appointment. Please contact Representative Fawcett’s office at 1-800-842-8267 for an appointment.

The two-year, $40 billion budget calls for $2 billion in union givebacks and $1 billion in state service cuts, prohibits borrowing for operating expenses and proposes adopting generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) to present a more realistic picture of state spending.

But the governor's plan also calls for $1.5 billion in tax increases in the next fiscal year – and would hit the middle class particularly hard with a bump in the general sales tax from 6 percent to 6.35 percent. I'm very concerned about this increased tax burden and the toll it would take on families in my district who are struggling. I've already heard from many people who oppose the elimination of the $500 property tax exemption, which is also part of the governor's proposal.

The bottom line is: I will not support tax increases until I'm satisfied we have made a robust effort to cut spending.

To be sure, the $6 billion deficit we face over the next two years is daunting and will require new revenue to avoid gutting education and essential services. Governor Malloy would eliminate the deficit by emphasizing tax increases, which account for 58 percent of his overall package. Employee givebacks have a 30 percent share and service cuts just 13 percent.

We can and should shift the balance more toward spending cuts and streamlining services in light of a harsh new economic reality. It's no secret that over the last two years Connecticut has relied on federal funds, borrowing and savings to avoid the difficult task of making fundamental government reforms. Now is the time to get serious about reevaluating our priorities.

So, how do we cut with care?

Under Governor Malloy's budget, the number of state agencies would be reduced from 81 to 57, which would save $11 million. You may soon see a consolidated Connecticut State University system, a new state airport structure and one agency to oversee environment, energy and utility issues. Program cuts include nearly $200 million in Medicaid savings, changes in uncompensated care rates and a reduction in the prison populations and higher education block grants.

These cuts, while impressive, do not go far enough. Connecticut citizens have sent the message loud and clear that we can no longer afford to cover costs outside government's core mission.

But another problem we face is government's tendency to operate on autopilot. We add to or cut the budget with no reliable way to measure the value of services provided. There is a movement to change this mind-set by bringing results-based budgeting to Connecticut. It forces agencies to set goals and applies an economic model to measure performance. Low-scoring programs would be on the chopping block.

I'm excited about this initiative because it will not only help save money and improve transparency, but will also make government more accountable to taxpayers for the efficiency and performance we expect. In 2002, the state of Washington instituted a results-based program that saved $2 billion.

Now the General Assembly will have its say on the governor's budget, with floor debates in the House and Senate expected by June. I support efforts to reduce the size of government and spend our money more thoughtfully, with a focus on reducing the burden of employee benefits — not vilifying public servants.

When women do better, families do better. Yet every day, women across the country are forced to choose between their family's health and their paychecks because their jobs don't allow them to earn paid sick days. In Connecticut, where women make up 48 percent of the work force, more than half a million working people don't have access to this basic workplace protection -- and it threatens their financial security, their health and the health of their communities.

Women are now the sole or co-breadwinners in nearly two-thirds of U.S. households. In Connecticut, all parents work in three-quarters of the households with children. Working women's paychecks are essential to the financial stability of their families.

Most women also have significant family responsibilities. The vast majority of women have primary responsibility for their children's health. That means that women who lack paid sick days are forced to choose between their family's financial security and its health when illness strikes. Half of working mothers in the U.S. report having to miss work when a child gets sick. Half of those women, and two-thirds of lower-income women, lose pay when they do so.

To make matters worse, studies show that the very professions dominated by women -- food service, child care, retail, office administration and nursing -- are the least likely to offer paid sick days. They are also positions that bring frequent interaction with the public and more opportunities to spread illness.

It's a situation that simply doesn't make sense. When a mother can't take time off to recover from the flu or take her sick child to the doctor, her family, the public health and the community all suffer.

The good news is that lawmakers in Connecticut recognize the problem and have identified a workable solution. Introduced in February, Senate Bill 913 would allow more than a quarter-million workers at larger Connecticut businesses to earn paid sick time that they could use for their own illness, preventive care, care for a family member, or to address needs related to domestic violence or sexual assault.

SB 913 is an excellent, common-sense step toward meeting the needs of Connecticut families. Members of the Joint Committee on Labor and Public Employees did the right thing when they voted earlier this month to advance the bill. And Gov. Dannel Malloy has taken a smart, pro-family, pro-business stand in favor of an earned paid sick days standard.

We know that supporting SB 913 is both pro-family and pro-business because a similar law in San Francisco has shown that a paid-sick-days standard can significantly boost the well-being of working families -- with minimal impact on employers. Bay Area businesses have flourished following the law's implementation. That success has dispelled the specious, sky-is-falling concerns being raised by opponents of the legislation from Connecticut's business lobby.

As members of the General Assembly consider SB 913, they should look at the proven success of paid-sick-days laws and remember what is at stake in this debate for Connecticut's working families and communities. By establishing a paid-sick-days standard, Connecticut can ease the demands on hard-working parents and show that it truly values its families.

Debra L. Ness is the president of the National Partnership for Women and Families. State Rep. Kim Fawcett, of Fairfield, represents Connecticut's 133rd District.