Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations

Although I am not privy to the offense that drew the interest of the FBI to Democratic Speaker of the House Chris Donovan's campaign for Congress, make no mistake, federal investigations and prosecutions cannot begin without a solid allegation being lodged. There are no "fishing expeditions" allowed in federal corruption cases.

June 8, 2012

From The Federation of Connecticut

Taxpayer Organizations, Inc.
Contact Susan Kniep, President

Website: http://ctact.org/
Email: fctopresident@aol.com

Telephone: 860-841-8032

Saturday, June 9, at 8 AM

Dan debuts on CTTalking.com LIVE

Live Internet radio show to premier Saturday on CTTalking Posted by Dan Lovallo on Jun 06, 2012 | 5 Comments� As promised, the debut of CTTalking LIVE on cttalking.com will be this Saturday at 8 AM. Hosted by Dan Lovallo, the program will feature Dan�s comments and viewers telephone calls. Those watching and listening to the program on cttalking.com will be able to call 860-331-TALK to discuss issues with Dan. They will also be able to give their opinions by way of a chat box on the screen. Just log in to cttalking.com to watch, hear and participate in the show.

*************************

From Hartford Magazine: Top Towns �By Jane Dee�� If you were a a town, what kind of town would you be? �Where does your town - Click� �more to view the specifics on your town�.

Town overall rankings:

1 Simsbury

2 Avon

3 Burlington**

3 Glastonbury**

5 Farmington**

5 South Windsor**

7 Granby

8 Marlborough

9 Suffield

10 East Granby

11 Canton

11 Middletown

13 Hebron

14 Cromwell

15 Berlin

16 Rocky Hill

16 Windsor

18 West Hartford

19 Southington

20 Newington

21 Wethersfield

22 Bloomfield

23 Manchester

24 East Windsor

25 Windsor Locks

26 Plainville

27 Enfield

28 East Hartford

29 New Britain

30 Hartford

*************************

The cost of lobbying education reform: Millions By Jacqueline Rabe Thomas CTMirror.org More than $3 million was spent lobbying both sides of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's education reform package during the 2012 legislative session. And at least one good government organization is concerned that not every lobbying group is required by law to report the sources of the money. Active groups this year included teachers' unions fighting the governor's education package and national and state education reform groups, which supported the governor's proposals to limit collective bargaining rights in the lowest-performing schools and links tenure and dismissal decisions to student performance. The legislature approved a modified package that, among other changes, transformed how teachers get tenure. Continued at �..� http://www.ctmirror.org/story/16576/cost-reforming-education

*************************

Donovan Donors Mum On $2,500 Checks by Register Citizen
Posted: Jun 8, 2012 7:46am� By Mary E. O�Leary and and Michelle Tuccitto-Sullo, Staff Reporters� An alleged scheme to hide the identity of some donors to Chris Donovan�s 5th District congressional campaign, detailed in a federal affidavit, centers on eight checks for $2,500 each that were cut in April and May.� Congressional candidate Chris Donovan (center) speaks to the press in front of his campaign headquarters in Meriden on June 3, 2012.� In Donovan�s pre-convention report filed with the Federal Elections Commission May 2 and covering the dates from April 1 to April 24, there are four checks in that amount, all dated April 11.� Continued at �. http://ct5thdistrict.registercitizen.com/2012/06/07/donors-to-chris-donovans-5th-district-campaign-refuse-to-explain-2500-checks/

Chris Donovan � Who ELSE is Giving to His Campaign? | The - Blogs By Matthew Kauffman On June 8, 2012 � Leave a Comment ��A devastating federal arrest warrant lays out an alleged scheme to funnel illegal campaign contributions to Connecticut House Speaker Chris Donovan, the endorsed Democratic candidate for the 5th District Congressional seat. Multiple stories in the Courant have the details on tens of thousands of dollars allegedly accepted by the campaign�s finance director, Robert Braddock Jr., in the belief it was cash coming indirectly from businesses with an interest in a bill before the legislature. Braddock is under arrest. Donovan waited days to step to the microphone. And Connecticut residents are left wondering how much might be for sale in state government. Continued at �.. http://courantblogs.com/investigative-reporting/chris-donovan-who-else-is-giving-to-his-campaign/

6/8/2012-Time For A Presser By Bob Englehart� 4:27 p.m. EDT, June 7, 2012 Hartford Courant� If Speaker of the Connecticut House Chris Donovan would just call a press conference and answer every reporter's question, it would go a long way to end the aroma swirling around him in this scandal. As they said about President Nixon, what did he know and when did he stop knowing it? Continued at �.. http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/cartoons/hc-speaker-of-the-house-chris-donovan-20120607,0,1602495.story

Wisconsin Fallout: Will Chris Donovan's labor union support hurt his ...‎ 5th District bid?

From Inevitable to Questionable: Connecticut's Newest ...‎ Congressional Conflagration�

June 5, 2012 Huffington Post

**************************

Five 'Stand Your Ground' Cases You Should Know About by Suevon Lee | @suevlee ProPublica �June 8, 2012 Trayvon Martin is far from the only shooting in which the controversial law has been at issue. ��Continued at �.. http://www.propublica.org/article/five-stand-your-ground-cases-you-should-know-about

More coverage: The 24 States That Have Sweeping Self-Defense Laws Just Like Florida's

**************************

The Beginning Of The Long Decline Of The Public-Sector Union ...

Ending Coerced Dues Collection Made The Difference In Wisconsin �..By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER,� 06/07/2012 ��as the recall campaign progressed, the Democrats stopped talking about bargaining rights. It was a losing issue. Walker was able to make the case that years of corrupt union-politician back-scratching had been bankrupting the state. And he had just enough time to demonstrate the beneficial effects of overturning that arrangement: a huge budget deficit closed without raising taxes, significant school-district savings from ending cozy insider health-insurance contracts, and a modest growth in jobs. But the real threat behind all this was that the new law ended automatic government collection of union dues. That was the unexpressed and politically inexpressible issue. Without the thumb of the state tilting the scale by coerced collection, union membership became truly voluntary. Result? Newly freed members rushed for the exits. In less than one year, AFSCME, the second largest public-sector union in Wisconsin, has lost more than 50% of its membership. Continued at �.. http://news.investors.com/article/614094/201206071830/public-employee-unions-on-their-way-down.htm

*************************

Approval Rating for Supreme Court Hits Just 44% in Poll - NYTimes ...� By ADAM LIPTAK and ALLISON KOPICKI� Published: June 7, 2012 NY Times WASHINGTON � Just 44 percent of Americans approve of the job the Supreme Court is doing and three-quarters say the justices� decisions are sometimes influenced by their personal or political views, according to a poll conducted by The New York Times and CBS News. Continued at �.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/08/us/politics/44-percent-of-americans-approve-of-supreme-court-in-new-poll.html?pagewanted=all

*************************

Lobby E-Mails Show Depth of Obama Ties to Drug Industry �By PETER BAKER�� June 8, 2012�� WASHINGTON � After weeks of quiet talks, drug industry lobbyists were growing nervous. If they were to cut a deal with the White House on overhauling health care, they needed to be sure President Obama would stop a proposal by his liberal allies intended to bring down medicine prices. On June 3, 2009, one of the lobbyists e-mailed Nancy-Ann DeParle, the president�s top health care adviser. Ms. DeParle sent a message back reassuring the lobbyist. Although Mr. Obama was overseas, she wrote, she and other top officials had �made decision, based on how constructive you guys have been, to oppose importation on the bill.� Continued at �.. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/09/us/politics/e-mails-reveal-extent-of-obamas-deal-with-industry-on-health-care.html?_r=1&hp

*************************

ND Supreme Court rejects property tax lawsuit �NECN� BISMARCK, ND (AP)Jun 7, 2012 9:28pm� BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) � Advocates of eliminating North Dakota property taxes do not have authority to sue public officials whom they believe are illegally spending taxpayers' money to campaign against the idea, the North Dakota Supreme Court concluded. http://www.necn.com/06/07/12/ND-Supreme-Court-rejects-property-tax-la/landing_politics.html?&apID=a9693ecae9614cc1bee5b637cc49f620

*************************