Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations

On Friday July 16, 2004 the Town of Wethersfield and the Town Council were served with a complaint seeking an order from the Superior Court compelling this Council to follow the requirements of the Town Charter, and to put the proposed ordinances concerning Athletic Field Lights and Artificial Turf to a vote, and to allow the taxpayers of Wethersfield to voice their position on these two important proposals.

In May 2004 WTXA collected over 1100 signatures, some 250 in excess of the 850� needed to require the Council to put the two proposed ordinances to a citizens vote. The Democratic majority and Republican John Cascio, refused and voted not to accept the petitions certified by our Town Clerk, thereby, deciding in effect not to follow the requirements of the Town Charter. Councilwomen Czernicki and Hemmann's "nay" votes were in support of the Petitions intent. We are therefore asking a judge of the Superior Court to enter an order requiring this Council to act in accordance with the charter, and to put these issues to the electors on November 2, 2004.

A Writ of Mandamus is a rarely used remedy and is authorized by Connecticut General Statutes, Section 23 - 45 and following:

"A writ of mandamus is a writ which will issue only to enforce a clear legal right where the person to whom it is addressed is under a legal obligation to perform the act commanded, the person bringing the action has a clear legal interest to have the act performed, and there is no other adequate remedy."

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Flawed State Contract Process Needs Real Reform
June 30, 2004
William A. Aniskovich,

R-Branford, Republican minority leader pro tempore of the state Senate.
Hartford Courant Editorial

This week's final report of the Select Committee of Inquiry exposed a shadowy world of cozy relationships between would-be contractors and willing state agency heads in a position to make those contractors - and themselves -rich.�
It exposed a closed-door state government that could be manipulated by bureaucrats eager to pick winners and losers, based not on who could deliver the best product, but on who could deliver the most lucre. The panel revealed a system that was not in the best interests of those it was intended to serve - the public.�
The report - and boxes of documents collected by the committee's staff - offers a clear view of how state government interacts with the private sector and how hundreds of millions of dollars can change hands improperly under the banner of "economic development" and "urban revitalization."�� Even the attorney general's office - charged with the responsibility of signing off on all major state contracts - could not ferret out what we now know was occurring as a routine matter.� The legislature took some steps to clean up the state contracting process this session. Public Act 04-245 makes a number of positive changes. Public officials will be required to provide more specific disclosures of potential conflicts. Companies bidding on state contracts must present affidavits that their employees have not given any gifts to state officials in a position to influence awards. State officials must certify that no contract selections were based on collusion or gift-giving activities.� Combined with enhanced ethics provisions, the legislature made a good first step to clean up state government. Yet Connecticut already has some of the toughest ethics and disclosure laws in the country. Using the information gathered from the Select Committee report, we must now follow up and take the next step.� We need clear new laws to ensure that instances such as the one that resulted in the award of the $57 million juvenile detention facility in Middletown to a favored state contractor never happen again. The so-called fast tracking of projects - signed off on by the legislature - should be eliminated.� Allowing a potential bidder to enjoy a highly competitive advantage over rivals by taking part in the bid-specification process - as was the case in the Middletown project - must be abolished.�� The entire bidding process, from the moment the state advertises for proposals to the day a contract is awarded, must be transparent. That includes re-examination of such policies as relying on an increasingly subjective "design build" concept that does not result in contracts going to the lowest or most-qualified bidder.�� These initiatives will go a long way toward restoring government integrity and winning back public confidence that has sagged since this sordid scandal broke.�� It is up to federal investigators to conclude whether anyone is guilty of criminal wrongdoing. This process may take months, if not years. The legislature should not wait to clean up our contracting process.�� The Committee of Inquiry and its staff have painted a picture of corruption that we must not ignore. The committee's report unveiled a subculture of doing business that has destroyed careers and tarnished the state's image.�� Restoring our image as a state will not flow from flowery speeches of bipartisanship and promises of political honeymoons. Integrity in the contracting process requires concrete legal reforms. The time has come for the legislature to practice what it collectively preaches. If not now, when? �William A. Aniskovich, R-Branford, is Republican minority leader pro tempore of the state Senate.

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Susan Kniep, fctopresident@ctact.org

Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations, Inc.

Connecticut Teachers' Salaries, Third-Highest In Country
5:52 PM EDT,July 15, 2004, Associated Press

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Connecticut's teachers earned an average of $53,962 last year, a salary that ranks them among the highest paid in the country and the highest in the Northeast region. Refer to FCTO�s website, ctact.org, for complete article on our Home Page.

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Susan Kniep, fctopresident@ctact.org

Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations, Inc.

On June 23, 2004, FCTO directed a letter to Governor Jodi Rell suggesting swift action on State Ethics Laws.� The following articles are of interest.� Please note, however, that our ethic laws must continue to be strengthened to include giving the Chief State�s Attorney subpoena power.�

Rell Signs Ethics Executive Order

Stamford Advocate; Associated Press - Published on: 7/1/2004

Week of: July 5, 2004 - Connecticut

Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell's first official act was to sign an executive order designed to toughen Connecticut's ethics rules following the corruption scandal involving former Gov. John Rowland. Rell said she wanted to set the tone for her new administration, promising to restore faith, integrity, and honor to state government. Rowland came under fire for accepting gifts from state contractors and friends. The order requires all state officials who review, award, or monitor government contracts to file detailed personal financial statements with the Connecticut Ethics Commission within the next 30 days. State contractors will be required to disclose all political contributions to state office candidates. The order also creates a special counsel for ethics compliance who will advise Rell on ethics laws.

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Tougher Ethics Laws Take Effect as Rell is Sworn in

Boston Globe - Published on: 7/1/2004

Week of: July 5, 2004 - Connecticut

Connecticut Gov. John Rowland's resignation amid an ethics scandal becomes official just as tougher state ethics laws take effect. The changes, passed in response to the problems in the governor's office, include increasing the maximum ethics fine from $2,000 to $10,000 and increasing the statute of limitations for filing ethics complaints from three to five years. Ethics code violations, which had been a misdemeanor, would become a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison. Gov. Jodi Rell said she intends to make ethics a hallmark of her administration. Rell has announced she will create a new ethics czar position within the governor's office to advise the executive branch. "This appointment will guarantee a constant and serious focus on the spirit � [and] � the letter of all ethics laws and regulations," said Rell.

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Tina of East Windsor sent the following to me.� If anyone is aware of a taxpayer group forming in East Windsor, please let me know.�� Susan Kniep�� fctopresident@ctact.org

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I heard Susan on the radio this morning and I would like to join, I live in East Windsor I notice it does not have a local chapter -only Windsor- when is your next big meeting, I notice the last one was in June, thanks Tina

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