From: Susan Kniep, President
The Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations, Inc. (FCTO)
Website: http://ctact.org/
email: fctopresident@aol.com
860-524-6501
July 4, 2007
Welcome to
Tax Talk 106
Contained in this edition:
- Happy Birthday America
- Government Resources
- Of Historical Significance
- Florence Stahl, an Advocate for Taxpayers of Avon and Connecticut
- Brenda Eames of Thompson expresses her
concerns for the high cost of living in Connecticut
- Kathleen Mitchell of New London continues to provide us with
great resources
- Judges behaving badly
- State of Connecticut: NONRESIDENT PROPERTY OWNERS'
ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE ON A TOWN BUDGET
- Let us remain vigilant as it relates
to the Eminent Domain battle being fought throughout our country
HAPPY
BIRTHDAY AMERICA!
On July 4, 1776,
Democracy was born as we claimed our independence from Britain. Today, as we celebrate this 4th of
July, please join The Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations,
Inc. as we give
thanks to our veterans who fought so gallantly in the past, the many veterans
today who are fighting on foreign soil, and those who have paid the ultimate
price for the freedoms we enjoy. As we
celebrate with our families and friends, let us not forget the ultimate
sacrifice of many mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, wives and
husbands, and daughters and sons who are left with memories of their loved
ones. Yes, we have much to celebrate on
July 4, 2007, but we should never forget and we should always hold in our
hearts the many brave men and women and their families who have risked it all
so that we can enjoy that precious gift of LIBERTY! From Susan Kniep on behalf of all Officers
and Board Members and friends of FCTO.
A special thank
you to Linda for forwarding this wonderful musical tribute to our Flag … Click here: A Tribute to our Flag
Of
Historical Interest...
The
Declaration of Independence of the United States of America
The Constitution of the United States of America
Government
Resources…
The
White House
U.S.
Supreme Court
U.S.
Congress
U.S.
House of Representatives
Virtual
Tour of the U.S. Senate
Our
Nations Top Treasures at the Library of Congress
U.S.
Agencies
*********************
During the next few
weeks, we will be highlighting the Officers and Board Members of
FCTO,
which collectively will be displayed on FCTO’s
website.
In recognition of Florence
(Flo) Stahl,
President of the Avon Taxpayers Association
Florence is a native of Boston, Massachusetts
and a world traveler. She opened her
own resume business, Avon Resume, twenty-two years ago and has an office at Old Avon
Village. In the early 70s, she ran for the Town
Council in Avon and won...the first woman
ever to seek this office. After serving two terms on the Council, she went on
to serve on the Board of Finance and the Water Pollution Control Authority. An
overpriced and overblown Avon High School renovation referendum in 1995 resulted
in the founding of the Avon Taxpayers Association (ATA) with Florence as President, a position she still
holds. In the decade that followed, the ATA spearheaded a change in the Town's
Charter to allow for an automatic referendum on the budget, dramatically
increased transparency in Town reporting, challenged the use of a school
emergency telephone system for political purposes, distributed an annual
booklet showing salaries of all Town employees, and successfully fought
numerous budget and other referendums it deemed excessive. The ATA is
well-known and recognized as an important and integral part of the community.
Yesterday, Florence Stahl flostahl@snet.net was highlighted in a Hartford
Courant article as she works for transparency of union contracts for the
benefit of the taxpayers who financially support these contracts.
Advocate: Taxpayers Out Of Loop
Need Early Details Of Education
Pact
By EZRA R. SILK | Courant Staff Writer
July 3, 2007
http://www.courant.com/news/local/fv/hc-avoflo0703.artjul03,0,5540820.story
AVON - Town
officials should make public details of any contract proposal between the town
and teachers prior to any council vote on that pact, which is the greatest
single expense in the local school budget, the president of the Avon Taxpayers Association said Monday.
Florence Stahl
told the town council that taxpayers deserve full disclosure of the teacher's
union contract prior to town council action on the budget.
"This is unprecedented," she said. "It's never been asked for
before."
Disclosure would
shed light on a major budget item prior to any vote on it, giving taxpayers a
chance to discuss cost and impact of the proposed settlement.
"The school budget accounts for about 70 percent of the entire Avon budget and salary and benefits account for about 80
percent of the school budget," she said. "We believe that kind of
impact deserves special attention and a public airing before being
implemented."
Stahl said the teachers' pact is the only contract that requires town council
review, which provides elected officials an opportunity to discuss the proposal
at a hearing prior to a vote.
According to Stahl, taxpayers are the last to hear about the budget.
"The Board of Education, the superintendent, all the teachers and the
teachers' union - local, state and federal - they all know the details of the
contract," she said. "Taxpayers ... are simply handed the bill."
Stahl aired her worries that "ironclad commitments" to the education
budget would start forcing citizens out of town as municipal expenses and taxes
rise.
"Revaluation and continued home building will bring some relief, but the
situation is ultimately unsustainable," she said. "People have a
right to want to stay in their homes, and to retire with dignity."
Council chairman John Carlson agreed that some information would be useful, but
argued that revealing all details could get messy.
"I don't think that there's a great deal of benefit in getting into
specifics," he said. "As a taxpayer, my concern is what is the total financial impact."
Billy Shea, the only Democrat on the council, agreed that taxpayers should
receive a general understanding of the proposal.
The council did not come to any conclusion on the request, but did agree to
discuss the idea again.
As the council conversed on the first floor of the town hall, police officers
and their families gathered in the basement to celebrate promotions of three
officers.
Community Relations Officer Kelly Walsh and patrol officer Jeff Gilbert were
both promoted to sergeant. Officer Alex "Spec" Monaco was promoted to
detective. He is now the third person with that rank on the Avon
police force.
Chief Mark Rinaldo said that promotions are not
common in the department.
"Promotions usually happen very rarely," he said. "At the
supervisory level things will now be tied up for the next five or six
years."
Brenda Eames,
Thompson, brendaenergy60@yahoo.com
Subject:
PRICES OUT OF CONTROL
June 27, 2007
FCTO Welcomes Brenda Eames of Thompson who shares her
recent editorial with us as it appeared in the Hartford Courant.
Last week, I got a letter from Northeast
Utililites stating that as of June l, my electric budget billing plan will be going up $80.00
a month. I called and all I got was BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. I want to know why our newly elected
politicians who banged on our doors during election time to get our votes
are not doing what they promised. Between gas, food and electricity we are
being bled to death. I'm considering
moving out of the state, because it is getting too expensive to continue living
in Connecticut. Brenda Eames
Kathleen Mitchell orkenizer@gmail.com
of New London writes
I think this is a very good resource for you and your
readers. http://www.sunlightfoundation.com/resources
Thank you Kathleen - The link takes us to websites which
provide transparency of government. It
is indeed a great resource!
Let us remain vigilant as it relates
to the Eminent Domain battle being fought throughout our country …
Continue to refer to the Institute
for Justice for Eminent Domain Issues Nationwide http://www.ij.org/
Bishop's provision for parks passes
Feds won't be
allowed to use public funds for eminent domain
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 06/28/2007
01:13:38 AM MDT WASHINGTON - The U.S. House on Wednesday approved a provision
pushed by Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, to prevent federal agencies from condemning
private land near public parks and monuments.
The amendment to the Interior Appropriations bill prohibits federal
agencies from using any public funds to use eminent domain to take parcels from
a property owner living near federal lands.
While there are legitimate uses for eminent domain, the Department
of the Interior too often uses the threat of condemnation to persuade
landowners into becoming 'willing sellers, Bishop said in a statement. This
amendment removes that threat and protects our constituents. Bishop cited the 2005 U.S. Supreme Court
ruling, Kelo v. The City of New London, that allowed
a government to condemn private land to build commercial enterprises and other
recent abuses of eminent domain as the reason for the amendment. Bishop failed in two other amendments
he pushed. One would have shifted some $32 million in the spending bill to boost
border security on federal lands.
Another amendment that failed would have prohibited funding in the bill from
being given to nonprofit groups that are suing the agency from which they are
seeking the funds. - Thomas
Burr
TX
Gov. and Giuliani financially linked to NAFTA Superhighway and SPP
By thetruthproject
He said Perry's action "left every home, farm, ranch and small-business
owner vulnerable to the abuse of eminent
domain." Earlier, Corsi reported, Perry
vetoed a plan to impose a two-year moratorium on the TTC project. ...
The
TRUTH Project - http://thetruthproject.us
Eminent domain battle resurfaces in Assembly
San Diego Union Tribune - United
States
By Steve Lawrence AP SACRAMENTO - The debate over how much to restrict
government's use of its eminent domain
powers to obtain private property for shopping ...
See all stories on this
topic
Study finds wealthy New
York developer the main source of eminent
...
Capitol Weekly - Sacramento,CA,USA
By Malcolm Maclachlan Howard Rich was the six million
dollar man of eminent domain
measures last year, according to a new report from the National Institute ...
See all stories on this
topic
Jun
28th 2007
From The Economist print edition
http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9413718
NONRESIDENT
PROPERTY OWNERS' ELIGIBILITY
TO VOTE ON A TOWN
BUDGET
By: Kristin
Sullivan, Associate Analyst
State of Connecticut
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2006/rpt/2006-R-0469.htm
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2004/rpt/2004-R-0662.htm
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2003/rpt/2003-R-0126.htm