Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations

Special recognition of Connecticut State Representative Shawn Williams
Officials Say Flaws at Polls Will Remain in November
Washington's ultimate solution - How to solve the financial crisis? Play for time, pray for markets to turn State of Connecticut�s Budget
New Haven: Despite tax payment, threats sent
When will Public Labor Costs Exceed Taxpayers� Ability to Pay? By Lew Andrews, Yankee Institute
Tom Ahern, Board Member of FCTO writes:� HOW WILL WE COPE
New York School Tax Cap Approved by Senate
Oil's Washington juggernaut
How to Burn the Speculators
Town of Residence of Inmates Incarcerated in Connecticut
Dodd Deal: Extra Perks On Mortgages by Courant Columnist K. Rennie
The Depleted Uranium Threat by Thomas D. Williams
U.S. May Ease Police Spy Rules
Democrats waver over offshore drilling ban
NOW: The Border Fence
Kremlin Signs Truce but Resists Quick Pullout

Officials Say Flaws at Polls Will Remain in November Flaws in voting machines used by millions of people will not be fixed in time for the presidential election because of a government backlog in testing the machines� hardware and software, officials say. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/16/us/politics/16vote.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

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Washington's ultimate solution

How to solve the financial crisis? Play for time, pray for markets to turn.

By Allan Sloan, senior editor at large

Last Updated: August 18, 2008: 10:56 AM EDT

�(Fortune Magazine) -- These are the dog days of summer, the height of our national vacation season. But instead of hitting the beach, people in Washington and on Wall Street are spending their days all atwitter with ideas of what new regulations and rules and controls we need to deal with our financial market meltdowns, the worst since the Great Depression almost 80 years ago.� http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/15/news/economy/Sloan_washingtons_solution.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2008081810

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New Haven: Despite tax payment, threats sent

By Elizabeth Benton, Register Staff, 08/19/2008 http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20080078&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=635049&rfi=6

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WHEN WILL PUBLIC LABOR COSTS EXCEED TAXPAYERS� ABILITY TO PAY?

By Lew Andrews, Yankee Institute

The Yankee Institute for Public Policy released, The Coming Showdown with Public Labor . Authored by Yankee�s executive director Lewis M. Andrews, the paper examines how the costs at all levels of government are soaring outrageously out of control. Andrews says, �Politicians will soon be forced to take the only action that can guarantee continued delivery of public services at a reasonable cost: create laws to make the public sector more efficient and effective.�

There are many examples of how streamlining government can bring expenses in line with revenues. For example, in 1984 New Zealand initiated a sweeping privatization of national and regional services to forestall national bankruptcy. Workers in transportation were reduced from 5,600 to 53, in forest services from 17,000 to 17, and in the national Ministry of Works from 28,000 to 1 � all with no loss of service or safety to the public.

The major roadblock to importing these kinds of savings to America is resistance from public employee unions, which have become accustomed to extracting generous benefits from politicians without having to give much in return. State government workers collect nearly 50 percent more in total compensation than the average private sector employee, with taxpayers subsidizing 128 percent more than private employers to fund health care benefits and 162 percent more on retirement benefits.

Budget pressures have occasionally forced politicians to make modest demands for increased productivity, and the response from public employees has been less than generous � consider the 2005 holiday transit strike in New York City and repeated threats of illegal walkouts by nurses throughout the University of California system.

In a world where an Internet course can substitute for a live teacher, where technology is cutting the length of hospital stays and where Web-enabled technology can ease the impact of government workforce reductions, the bargaining position of monopoly labor is slowly but surely eroding.

Eventually, Public employees will need to recognize that they too have a vested interest in the productivity changes necessary to resolve the debt crisis, especially at the local level where state legislatures have considerable latitude to restructure failing municipalities by rewriting union contracts. This has already happened in cities like Springfield, Massachusetts and San Diego, California.

Even without the threat of bankruptcy, officials in Texas, Oregon, and Rhode Island have challenged longstanding labor agreements. Although politicians are afraid to discuss it, most know that a showdown between government workers and taxpayers is but a few years away � and that economics dictate only the taxpayers can prevail.

Lew Uhler, President of The National Tax Limitation Committee in Roseville, California said, �Andrews points the way for 'right sizing' public employee salaries and benefits� Public employee unions stand between taxpayers and reform and will be brought to reality 'kicking and screaming'. We taxpayers have to be smarter and tougher than those who direct the unions of our public employees. The Yankee Institute will help lead the way.�

To download a FREE copy of The Coming Showdown with Public Labor , CLICK HERE http://www.yankeeinstitute.org/main/article.php?article_id=144.

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From:� Tom Ahern, Board Member of FCTO

Resident of New Haven

Subject:� Email to Town Officials - HOW WILL WE COPE�

How will we handle the probability of another 20% City Property� tax increase next Spring?� And the possibility of another 20%� the following year?� Home owners are facing� $4.00 fuel oil costs, food inflation and the 10% - 15%� recent City tax increase, with the prospect of a current City budget deficit of nearly $6 million .� Where is this City going?� Does anyone care?�

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The questions raised by Tom Ahern above are being raised throughout the state by local taxpayers.� In response to the above, Governor Rell does care as evidenced by her proposal to require a local property tax cap.� Read the following to learn what is happening in New York State�.

NEW YORK SCHOOL TAX CAP APPROVED BY SENATE

New York State Senate Approved a School Tax Cap. Now it Heads to NY State Legislature as the teacher�s union seeks is demise�.

State Senate OKs school tax cap; Assembly awaits

BY JAMES T. MADORE | james.madore@newsday.com

8:12 PM EDT, August 8, 2008

ALBANY - The State Senate Friday adopted Gov. David A. Paterson's controversial 4 percent cap on yearly increases in school property taxes, though its fate in the Assembly remains uncertain. The tax cap, opposed by the powerful teachers' union, passed in a 38-20 vote after nearly two hours of debate in which senators attempted to score points in advance of the fall elections. The Senate is the sole power base for Republicans in the Capitol, but their majority has shrunk to a single seat. http://www.newsday.com/news/local/state/ny-stcap0809,0,5040473.story

N.Y. Considers Property Tax Cap

Plattsburgh, New York - August 11, 2008

The N.Y. Legislature will vote on a 4 percent property tax cap during a special session next week. But many residents say they need relief now.

Since 2002, taxes in the city of Plattsburgh have shot up 80 percent-- and that doesn't include water and sewer charges.

Escalating state and local government spending is blamed for much of the tax jumps. State mandates on towns are also a growing financial burden for them. Taxpayers are fed up and say it just has to stop. http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=8823630&nav=menu183_2

Tuesday, August 12, 2008 - 11:45 AM EDT

Groups opposing property tax cap launch ad campaign

http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2008/08/11/daily15.html

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Oil's Washington juggernaut

Under fire for high gas prices, the industry is spending record amounts on influence in Washington. Plus: How it's playing in the presidential race.

By Steve Hargreaves, CNNMoney.com staff writer, Last Updated: August 19, 2008: 11:28 AM EDT As angry voters spark a barrage of energy bills in Congress, the oil industry is spending record amounts of money protecting its interests. In what may be surprising to some, the most recent figures from the Center for Responsive Politics show that the oil industry gives a relatively small sum to individual political campaigns - it's 16th on a list of top 50 industries. But when it comes to lobbying - and spending money that goes toward researching, writing and convincing lawmakers to vote its way - the industry ranks fifth. If the spending continues at the current pace, the industry is set to break last year's $83 million record. http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/19/news/economy/oil_money/index.htm?postversion=2008081911

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How to Burn the Speculators

Whenever economies sour, politicians blame speculators. But on occasion, they are right to do so. Speculators did wreak havoc in 1630s Holland, 1720s France, and in the American stock market in 1929. That crash led to the Great Depression and 60 years of tight controls on speculation. Now, thanks to our 30-year infatuation with free markets, the controls are off, and the mad gamblers are at it again. http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2008/09/exit-strategy-how-to-burn-the-speculators.html

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TOWN OF RESIDENCE OF INCARCERATED INMATES

Produced by the State of Connecticut�s

Office of Legislative Research

Click to view the Connecticut town of residence of inmates currently incarcerated in Connecticut:� http://www.cga.ct.gov/2008/rpt/2008-R-0228.htm

Connectiut Sex Offender List

http://www.sor.state.ct.us/pls/sor/wsor$offender.startup?Z_CHK=0

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Courant.com

Dodd Deal: Extra Perks On Mortgages

Kevin Rennie, August 17, 2008, Hartford Courant

No wonder Sen. Christopher Dodd won't release documents related to the $800,000 in cut-rate mortgages he got in 2003 from Countrywide Financial, once the nation's largest mortgage lender.� The primary cause of the collapse of the mortgage industry is banks and borrowers who ignored standard rules of sound and responsible lending. Thousands of lenders duped ignorant borrowers and conspired with sophisticated, grasping ones to flout rules in order to create loans with terms they would not normally have obtained. Op Ed continued at the following website�..

http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/op_ed/hc-rennie0817.artaug17,0,5925026,print.column

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Mr. Williams is well known for his excellent work as an investigative journalist� for the Hartford Courant,� from which he retired.�� He now writes for independent news sources such as Truthout and the following is a most recent article by him�

The Depleted Uranium Threat by Thomas D. Williams, for Truthout: "While attempting to act as the planet's nuclear watchdogs, the United States and Great Britain have become two of the world's largest, cancer-causing radiated dust and rusty depleted uranium projectile polluters. Using tanks and planes, the US and British military have fired hundreds of tons of radioactive depleted uranium munitions (DU) while fighting the first Gulf War, the Balkans War, and the more recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. For two decades, successive US and British government leadership has done little overall to clean up the hazardous war waste." http://www.truthout.org/article/the-depleted-uranium-threat

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U.S. May Ease Police Spy Rules

More Federal Intelligence Changes Planned, By Spencer S. Hsu and Carrie Johnson

Washington Post Staff Writers� Saturday, August 16, 2008; Page A01

The Justice Department has proposed a new domestic spying measure that would make it easier for state and local police to collect intelligence about Americans, share the sensitive data with federal agencies and retain it for at least 10 years. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/15/AR2008081503497.html

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Democrats waver over offshore drilling ban By Paul Harris in New York� The Observer ,� Sunday August 17 2008

Article history

Under fire from Republicans, top Democratic politicians in the United States are considering lifting a ban on new offshore oil drilling. The issue is now at the forefront of the presidential election, as Republican candidate John McCain has made allowing new drilling one of the centrepieces of his campaign, claiming that it will help drive down petrol prices. Democrats have hitherto said new drilling would do little to relieve consumer pain at the pump, accusing Republicans of misleading the public and being a pawn of big oil companies. Yet signs are emerging that they are easing their opposition to the comprehensive ban.� Last week House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would consider allowing a congressional vote on the issue if drilling was part of a wider energy plan that also focused on promoting alternative energy sources. Pelosi told a television interviewer that she would consider a vote, but 'it has to be part of something that says we want to bring immediate relief to the public, and not just a hoax'. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/17/johnmccain.barackobama

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Kremlin Signs Truce but Resists Quick Pullout

By CLIFFORD J. LEVY and C.J. CHIVERS,Published: August 16, 2008

MOSCOW � Russia�s president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, on Saturday signed a revised framework for a deal to halt the fighting in neighboring Georgia, which has stirred some of the deepest divisions between world powers since the cold war. But the Kremlin then indicated that despite the accord�s approval, it would not immediately pull its troops from the country. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/world/europe/17georgia.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

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NOW: The Border Fence Saturday 16 August 2008

by: NOW, t r u t h o u t | Programming Note � This week's NOW on PBS: Is America's border fence working, or an utter waste? Next on NOW What's "really" going on with the federal fence-building project along America's southern border? On the Left and on the Right, it's making people very angry. Are private contractors making billions on a project that won't work? �. Turns out the fence -- which will cover less than half of the actual border -- inexplicably cuts through the middle of some properties, while leaving others untouched. Many question if it can keep people from sneaking in at all.

See the entire show RIGHT NOW at: http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/432/index.html