Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations

A sincere thank you to Sandra Feld ( is@feldclan.com ) of the Concerned Southington Residents group for alerting FCTO to the following Public Hearing.�� I contacted the Governor�s office and suggested this information be put on Governor� Rell�s� website.�� This appears to be the only hearing to be held in the State.� Please circulate among your members, family and friends.�� Susan Kniep
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Governor Rell Announces Southington to Host

Public Hearing on Education Funding

Date and Time:� June 15th at 7:00 p.m.

Location:� Southington High School, 720 Pleasant St, Southington

�Directions:� http://www.southingtonschools.org/page.cfm?p=104

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Governor M. Jodi Rell announced today that the Commission on Education Finance, a bi-partisan task force charged with bringing more equity to the distribution of school funding to cities and towns will hold a public hearing at Southington High School on June 15th, at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be the public�s chance to voice their own concerns about inequities in state funding for local education costs, particularly the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grant.

�I encourage all concerned parents, teachers, and taxpayers to attend this public hearing in Southington and provide the commission with their own unique perspective on the ECS formula, particularly with their ideas for how it can be improved,� said Governor Rell. �It is almost universally agreed upon that the ECS formula is broken, but now we have the opportunity to finally fix it, and I hope the public will be involved.�

The Governor�s Commission on Education Finance first convened in January with the goal of finding solutions to the disparities in aid to municipalities and in finding additional resources for cash-strapped cities that often feel pitted against wealthier towns due to differences in property tax receipts. The public hearing in Southington is the only meeting scheduled for input from the general public.

�I would like to thank commissioner Sam Caligiuri for suggesting Southington High School as a good location for this hearing, and for working with the school and local officials to organize the event,� added Governor Rell. �We are hopeful that Southington�s central location will enable as many of the state�s concerned parents and taxpayers to attend.�

ECS has been the major distribution vehicle for education funding since the Connecticut Supreme Court�s Horton vs. Meskill decision of the 1970s. The formula, which has more than 20 components, is tinkered with almost annually by the General Assembly.

The task force membership is comprised of Education Commissioner Betty Sternberg; Portland First Selectwoman Susan Bransfield; Sam S.F. Caligiuri, former acting mayor of Waterbury; Madison First Selectman Tom Scarpati; Thomas C. Foley, chairman of the NTC Group Inc., Greenwich; Lawrence DeNardis, president emeritus of the University of New Haven; Steve Cassano, former Manchester mayor and executive director of the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding; Rosemary Coyle, executive director of the Connecticut Education Association; William Smith, president of the Council of Small Towns and town manager of Granby; Jim Finley, Connecticut Conference of Municipalities; Arleen Pedone, member of the Bethel Board of Education and the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education; East Hartford Mayor Melody Currey; Allan Taylor, chairman of the State Board of Education; Frank Sippy, superintendent of Regional School District #15; Bobby Poole, executive director of the Community Action Agency of Danbury; Ms. Thomasina Clemons; Mr. Jeffrey A. Klaus; State Representative Betty Boukus (22nd District, Bristol, New Britain, Plainville); State Representative Marilyn Giuliano (23rd District, Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Westbrook) and General Assembly Education Committee Chairs and Ranking Members: Senator Thomas Gaffey, Representative Andrew Fleischmann, Senator Thomas Herlihy, and Representative David Labriola.

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MUNICIPAL ETHICS FORUM BY COMMON CAUSE

JUNE 28 at 7 PM, United Church, 323 Temple Street, New Haven

From:� Andy Sauer, Executive Director, �asauer@commoncause.org

Common Cause Connecticut, 55 Oak St., Hartford, CT 06106

phone - (860) 549-1220; Website:� http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=1699613

Greetings,� There will be another Municipal Ethics Forum, similiar to the Suffield meeting, in New Haven on June 28 at 7 p.m. at the United Church on the Green, 323 Temple St.� Hope you can make it.� Andy

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Again, FCTO extends its appreciation to Donna McCalla for the extensive work she has done on behalf of Connecticut taxpayers in compiling the attached Ct Tax Increase Comparisons Worksheet.� In addition, Donna�s website provides a compilation of news reports on what is happening in towns throughout Connecticut on budget related issues.� http://www.hebrondollarsandsense.com/state/index.php

From:� Donna McCalla, ctjodi@sbcglobal.net

Hebron Dollars and Sense� http://www.hebrondollarsandsense.com/

Subject:� CT Tax Increase Comparisons Spreadsheet as of 6/4/06

June 4, 2006

Hi, all.� I am attaching the updated CT Tax Increase Comparisons Spreadsheet, updated as of today.� There is still data missing, but much has been added since the last release two weeks ago.

Based on the data collected so far, there are now 114 approved municipal and regional school budgets, and there have been 56 defeated budget proposals (that number includes multiple referenda.)� The average tax increase for the approved budgets is 4.40%; the average tax increase for all defeated budgets is 5.86%.� Several towns are skewing both numbers, as shown on Tab 3 (�06-07 By Result�.)� If we regress the data to take out the five highest and five lowest budgets (both approved and defeated), we see that the average defeated budget proposal is a 5.17% tax increase, and the average approved budget amount is a 4.33% tax increase.�

There are 104 municipalities and Regional School Districts that passed their budget the first time around (either by referendum or by a funding authority in which residents do not vote on budgets.)� This is open to interpretation, since the Waterbury budget approved by the Board of Aldermen has just been rejected by the Oversight Committee.� Seven towns passed their budget on the second try (Tolland, Farmington, Canton, Suffield, Ledyard, Preston, and Berlin.)� Two towns passed on the third try (Newtown and Plainville), and one town has passed a budget on the fourth try (Monroe.)

A number of towns are facing their third budget vote, which is the data point of most interest at this stage of the budget season:� Bolton, Bethel, Brookfield, Colchester, East Hampton, Ellington, Killingly, Plymouth, Region 10, Region 13, Seymour, Sprague, and Stonington.� This far surpasses the number of towns facing their third budget vote at this time last year.� The state continues to trend upward in terms of increasing budget defeats, and increasingly higher numbers of referenda required to pass budgets.� In my June 3 email last year: �4 budgets have passed on the third vote, yet 10 municipalities are facing a third vote.� Even if we assume all 10 pass, that would mean 14 budgets went three rounds this year, which is significantly higher than last year�s 10 budgets that went to three votes.�� One year later, we have already have 15 towns at a minimum that could pass on Round Three, but I expect that number to go higher, probably 20 or 21, in looking at the situation in a number of town budget debates today.

As always, if you can help fill in some of the data, or provide corrections to the data I have, I would greatly appreciate it.� Thanks, Donna�

Click Here to Down load the file (xls spreadsheet)

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Congratulations to Flo Stahl, President of the Avon Taxpayers Association and a Board Member of FCTO for pursuing the issue of taxpayer dollars being used by school systems to subtly promote their agenda.�

Tax Group Complains To State, School Officials Accused Of Misusing System, May 25, 2006, By DANIEL P. JONES, Courant Staff Writer AVON -- http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-avocomplaint0525.artmay25,0,5476561.story?coll=hc-headlines-local

The head of the local taxpayers' association has complained to state election authorities that town officials have used an automated telephone messaging system in the schools for "political" purposes by urging parents to attend budget hearings and vote on referendums. Local education officials say they have done nothing wrong and that informing parents about upcoming votes or budget hearings - without advocating a particular position or telling people how to vote - is allowed under the law.� Those officials say that the State Elections Enforcement Commission's own website says that a notice limited to the time, place and the question to be voted on in a referendum can be sent to parents.�� Florence Stahl, president of the Avon Taxpayers Association, sent a complaint to the enforcement commission this week.� In her complaint, addressed to executive director Jeffrey Garfield, Stahl said the school district's automated phone system can send a voice message to thousands of parents, guardians or caregivers to warn of a fire, power outage, storm closing, bus problem or other situation involving their children in the schools.�� "Who wouldn't approve of such a program designed to protect our most precious resource?" Stahl said. "But this marvelous high-tech tool is also being used to generate political `wake-up' calls to the above-mentioned parents and caregivers. This one segment of Avon's population receives automated calls before budget hearings, town meetings and referendums."�� Garfield said Wednesday that his office had not received the complaint, but that it would be reviewed when it arrived. Peggy Roell, chairwoman of the board of education, defended the use of the phone system to inform parents.� "We believe the message was not advocacy because it complied with the clear advice on the State Elections Enforcement Commission's website," she said. "The message was limited to date, time, location and question to be voted."�� In a recent exchange of e-mail messages with Stahl, Richard Kisiel, Avon's school superintendent, said that the phone message system was installed in November as a means of contacting parents in case of emergencies. In January, for example, Kisiel was able to contact parents of Roaring Brook School students to tell them school was canceled for a day because there was no power in the building.� "Having addressed the reason for the installation of the communication system, I suspect that the question behind your email addresses is: Can a building principal or I use the system to notify parents regarding a referendum?" Kisiel wrote to Stahl several weeks ago. "I believe the answer is yes, but this announcement like any email, website presentation, or written announcement must not advocate a position."�� The $62 million town budget for 2006-07 was approved in a referendum May 10. About 17 percent of eligible voters went to the polls.

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Property Taxes are Communism
Hammer of Truth - USA
... A nearly $3,000 bill for property taxes! This amount will only cover six months! Keene�s property taxes are so high, it�s like paying rent again. ...

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Chicoine, RDChicoine@msn.com

Coventry Taxpayer Association

Subject: Coventry Town Budget

June 7, 2006

Hi, Sue:� Nothing much is going on in Coventry these days. The town budget was passed on the first try with an 3.86% tax increase. This was due to the council cutting the original tax increase (7.7%) in half and having the manager find where to cut ( reduce the rate of growth) in spending. On Monday night the council on a bipartisan vote voted to have a passive drug sniffing dog for the police department. The dog will be another tool the police will have for law enforcement in town. The council has done and will do further restructuring in town agencies, boards and commissions That is about it from here� Ray Chicoine

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IMMIGRATION DEBATE

Local Governments Support�_Illegals, by Fred Lucas, Jun 02, 2006

Among the many items that the Senate's "comprehensive" immigration reform bill, supported by President Bush, failed to address was whether local governments could continue to force taxpayers to subsidize illegal behavior. That's happening across the United States, and it is a growing trend.�� Continued at the following website:� http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=15274

Illegals' tax deal could kill bill, By Charles Hurt, THE WASHINGTON TIMES, June 2, 2006� http://www.washtimes.com/national/20060602-121142-2773r.htm

Still Dodging Immigration's Truths, By Robert J. Samuelson, �May 17, 2006; Page A23� http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/16/AR2006051601367.html

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FCTO is indebted to Judy Aron and Theresa McGrath who have been keeping us current on Educational Issues.� As the Connecticut Legislature debates the issue of Connecticut taxpayers financing the cost to educate 3 and 4 year old preschoolers, we appreciate Judy Aron keeping us current on how this issue is being addressed in California.� Below� Judy also provides us with insight into issues surrounding home schooling and Why Parents are Pressured into Giving their Children Mind Altering Drugs.� ���Thank you again Judy!� Susan Kniep

Judy Aron, imjfaron@sbcglobal.net

West Hartford Taxpayers Association

California Voters Reject Prop. 82, By Dana Hull, Mercury News, June 7, 2006

California voters soundly rejected Proposition 82 Tuesday, crushing the hopes of early childhood education advocates who hoped to make universal preschool public policy in the nation's most populous state. Throughout much of the evening, returns showed that 60 percent of voters statewide opposed Prop. 82 while just 40 percent supported it, making it nearly impossible for the measure to ever get the simple majority it needed to pass.� Continued at the following website:�� http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/the_valley/14759361.htm

California Preschool Measure Runs Into Trouble

June 2, 2006

California Preschool Measure Runs Into Trouble , By JULIET WILLIAMS, AP, SACRAMENTO, Calif. (June 2) -http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/02/AR2006060200907.html

Three States Ease Homeschooling Rules, June 1, 2006, Homeschooling is on the rise in the United States. From 1999 to 2003, the number of students being homeschooled across the nation increased from 850,000 to 1.1 million, and the homeschooling rate increased from 1.7 to 2.2 percent of the student population, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Recently, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Virginia enacted legislation to ease homeschooling requirements, which could help further increase the homeschooling rate over time. Continued at the following website:� http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.9123e83a1f6786440ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=4764c1affff8b010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=4b18f074f0d9ff00VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD

WHY PUBLIC SCHOOLS PRESSURE PARENTS TO GIVE THEIR KIDS MIND-ALTERING DRUGS, By Joel Turtel, May 13, 2006

NewsWithViews.com, Continued at this website:�� http://www.newswithviews.com/Turtel/joel15.htm

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Gagged librarians break silence on Patriot Act , Larisa Alexandrovna, May 31, 2006 -Connecticut librarians spoke about their fight to stop the FBI from gaining access to patrons' library records at a news conference yesterday organized by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and in a subsequent interview with RAW STORY.�� http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Gagged_librarians_break_silence_on_Patriot_0531.html

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Delinquent property taxes costing residents
The Glen Ridge Paper - NJ, USA
GLEN RIDGE, NJ - Homeowners who failed to pay property taxes last year in Glen Ridge will have their debts sold next week to private investors, who can charge ...

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