Connecticut Governor Race: Will it be a Democratic or Republican Year?

While the Senate race is trumping all other news in recent days, we must also bring up the Governor race since current Gov. Jodi Rell has decided not to seek reelection. She has brought honor back to our state's government after the corrupt activities of former Gov. John Rowland. While this Republican governor has been so instrumental in helping our state even during this economic recession, the Democratic majorities in the General Assembly have been destroying our fiscal situation by bloating the size of government to unprecedented levels. While Rell has conducted herself with grace and honor, other members of Connecticut's state government have tainted our communal reputation, such as corrupt Mayor Eddie Perez and Sen. Chris Dodd, who was unfairly (and probably illegally) treated to special mortgage rates. Running on the Democratic side, Ned Lamont, who ran a disgraceful campaign against the successful, freedom-loving Sen. Joe Lieberman in 2006, is one candidate who will likely use his Greenwich funds to try to buy the election. Lamont would lose, in a crushing blow to the liberal, anti-war movement in the middle of the first decade of the 2000s. Susan Bysiewicz is a career politician who has managed to clinch the position of Secretary of State for many years. Many more candidates are running, but they probably do not have a chance to these two heavyweights. Of course, we know that the office of the governor has not been held by a Democrat is many years, and with the current path of the Obama administration, voters will not look kindly to their Connecticut proxies. On the Republican side, Lt. Gov. Mike Fedele, Tom Foley, and others are also running. According to Foley today, he is ahead in the polls. If they choose to campaign on lowering taxes, providing incentives for small businesses, and creating jobs, the Republicans will win in a landslide. If I had to guess today, we will have Mike Fedele as the next governor of our great state in November 2010. We will continue to monitor this issue.

Chris Dodd Out; AG Blumenthal In

If you haven't heard yet, you may want to watch the news tonight: Senator Chris Dodd has decided not to run for reelection in November 2010, and the longtime Attorney-General Richard Blumenthal has entered the scene to attempt a run for the U.S. Senate seat. He vowed in his press conference to continue the same policies, which is exactly the opposite of what Connecticut voters are looking for. Dodd has fallen in disgrace in recent years because of his close ties to the banking industry, which rewarded him with sweetheart mortgages in return for beneficial votes. In what amounts to corruption, the Democratic-controlled Senate Ethics Committee miraculously found no wrongdoing, but the (possibly damning) papers have still not been released. What is the point in stepping down if the replacement is simply a wolf in sheep's clothing? Blumenthal is an ultraliberal who has never had to fight for his seat as attorney general. For example, he has called for the banning of wood-burning stoves which use a "renewable, nonfossil" fuel source. These stoves are plentiful in our state and represent a tie to our Yankee past, where we harvested our land (of wood) to provide for ourselves (to keep us warm). It seems that with this current move, Blumenthal would rather us be dependent on using oil (from countries that "don't like us very much") to heat our homes. This issue alone is a testament to his liberal tendencies to limit freedom (i.e., the traditional freedom to burn logs to keep us warm). This is not the last piece that will be written on this subject, as Blumenthal's campaign is just starting. I encourage all you readers out there to support one of his opponents in any way you can, be it in volunteer hours, hosting a yard sign, donating money, or simply telling a friend about how we feel. Here are the better candidates for Senate: Rob Simmons, Linda McMahon, and Peter Schiff.

Protest over Bridgeport Jail Thwarts State Plan

You may have heard today that a group of state legislators and citizens nearly stormed Gov. Jodi Rell's office in protest of a proposed juvenile detention center to be constructed in Bridgeport. Citing unwanted blight and a stack of other state-sponsored projects (like other prisons and the garbage-to-energy power plant), this group has effectively thrown a wrench in the works. After receiving the group's letter, Gov. Rell decided to hold off on the decision for another month. The state has spent $1 million already in cleaning up and developing the 2.75 acres located in Bridgeport. The state is prepared to spend $15 million on the project. It is utterly surprising that this group would be opposed to such a project, as construction workers and state employees would be needed to build and staff the building. This move alone would provide a needed boost to Bridgeport to allow for the increased taxes to be used for other issues in what is Connecticut's largest city. While spending should be trimmed so as to remedy the budget problem, it is surprising that Democratic leaders in the General Assembly would be opposed to a job-creating, development plan.

This Just In: Dem Candidate for Governor Wants to Reinstate "Tolls" on State Roads!

In an unsurprising announcement, we learn that a Democratic candidate who is running for governor has decided that the only way we can reduce the deficit is to reinstate the tolls on state roads. One would think that such an absurd plan would constitute political suicide. The pro-toll candidate is Rudy Marconi, the Democratic first selectman of Ridgefield. He says that the plan will raise about $1 billion for the state. Watch this video in which he clearly makes his (misguided) case for bringing back tolls. Indeed, our state needs to remedy its budget problems, but the reinstatement of the system of tolls (which in 1983 killed 7 people in Stratford due to a truck driver who fell asleep and crashed into motorists waiting to pay the fees which therefore led to the removal of all tolls on I-95) is simply ill-informed and unnecessary. His plan calls for updated toll plazas which cars would simply drive under using the E-Z pass system. But how could one mandate such an expansion of government into people's lives, taking hard-earned dollars from motorists every time they pass under the plazas? Mr. Marconi is but one of 10 possible candidates for the November 2010 governor's election. If any other Democratic candidates support such a toll, they will surely lose any support among the people of our state. What we need are common-sense ideas, like shrinking government and cutting unnecessary programs. The way forward involves saving taxpayer dollars and fostering entrepreneurship. The more jobs we create, the greater the tax base will be, and the more income our state will receive. Many of those in power, however, have decided that suffocating local businesses under heavy taxes will help the state's budget, but it will only backfire. What is needed is the availability of tax-breaks for small businesses, which create over 70% of jobs. In conclusion, we strongly disagree with Mr. Marconi's call for the return of the tolls. We are confident that the people of Connecticut stand with us on this issue.

Welcome to the First Post!

To all those who live in Connecticut, I would like to say "Welcome!" to the first blog that will truly serve our citizens by promoting common-sense solutions, lowering taxes, conserving open space, planning for efficient development, creating jobs, and fostering the entrepreneurial spirit. We humbly take "Yankee" as our party's name because of its ties to our state's rich social and economic heritage. It was the Yankees who protested in the original "Tea Party" in Boston harbor against the increased taxes that were imposed on our people by a foreign king. It was the Yankees who lived off their land and created economic growth which pushed our state towards the path of greater wealth that we see today. It was the Yankees who could fix what was broken for use another day. Our state is a great state. The current political parties have disputed over the state's budget, which remains deep in deficit, leaving our citizens with the fear of new taxes in this time of economic uncertainty. The work of the honorable M. Jodi Rell as our governor must be commended, as she has attempted to cut unnecessary programs despite the work of entrenched interests and some members of the Democratic caucus to bloat the size of our government. However, we all know that the larger the government becomes, the more money we lose in taxes. In the face of these conundrums, we are founding the Yankee Party here in Connecticut. It will be an independent party that will focus on serving the people of our great state with the issues listed above. In time, we will delve into these issues more closely and transparently, so that all Nutmeggers will be able to see and understand what we stand for and why we deserve to be elected to local and state offices. We plan to have candidates run for office in November 2010 so that we can help our citizens regain their voices in state government. We are a party "of the people, by the people, and for the people." We want those community leaders in business, construction, agriculture, services, religion, and more to get involved in the political sphere. It is the only way we can change our state's policies for the better. Please feel free to comment on what you read here and we will take it into account in our positions. Our readers and supporters will become our Yankee family here in Connecticut. Thank you for reading our blog, and check back often!