House Republican Press Release

November 6, 2007

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Leadership

By State Representative John J. Ryan

The election is over, those annoying lawn signs are disappearing, and newspapers will be struggling for advertising revenue now that there are no more full-page ads featuring smiling candidates (and the real estate market is slow.) And can we forget all of those various and vacuous editorial endorsements extolling high-minded concepts like ‘leadership’?

Well if we needed a reminder (and the media regularly needs one, continually proving to be oblivious to how government really works, or usually does not work ), one only had to note the State news headlines emanating from Hartford in the last few weeks, such as :

- Bonding dispute resolved: Hopefully you recall our recent columns about this important topic not resolved “on time” this year in Hartford, which got considerable attention when Governor Rell vetoed the bonding package that was finally passed, citing the viewpoint that this was just too much debt to authorize. Much media noise about veto overrides and supermajority angst once again fizzled; there         was no override vote, and almost anticlimactically, a compromise budget (with a significant reduction in the total amount of debt) passed overwhelming. In other words, Governor Rell got her way, again.

So did Rell crow about her big political victory? When asked in person by a reporter about the budget being “a big win for you”, Rell firmly demurred “it’s not at all about me; it was an important issue for the taxpayers”. The statement issued by her office didn’t say “I sure showed those big spenders and their super-majority”; it politely noted that the bonding compromise bill “recognizes the kind of financial

common sense that you or I would bring to the family finances”. In other words, not flamboyant, practical, just doing my job.

- State sues Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): You must be aware of the media coverage of the FAA’s air traffic rerouting plans, and the efforts of many of our local municipalities (including Norwalk and Darien) to join their efforts against the Federal agency. So was this an effort the State government would note? After all, the negative impact of the proposed flight path re-routing would only be affecting some of those “Gold Coast towns” right? So I assume that you saw last weekend’s coverage of the press conference in New Canaan, where Governor Rell announced that the State also was jumping into the fray along with our local communities (and thereby greatly upping the ante, resources, and leverage involved). Did the Governor hog all the “PR” at this media opportunity, or, did she introduce the Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (the most visible member of that party that controls the State Legislature, can you imagine!) to outline the steps and procedures to be taken? She not only graciously thanked the Attorney General for his efforts (and recognized his prior other successes], but pointedly noted the local legislators and municipal leaders present, and went on to especially thank Congressman Shays (not present because in Washington) for “his strong behind the scenes efforts”. If you were there, you observed that Attorney General Blumenthal was similarly non-partisan, and complimentary and positive in tone. (Maybe the media might figure out that these aforementioned two individuals have for some reason, the highest ‘positive’ recognition factors in the public’s eye?)

Does this remind you at all of the effort that Rell lead to save the Groton sub base, or to move on the State’s transportation initiatives or new rail cars? Did you note that in none of these instances did the Governor consult a survey to see what the public wanted to do on the issue? Wasn’t it odd that “a study” wasn’t called for to determine what we should do about the FAA? “Leadership” – isn’t it unusual to actually see it in action?

As always please feel free to contact me with your concerns and issues. As your state representative, it is my job, and my priority to represent you and to make sure that your needs and concerns are addressed at the capitol.  You can write to me at Room 4200, Legislative Office Building, and Hartford, CT 06106-1591, send me e-mail at John.Ryan@housegop.ct.gov or call my office toll-free at 1-800-842-1423.