Local Government in Connecticut

I attended my first Southington Council meeting on Monday where they named a new Town Manager, adopted a budget, and took care of the genral business of governing. Witnessing the welcoming and deliberative nature of this convocation compared to the stealth and hubris to which I had gotten inured to was eye-opening. Free speech, respect for speakers, open dialogue. Who knew this was possible?

In preparing for this meeting I found a book that provided two main reason for the differrence.

UCCF 5/8/24: 2024 Budget; Cop Layoffs

There was a 2024 budget resolution and as to the ongoing theft of Open Space Trust Fund money we had this exchange:

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On expected cop layoffs this was the principal response from the dais:

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Summary of the meeting in video clips:

Oatman Dollars

Connecticut has no county government. New Jersey has this:

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What is the solution New Jersey politicians hit upon?

UCCF 4/24/24: Please Stop Corruption

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Full Bruce Paterson comment time:

UCCF 4/10/24: Self Serving Clown Show

Public Comments and Responses:

UCCF 3/27/24: Same Old Routine Repeated Yearly

Bruce Paterson Resolutions and Comments including in Reponses an admission that the best are not to be found in Union County:

Full Q, C, & A:

UCCF 3/13/24: Feeding the Needy and the Greedy

2024-233: Authorizing a 2024 MOU between the County of Union and Union College of Union County for an American Rescue Plan Act grant award to help fund an existing Food Insecurity Program that serves the nutritional needs of the College’s most needy full-time students in the amount of $250,000.00 for the period of July 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024.

$250,000 is a lot less than what Oatman and Taylor took for themselves in stipends according the the NJ comptroller. How many more needy people would be helped if money weren’t going to the greedy people?

Anyway, this resolution brought some heat:

In Memorium

Recent deaths of note:

UC Budget 2024: Open Space Tax Theft

The 2024 Executive Budget is out and we have another year of stealing almost all of the Open Space Tax:

UCCF 2/21/24: Physically Threatening Paterson

It started off with County Counsel Bruce Bergen threatening the sole member of the public who regularly comes to these meetings:

To which Bruce Paterson responded, in part:

Summary of the meeting in youtube clips: