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Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Middletown mayor Dan Drew hopeful may have committed a disqualifying error with his solicitation of campaign donations from municipal employees. The Middletown Press had the startling story of Drew soliciting employees, including public safety workers whose personal contact information is protected from public disclosure. Police officers, for example, do not have to disclose their home address on voter registration rolls.

Rival hopeful Christopher Mattei sees an an opening. The former prosecutor issued a scathing indictment of Drew’s misbegotten ploy:

New Madison Republican Robert Stefanowski has formed the Bob for Governor campaign committee to seek Connecticut’s top job. Voter registration records show Stefanowski switched his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat last fall. He returned to the Republican fold this summer.

“Bob is a visionary executive and thought leader with 25 years of experience leading complex global organizations, business turnarounds and restructuring,” according to a campaign biography. He is not enough of a visionary to eschew the egregious term “thought leader.”

Stefanowski like to run marathons and was a generous donor to dodgy Ireland real estate owner and Friend of Angelo Christopher Dodd (D-Countrywide). No word on what vision prompted that ill-considered support.

At tonight’s state Republican fundraiser, Stefanowski is hosting a private session with pollster John McLaughlin. Conservative Republican Tom Scott, last heard from on the eventful 2016 Augie Wolf for Senate campaign, is handing press.

UPDATE: Robert Stefanowski writes, in part, in response to an email:

“Except for a few months, I have been a Republican my adult life. Over the past 20 years the failed policies of career politicians in Hartford have led to job loss and droves of businesses and people leaving this state.  This is what the governor campaign should be about.”

“The career politicians love to distract the public from their own abysmal record, but we should be focused on how we fix this state, not political rhetoric. I’m not trying to convince anyone I’m the best politician in Connecticut. I was born here, went to public school here, attended college here, worked here and raised a family here. I’m a businessman and a job creator, period  If you want a story on who’s the best political insider, call Dan Malloy.”

He provided no response to a question about his generous support for career politician and professor  lobbyist Christopher Dodd.

Admit it. You knew the double losses of Ned Lamont, Linda McMahon and Tom Foley would not be enough to discourage a wealthy Fairfield County titan–probably living in Greenwich–from running for governor. Enter hedge fund manager David Stemerman.

Bloomberg reports the Greenwich resident is shuttering his successful fund, Conatus Capital Management, to explore a run for governor of beleaguered Connecticut.

Stemerman has been a generous Republican donor, including $100,000.00 to American Crossroads in 2012, and also made a maximum contribution to Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, according to Open Secrets.

Republicans taking part in taxpayer financing of their campaigns are about to find out the trials of running a statewide race on $250,000.00 until May of next year. They risk finding themselves as one collective afterthought if Stemerman is able to marry a common touch to persuasive and innovative ideas. Add some first rate political talent–which his nascent campaign appears not have yet–and a powerful force will have arrived in the crowded race.

Republican Steve Obsitnik, who is exploring a 2018 race for governor, Saturday morning issued the following statement on the legislature’s adoption of a bipartisan budget:

“I commend Sen. Fasano and Rep. Klarides on their leadership in passing a sensible budget that takes the state in a new direction.

I applaud the Senate and House Republicans, as well as the brave legislators who broke with their party and put Connecticut first. This budget provides the much-needed stability, confidence and, most importantly, a plan for future prosperity for all Connecticut residents.

Gov. Malloy has a choice — to continue to stand with the special interests that are driving people out of our state, or he can sign this budget and chart a new path for the future. I encourage him to support this budget.”

An email today:

Good morning,

We have just received a notification from the Office of Labor Relations regarding furlough days for October Retirees.  If those who will retire effective October 1, 2017, have not yet taken three days, please be advised they will only be responsible for one (1) furlough day before retirement.  I am awaiting further guidance from OLR as I understand some may have already accounted for more than the one(1)  day.  I will provide updated information just as soon as I receive it.  Thank you for your understanding,

Thank you,

AnneMarie Paone-Mullin, Director of Human Resources

Office of the Chief State’s Attorney

From Section 252 of proposed state budget:

The following amounts appropriated in section 1 of this act to the Judicial Department, for Youth Services Prevention, for each of the fiscal years ending June 30, 2018, and June 30, 2019, shall be made available in each of said fiscal years for the following grants:

$ 45,700 to Stamford YMCA; $ 88,800 to HANDS; $ 113,800 to The Walter E. Luckett, Jr. Foundation; $ 20,700 to Stamford YMCA; $ 88,800 to Take a Chance Foundation; $ 25,000 to Arte, Inc. ; $ 20,700 to Bregamos Theater; $ 49,000 to Computer Center Pope Park; $ 45,000 to Mi Casa; $ 20,000 to Charter Oak Boxing; $ 40,000 to Boys and Girls Club/Chandler Street; $ 35,000 to O. P. M. Ad; $ 25,000 to Family Reentry Organization, Inc. /Transition Mentoring Program; $ 15,000 to CHAMP Community Hands in Action Mentoring Program; $ 30,000 to The Village Initiative Project, Inc. ; $ 14,500 to the Stratford Police Athletic League; $ 35,000 to the Bridgeport Caribe Youth League, Inc. ; $ 15,000 to the United Mentoring Academy, Inc. ; $ 74,500 to the Human Resources Agency of New Britain, Inc. ; $ 30,000 to Pathways Sandero Center/Greater New Britain Teen Pregnancy Prevention, Inc. ; $ 30,000 to OIC of New Britain Inc. ; $ 13,070 to Girls, Inc. ; $ 13,070 to Boys and Girls Club of Meriden; $ 16,470 to Beat the Street Community Center; $ 13,070 to Meriden YMCA; $ 13,070 to Women and Family Center; $ 14,070 to City of Meriden/Police Cadets; $ 13,070 to Rushford Hospital Youth Program; $ 14,070 to New Opportunities of Greater Meriden/Boys to Men Program; $ 16,470 to Meriden Wallingford Chrysalis; $ 8,070 to Advocacy Academy Accomplish Education, Inc. ; $ 13,000 to Sound Community Services, Inc. ; $ 13,000 to New London Little League; $ 7,500 to Heavy Hitters USA; $ 6,000 to New London Babe Ruth League, Inc. ; $ 6,000 to Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Connecticut; $ 6,000 to Historically Black College Alumni, Inc. ; $ 6,000 to New London NAACP; $ 22,416. 70 to Waterbury Police Activity League, Inc. c/o Waterbury Young Men’s Christian Association dba Greater Waterbury YMCA; $ 22,416. 66 to Boys and Girls Club of Greater Waterbury; $ 22,416. 66 to Walnut Orange Walsh Neighborhood Revitalization Zone Association, Inc. ; $ 22,416. 66 to Rivera Memorial Foundation, Inc. ; $ 22,416. 66 to St. Margaret Willow Plaza NRZ, Association, Inc. ; $ 134,500 to the Church of the Good Shepard; $ 67,250 to town of East Hartford Youth Services/Youth Task Force; $ 67,250 to the town of Manchester; $ 91,150 to Bridgeport Caribe Youth League, Inc. ; $ 43,350 to McGivney Community Center; $ 25,000 to Project Overcome, Inc. ; $ 44,000 to Archipelago, Inc. Project Music; $ 44,500 to Boys and Girls Club of Stamford; $ 21,000 to William E. Edwards Academic College Tours, Inc. ; $ 25,000 to Artists Collective; $ 30,600 to C. U. R. E. T; $ 77,000 to Upper Albany Collaborative; $ 25,000 to Our Piece of the Pie; $ 114,000 to Windsor Collaborative; $ 30,000 to Urban League of Greater Hartford; $ 134,500 to Headquarters and Church Care of Kanaan Baptist Church; $ 50,000 to Buddy Jordan Foundation; $ 30,700 to Haitian Woman Association – Anacaona Youth Enrichment Program; $ 23,800 to Patrons of the Trumbull Nature and Arts Center, Inc. ; $ 30,000 to GVI; $ 50,000 to M. G. LL; $ 30,000 to Friends of Pope Park Troop 105; $ 40,000 to Boys and Girls Club/Chandler Street; $ 35,000 to O. P. M. Ad; $ 50,000 to ‘r Kids, Inc. ; $ 78,500 to VETTS, Inc. ; $ 20,000 to Kids Kook Association, Inc. ; $ 5,000 to Cross Street Training and Academic Center, Inc. ; $ 104,150 to Middlesex United Way; $ 25,350 to Oddfellows Playhouse; $ 25,000 to Citadel of Love; $ 22,000 to Hartford Drill, Drum and Dance Corp. ; $ 19,000 to Mount Olive Ministries; $ 19,000 to Supreme Athletes; $ 10,600 to Windsor Collaborative; $ 28,000 to BSL Education Foundation; $ 10,900 to The Pillar; $ 50,000 to NH Symphony Orchestra; $ 50,000 to Solar Youth; $ 50,000 to Police Athletic League/NH PAL; $ 15,000 to BIMEC (Believe in Me Corp. ); $ 50,000 to New Haven Reads Community Book Bank; $ 20,000 to Higher Heights Youth Empowerment Programs, Inc. ; $ 20,000 to Sullivan Basketball Academy, Inc.

What does any of this have to do with the Judicial Department? Nothing other than the Judicial Department has limited resources to pay close attention to how these funds are spent once they go out the door. The state’s Office of Policy and Management is the appropriate administrator of all this money.

Dodgy U.S. Representative Bill Shuster is in town to talk about putting a tunnel through Hartford. Shuster is the controversial Pennsylvania Republican whose girlfriend, Shelley Rubino, lobbies for the airline industry. That’s the same airline industry that Shuster has a lot of sway over as head of the House’s transportation committee. Rubino was a lobbyist in Connecticut and enjoyed a close relationship with both Democrat Thomas Ritter and Republican Lawrence Cafero. She also worked in Washington for Larson.

Shuster was one of the first two House committee chairmen to endorse Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016.

Shuster, who has had some close calls in his recent re-election bids, appeared at the LOB today as the legislature tries to gather itself in the aftermath of Thursday’s chaos. He brought his seal with him. Should Congress pass a massive pork-filled infrastructure bill, people like the highly social Shuster will have some influence over its contents. Shuster–whose father was chased out of Congress over ethics issues involving a former aide–is the sort of politician who makes it hard to be optimist.

The desperate new cellphone tax proposed by the spent force that is the legislative Democrats is not the same as the one imposed in Massachusetts. Advocates of the new tax will claim otherwise but they are wrong. Both Connecticut and Massachusetts levy a phone tax–including cellphones–to fund 911 services. The two states, as this day begins, are at parity in imposing a 911 tax. The Connecticut Democratic proposal is a new and additional tax unrelated to the public good provided by 911 services.

Adopt the new Democratic tax and thriving Massachusetts will be able to point to one more difference between how the two states do business.

Connecticut public officials continue to ignore the chilling records of public safety commissioner Dora Schriro. They ought to pay attention to Judge Loretta A. Preska’s description of New York’s Rikers Island under Schriro. Preska sentenced a brutally violent Rikers correction officer to 30 years in prison for killing an inmate and recognized the “culture of violence and poor treatment of inmates by correction officers at Rikers.”

The New York Times, which has performed a profound public service in its coverage of the scandal, has the latest chapter in the chilling saga. 

The fatal beating of inmate Ronald Spears occurred in December 2012, as Schriro was completing her disgraceful tenure at the notorious New York prison.