In a March 15th letter to Western Connecticut State University Interim President Manohar Singh, the New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE) informed the school it has issued “a formal Notice of Concern to Western Connecticut State University that is in danger of not meeting the Commission’s standards on Organization and Governance, Institutional Resources, and Educational Effectiveness.”

The nine-page letter states that while WCSU continues to be accredited it will “undergo a focused evaluation in Fall 2025.” The university is expected to address governance, transparency, communications and accountability issues. It must improve the stability of its leadership and finances, “achieve its enrollment and retention goals,” address staffing levels, develop measurements of learning outcomes, and “achieve its goals for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).”

WSCU remains accredited. NECHE expressed concern about a report by a visiting team of evaluators about the “heightened level of uncertainty, confusion, and distrust” in the administration of the public university. The letter notes enrollment has declined.

The letter concludes, “You are encouraged to share this letter with all of the institution’s constituencies. It is the Commission’s policy to inform the chairperson of the institution’s governing board and the head of the system of action on its accreditation status.”

The Notice of Concern comes as particularly bad news for system Chancellor Terrence Cheng. A Notice of Concern by an accrediting authority is humiliation, particularly for a state that lavishly finances its bloated public higher education bureaucracy.

The Board of Regents will need to explain at its meeting tomorrow, May 23rd, what it has done since receiving the letter more than two months ago. It appears not to have shared the Notice of Concern with members of the legislature during the recently concluded round of budget adjustments.

Published May 22, 2024.

East Hartford Police Chief Mack Hawkins will have to decide if he is to abandon the department’s rules in deciding to impose appropriate discipline on Lieutenant Joseph Ficacelli. A former internal affairs investigator, Ficacelli is facing a charge of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol arising from a bizarre incident early this year.

The video was first posted on Daily Ructions and can seen here.

Ficacelli admitted in a Superior Court appearance to switching from the driver’s to the passenger seat in his vehicle when it appeared police would pull him over. Ficacelli was argumentative and claimed to be suffering from a heart attack when he realized police had discovered the switch. An ambulance took Ficacelli to a local hospital.

An audio recording of the East Hartford police veteran revealed he had become more disputatious with police at the hospital. Curiously, Ficacelli refused treatment for his chest pains. He also threatened to embarrass the three officers who appeared at the hospital to complete their paperwork.

As a member of the Office of Professional Standards, Ficacelli was called upon to apply a simple standard to the behavior of officers he investigated. In several instances Ficacelli concluded that a fellow officer had violated Section 4.3 of the East Hartford Police code of conduct. It states that “[n]o Officer shall engage in any personal conduct or act which, if brought to the attention of the public, could
result in justified unfavorable criticism of that Officer or the Department. No Officer shall be
involved personally in disturbances or Police incidents to his/her discredit.”

It does not require a talmudic scholar to conclude that by his own admission Ficacelli engaged in egregious conduct that violated Section 4.3 of the department code. The only question that remains is whether Chief Hawkins will bring discredit on himself and add to the damage Ficacelli has inflicted on the department.

Posted May 17, 2024.

Paragraph 96 of the indictment in the matter of United States of America v. Kostantinos Diamantis includes an extraordinary invitation allegedly sent by Diamantis on January 9, 2021, to Salvatore Monarca and John Duffy of Acranom (Monarca spelled backwards) Masonry. The invitation was to dinner and drinks at a favorite Diamantis restaurant, Cava, located in Southington.

The purpose of the dinner, according to the invitation or command, depending on one’s point of view, was to raise the $28,000 tuition for a Diamantis daughter to continue to attend the exclusive Renbrook School in West Hartford. Diamantis, according to the indictment, told Duffy and Monarca that their checks could be made payable to him, his daughter, or Renbrook.

By January 9, 2021, Diamantis had been the state’s deputy budget director (and still the head of school construction). He held a dinner to collect $28,000 for his daughter and nobody seems to have noticed. If the invitation was a ruse to squeeze more dough out of Monarca and Duffy, Diamantis’ former brother in law, then no one else would have been invited. But if the event was held, who else was invited, attended and contributed?

The invitation to the two targets of Diamantis’ alleged extortion scheme to make their checks payable to his daughter seems reckless, putting her in danger of one day having to answer probing questions about where she got the money.

Diamantis, paragraph 84 alleges, was invited to accept a payment from Monarca in the basement of a Middletown restaurant at 5 p.m. on January 15, 2020. Not good enough. Diamantis replied, “5 pm cap grill with card[.]” That last order likely refers to someone other than Governor Ned Lamont’s deputy budget chief bringing a credit card to pick up the tab for Diamantis’ tony culinary taste.

Before that dinner, Monarca cashed an Acranom check for $5,000, “and then gave all or a portion of that cash to Diamantis,” the indictment states in paragraph 85.

Diamantis is also said to have enjoyed meeting with state contractors at Piccolo Arancia in Farmington. He was not the only state official to attend some of those dinner meetings.

Diamantis may not have reserved alleged cash drop-offs to expensive restaurants. The week began with rumors that one of the defendants who entered a guilty plea admitted to making at least one payment by putting cash in a paper bag and handing it over at a Dunkin’ Donuts. If true, the use of a crime cliché should be considered an aggravating circumstance for sentencing purposes.

Published May 17, 2024.

Once in a while showing up and stepping up is all it takes. The 94th House District Democratic nominating convention was held with an air of bewilderment. Delegates from New Haven and Hamden gathered at the Parrish House on Kimberley Avenue Wednesday evening without any clear indication from incumbent Robyn Porter that she was a candidate for re-election.

Once in a while showing up and stepping up is all it takes. The 94th House District Democratic nominating convention was held with an air of bewilderment. Delegates from New Haven and Hamden gathered at the Parrish House on Kimberley Avenue Wednesday evening without any clear indication from incumbent Robyn Porter that she was a candidate for re-election.

Porter did not attend. A Hamden delegate placed Porter’s name in nomination. A long silence followed, interrupted by calls for a second. None was forthcoming. Instead, the delegates looked around the room and nominated former New Haven alder Steve Winter.

Winter enjoys a reputation as a diligent campaigner. A virtue in any campaign but not an essential one in the overwhelmingly Democratic 94th.

Published May 15, 2024.

A late campaign to deny Matt Corey enough delegates to primary endorsed Republican U.S. Senate Gerry Smith failed Monday. Party leaders spent the day frantically seeking to chip away at Corey’s delegate support to below the 15% support required for an August primary challenge.

Corey and delegates embarrassed the party’s leadership by winning 261 delegates to Smith’s 610. Corey’s 29% total came as delegates were pelted with messages urging them to reject the “Matt Corey Tax”–the cost, the messages claimed, of local governments administering a primary. The message called the traditional exercise in democracy “an ego-trip primary.”

The message urged delegates to tell Corey that delegates “can be trusted to make the best decisions for our party.” Nearly 30% of the delegates declined to buckle and voted for Corey, the party’s 2018 candidate for U.S. Senate.

Smith, the first selectman of Beacon Falls., entered the contest to face Democratic incumbent Christopher Murphy in February. He reported raising $43,483.86 in his first quarter finance report. Corey, a late entry to the race, has not yet filed a report.

The two Republicans will meet in an August 13th primary.

The Republicans had some trouble with their numbers. Party officials announced before voting began that there were 777 credentialed delegates in attendance. The final tally showed 892 delegates casting a vote.

Published May 14, 2024.

A historic and ill-judged bill sent from the House sits on the Senate calendar. House Bill 5380 removes two seats on the Judicial Selection Commission from non-lawyers to lawyers. The bill changes the balance of the commission from six lawyers and six members who are not lawyers to eight lawyers and four non-lawyer members.

The commission, created by an amendment to the state’s constitution, has never had a majority of lawyers.

The original proposal changed the number of commission members to eleven members, nine of whom were required to be lawyers. An amendment offered on the floor of the House adjusted that to eight and four.

The bill adds new requirements to the JCS. It must explain in writing why an applicant was rejected and allow the rejected hopeful request a second hearing which shall be held within 30 days. The unhappy applicant shall have the right to be present during the rehearing.

The proposal also adds a requirement that nominees for those dozen seats on the commission must appear before the Judiciary Committee for approval. The Judiciary Committee is often home to aspiring judges.

A disappointed applicant appears to have found a way to transform his or her fury into law.

There are different and better changes to the operation of the Judicial Selection Commission that are not in the bill–but could be. Require legislators to disclose to the state’s ethics agency in a public acknowledgement that they have submitted an application to become a judge. Make the commission agendas public. There would be nothing wrong with making the meetings public.

Published May 8, 2024.

Bridgeport Democrats are speculating that incumbent state Senator Marilyn Moore will not seek a sixth term in the 22nd District. With the district party nominating convention this month, an announcement from Moore is imminent.

Former state Senator William Finch is said to be contemplating a run for Moore’s seat. Finch was elected to the Senate in 2000 and gave up his seat in 2007 to become mayor of Bridgeport. Finch was defeated for re-election as mayor by Joe Ganim in a 2015 Democratic primary upset. He then did a brief and unhappy stint in the administration of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Adding to speculation that the seat will be open, Moore’s first quarter campaign finance report disclosed she had raised $100.01 as of March 31st. Moore came within several hundred votes of defeating Ganim in the 2019 Bridgeport Democratic primary for mayor. Based on what the public has sense learned of the Democratic organization’s absentee ballots, the true result is unlikely to be known with confidence. A filing snafu kept Moore from appearing on the Working Families Party line that fall.

Finch will find the district he represented has changed considerably since 2006, the last time he ran for the seat. Nine years is a long time to be out of office in the deadly Bridgeport political arena.

Published May 7, 2024.

There is some confusion in the House of Representatives Monday night as the chamber takes up S.B. 1, a bill intended to protect nurses from dangerous patients. The proposal is a reaction to the 2023 murder of visiting nurse Joyce Grayson.

The bill addresses other health care issues—and one head scratcher for doctors seeking specialty recertification. Section 11 provides an alternative to the demanding tests physicians must pass to maintain their certification in specialty disciplines. Certification may be obtained not only by passing a demanding exam but, under the Senate bill, “through participation in any maintenance of certification program.” This could lower the quality of care provided in Connecticut.

The bill’s lead sponsor is Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), a physician. Anwar’s own credentials are causing confusion. According to the American Board of Internal Medicine, his certifications in critical care medicine, pulmonary medicine and internal medicine have lapsed. Anwar’s medical practice website, however, describes him as “a Board Certified Physician who specializes in Pulmonary Medicine, Critical Care Medicine and Occupational and Environmental Medicine.” Senate members declined to ask what the effect of the change in the recertification process embedded in the bill would mean for doctors who had allowed their certifications to lapse.

House Republicans have filed amendments to remove the section.

The Senate’s other physician, Woodstock Republican Jeffrey Gordon, has maintained his certifications in hematology and the demanding discipline of oncology.

Published May 6, 2024.

Johnny Angel strikes. The new chief of staff for the dozen Senate Republicans has taken the measure of the caucus and found them all tired out after a few hours of work on Monday. Healey, on behalf of caucus leaders Harding and Cicarella, sent a text Monday afternoon to members and staff to let them know there is a masseuse in the historic Capitol building for the sole purpose of providing massages to members and staff until 5 p.m. today.

The odd perk comes after the legislature took off the last weekend of the regular session. The Senate convened today at 11 a.m. Most working people would likely find it an indulgence to require a massage only a few hours into the first workday of what will be a three-day week.

Senate Republicans may find themselves Candy Pruitted–made to look like laughingstocks.

Spending of funds under the new Healey/Harding leadership team was already making some members uncomfortable. A masseuse will add to their concern about careless and damaging optics.

Someone may want to get an informal opinion from the state’s ethics agency on gifts of services. This is not the sort of use of public funds (or campaign funds) that goes down well in the three most competitive Republican seats. And Senator Cicarella is already getting a lot of money for health services to keep him limber.

Senate Republicans may want to disregard Healey’s advice, “Please don’t be shy.” The seat a little reticence saves may be your own.

Published May 6, 2024.

Not everyone in state Democratic politics wants to wait in line. Travis Tanuis, currently leader of the fractious Young Democrats of Connecticut, announced this weekend that he will challenge incumbent John Olsen for the seat reserved for a Connecticut man on the Democratic National Committee.

The contest will take place at this weekend’s Democratic state convention at the Mohegan Sun casino The convention was expected to be a tranquil affair as delegates nominate U.S. Senator Christopher Murphy for a third term. The election of two DNC members follows.

Olsen has spent much of his adult life as an unofficial or official Democratic force, first as head of the state AFL-CIO and later taking a demotion to the DNC.

Tanuis may try to inject Israel’s fight against terror into the contest.

No one will be surprised if a woman challenges party veteran Marti Carlson for the seat on the DNC reserved for a woman. This year marks Carlson’s 30th anniversary in frontline party politics. The Guilford Democrat helmed John Larson’s 1994 primary for the Democratic nomination for governor.

Published May 6, 2024.