Senate Ends Drunk Driving

The Courant reports that the State Senate has ended drunk driving!

Well, not really. They passed a bill today that prohibits having an open container of alcohol in a car. Good Lord, I didn't know it was currently legal to have an open container of alcohol in a vehicle. I guess you learn something old every day.

But the State Senate has passed this bill, and according to the Courant, the Senators, who voted for this 36-0 claim fewer people will die of alcohol -related accidents on the road.

Oh, come on.

It was already illegal for the driver of the car to be drinking, or to even be holding an open can of beer or a bottle of Jack in his lap. Now they think they are saving lives now that the passenger can't be holding hooch either?

But hold on! The bill apparently allows someone to have an open container of liquor inside a locked glove compartment or in a trunk or hatchback. Seem silly?

Well of course it's not! It gives the Senators the chance to come back next year, ban open liquor containers in glove compartments and claim to save lives all over again.

...and the Pigs Burp.

As expected it took about thirty seconds after House and Senate Republicans in the General Assembly offered an alternative budget to the "do nothing" policy and attitude of legislative Democrats, for the poo poos to fly.

Bob Genuario, Governor Rell's budget director said the proposal offered "phantom" savings. Of course Genuario, fresh after being shot up like Sonny Corleone at the toll booth by his own governor's people over the Rail Yard fiasco, isn't likely to step out of his boundaries unless he wants to get stuffed into a political stump grinder.

And naturally, the swaggering, intellectually deficient governor-wanna-be Speaker James Amann offered this intellectual gem:

"The minority is out of step with their governor, and more importantly taxpayers, who need their representatives to face up to an uncertain economy. They offer a house of cards that would decimate state government, causing our most experienced personnel in critical areas, such as public safety, transportation, and environmental protection to leave."

I love a good political platitude. Why, it's a house of cards built on shifting sand in the perfect storm blah blah blah! Jim Amann unscripted. It amazes me he has time in the day to comment, what with needing to shave six times a day... that guy can grow a beard you could lose a badger in in under eight hours.

Amann is the last person who should critique who is in step or out of step with taxpayers. It was just weeks ago that the Speaker was calling for an increase in the state's gas tax to give us a "world class" transportation system. With a now projected $50 million budget deficit where a $120 million surplus once stood, it is Amann who is not thinking of the taxpayers, only what will happen to the precious state government.

GOP Rolls out another No Tax Increase Budget

The Democrats in the Connecticut General Assembly were, to listen to their rhetoric, ready to go home and do absolutely nothing on the budget since the revenue picture wasn't as bright as it had been at the beginning of the year. Thankfully, the Republicans there don't seem ready to let that happen.

Just as they did last year to great success, the GOP legislators have introduced another alternative budget which does not raise taxes, and actually cuts the gas tax.

The plan on the gas tax would give a ten cent per gallon Gas Tax Holiday that runs from July 1st until Labor Day Weekend, would, according to their information save us $25 million at the pumps. It would also eliminate the gross receipts tax increase which is planned for July 1st of this year, and would cap the gross receipts tax so that as oil prices go up, the built-in tax does not grow at out-of-control rates along with it.

The plan also eliminates the business entity tax, and cuts rates on the estate tax while phasing it out.

The GOP budget is balanced, streamlines and downsizes the state government with early retirement options, and gives meaningful tax relief.

I guess it isn't a shock that Democrats have said they want to do nothing, call it a day and go home. They have truly done nothing of significance since getting their supermajority status nearly two years ago.

Is this what Connecticut elected its legislators to do? Nothing? Our gas taxes are among the highest, and our overall tax burden is far in a way the greatest per capita of any state in the U.S.

At least there's finally some Republicans in Hartford willing to actually try to do something for us. Last year the Republicans changed the debate, and we got a "No Tax increase" budget. Perhaps that will happen again.

Pride of Connecticut

It's a rite of springtime, apparently. The University of Connecticut... the pride of our state... the vanguard of our achievement in higher education... erupts with drunken, semi-retarded, vomiting teenagers.

It's apparently a time to put down your books and relax by pushing a urine-soaked community room couch out the dorm window and into a bonfire. It's time to celebrate, to expose yourself, blackout for four hours and wake up testing positive for chlamydia.

It always gives me great pride to read the papers and review the arrest stories and then consider the taxpayer investment that goes into providing this opportunity to the future generation.

The Courant reports today on the weekend's proceedings where 51 students and non-students were arrested:

The arrests were made for a variety of charges including narcotics offenses,
underage possession of alcohol, forgery, criminal impersonation, interfering
with police, breach of peace, driving under the influence and weapons offenses.

That's quite an assortment of interesting charges.

Hard to imagine with this resume of debauchery UCONN still isn't the home to the Kennedy School of Government. Go Huskies!

Budget Moves...

Now the talk from legislative Democrats is that they may make NO adjustments to the state's already set budget for FY09, as reported by multiple sources. This is in light of budget surplus figures being... shall we say... a little more anemic than originally projected earlier this year.

Hard to believe that after you choke off the Connecticut economy for two decades that you finally start to see dwindling tax revenues under high taxes. What about all the non-profits that pay legislative Democrats their full-time salaries? I thought they were going to send them a ton of cash this year? Perhaps not. Perhaps when you tax people and business because of what you espouse as "economic justice" as opposed to taxing for needed revenue, this is the result; less of everything for everyone.

Democrats are walking a fine line here, as they always do... going against their instincts, and trying to not raise taxes while at the same time sending cash to non-profits and other special interests to whom they are beholden. The tightrope has now become thinner... what will they do?

How will two legislative leaders, each running their respective chambers and each also running for governor handle this problem and each other? How will a union shill who aspires to be the next speaker of the House approach this problem?

I have a feeling that the remaining week and a half left of the General Assembly's session may be among the most entertaining yet...

Senate Dems Offer Criminal Relief Package

The State Senate had some late hours last night, debating a criminal justice reform measure that Democrats offered as a "compromise" to the three strikes measure Republicans have been pushing for since the murders in Cheshire last summer.

So what is their idea of a compromise? The original bill introduced by the Senate Democrats would have actually lowered the maximum sentencing for compelling someone to have sex at gunpoint from 40 years to 20 years. Evidently, of the 21 violent crimes mentioned in the original bill, the maximum sentence that could be handed down by a judge was lowered for eight of them.

That's right... the Senate Democrat answer to criminal justice reform in the wake of home invasions, rapes, and murders by parolees, repeat offenders and ex-cons is to make sure they get LIGHTER sentences. Democrats apparently think these people already spend too much time behind bars.

How can any Democrat in the legislature seriously say they are "tough on crime" when they offer lighter sentences for violent offenders?!?

Senate Republicans offered a three strikes amendment, which was defeated by a vote of 19-16. Democrats Joan Hartley, Tom Gaffey and Paul Doyle were the only Democrats to support it.

A final version of the bill which passed would allow a judge to double the penalty for someone convicted of a second violent crime, and triple it up to life in prison for a third offense... better than we have now, but not good enough. There were actually three Senate Democrats who couldn't even bring themselves to support that: Senators Toni Harp of New Haven, Eric Coleman of Bloomfield and Edwin Gomes of Bridgeport.

You would have more luck asking the House and Senate Democrats in Hartford to find a cure for cancer or build a space shuttle than you would in getting them to actually vote against a criminal. It's been excruciating just to get them to come this far almost a year after the triple homicide in Cheshire. Still no three strikes, and no tough mandatory minimum sentencing.

Amann Says He's Out

This is horrible news! Democratic House Speaker Jim Amann announced today that he is not running for re-election to the House, presumably to focus on his run for governor.

Amann was an inadequate speaker, who could not get out of the way of his own ego, arrogance and sense of entitlement. He fought vigorously to keep his ability to squeeze lobbyists in Hartford for donations to the charity he was employed by.

He also was certain to work an angle with his chief of staff Robert Frankel acting as his treasurer for his gubernatorial run. I am sure that isn't being used to any advantage.

While Amann was a political punching bag not only for Republicans because of his ineptness, he was also a political punching bag for the far left of the Democratic party, the likes which lurk in My Left Nutmeg's dingy, musty corner of cyberspace.

Amann committed the cardinal sin of Connecticut leftists... he supported Senator Joe Lieberman after his primary loss to Ned Lamont. They never forgave Amann, and they ruthlessly dogged him for it, demonstrating the political drift of Connecticut Democrats toward a faction of intolerant radicals.

With Amann gone, so goes the last vestige of moderate Democrats in the General Assembly. Look around the state and you see moderate Democrat office holders being primaried by the far left. Make no mistake, the Democrats are out to exterminate all moderate voices from within, and this helps give them a free hand in it. It is this radicalization that will also eventually doom Amann's run for governor.

Presuming a Democratic majority returns to the capitol after November (albeit greatly reduced I would hope) they won't be the Democrats you see today. They will be led by Speaker Chris Donovan, radical through and through. If you thought it was bad in Connecticut now, wait until you see the new breed take over.

Jim... I love to see you go, and I hate to see you go.

Surplus of Stupidity

Sticker shock has hit members of our legislature today. The Courant reports that budget surplus projections have taken a massive digger, and now there is a "tissue thin" $15.7 million projected surplus this year.

Now things will get interesting in Hartford. This shrivelled up surplus means all these special interest and social projects are up against the wall.

I am now recalling Rep. Peter Tercyak's (D-New Britain) brilliant remarks that he would like to plow only one lane of our highways during a blizzard and pass the savings on to the non-profits (like the one he works for, I gather). Well Mr. Tercyak, it now appears you'll only be able to run a snow shovel up the breakdown lane of the highway if you're going to pass any money along to your employer.

The total revenue picture isn't clear yet. I gather the folks at DRS are still opening envelopes of checks from tax returns. But at the beginning of the year there were projections of a surplus of over $260 million.

First of all, no one should get too excited about having a massive surplus. A massive surplus means you and I and every business and taxpayer was charged too much money by the government to run itself. Secondly, a massive surplus will not be returned to you, it will be carved up by the liberal supermajority in Hartford and spent on expanding programs and creating new ones. They never have enough of your money and they never will.

But what is starting to happen is that liberals are now having to live with the consequences of their own misguided tax policies which have cost us population and economic resilience. The well is drying up. Or relocating. You know what that means? You and I will be expected to pay even more. Count on it.

Happy Earth Day!

It's that time of year again... the one holiday liberals think is okay to observe in schools. Well, aside from Ramadan and Abbie Hoffman's birthday.

Today we celebrate the evils of humanity and acknowledge as a species our deep shame over having invented plastic, and letting our poo poo get into river streams. How much better the world would be without people! Koalas and marmosets could discuss fine animal literature while on envoys of peace to dolphin civilizations.

I say we all celebrate Earth Day by not flushing a single toilet or washing a single armpit in the state of Connecticut for one day.

Of course, that's life as usual for most of Earth Day's principal celebrants.

HBO Cancels "John Adams"

How disappointing! I was really getting into this new show on HBO called "John Adams." It was supposed to be a comedy I guess, because it had that really funny Paul Giamati in it (From Sideways and Howard Stern's Private Parts). Anyhow, this "John Adams" guy apparently got himself involved in all sorts of pickles during the Colonial and Revolutionary War era.

Anyway, it wasn't all that funny, but I was really getting into the story. And then after a mere seven episodes, they killed the guy! What a bunch of crap. HBO ran that cruddy "Sopranos" show forever, and beat that lame series into the ground. And then in the last long-awaited episode of that swill no one got killed. I guess they made up for it killing the main character in "John Adams" halfway through the first season.

We never got to see funny stuff, like Adams arguing about wine with Thomas Jefferson like he did in Sideways, and then yelling "dammit Jefferson... I'm not drinking any f**ing Merlot!"

Next year I understand Phil Donahue is going to do a hilarious HBO show called "Millard Fillmore." I'm laughing already!

Absentee Ballots. I mean REAL Absentee.

My grandfather never once voted Democrat. Until he died.

The Courant had a classic article over the weekend discussing how a large number of dead people remain on the voting rolls, and evidently some of them have become enthusiastic repeat voters following their deaths.

Now, I'm all for there being great latitudes to accommodate voters... I do like the plan Republicans in the General Assembly have to allow unrestricted use of absentee ballots... but I draw the line at death's door. If you're dead, your right to vote is in question.

I mean, think about how many more Democrats would get elected in this state with zombies being able to cast ballots. Hell, some of our Democrats in office are little more than the walking dead.

Particularly amusing about all of this is that the liberal advocates of same day voter registration, a policy that would make the voting process rife with errors and expose it to fraud, have regularly lectured us about how little fraud there is and how watertight our system is. Over 8,500 dead people were apparently found registered, many of whom apparently never voted until after their death.

Considering the fact that many municipal races and state legislative races have been decided by only a handful of votes, I'd say thousands of dead voters is a serious problem.

And what is Secretary "Sledgehammer" Bysiewicz doing about this? According to the article, a representative from her office concedes there needs to be a better way of tracking and notifying registrars of deaths.

Perhaps if Bysiewicz spent a little less time parading around the state giving out fictitious awards to prominent individuals, or pretending to be our other Attorney General, she might be able to formulate a policy about this. Instead, she inserts herself into issues like Broadwater, of which she has no authority or power, and grossly neglects the office she holds and its duties in an endless series of self-aggrandizements in pursuit of larger political offices.

Intern Gone Hillbilly

I'm a little late getting in on this act, and it has been all over most other CT political sites, but how could I possibly let this go?

Evidently a legislative intern gave a fascinating performance at the General Assembly this past week, asserting at a forum that 80% of the legislature was corrupt, and that they smoked, drank and had sex in their offices.

CT News Junkie, using the above video from Spazeboy, called the event "Intern Gone Wild." Oh, come on. Something tells me that when college-aged interns "go wild" at the capitol, it probably has more to do with underpants hanging from statuary and piles of vomit in the water fountains than it does with absurd questions at an informational forum.

He did succeed at one thing; he made former Lt. Governor Kevin Sullivan look like the puffy pant-load he is. When Sullivan blustered about how he was in intern in 1970, the fine people at the capitol inspired him to get into public service, to which this intern responded "that's what you get from a politician."

Perhaps more interesting is the video below, where this intern sheds his fedora for a cowboy hat.

Yee haw indeed.

Let the Killings Begin

After seven months, America can start executing its serial killers, murderers and other assorted beasts once more.

The U.S. Supreme Court had been examining Kentucky's lethal injection procedures and ruled today that the most widely approved method of lethal injection passes the test. Almost immediately Virginia, Mississippi and Oklahoma moved to lift their moratoriums which had been in place pending the decision.

Only Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and David Souter dissented from the majority. What a surprise!

Evidently, in Florida and Ohio some of these lethal injections took abnormally long to conclude, and there were "indications" that the prisoner suffered.

Who weeps for those prisoners... the killers of innocent men, women and children? Am I to be outraged when a serial molester and killer of children happens to get a burning sensation from the three-drug method extinguishing his filthy existence. You know, I don't really give a damn if being executed hurts a little. If you ask me, it ought to hurt a lot!

They should be glad I am not charged with developing methods of execution, and they get a fluffy pillow while they are put to sleep. I would run most of these demons through a stump-grinder.

So, capital punishment continues... let the executions resume!

Amann Blows Up Ethics Bill

This is hardly shocking. Apparently the ethics bill in the Connecticut General Assembly which was alive until last week, and which Democratic Senate President Don Williams announced had the approval of all sorts of people he apparently never asked, was blown up by Speaker Jim Amann.

Wow! Did it not go far enough? Was it not tough enough of an ethics proposal? Did it not meet the high standards that he himself has set as House Speaker? Mua ha ha ha!

No! He blew it up because it had a provision that would have prevented his chief-of-staff, Robert Frankel, from engaging in fundraising activities. Frankel coincidentally happens to be Amann's treasurer for his ill-advised run for Governor.

You can read about it here in the JI.

In other words, if you pass this ethics measure, Frankel can't roam the halls of power vacuuming up political contributions for his boss.

Amann's latest brazen affront to political decency can hardly be a surprise. We all recall how Amann was putting the squeeze on lobbyists at the capitol to contribute to the charity that paid his salary. Frankel was one of the people he dispatched to argue before the Citizens' Ethics Advisory Board nearly a year ago that he should be able to continue the practice.

Democrats are perfectly happy to get red in the face over the chief of staff to the governor, Lisa Moody, participating in fundraising activities. But once again, don't you dare apply the same standard to them.

Bysiewicz: Broadwater - Broad Power

It has deeply fascinated me that throughout the episode of Broadwater, the proposed floating liquefied natural gas terminal intended to be moored in the middle of Long Island Sound, our Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz has pretended to a level of involvement that may be... well... misleading.

Charmed as we are by the delicate Fran Drescher cadence of her voice, she must feel we never get enough. She has attempted to behave as our second attorney general, an office she desperately aspires to. And while she has played virtually no role whatsoever in actually combatting the proposed terminal which has really fallen to Governor Rell and our actual Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.

So how has she managed to shove her face strategically into every news story, every camera angle... every crevace of significance? How has she done this without being called into question by reporters who are covering this issue?

New York's Secretary of State Lorriane A. Cortes-Vasquez has in fact been deeply involved in this process. That is because there are fundamental and significant material differences between what the Secretary of State's office is in New York, and what it is in Connecticut.

While both Secretaries deal with a number of identical issues, New York's "Department of State" additionally oversees something called the Division of Coastal Resources. This Division is responsible for the protection and promotion of New York's waterfront resources. The Broadwater proposal therefore clearly falls within the concerns of her office.

Secretary Bysiewicz, on the other hand, has no authority in any aspect of the Broadwater proposal, other than being a higher profile residents who doesn't like the proposal. She has managed to get press coverage by communicating directly with her "counterpart" Secretary Cortes-Vasquez and then telling the press what they discussed, desperately trying to make herself relevant to the story.

The mainstream media have played into her hands. They have failed to examine the legitimacy of her role, and have allowed her the stage upon which she grandstands with insolent swagger.

The Importance of Being Idle

Has our legislature tackled tough issues like criminal justice reform, or reducing the energy prices they accidentally tripled on us with energy deregulation? No. But they are prepared to pass a fine of $95 if you let your car idle.

As the New Haven Register reports this morning, a bill before the State Senate would prohibit motorists from letting their "unmoving vehicles" idle for more than three minutes. There are exceptions, such as if you happen to be in a traffic jam, or need the heat or air conditioner to "ensure safety and health" of driver and passenger.

The article doesn't say which genius Senator is behind this proposal which was supposedly introduced because we don't know how much fuel we are wasting when we idle. Of course, thanks to the Democrats in the General Assembly, the price of gas in Connecticut has gone up, and our tax on it will go up again this summer. If they really want to help us save money, they could cut the gas tax.

And who will enforce this idling bill? The police? Those are the only people I see actually idling their vehicles, waiting to catch speeders. Don't the police have better things to do than pull up behind someone who ran into a donut shop and start a stopwatch?

It's a good thing for the legislature that THEY don't get fined for being idle, or they'd have to give us all our taxes back. They haven't done a single significant thing since their much lauded "Supermajority" came to power last session, and this session is no different. There is less than a month left for them to do anything meaningful... anything at all.

Hide The Flatware

I am finally willing to concede that George Bush may be stupid. He has apparently invited Representative Michael Lawlor, the Democratic Chairman of the Judiciary Committee to the White House for a bill signing on crime.

Connpolitics.tv has the news. And according to them:

It’s ironic because Lawlor, who is the longtime co-chairman of the legislature’s
Judiciary Committee, is often criticized as being ’soft on crime’ by critics
here in Connecticut.

Well, he IS soft on crime. He is one of the chief obstructors to Connecticut adopting a strong Three Strikes law to lock up repeat violent offenders for life. Asking him to come down to the White House to watch the signing of a crime bill is ironic alright... the same way it would be ironic to ask Ted Kennedy down to the signing of an anti-drunken debauchery measure.

As the article notes, the bill he is attending the signing for puts a focus on rehabilitation as opposed to incarceration, an approach Lawlor and his fellow Judiciary Chair Senator Andrew McDonald have championed at the Capitol at the expense of Three Strikes, and in the face of all evidence that there are some people who cannot be rehabilitated.

I suspect that they are willing to sacrifice a few more lives to prove their theory though.

A Tax... in Twenty Minutes or Less

Well... the majority Democrats in the General Assembly SAID they wouldn't raise taxes this year... but that depends on what the definition of the word "raise" is.

The Finance Committee didn't get the memo. The Democratic Chair, Cameron Staples (D-New Haven) helped usher a bill through that committee that places a 6% tax on deliveries. No one, apparently, can even say how much money it generates, or what the need for it is.

This tax would apply to Federal Express and UPS deliveries, as well as grocery, newspaper, restaurant deliveries, heating fuel deliveries, furniture deliveries, flower deliveries... you get the picture. The tax will, naturally, be passed on to the consumer.

Democrats apparently want you to be able to get a tax in 20 minutes or less, along with your pizza.

Democrats apparently believe that he senior citizen who has Pea Pod deliver her groceries isn't paying her fair share. The senior citizen that has their medication delivered by mail isn't paying their fair share. When you send flowers to someone you care about, you aren't paying your fair share.

This is a fascinating proposal to tie in with the estate tax that Democrats refuse to get rid of... they tax you for being dead. Now are they taxing you forbeing delivered into the ground at the cemetery?

At long last, we can involve the Department of Revenue Services in the lasting debate of whether it's Digiorno's or Delivery.

Where No Tax Has Gone Before

Hartford. The Final Frontier. These are the voyages of the Supermajority... their mission... to boldly tax where no tax has gone before!

Apparently there is a group of legislators and staff who are Star Trek aficionados, according to the Record Journal. They meet regularly for lunch, and probably discuss how to vaporize our economy over some Romulan ale. They have a Captain, too! It's Rep. Mary Mushinsky (D-Wallingford, pictured in uniform courtesy of the Record Journal).

Sometimes you see something that just makes everything make sense. I was fairly certain that legislators like Mushinsky were not living in reality, or even on Earth. This confirms it.

"Captain" Mushinsky lacks the swagger of Kirk, and it is difficult to imagine her as commanding anything other than a plastic bath tub toy.

Who else plays Star Trek with Mushinsky? None of the other legislators are named in the article. Does Rep. Tim O'Brien put on Spock ears and try to knock out his colleagues with a Vulcan nerve pinch? Does Rep. Michael Lawlor wave a plastic tricorder over legislation and proclaim grimly "Dammit Jim, that's Unconstitutional!"

I would really enjoy seeing Speaker Amann stuff himself in one of those red tunic shirts, and yell in a Scottish brogue "Captain, I'm giving her all she's got, but the dilithium crystals in the dias are burned out!"

In the meantime, our remaining House Supermajority have their phasers set on tax, and they are about to photon torpedo our economy into smithereens.

Ten Pounds

The State legislature has only one month left to finish their work before their required adjournment date on May 7, 2008. Let's take a look at what they have accomplished so far!

CRIMINAL JUSTICE- they have rejected "Three Strikes" and done nothing on criminal justice reforms apart from "study" them.

TAXES - Gas tax scheduled to increase soon, but the majority doesn't want to act. We continue to pay the highest taxes in the nation, and Senate Democrats are offering their lame Earned Income Tax Credit again... no action taken on anything.

ENERGY - Ha ha ha ha! The legislature doesn't even understand our energy infrastructure, so they remain perplexed and confused on how they accidentally caused us to pay triple our going rate for electricity. Democrats have promised big changes for three years. Nothing has been done. Guess what? Nothing will be done.

TRANSPORTATION - Our roads are clogged during commute times and turn into parking lots. We have six people who ride the train from Hartford to Springfield in the morning. The transportation committee apparently approved a bill that tightens restrictions on young drivers though. Well done. Other than that, nothing.

JUDICIAL AND EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS- Harumph! There are high ranking important people who are friends of the legislature who need to be placed in high-ranking important and high-paying jobs! The legislature has made damned sure that they have moved that business along like well-oiled machinery, lest some political appointee miss a paycheck.

The largest piece of the equation remans the budget. Democrats are offering a budget that is lower than the Governor's proosed budget. That's a good sign. But what's in it?

All of the work that the legislature has promised it would do... all the work we need them to do, is being left to these final days. They can't do it all. They are stuffing ten pounds of shit into a five pound bag. Regardless what they do, we get the same thing. A giant bag of shit.

Plates in the Head

The State Legislature is apparently considering creating two special license plates, one to support our troops, and the other to honor the career choice of nursing.

This from the New Haven Register today. According to the article, the funds raised from these plates will go to charities that assist veterans and soldiers, and to scholarships for those entering nursing.

I certainly wouldn't argue against either proposed plate, as both are undeniably worthy causes. The troop one in fact is being considered nationwide.

State legislators get their own special plates that identify them as members of the General Assembly. These, presumably, entitle them to park in handicapped spaces, and avoid tickets while travelling all over the state to have Sierra Club dinners and inspect prisons. These are probably the most expensive vanity plates Connecticut issues, costing us all roughly $18 billion a year.

Anyhow, it's really high time that Connecticut developed some other vanity plates. Below are some of my humble suggestions. Perhaps they can be adopted by a legislator?

The Caruso Plate - Funds from this vanity plate go toward funding the various past and future attempts of Rep. Chris Caruso to sue himself into higher office.

The Blizzard Pass Plate - If Rep. Peter Tercyak gets his way, only one lane of state highways will be plowed during snowstorms, and the savings passed on to non-profits. Purchase of this plate will allow you to contribute to the non-profit that pays Tercyak, and drive through that one special plowed traffic lane.

The Bumper Sticker Plate - This one can go hand-in-hand with the new Citizen's Election Fund. Since state tax dollars are already going toward paying for political bumper stickers, lawn signs, and various junk, you can pick out a license plate that advocates for your preferred candidate, and your money gets dumped into the CEF where it is wasted on buying Chinese food for poll workers or Subway sandwiches for phone bankers.

CT Criminal Justice Plate - This plate is made by criminals who are incarcerated for violent felonies, and is subsequently given to them for free after they get out of jail due to "judicial discretion." They can place it on their car on their way to committing a third violent felony for which they will be incarcerated briefly for.

The Jim Amann M.S. Plate - This special plate helps defray the costs of strong-arming lobbyists to contribute to the M.S. Society's salary for Speaker Jim Amann.

The Skittles Plate - This license plate generates funds for the education of children who are expelled from public school for selling candy and soda to other school children.

Leftwing Blogger Plate - Designed to look like underpants. Plate is twice as expensive as a normal plate, but other people have to buy it for you.

The Michael Bolton Plate - This plate would raise money to collect and incinerate compact discs of the perennial embarrassment to Connecticut, Michael Bolton.

Of course, if Connecticut keeps going the way it's going, most of us will be getting new license plates in the new states we move to from here.

Evil Visits Again

I'm not really one for Bob Englehart, or cartoonists in general, but this work of his happened to say it all.

Last weekend the brutality and evil of the variety we became acquainted with in Cheshire last summer visited two innocent women in New Britain over the weekend. A woman was shot in her home and left for dead, while her guest was abducted, shot to death, and her body dumped in Bristol.

The despicable animal who is accused of perpetrating this deed has, as predicted, quite a list of priors.

This, after the Democrats in the General Assembly's Judiciary rejected a "Three Strikes" law which would lock up for life those criminals three times convicted of a violent felony.

Democrats have now, for a second time this year, rejected the public call for tougher sentencing. Liberals are apparently clinging to intellectual arguments about judicial discretion and how vital that is. Judicial discretion gave us the Petit case in Cheshire, and apparently has given us this latest New Britain horror as well.

Take a gander at the liberal commenters on other CT political blogs who actually dare comment on this (My Left Nutmeg is awkwardly silent on the subject, too busy picking on Rell appointees and frenetically pleasuring themselves over Joe Lieberman's latest utterances to address something like public safety) and you will see parsed sensibilities. The gist of their arguments seem to be that this latest event doesn't even qualify as a "Three Strikes"-worthy topic as this new offender had only one violent offense.

Quite naturally, they miss the point. This beast had his other offenses plead down, something that might not have happened if a "Three Strikes" law were on the books.

These liberals complain that this issue is "political," a complaint they lodge only when both public opinion and good reason are both beyond their grasp.

The Democrats in the legislature will have another chance at bat before adjournment. The call right now on them is two strikes, no balls. And I predict they carve air in the political batter's box.