A Late Night Drive

It has been reported that State Representative and Deputy Speaker James O'Rourke (D-Cromwell) was the last person to see a woman alive who was later found dead.

The woman, Carol Sinisgalli, an employee of the State Department of Motor Vehicles, turned up dead having frozen to death after she was seen leaving a bar with O'Rourke. Police do not suspect foul play, and O'Rourke stands accused of nothing, however the details that have emerged thus far are sketchy.

On January 21st, they were both at a bar called O'Leary's Digger McDuff's in Rocky Hill... not known for being a classy establishment. Sinisgalli, 41, aparently had an altercation with some dude in a wheelchair. The police were called, and she left the bar in a hurry leaving behind her shoes and purse.

She jumped into the backseat of O'Rourke's car sans shoes and purse. O'Rourke apparently dropped her off later in the middle of a residential street, and her frozen corpse was discovered the following day by a cross-country skier.

I'm sorry but that's a wierd story. She was fighting with a guy in a wheelchair? He dropped her off in the street in the freezing cold without her shoes or her purse?

I'm going to go out on a limb here, but there's more to this story we have yet to be shocked by.

Senate Dems Roll a Stinker for the Deficit

Here's to blunting the deficit. I have heard some interesting theories about how to help with the deficit. But I am deeply fascinated by this effort by Senate Democrats Martin Looney and Toni Harp to help the deficit by relaxing the laws against marijuana possession.

They assure us no one wants to decriminalize pot possession, but they would rather being caught with joint be akin to getting a speeding ticket.

Then there is this from the Courant:

Connecticut legislators also will consider a measure that would reduce the size of drug-free school zones. Under state law, any drug activity is subject to harsher criminal penalties if it takes place within 1,500 feet of a school, housing project or day-care center. Critics say such laws unfairly discriminate against residents of cities and densely populated suburbs.

Uh-huh. Naturally, Judiciary Chairman Rep. Michael Lawlor shows up in this article to put his two cents in to advocate against "wasting" the money to prosecute "low level" drug users.

Is the point here that it actually costs the government money to do their job? No kidding! But leave it to these liberal clowns to see law enforcement as something to cut. They can't cut their own taxpayer funded campaign fund when vital programs are in the red. They can't cut their own salaries while their constituents get laid off. But they see savings in loosening up the law.

Excellent plan! You know, why don't they relax the laws on assault too? That ought to further clear the court docket and save us money. Those annoying rape and pedophile prosecutions are a real money drain too!

Idiots.

Amann Tanks

Jim Amann would probably get circumcised live on a Japanese game show if it meant he could pull in a few extra bucks. He is always looking for the angle to vacuum up loose cash, either by abusing his political post to benefit himself as a fundraiser for a charity, or by trying to take a six-figure state job WHILE being a fundraiser WHILE running for governor.

Apparently the pressure was too much, and Amann has announced he will not take the job. But let's be clear... based on Amann's track record of indifference to public opinion considering his ethics on such questions, it is unlikely that he made the principled call and stood down.

No, it is far more likely that he was told by the new speaker, Chris Donovan, that he couldn't go through with it. Donovan has been getting tremendous heat over the past few days for the foolish decision, and probably balked.

So, problem solved? Not so fast. Despite the fact that this distasteful deal was never executed, it demonstrates the grotesque lack of judgment and inability to grasp the fiscal circumstances gripping the state that consumes Chris Donovan. It is frightening that Donovan apparently thought this was a reasonable deal, only to fold when the voices around him got too loud.

Donovan has failed one of his first major tests as Speaker, and has set a poor example of leadership.

Now THAT'S Connecticut Democrats, and THAT'S business as usual.

"Help Me Help Myself!"

Just when you think arrogance has reached its zenith for legislative Democrats you can always count on them finding greater heights to ascend to. Just as the weekend began on Friday, it was quietly confirmed that former House Speaker Jim Amann would be hired by new House Speaker Chris Donovan as a $120,000 per year adviser.

That's right, following a week where House and Senate Democrats were unable to find the courage, ability or smarts to make any significant cuts in a budget that apparently now has a billion dollar deficit for this year, they added a $120,000 new position to their staff, continuing to show that the last people on earth they intend to let suffer in this economy are themselves.

Amann continues to be a candidate for governor, and this large salary ought to help him toward that end considerably.

Jim Amann has never been shy about being a pig, ever-ready to be slopped at the public trough. It should be remembered that he ran into some difficulties back when he was simultaneously serving as Speaker while strong-arming lobbyists to contribute to the non-profit he worked for, hiding behind the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the sick people it helps to personally enrich himself.

His indifference to the notion of being wise with the public penny is summed up best by the useless $65,000 special session he called a little over a year ago that required scaffolding to be taken down and immediately erected again for one hour of work that achieved absolutely nothing.

He also managed as Speaker to use a $2 million contingency fund meant for statewide projects solely in his own legislative district.

I was particularly amused by Amann's remarks in The Day where he explained how he came to take his new job. He said he considered private sector employment, but opted for the security of a state job since the private sector was laying off so many people. The money-line? “If I could run for governor and live in a tent I would,” Amann said. “I got a wife to take care of, I got bills to pay.”

Everyone else in Connecticut has family to support and bills to pay Jim. But, as it always was in your legislative career just as it is now... you're not about the people of the state. You're still just about yourself.

I'd say the pants are dropping off the new Donovan Speakership, and a little hairy crack is showing.

Second Coming of a "God"

I know that politicians as a class of people probably have the least amount of humility of any group. Some see to have no sense of it whatsoever. We clearly have such a man in Senator Tom Gaffey.

Following his 2007 scandal where he was duking a lobbyist for the state University System while simultaneously steering $1 billion to the system as Chairman of the Education Committee, Gaffey has now resurfaced to insolently wag his 10-pound scrotum of pure brass in our collective faces once again.

This time he is accused of double billing both the state and his political action committee for thousands of dollars worth of expenses.

It may be remembered that during the scandal that unfolded over his romance with Jill Ferraiola it wasn't just a conflict of interest that was uncovered. Emails between the two were steeped in bumbling sexual retardation. She called him "big boy" and referred to him as a "god."

He indulged the adolescent musings, claiming that "alongside every god is a great goddess." I am going to presume he wasn't thinking of the Hades/Persephone date-rape episode when he said that.

Perhaps if Gaffey reimburses the money he was reimbursed twice for and the legislature places a cap on how much he can bond for his chicks, we can start to close the budget deficit.

Unity or Unions?

It's getting to be that time of year. After a holiday celebration of Hopey Changemas following the election, Barack Obama must stop showing off his naked breasts in Hawaii and assume the mantle of power. Similarly, the new Connecticut General Assembly must stop screwing around and actually address the massive budget deficit heading our way.

Tomorrow afternoon that august body will convene once more to inadequately address the budget deficit. If only demogoguery, empty rhetoric, platitudes and stupidity could be converted into cash, the General Assembly would have us back in the days of flush surplus.

As I have said before, if you want to lose all faith in state government, if you were foolish enough to have any in the first place, all you need do is watch CTN coverage of legislative committee hearings and witness the blank expressions, the inappropriate and uninformed remarks, and the bald imbecility of questions posed by those masses of Democrats overrunning the legislature. These people have no idea what they are doing, are in so over their heads it is barely measureable, and they are in charge.

Newly minted House Speaker Chris Donovan has a unique challenge trying to balance his new role as Speaker with his old role as union shill. Yesterday Republican leaders had the temerity to suggest that raises for union contracts should be delayed until the summer.

Usually the General Assembly lets such raises fly through, taking effect without a vote - very convenient for Democrats. The great test as to whether Speaker Donovan is interested in actually addressing the deficit, or in handing out cash to his union pals while the ship of state sinks in red ink will be determined by which course of action he takes.

Which will it be Mr. Speaker? Wiill you stand with taxpayers or union bosses?

Nerd-In-Chief

They have certainly made a lot about the incoming president's love of technology. He can't go anywhere without a Blackberry! Now his nerd-dom is confirmed.

Obama now appears in an issue of Spider-Man. Says Joe Quesada, editor of Marvel Comics:

"How great is that? The commander in chief to be is actually a nerd in chief," Quesada said. "It was really, really cool to see that we had a geek in the White House. We're all thrilled with that."

Aren't we all? Apparently Spider-Man spots an imposter Obama at the Inauguration, and "uses basketball" to uncover the imposter.

Man, when Marvel killed Captain America, they meant it.