Trial Lawyers Viewing Madoff as Opportunity

Yesterday, class action trial attorney's collectively smiled with glee as Bernard Madoff was sentenced to a maximum 150 years in prison. Should individuals of propagating securities fraud be punished? Of course.

However, as Congress is lobbied to change the manner in which securities fraud is deterred and prosecuted let us not forget the case of Bill Lerach. William Lerach, an attorney for the New York law firm of Millberg Weiss was sentenced to two years in prison for his role in a scheme to pay class action plaintiffs inducing them to sue. Formerly the largest plaintiff's firm in the country, to date four partners have plead guilty to federal charges.

Now, in the wake of the Madoff scandal, some attorneys are lobbying congress to expand class action securities lawsuits.

Securities class action filings have risen steadily in the past several years but have done nothing to deter the questionable behavior that led to the financial meltdown. Increasing the number of lawsuits and adding to the costs that businesses must bear in this recession will only slow our economic recovery and delay the creation of much needed jobs.

As Congressional leaders are lobbied to make changes to our nation's legal and financial infrastructures, they would be wise to keep in mind job creation and economic growth in times such as these.

Democrats Turn on Dodd

On the Evening of June 22 2009, the Kent Democratic Town Committee at its regular meeting voted to adopt a resolution of no confidence in Senator Dodd.
The resolution follows.

A RESOLUTION OF THE KENT DEMOCRATIC TOWN COMMITTEE

The members of the Kent Democratic Town Committee share with Americans of all political persuasions a serious concern regarding how our political representatives finance their election and reelection campaigns.

Addressing this problem must begin through local efforts which focus on the behavior, integrity and performance of our own local, state and federal representatives. Consequently:

WHEREAS when the decisions of those holding political power are increasingly influenced by corporate lobbyists and corporate campaign contributions which sustain those holding political positions, and,

WHEREAS Senator Christopher Dodd has held a powerful position of oversight of the financial industry during a period when that industry pursued policies which generated enormous profit for its practitioners while devising and carrying out fraudulent practices that have come close to bankrupting the nation, and,

WHEREAS over the course of his 30 year senate career Senator Dodd has accepted more than 13 million dollars from the financial and real estate industries, both of which he was charged with regulating in his capacity as a member, and currently as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and,

WHEREAS Senator Dodd, in order to transfer 1.7 million dollars from his senate campaign accounts and divert those monies toward his ill considered presidential run, notified the Federal Election Commission that he did not intend to run for the senate in 2010, and,

WHEREAS Senator Dodd has violated either in fact or in appearance or both, in the several ways herein elaborated, the trust placed in him by his constituents,

THEREFORE We the members of the Kent Democratic Town Committee conclude that it is the legitimate responsibility of the people to intervene and to reject those political representatives who have become enamored with achieving and maintaining their own position and power at the expense of the citizens, WE RESOLVE that Senator Dodd does not deserve our support, and that through his pattern of behavior, he has become a symbol of what is wrong with our electoral system and deserves our vote of NO CONFIDENCE.


Adopted by the Kent Democratic Town Committee this 22nd day of June, 2009.

So..How was the Bush Dinner?

It dawned on me as I rummaged through some of my grandfathers stuff and ran across a photo with him and Charles Freihofer, him with his friend the Governor, who went to become president,(FDR) that my own grandchildren won't be stumbling across anything similar and it's my own darn fault.

I've met Reagan, Bush (41), Bush (43), Prescott Bush, Jr. Jeb, Barbara, Laura, in the 1970's even sold a car to 41's brother William, met Stewart Alsop, knew Roger Eddy and so on.

Not one photo as it wasn't on my radar.

Pushing 60 and now recognizing the errors of my youth, I set about to correct the situation, and this was the 1st opportunity.

Once I'd made all sorts of plans, my employer decided I should be out of state that week.
Getting rescheduled was dicey and took long enough to get my anti-acid consumption to a 5 year high.

"This time I'll get a nice shot of Newt with my wife", I thought to myself.

Nope.

I was on the committee, I worked peddling tickets, cajoling, embarrassing various associates and fellow politicos into springing for tickets; even begged the party chair to offer two hard working and loyal couples that couldn't quite afford the night $50 off per-ticket just to get them there. (I don't know if he ever did.)

The Bush Dinner is a good time to run a candidate around quickly and introduce them to people they should know. Planning ahead I uncharacteristically made note cards and stuck them into my suit jacket.

Polished my best shoes, bought a new french-cuff shirt and even bought a new tie (not that I needed one) just for the event.

My 21 year old son agreed to come and brought a girl he's known since before he could walk; even (on his own no-less) went to Brookes Bros. and bought new suit for the event (looked like a million bucks too) - was left trying to entertain my table filled with largely with people he's known all his life including a State Marshall, Past Master of my Lodge; 4 fellows from Waterbury, including newly elected GOP State Central member from the 15th district; Jeffery Santopietro; a good friend of mine for over 25 years.

I did pick up my son's ticket for him and his date's dad, a local Town Councilman, also at our table, picked up hers. (They're both in college and neither is rolling in cash.)

I was assured that I had done enough that even without the $1000 "get a photo" ticket getting a photo with Newt and my wife wouldn't be a problem but get there early.

My every-bit-as-kind-as-Mother-Teresa-wife got tied up at work so we arrived not at 5:00 - 5:30; but at 7:27.
Just in time to see the waiter remove the salads from our places to make room for dinner.
The two couples I had tried so hard to get to come had, and had been turned away at the door as the place was a sell out. That put a pall on the evening for me and embarrassed me to death.

We missed almost everything except Newt, including Southington native Vinny Nolan receiving the Futtner Award (Pat Futtner was a wonderful man and I've been kicking around so long that I was probably among the 30 or 40 people in the room of over 800 that actually knew him.)

We saw Newt; Chairman Healy closed, and it was over by quarter of 9:00; 1 hour and 18 minutes after we arrived.

No photo - and forget about any notes I had as to who to be sure met who - that was in the toilet too.

The room had 50 more than legally allowed and the night might have a set a record for the Bush Dinner!

But you asked "how was the dinner" - beats me, I'm just duct taping the Hoover hose here onto my cars exhaust pipe ..........................................

Democrats Seek to Kill CT Jobs

There's a link to the right that will take the reader to The Everyday Republican, but for those 3 or 4 of you (out of my 6 or 7 regular readers) that haven't ever taken it, I'm re-posting this one.




For Immediate Release
Contact: Chris Healy - 860-966-8468
Note that Chairman Healy posts his actual cell number (yes as a matter of fact he usually does answer!) - the man is accountable.
Monday, June 22, 2009

Congressional Democrats Absent on Health Care
Support for National Plan Will Kill CT Jobs

HARTFORD - Since the health care debate recently began in Congress, no member of the Connecticut delegation has expressed any concern, less a word on how these proposals would destroy much of Connecticut's economy, according to Republican State Party Chairman Chris Healy Monday.

"Democrats are planning to nationalize the health care system in America, which accounts for one seventh of our economy and will lead to the rationing of services and poor quality of care," said Healy. "The Connecticut Congressional delegation have been silent conspirators in a plan that will radically alter many of our state's key industries."

Democratic leadership and the Obama administration have proposed a "public option" - a government administered health plan that would enroll anyone who chooses to join. Most experts believe this is the first step toward a single-payer system where costs will be shifted from the public plan, which has an unlimited ability to raise money through taxes and fees, toward private companies.

"Here is a news flash for Congressmen John Larson, Rosa DeLauro, Chris Murphy, Joe Courtney and Jim Himes - Connecticut has many insurance companies, bio-tech firms, pharmaceutical companies and financial institutions which sustain their operations," said Healy. "You are killing our economy."

Democrats, like Rep. Henry Waxman, D-CA, want pharmaceutical companies to rebate billions of dollars he said were unfairly reaped from the prescription drug program passed by Republicans under the Bush Administration.

"Imagine what will happen to Pfizer, Bristol Meyers and our bio-tech corridor if Waxman's revenge is allowed?" asked Healy. "Why aren't our Congressmen defending Connecticut jobs?"

Healy said DeLauro and Larson are particularly to blame, since each are members of the leadership circle. Both have close access to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, but neither has uttered a word about this massive take-over of the health care industry.

"Larson and DeLauro should use their influence to stop this insane plot to ruin the best health care system in the world and fix what is broken," said Healy. "The problem is both Larson and DeLauro are in the pockets of those who are driving up health care costs - like trial lawyers and public sector health care unions."

Healy said each member of the Congressional delegation should make themselves available to voters and the media in the coming day s to give direct answers to the major components of the health care bill.

"Connecticut is a driving force in medical technology, research, health care services and insurance" said Healy. "We need to know which side our members of Congress are on - with Connecticut's businesses and workers who make health care available and work - or with government bureaucrats who want to run our lives from Washington, D.C."

Each member of the Congressional delegation represents a major health care provider, pharmaceutical company or research facility. Collectively, they have created thousands of high-skilled, highly paid jobs that rely heavily on investment capital.

Some of the major companies include Alexion in Cheshire and Boehringer-Ingelheim in Danbury (Murphy), Bristol-Meyers Squibb in Wallingford (DeLauro) Pfizer in Groton (Courtney) Purdue-Pharma in Stamford (Himes), and various bio-tech facilities in the Hartford and New Haven areas.

"It is unconscionable that Connecticut's Congressional delegation is going along with a plan that would destroy the foundation of our health care system and Connecticut's fragile economy," said Healy. "It is time for the Democrats to wake up and defend Connecticut's interests rather than their own."

O’Rourke Wins Kennedy Driving Award

Connecticut State Representative and Deputy House Speaker James O’Rourke has won the coveted Ted Kennedy Driving Award

In the time honored Kennedy tradition, O'Rourke was able to once again prove that:
Guns don't kill people -
 but riding with a drunken Democratic Legislators will.
and like Kennedy giving a woman the [last] ride of her life can be done with total legal impunity if one simply leaves and doesn't notify anyone until someone else finds the body.














Thrilled upon hearing the news, O'Rourke, aglow with pride, stated he would do everything possible to live up to high driving standards set by Senator Kennedy since July of 1969 when the award began.
To that end, starting tomorrow O'Rourke stated he will head up the new Legislative Car Pool so Connecticut lawmakers can set an example towards energy conservation.

It will be interesting to see who, if anyone is willing to accept a ride from Representative O'Rourke.

Visiting America!

I'm spending a few days visiting America
in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

It's been years since anyone in Connecticut has been able to enjoy a cigarette after supper as these hard working fellows are doing.

Little by little, one small notch at a time, those bent on imposing a Totalitarian State are chipping away at the liberty that once was the proud hallmark of America.

Here in Bowling Green however, the owner of a restaurant still actually owns the restaurant and thus they, not someone without any financial investment in the operation, may choose to accommodate smokers and non-smokers, or if they wish, can ban tobacco use altogether.
It remains the owner's call, which is how it should be.

There are those that disagree, and they will, given time, take every natural born freedom we ever had away from us one at a time.

The owner of this individual location has clearly opted to accommodate both, but not the shrill, screaming anti-smoking zealots.
It's interesting to note that Adolf Hitler was an extreme anti-smoking zealot.

Score Card for this location:

Americans 4
Nazis -0-

There's a chain of these all over the place in the south and they have a cup of coffee that's the same high caliber as New England's legendary Dunkin Donuts. Quick service too!

It's logical that Bowling Green is also
home to the only Corvette plant.

That a car designed to exceed the legal speed limit by up to 300 percent is built here where the citizenry so obviously comprehends that liberty doesn't include arbitrarily set laws or regulations that serve only to constrain an otherwise free people, makes total sense.

Representive Fontana Doesn't Seem to Know

Sean Williams on Potential Voter Fraud