Opinion
Post Election: Countering Fear and Exclusion Begins Here
By John McNamara NEW BRITAIN – Campaign promises threatening “mass deportation”, use of the military and law enforcement to go after political opponents (“the enemy within”) and rollbacks of policies for the common good dominated Trump on the stump in the closing weeks of 2024’s campaign. And so the Trump victory on November 5th is […]
Greeditarian Democrats Are At Fault for Trump Winning
By Tim O’Brien I think it was on the order of two decades ago that I predicted to Democratic Party leaders and activists that, if the Democratic Party did not start opposing free trade instead of embracing it, that, eventually, an ultranationalist Republican would rise up and win the presidency by doing so. Few in […]
Council Democrats Call For Neighborhood Flood Relief Assistance
NEW BRITAIN – Common Council Democrats are proposing a neighborhood flood relief initiative to “provide immediate and direct relief to homeowners whose properties are damaged by storm water and sewage when extreme weather leads to flooding and damages.” A resolution, introduced by Common Council President Francisco Santiago (D-5), Assistant Majority Leader Iris Sanchez (D-3) and […]
It’s a Unanimous CT Roll Call For Harris In Virtual Pre-Convention Vote
Voting early and online nomination stems from Republican obstruction over ballot access in Ohio “So I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That’s the best way to unite our nation. I know there is a time and a place for long years of experience in public life, […]
Reader Encourages Voters to Research Congressional Candidates’ Issue Positions
To the Editor: Are you a registered “Independent”? In respect for your affiliation, and in understanding your desire to do your own research in choosing a candidate for our 5th Congressional District, I urge you to compare issues and achievements at the websites of our current 3rd term Congresswoman, Democrat Jahana Hayes and her opponent […]
Op-Ed: New Britain Residents Deserve Better Financial Oversight
By Chris Anderson For the third year in a row, the City of New Britain’s Finance Department has neglected their obligations to taxpayers by failing to file the annual financial audit on time. Besides routine lateness, the audit findings identified multiple serious material weaknesses in how the Finance Department operates. First, the Finance Department failed […]
Council Leader Supports DeFronzo for State Representative
To The Editor: David DeFronzo, the endorsed Democrat running for 26th State Representative in the August 13th Primary, will be an effective leader for the city and the district if he is elected to the Legislature this year. Mr. DeFronzo is listening and understands the needs of the community. He will bring energy and know […]
Op-Ed: Tax and Spend Republicans in New Britain
By Aram Ayalon Recently, the New Britain Progressive reported that the city of New Britain is yet again, late in submitting its audit report, this time 6 months late instead of a year late for the 2022 budget – a slight improvement but still adds to the financial woes the city has experienced in the […]
Reader Supports Ayalon and Property Tax Cap
Dear Editor, Last year my condo property was reassessed and I got a 43% property tax increase. This July, I got a mill rate increase of about $100 per/year. The 2024 mill rate for Greenwich (one of the wealthiest communities in CT) is 11.39. In New Britain it’s 38.28 with another increase already set for […]
Op-Ed – Response to Ayalon’s Commentary on Infrastructure Proposal
To Our Neighbor’s in Ward 4, The federal grants (PROTECT and FEMA) have been in the pipeline for years, they have not been funded. The Allen St. and Overlook-McKinley projects have been ignored and neglected for 30 years including 10 years on the current mayor’s watch. City and state bonding initiatives are required immediately to […]
Op-Ed – Infrastructure Investment – A Real Proposal or a Campaign Gimmick
By Aram Aylon, In a June 12, 2024, article on the New Britain Progressive my opponent for District 26 state representative is cited as proposing a $200 million investment in municipal infrastructure to address sewer and flooding issues funded by recent state budget surpluses. New Britain has suffered from flooding in certain areas in the […]
Reader Supports Congresswoman Jahana Hayes
By Marlene WoodmanSharon, Connecticut I support Rep. Jahana Hayes – CT5-D because I know firsthand the amount of work and commitment it takes to represent constituents and communities. I was Rep. Rosa Delauro’s (CTD-3) campaign manager and then district director when she was first elected. The job is demanding – it takes a personal commitment […]
Democrats Seek Transparency On Contracts And Tax Agreements
Common Council Budget Review Begins For the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year This report is the second in a series to keep the community informed about Council business and to encourage public participation in city government from the perspective of the Democratic Majority Caucus. The details of municipal purchasing, tax and and leasing agreements will be reported […]
Basing Our Support of Democratic Candidates On the Company They Keep
By Rhona Cohen Opinion Editor There are two very consequential local democratic primaries happening in New Britain on August 9th. Local elections are hardly ever discussed anywhere in statewide media, which might lead folks to believe they are of no consequence. However, they have major and reverberating effects, both locally and nationally. New Britain […]
A Case for Direct Citizen-Initiated Ballot Measures in Connecticut.
By Cody DallaValle of Torrington Unsolicited Op-Ed There are only two ways to change the constitution of our great state, they are outlined in Articles 12 & 13. The first method is called a legislatively referred amendment which requires both chambers of the legislature to vote on and pass the amendment twice, with more than […]