CT's unemployment rate is down but the devil is in the details

From The Patch

The state Department of Labor announced Monday that Connecticut's unemployment rate has decreased to 8.7 percent, which is the lowest rate since Sept. 2009, according to the Hartford Courant.

In addition, 6,500 jobs were created by state employers in October and the number of jobs in the state overall has grown by 8,800 in 2011, according to preliminary figures.

The state's unemployment rate decreased to 8.9 percent in September, marking the first time that the rate has fallen below 9 percent in two years. According to the CT Post, October marks the second straight month of decline in the state's unemployment rate.

Anyone need a job?

Why vote for an unaffiliated candidate?

Written by Jan Rifkinson
Monday, 07 November 2011 05:26

 

Who am I, what do I stand for, why am I campaigning for a seat on the Board of Selectmen?

I’m a retired, middle class married guy living on a fixed income, financially squeezed like many of you.

Philosophically, I’m for transparency in government, full disclosure and working more closely with Ridgefielders.

Fiscally, I’m careful. I want to understand the reasons for spending and exactly how that spending will benefit the taxpayer. I believe more revenue streams must be developed to reduce the tax burden.

People move here not only for our excellent schools, but because both housing and taxes are lower by comparison to other Fairfield towns in our category. If that formula changes, Ridgefield’s charm will change. I am not in favor of that.

I love new ideas. I like to converse with people. I admire thoughtful individuals with common sense.

I am not politically driven, which is why I made a conscious decision to run as an unaffiliated candidate.

Demagoguery, dogma and political gamesmanship don’t belong in Ridgefield.

Someone willing to volunteer their time for the community, running for a seat on the Board of Selectmen as I am, should understand the town’s major issues. I attended almost all board meetings for the past four years and I can say that I am knowledgeable about those issues.

If I am elected, I may not always get it right, but I’m sure going to do my best to balance the interests of everyone in the entire community.

Press endorsements in election

Written by The Ridgefield Press
Monday, 07 November 2011 05:29

Ridgefielders are lucky to have more than 30 candidates — Republicans, Democrats, an unaffiliated voter — running for office on Nov. 8, including 23 in five contested races. It takes concern and courage to run: hats off to them all.

Ridgefield is great place, and doing remarkably well considering how tough the economic times are — a 1% tax increase last year. The four incumbents on the Board of Selectmen deserve re-election: two Democrats, Barbara Manners, who has done so much for the arts and to enrich community life in town, and Di Masters, the community center director and a former Planning and Zoning chair; and two Republicans, Andy Bodner, the board’s house skeptic and numbers man, and Maureen Kozlark, the moderate longtime school board veteran.

That said, Jan Rifkinson, the unaffiliated petitioning candidate, deserves credit and the town’s thanks for making a contest of it and running a clean issue-oriented campaign. [...]

The Numbers > 2011 Town Elections

First Selectman	Total
Rudy Marconi (D)	3552

Board of Selectmen	Total
Di Masters (D)	2786
Barbara Manners (D)	2936
Andrew Bodner (R)	3085
Maureen Kozlark (R)	2866
Jan Rifkinson (U)	1324

Town Clerk	Total
Barbara Serfilippi (R)	3537

Town Treasurer	Total
Maureen Kiernan (R)	3498

Tax Collector	Total
Jane Berendsen-Hill (R)	3256

Board of Finance	Total
Jessica Mancini (D)	2798
Steven Coury (R)	1866
Paul Sutherland (D)	2331
John Palermo (R)	2253
David Ulmer (D)	2638

Board of Education	Total
Adeline Merrill (D)	2468
Linda Lavelle (R)	2335
Karen Sulzinsky (D)	2549
Michael Raduazzo (R)	2554
Richard Steinhart (R)	2824
Austin Drukker (R)	2945
Christopher Murray (R)	2474

Board of Assessment Appeals	Total
Robert Lavelle (R)	2656

Planning and Zoning	Total
Philip Mische (D)	2747
Peter Chipouras (R)	2856
Patrick Walsh (R)	3124
John Katz (R)	2952
George Hanlon (R) 2 years	3040

Zoning Board of Appeals (5 years, 2011)	Total
Duane C. Barney (R)	2862

Zoning Board of Appeals (5 years, 2012)	Total
Sky Cole (D)	1588
David J. Choplinski (R)	2022

Zoning Board of Appeals (One year)	Total
David J. Choplinski (R)	2413

Zoning Board of Appeals (5 years, 2011)	Total
Sky Cole (D)	1247
Michael S. Stenko (R)	2125

Zoning Board of Appeals (Four years)	Total
Sky Cole (D)	1698

Police Commissioners	Total
Joseph I. Adams, Jr. (D)	1493
Charles A. Knoche (R)	2738
George F. Cain (D)	2597

 

Ho Hum > Except for the Board of Finance, it was status quo

RIDGEFIELD -- A change in the composition of the Board of Finance was the biggest development to come out of Tuesday's election.

Democrats now hold a 3-2 majority on the board, which had previously been solidly in Republican hands, with the GOP previously holding a 4-1 majority.
"I'm sure it's the first time in decades," Democratic Town Chairman Susan Cocco said of the Democratic control of the board.

Overall, excitement over the municipal election was muted this year by the Republican party's decision not to run a candidate against incumbent First Selectman Rudy Marconi, a Democrat.
Because the town's top elected officials now serve four-year terms, Marconi -- who has already been first selectman for 12 years -- will hold that office at least until 2015.
"In hindsight, I would rather have had an opponent so we could talk about the issues to the voters, but selfishly, I loved it," Marconi said.

Nor was there any GOP challenge to the selectmen's race, leaving only petitioning candidate Jan Rifkinson running against the four incumbents -- Democrats Di Masters and Barbara Manners and Republicans Andrew Bodnar and Maureen Kozlark.

Rifkinson garnered more than 1,200 votes, an impressive total for a petitioning candidate, but far short of the number needed to gain office.

The lack of a contest for the top spot resulted in a low voter turnout, with about a quarter of the 16,000 persons eligible casting ballots.

Faint praise from the opposition > A valid candidate says Susan Coco

No challenge for top spot in Ridgefield

Robert Miller, Staff Writer

Updated 11:35 p.m., Friday, November 4, 2011

RIDGEFIELD -- Even in Connecticut, the Land of Steady Habits, this town is the soul of political stability.

It votes on the top town officials only every four years, rather than every two years. And this year, when the Republicans had a chance to challenge First Selectman Rudy Marconi after his 12 years in office, they chose to pass.

Marconi is running unopposed, ensuring he'll be first selectman until at least 2015.

Nor did the Republicans even try to pick up a third seat on the Board of Selectmen. Instead, the four incumbents -- Democrats Di Masters and Barbara Manners and Republicans Andrew Bodnar and Maureen Kozlark -- are facing their only challenge from petitioning candidate Jan Rifkinson.

Rifkinson said he finds the lack of competition in town "pretty distressing.'' His candidacy, he said, offers the voters at least one choice in the selectmen's race.

"When you serve too long, the knife can get a little dull,'' he said of the incumbents.

Democratic Town Chairman Susan Cocco called Rifkinson a valid candidate.

"He's certainly on the ballot," she said. But Cocco then quickly praised Marconi and the four selectmen, Democrats and Republicans alike, saying they offer the town proven leadership. [...]

Campaign Mischief > Click the link below

A couple of friends had too much time on their hands

Tribute to Truman > Campaign Bus 2011