Just the videos of their opening statements. I had neither my camcorder nor my tripod with me, so I apologize in advance for the substandard quality of my videos this time around.
Ned Lamont on behalf of Barack Obama
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Yesterday, the board of aldermen in New Haven approved a plan for the city to issue identification cards to all residents, allowing them to utilize the services of libraries and banks. It makes good sense, because with IDs, illegal immigrants, undocumented workers can open bank accounts in New Haven. It sounds like a very minor thing, but it isn’t. Without the ability to put their money into a bank, these people are often victims of robbery. These robberies go unreported.
The ID program is not just good for the workers if they deposit their earnings into the bank, it’s good for the bank and the local economy too.
Gabe has a great rundown on New Haven’s municipal ID program over at CTLP:
Here is my bottom line - There are somewhere around 12 million undocumented aliens in the United States. The idea of deporting all of them is staggeringly unrealistic, both pragmatically and in economic terms. So we have two choices (three if you include advocating deporting all of them from your softly-padded room): Stick your head in the sand, pretend it isn’t happening, occasionally pick your head up and nibble around the margins with legislation that is sure both not to pass and to infuriate everyone, rinse, lather, repeat (you may recognize this as the approach of the federal government).
Or, do what New Haven (and, to a lesser extent the state, through allowing the children of undocumented aliens to pay instate tuition rates at public colleges) is doing and take the first step toward integrating immigrants into our society and culture, eliminating the incentive for violent criminals to use them as human ATMs, and hope that something you do somehow forces the federal government to actually address the issue. As a woman in this clip argues, the people involved are already our neighbors and will continue to be - what we do is up to us (at least, thats what I inferred her point to be before the arguing broke out).
At the end of the day, we’re talking about human beings, and whether or not we should be treating them with dignity and respect. I think we should, and I’m glad that John DeStefano and the City of New Haven are taking a step in that direction.
OKAY, anyone who visits this website today absolutely, positively must, 100 percent go to Current.tv and greenlight the “To Be Green” documentary. If we can get a bunch more votes, we get on national tv.
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As of right now, we are ranked #2 on Current.tv. If by Thursday, April 12 at 6 pm we can be rated #1, Dave’s video gets aired on national TV. Please go vote.
Turn the spotlight back onto Connecticut a little.
Update: I just received disappointing news from CT-N:
Thanks for your inquiry. Unfortunately, CT-N was not able to cover the Appropriations committee on 2/21. During the height of the legislative session, we frequently are faced with more events on any one day than we have the crew or resources to cover. Since we had just covered an Appropriations hearing on 2/16, we turned our attention on Wednesday to hearings of other committees that had not been covered as recently.
So…there will be no video of Spazeboy at the L.O.B. Sorry y’all.
So last night was my first experience testifying before a legislative committee. The Appropriations Committee held a public hearing last night on Governor Rell’s Higher Education Budget Recommendations, and I went with seven other Tunxis students to speak in favor of the CAPCS grants and additional funding for full-time faculty.
Here’s an excerpt from my written/spoken testimony:
I am delighted that Governor Rell has recommended a 12.8 million dollar increase in funds for the CAPCS program. As a recipient of CAPCS grants, I fully support this increase in funding. If not for the CAPCS grants, I might not be speaking in this room today. Not because the grants gave me the power of speech, but because they made it possible for me to switch from full time worker to full time student. They made it possible for me to focus on getting ahead instead of getting by. I know that the people of the great state of Connecticut have invested in me, and I intend for them to realize a return on that investment.
Of the eight of us from Tunxis who attended the hearing, three of us had signed up to testify. Rasheed, who is Vice President of the Tunxis Student Government, spoke eloquently (but nervously!) on behalf of Tunxis. Tinisha gave what was probably the most impassioned testimony of the evening, rousing all of the sleepy legislators.
When CT-N airs the hearing, I hope to post video of the “Tunxis Three” testimony.
Lastly, State Rep. Tim O’Brien has a report on my testimony from last night at his new blog:
Finally, the Appropriations Committee, which I am not a member of, has been holding hearings on Gov. Rell’s proposed budget. The public portions of the hearings are held in the evenings, and today’s hearing included funding for the state’s public colleges and universities. I mention this because a New Britain resident, known for his blog “spazeboy”, testified in support of funding for community colleges. He is a student at Tunxis Community College. He was very articulate and raised good points.
Two days ago, I wrote about Tim O’Brien’s bill proposal to give power to the people when it comes to filling a Senate vacancy. Right now, in the event of a U.S. Senate vacancy, Governor Rell gets to fill that vacancy with whomever she chooses.
So if Chris Dodd were to win the Presidency, Connecticut voters would have absolutely no say in who represents us for the duration of the term. For an example of why Connecticut voters might want a say, think back to 2000. What if Al Gore and Joe Lieberman had taken office as President and Vice President? Governor Rowland would probably have appointed Lieberman’s Republican opponent for U.S. Senate that year, Phil Giordano.
So listen to Tim O’Brien, one of the feared and respected State Representatives from New Britain, as he chats with Colin McEnroe from yesterday’s show:
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There are quite a few things happening in Connecticut this week, and I wouldn’t know about half of them if not for the My Left Nutmeg events calendar. Here are some of the things happening this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday:
Blog Wars at La Paloma Sabenara - 7:30pmState Headquarters, 179 Allyn Street, Suite 301, Hartford
AGENDA
1) Roll Call
2) Election of Officers
3) Vice-Chairman’s Report
4) Treasurer’s Report
5) Old Business
6) New Business
7) Adjournment
The discussion will focus on Learning Communities programs as a way to reduce overcrowding and improve student achievement at the middle schools and high school. The meeting will be held at New Britain City Hall’s room 504, 27 West Main Street beginning at 7 p.m.
The meeting will be held at the Howard Johnson’s “Harbor Room” (where the Blog Wars screening was held) in Milford off exit 39A on I-95. Stay right, just off the exit.
The meet and greet will run from 6:00 p.m to 7:00 p.m. with the business meeting starting at 7 o’clock.
What? The Free Kenny Legal Defense Fund Bash, featuring beer, wine, hors d’oerves, music and free speech.
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