Brave Sir Gaffey Bravely Runs Away
Meriden Senator Tom Gaffey continued to beat a very brave retreat on Friday, as he resigned his post on the Higher Education Committee. The Courant and Mr. Gaffey’s hometown paper, the Meriden Record Journal, had the story today. Chairman Healy will add further comments here on the issue a bit later.
The highlights from the articles:
“State Republican Chairman Christopher Healy said the timing of the resignation was unusual, coming only several days after the Senate Democrats unveiled a five-point plan on ethics reform. “It gets curiouser and curiouser — all this ethical gymnastics by the Senate Democrats and then Gaffey leaves the area of policy he loves,” Healy said Friday. “The Senate Democrats have been engaged in a circuslike presentation of an ethics package to cover their tracks. All I know is actions speak louder than words. The actions indicate that someone is feeling guilty about what they did.” – Courant
Derek Slap, the new mouthpiece for the Senate Democrats, got his first chance to trade barbs with Chairman Healy.
“I think Mr. Healy’s remarks are unethical,” Slap said Friday night. “He throws these verbal bombshells. He and DeLuca — what an ally — have been doing this from the start. If [Healy] actually cared about ethics, he would have said something about the DeLuca mess. If the best the Republicans can do now is muster up DeLuca and Healy on ethics, it’s pathetic.” – Courant
Realizing he fell short in the Courant, Mr. Slap tried again in the Meriden Record Journal. It’s not clearly noted either way, but one would assume that Mr. Slap gave this quote with a straight face: “Tom’s request effectively raises the bar for the General Assembly,” Slap said. Reminds me of that famous old line – set the bar so low you can’t help but get over it.
The best line came from the Senator himself: “My plate is very full as is,” Gaffey said.
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Senator Gaffey has now completed his term in the session. Let’s check on the success of his work.
Ethics reform that was result of the Senator’s actions was stalled by the Senate & House Dems.
In the last 30 Days the chairman of the education committee’s hometown of Meriden was chastised by the State Dept of Education for failing the students of Meriden and put on notice. In addition, a bill that was passed through the Senator’s own committee that provided for reading enrichment for needy children in CT schools and especially Meriden failed to provide funding for the second year for the program. The Senator characterized it as an “oversight”. Unfortunately the 9 staff members who will lose their jobs and the students who benefitted from the program did not have the luxury of sitting behind their pulpit and saying sorry it was an oversight. Fortunately the Senator was paying attention to the needs of his girlfriend and saw to it that a billion dollar bond package was passed for the Conn State University System. It is great that the State University system will be improved; it’s unfortunate the children in Meriden will not be able to attend because they aren’t getting prepared the way they should be to go.
How does the Chairman of the Education Committee allow his own school system to get in such difficulty? Schools his own children attend. How does he let a bill that is to benefit his own children not be funded fully? Answer… The Senator has become preoccupied by his own agenda and relationships. He has forgotten the reason why he was sent to Hartford and has failed the children and voters of his District.
This session is over. Election season has begun and it is time for the voters of Meriden and the rest of the 13th district to decide who will represent them.
The Senator has had his time and has proved now that he is no longer effective for those that put him there. Choose wisely 13th; find someone with the ethics, passion and morality to represent you and your children in Hartford.
Its time Mr. Gaffey had to work like the rest of us.