Volunteer Fire Department

Okay, I read on a post some where, that i can't find, about the mayors thing about the volunteer fire department. Couldn't understand it, don't think I believed it. Well the budget show that they were cut from $600,000+ to $30,000. He is savin' money in a bad budget year, but it seems like he only wants paid people or an I missing something? Anyone?

Stamford Hospital

Okay, I am going to get excited! I got a scoop! Stamford Hospitals plans are to extend all the way to the Mill River Park, this from someone who has seen said plans!
ANyone else?

Swimming Pool Regulations

Boy , I'm good!!
I reported about the swimming pool regulations coming on 12/12/08, is this how it should be done? Today (1/20/2009!) the Stamford Advocate finally talked about residence getting the chance to speak about it. The big issue has to do with fines being levied against home owners who do not meet the new regs. The regs are more stringent than the State Regs and may result in fanes of up to $200 per day. The article is not available on line that I can find. 7:oo PM, Monday, March 2nd.

Other news, after years of fighting it, the Health Department will be publishing inspection scores, similar to the way Farmington and Norwalk currently do. Bravo!

Malloy on FOX news

Yes, today and he did a good job of handling the commentator who was trying to get him to say all the money he was asking for was for one artificial field. Not always a fan, but when some one takes on FOX news and comes out on the high side, I will hand him a rose!

AIDS program

So the other days news was on the large cuts in the Federal and State budgets for the support network that exists for people with HIV and AIDS. The reality is that this program keep getting cut, almost every year. Those who work in the departments have made significant sacrifices every year to continue providing services and testing, intervention and prevention.
I think the saddest thing is I believe the cuts target this group of individuals because people believe that some how these people are responsible for contracting HIV and somehow deserve to get AIDS and so it is their fault and why should we support them.
In one sense they are right, there was behavior that allowed it to happen, but the other way of looking at it is that the rest of us where just plain lucky. AIDS is still not curable and is a long wasting disease that would tax resources no matter what.
The attempt at education and counseling and intervention is highly needed and this group of people is no different than any other that is targeted for discrimination.

As the pension fund turns!

On the 18th of this month, there was a rather inflammatory article in the Advocate on the city pension fund. It basically said that like everyone else, the pension fund lost millions in the current economic down turn. It then went on to say that IF the pension became underfunded (something that has not happen yet), the city and its taxpayers are obligated to put money into the fund by contract. Tarzia had lots to say as usual, but he never is the fiscal watchdog he claims he is or it would not have taken him more than six months to get his mouth working. The biggest culprit was the firefighters fund, which accounted for a third of the loss. The mayor stuck up for the rest of the classified employees fund saying the loss in that fund was not significant. What is going on here really???? Is this going to be the next contract fight? Or are firefighters going to be put under the microscope? Stay tuned for more fun(d) (pun intended) as we see what happens to the economy.

Beach Closure meeting

There is a beach closure meeting scheduled in Stamford on January 22, 2009. I do not have the agenda nor the location, but it appears to be a governmental meeting between the USEPA and the city with the state looking on. The Health Department has been invited, will Josh Polur, the sanitarian who does all the leg work on the beaches and Joe Kuntz, the lab person who has done mountains of research and has not only been instrumental in the setting the beach closure policy for the city, but also the state and influence the USGS and the USEPA on their current programs be there???? Stay tuned for more info.