Suzio and Crime Victims Defend Cruz

Sen. Len Suzio was joined by violent crime victims at a Tuesday, Oct. 16 press conference in front of the Connecticut Department of Correction in Wethersfield to call on Gov. Malloy to suspend the state's new policy which enable violent felons to be released from prison early.

Sen. Suzio also called upon the Malloy Administration to reappoint the state's non-partisan, independent State Victim Advocate Michelle Cruz to another term. Cruz has been outspoken against the Malloy Administration's new early release plan, which enables violent felons such as rapists, arsonists, child molesters and animal abusers to become eligible for early prison release under the Risk Reduction Earned Credits program.

"For months, we have been asking the Governor to suspend the Early Release Program as it applies to violent criminals and sexual predators and to order an investigation of the readily apparent failure to adequately protect the public," Sen. Suzio said. "We already know of two murders associated with Early Release criminals. We know of a rape that was reported last week in Vernon. We know of a carjacking of an elderly lady this month in New Britain and we know of the sexual harassment of a 14-year old on a Middletown bus last month by an Early Release convict who had 28 convictions including rape at knifepoint.

"This week, we learned of the shooting of a 16-month old baby in New Haven by an Early Release graduate. How many murders, rapes and shootings of infants must take place before the Governor suspends this program? Enough is enough.

"We also are here to acknowledge the incredible courage and dedication of the State's Victim Advocate, Michelle Cruz. Michelle has shown the light of truth on the disastrous Early Release Program. In so doing, she has demonstrated one of the rare characteristics of a political appointee today: the courage to stand up to the powers-that-be and say what the most powerful politicians in the state don't want to hear. This Program is dangerous and should be suspended immediately. This program is a betrayal of the justice due to the victims of violent crime and their families.

"The Malloy Administration has begun the process to appoint a new State Victim Advocate. They say that Michelle can apply. But we all know that the appointment should be automatic. No other candidate can demonstrate the courage and independence that this important office requires better than Michelle's heroic efforts. You can't put courage on a resume. Michelle's courage is there for all of Connecticut to see and appreciate. It's time for Governor Malloy to show some courage and appoint a truly independent Victim Advocate."

Suzio represents Meriden, Cheshire, Middletown, Middlefield and Rockfall. His petition calling for the suspension of the early release program can be signed online at www.senatorsuzio.com.

The Blumenthal Burisma Connection

Steve Hilton , a Fox News commentator who over the weekend had connected some Burisma corruption dots, had this to say about Connecticut U.S. Senator Dick Blumenthal’s association with the tangled knot of corruption in Ukraine: “We cross-referenced the Senate co-sponsors of Ed Markey's Ukraine gas bill with the list of Democrats whom Burisma lobbyist, David Leiter, routinely gave money to and found another one -- one of the most sanctimonious of them all, actually -- Sen. Richard Blumenthal."

PCBs, GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH

By Gerald and Natalie Sirkin c2007 A front-page story on PCBs in the March 9 News-Times is just wrong. The first thing to know about PCBs is that they never killed a single person nor did they ever cause cancer. The second is that although they are invariably called “cancer-causing,” that designation comes chiefly from a single rat study. The third thing is that the subject rats were exposed daily for 21 months to 100 parts per million (ppm) of PCBs containing 60% chlorine. (The 100 ppm was about 5,000 times the tolerable daily intake of PCBs set by FDA in 1973.) When rats were exposed to PCBs containing less chlorine, they developed no cancers. The fourth, that when the exposed rats were allowed to live out their lives, they had fewer cancers and lived longer than the unexposed rats. PCBs is a family of chemicals known as polychlorinated biphenyls. PCBs contain chlorine ranging from 12% to 70%. They were used in two General Electric plants that manufactured electrical equipmen...

Taking The Fifth, After Esty

Whether or not U.S. Representative Elizabeth Esty will serve the remainder of her term or resign immediately is very much an open question. But, in any case, the battle for Connecticut’s 5 th U.S. Congressional District has begun with a show of unexpected fireworks. For many years, the 5 th District was a toss-up proposition; both Republicans and Democrats have held and surrendered the seat. Geographically the 5 th District touches the border of New York from Connecticut’s northern-most point to Danbury in the southern quadrant and includes much of Litchfield county and parts of Fairfield, Hartford and New Haven counties. Party affiliation is competitive, in round figures, 30 percent Democrat, 25 percent Republican and 45 percent unaffiliated. Over the years, the Democrat Party in Connecticut has moved from the center to the left, but the 5 th District has been a moderate preserve. During the Obama presidential election, Republican moderates within Connecticut's U.S. ...

Connecticut Commentary: Red Notes from a Blue State

Search This Blog