Northern Fairfield County Probate Court

The Connecticut legislature has consolidated all the probate courts in our state. Bethel will be part of a region comprising Redding, Ridgefield, Bethel and Newtown.

The probate court will be located in the Clifford J. Hurgin Municipal Center, where Judge Daniel O'Grady currently presides over the Bethel Probate Court.

BRTC Caucus

BRTC Caucus is scheduled for Monday, January 11, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. in the Bethel Middle School Auditorium.

Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way!

Time To Lead, Follow, Or Get Out Of The Way! (Thomas Paine)
By State Senator Toni Boucher

As 2010 approaches, we are all looking ahead to better times for our families, our businesses and our state. However, much lies between us and prosperity due to the lack of leadership shown by our General Assembly as Connecticutâs citizens continue to struggle to overcome the damage caused by the national recession and irresponsible government spending and fiscal polices. Too many elected officials have forgotten that governmentâs purpose is to serve its people, not the other way around.

Just before the holidays, the General Assembly met yet again in special session to address the state's persistent budget deficit, now projected at between $300 and $600 million. The result was what some characterized as similar to the plot of the film Groundhog Day during which the leading character is doomed to repeat a single day until he gets it right. We continue to spend more than we can afford by cutting a mere $12.4 million and postponing a promised, necessary, change to the state's punitive estate tax. No lessons have been learned to date, thus assuring that the state budget will be in deficit in the billions for fiscal years 2012, 2013 and 2014. It is no wonder recent national surveys and almost every newspaper in Connecticut states that the General Assembly has turned a cold shoulder toward the state's jobs producing business community and generated hostility in the general population.

All of us should, therefore, be heartened by Governor M. Jodi Rell's common sense veto of this grossly inadequate deficit mitigation plan and strong stand against the legislature's continued lack of leadership. In a move that I support, Governor Rell is seeking a change in state law to expand her ability to cut spending during a serious state budget deficit as the legislature has proven that it cannot, or will not.

Thomas Paine once said to "Lead, follow or get out of the way". Today, Governor Rell is telling the legislature's majority leadership to get out her way as they have clearly demonstrated their inability and unwillingness to lead Connecticut back to prosperity. Connecticut is drowning in a sea of red ink and it is time for the General Assembly to follow Governor Rell as she leads our state back to shore. I look forward to working with her, and with a more realistic, forward looking General Assembly, to put our state's finances back on solid ground.

Candidate Listing for Other Elected Offices

The Bethel Republican Town Committee (BRTC) has identified and endorsed a number of very well qualified candidates for elected offices in our town.

Perhaps the most important function of the BRTC is to find, vet, and endorse candidates for municipal elected and appointed offices. This process is demanding, because we require candidates who are both highly-qualified and generally willing to work for free. (Most elected officials are not remunerated; only the First Selectman and Town Clerk are paid a salary and benefits, and the other Selectmen receive a token stipend.)

The BRTC's vacancy committee conducted the first round of "job interviews" to qualify candidates. These candidates, and their qualifications, were then presented to the full town committee, who then discussed each candidate and his or her qualifications. The candidates were then presented to the Republican Caucus (all registered Republicans in Bethel are allowed and encouraged, to attend the Caucus).

By following this challenging process we insure that all candidates are the most qualified. We urge all voters in Bethel to examine the qualifications of our candidates.

The qualifications for Republican-endorsed candidates for the Board of Selectman are available on the Craybas & Szatkowski Website.

The qualifications for other Republican-endorsed candidates for other Boards and Commissions are available on the Better For Bethel website.

Please review the qualifications of each individual and compare them to that of the opposition. We are sure you will find the Republican-endorsed slate is Better for Bethel.

Larry Craybas Meets With Governor Rell

Larry Craybas, candidate for First Selectman, meets with Governor Jodi Rell

California: Our First Failed State?

California is having budget problems more severe than Connecticut. Yet our state's Majority party is trying to lead us down the same path. Read Will California Become America's First Failed State for a view of these events from the United Kingdom.

Senator Dodd and Credit Card Reform

May 12, 2008 Mystic, CT - U.S. Senate candidate Rob Simmons made the following statement today on Senator Dodd and the credit card reform bill:

"Credit card reform is long overdue and if Sen. Dodd wasn't so busy collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign donations from big banks, credit card companies, the pay day loan industry and pawn shops we might have had reform years ago. This bill is a belated improvement on the current system, but has more to do with covering Sen. Dodd's extremely exposed hind end than with protecting consumers."

Facts About the Connecticut State Budget

Good discussion of the budget issues, how we got to where we are, and how to get out of the hole.

Connecticut State Budget Facts

Dodd Gets Most Donations From Out Of State Interests

It has been reported that the beleaguered Senator Chris Dodd received most of the $600,000 donated by individuals in the first quarter of 2009 from out of state, and only ~~$4,250~~ $2,250 from Connecticut individuals. That's more than 250 out-of-state dollars for every dollar from Connecticut donors.

According to Peter Urban, only 5 Connecticut residents and merely 2 Connecticut PACs donated to Senator Dodd. They are:

~~James McDermott, of Watertown, an attorney at Holland Knight, $2,000~~ This person lives in Watertown, NY.
Robert Patricelli, of Simsbury, executive at Women Health USA, $1,000
Elaine Wilson, of Redding, homemaker, $500
Richard Mulready, of West Hartford, executive at Servus Corp., $500
George Finley, of South Glastonbury, self-employed consultant, $250

Dodd's two Connecticut-based PAC contributors:

Tudor Investments PAC, Greenwich, $5,000
General Electric PAC, Stamford, $2,000

Only 5 Connecticut Residents Donate to Dodd

Senator Dodd's contributors

Republican Legislators Unveil "No Tax Increase" Budget

The highlights of the Republican alternative budget are:

Early retirement to save more than $285 million;
State worker concessions for salary, health care and pension benefits that save $662 million;
Folding 23 agencies into six and implementing a hiring freeze to reduce overhead costs. Two more agencies would be merged into the General Fund;
Overhauling the higher education bureaucracy that duplicates services and drives up tuition for families struggling to pay for college;
Preserving school and municipal aid;
Using the Rainy Day Fund for what it was intended – fiscal distress;
Imposing $900 million in hard cuts;
Restoring $25 million in municipal aid cut by Democrats and the $500 property tax credit for families earning as little as $46,000;
Engaging private companies that can perform duties such as state park maintenance and several DMV services, such as licensing and registration (The AAA already outsources license renewals, and there are often no lines at AAA offices).

No Tax Increase

Overview of the Differences Between the Republican and the Democratic Budgets

Other Bethel Republicans

Here are some other state's Bethel Republican groups

Energy Assistance

Coping With Rising Energy Costs A Connecticut Citizen's guide to tax breaks and Energy Assistance

Interesting Facts

Republicans are for Civil Rights

The Republican Party was created in 1854 by anti-slavery white men and was responsible for the passage of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments outlawing slavery, giving black folk citizenship and the right to vote.

From "The Politics of Blackness" by Barbara Howard