Matt Zagaja

I wanted to start a topic to discuss the issue of Connecticut and transparency. Both candidates for governor have talked about transparency a little. Lamont mentions it in regards to procurement and Dan Malloy talks about the expenditure database. Meanwhile the right-leaning Yankee Institute has been leading a transparency charge. Using disclosures obtained in cooperation with the Comptroller’s office they developed CT Sunlight.org. The CT Mirror had an article about the legislature’s reaction to the database. Concern about the accuracy of the Yankee Institute data lead to an act directing the state to create its own version of the database.

While it’s certainly interesting that this data is online, I’m wondering about its usefulness. Candidates are calling for transparency and as activists and citizens I think its important for us to have the conversation about where it is best to focus these efforts. After all, transparency does not actually accomplish anything unless we as citizens we can use the data and then effect change with it. Whether it be informing ourselves as to the results of health inspections of restaurants so we know what to avoid, or using campaign contribution data to determine whether a representative may have been influenced by money, we can use the data to inform our eating and voting patterns.

What data should Connecticut be opening up? Where as a citizenry are we lacking important information the government has that could be useful?

The guy who gained fame making xkcd style comics in order to fundraise money for his state representative race is now running for Congress.

With this run he says he has an idea to change Congress and improve things for America. I am not sure what this idea is but there is a teaser and it will supposedly be on his website by Wednesday. The teaser makes it look like it might be some kind of online community effort similar to Organizing for America. However we’ll have to wait for more…

At my last Democratic Town Committee meeting our Democratic State Committeeperson told me that the state party got a new communications director recently. Now if you go to the state democratic party website you can see events are now updated, there was an event e-mail sent out today, and the twitter has come alive. I hope the new communications director is reading MLN and might consider introducing herself. I’m looking forward to see a lot more stuff coming out of the state party in the coming months.

I know there is a diary about the senate results but wanted to discuss the implications in the Governor’s Race.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters in the state finds Dan Malloy is now earning 44% support against GOP frontrunner Thomas Foley’s 35%. Five percent (5%) prefer some other candidate, and 17% are undecided.

Malloy picks up 42% of the vote when matched against Republican Lieutenant Governor Michael Fedele. The Republican gets 28% support, with 25% undecided. Four percent (4%) like another candidate.

Ned Lamont posts a modest 36% falling behind 38% for Foley.  Nine percent (9%) favor some other candidate, while 17% remain undecided.

Lamont picks up 43% support to Fedele’s 34%, with 4% looking to another candidate. Given that match-up, nearly one-in-five Connecticut voters (19%) are undecided.

The survey of 500 Likely Voters in Connecticut was conducted on June 1, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/-4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.  
Also here is the trend:

I know people were arguing before that money buys results, but I’m just not sure I’m seeing it here. Malloy was finally approved for his CEP grant today while Lamont has already burned through $1.78 Million. Also interesting to note Fedele (the CEP participating GOP candidate) jumping 6 points against Ned Lamont.  

I spent the afternoon at the state convention today. I volunteered for Dan Malloy’s campaign and served as a proxy delegate for my town.  

This was my first time inside a democratic convention and there was no shortage of drama and surprise. The focus of the night was obviously on Merrick Alpert and Richard Blumenthal. A lot of people seem to still be bothered by the fact Blumenthal has not apologized, but this did not show when it came to the roll call. I was extremely surprised to see Chairwoman DiNardo recognize Merrick Alpert, and then even more surprised to see him withdraw his nomination. This was something similar to what I suggested a little while back here on MyLeftNutmeg. I do not know if Merrick read or one of his people read my comment or if he decided to do it on his own, but I think his speech was appropriate and really did what was needed to offset the defiant and angry tone that I think put off a lot of members of the party. It was pure class.

As far as Blumenthal goes his speech was decent. I think his message is fine and he was obviously among friends. I think there is a lot of room for forgiveness for those that have known him and seen his work as Attorney General for the many past years. The question is whether the general electorate will feel the same way.

I also wanted to comment on the sign waving and campaign volunteers outside. I was waving signs for Malloy and the Lamont people were there too. I found that both sides were respectful of each other and I did not see any conflicts or fights erupt. Here is to hoping tomorrow is the same. I think it is important for people to support their campaigns and be proud of their candidates.

Tomorrow I will be at the convention volunteering and again serving as a proxy delegate later in the day. I’ll be tweeting updates of interesting things that happen if you’d like to follow.