The endless march towards mass hysterical stupidity continues as California joins the states who penalize everything but the bad driving they should be penalizing. I refer to the ongoing battle between propping up the bluetooth headset manufacturers and drivers stuck in traffic. Oh yeah, other people call it banning driving while holding a cell phone. Today marks the first day of the new law, and in charatisc fashion the LA Times chronicles all the bits and pieces of the law, how it came to pass and what the implications are. I turned my attention to the part about the aftermath. From the LA Times:

This Friday, the Norwalk Historical Society will kick off its annual Independence Day Celebration at Mill Hill Historic Park at 11:30. Tours are being offered at the Town House, the Little Red Schoolhouse, and the Governor Fitch Law office. The Norwalk Historical Society will also offer two Revolutionary War Tours of the c.1750 Mill Hill Burying Ground, at 11:30am and 12:30pm.

Then at 2:001:30 pm, the Let Freedom Ring! and the re-enactment of the first reading of the Declaration of Independence. This is all free, but the NHS suggests donations to help support these programs.

What a wasted opportunity by the BOE last night. Here they finally grew a spine beyond a chocolate eclair and voted against extending Corda’s contract for another year and they failed to provide incentive or even basic guidelines as to how Corda should improve his and the school Norwalk Public School system’s performance. Instead we get this:

Board member Gregory Burnett unsuccessfully suggested giving Corda a 3 percent cost-of-living salary increase.

Jack Chiaramonte, another board member, said Corda didn’t merit the increase.

Cities across the nation are wrestling with high fuel costs and the impact they have on school bus routes, trash pick up and lawn mowing. The LA Times reports:

Squeezed by soaring energy prices, governments around the nation are reacting just like consumers — changing basic routines, and scrimping and saving in order to get by.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Department in southeastern Colorado has ended car patrols of its 2,000-square-mile jurisdiction. One Ohio sheriff is putting his deputies into golf carts. Stillwater, Okla., has stopped mowing the grass on nearly half of its parkland. Cleveland is remapping its trash pickup routes to cut costs.

First off bad news out of Hartford, this fall Delta/Northwest is suspending its direct non stop service to Amsterdam and Los Angeles from Bradley airport. They cited rising fuel costs. Strangely, the economy is affecting hard core gamblers, the Foxwoods casino reports a 2% reduction in workforce. These unrelated news items provide context for the next, survey says, moment on Family Feud.  Our two families, representing Norwalk; State Senator Bob Duff; Jack Condlin,  president of the Stamford Chamber of Commerce; Ed Musante Jr., president of the Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce; Tad Diesel, the city’s director of marketing and business development; and Chet Valiante, publisher of The Hour Newspapers. Representing Wilton and Ridgefield, State Rep Toni Boucher.

In the aftermath of the garbage contract–er what do I even call it– thingee, it was apparent that another mythical group, like Kharybdis, has seized the whirlpool of discontent and announced its existence to the world. The Norwalk Neighbors For Open Government is open for business, yet how one joins this “open” government group is at best a mystery.

If the proposed trash contract is withdrawn and a new proposal accepted, the City of Norwalk will face a $500k shortfall in the operating budget most recently approved. Which means that the Common Council will have to find $500k worth of operating expenses to cut, since raising fees or taxes isn’t a likely option. The $500k is the amount representing the likely increased cost of tipping fees under a new plan. The current plan, which includes using the Meadow Street faclity has tipping fees locke din at a November 2007 price. Any new proposal would be set at the current prevailing rate.

The Common Council approved the WPCA budget but issues remain about how the billing is executed. The Hour reports:

The Common Council narrowly approved a $12.8-million operating budget to keep the city’s wastewater treatment plant running after July 1.

At issue was not the bottom line of the Water Pollution Control Authority’s 2008-09 operating budget, but the fairness of annual flat fees charged residential and commercial sewer users.

Some council members believe consumption-based billing would be fairer to water users, and that a forthcoming study will bear that out.

Mayor Richard A. Moccia isn’t so sure.

The Courant today delves into what is hampering even more envirnmental success at cleaning our air and water. It’s soylent green! Yep, people are the ones dragging the whole progress thing down. What a surprise. They report, you discuss, especially in light of recent claims made about trash contracts and recycling:

Although anti-pollution laws have gone a long way toward cleaning up the state’s air and water, a new report says that solving some of the more intractable environmental problems won’t happen unless residents change how they live.

2012. That’s four years away already. That was then the CT DOT was planning to start construction? Hey by then gas will be at $10/gallon so maybe the the parkway will be used by motor scooters exclusively.

Redesigning the congested Route 7/Merritt Parkway interchange will take longer than projected because the state needs a new blueprint for the project.

Starting construction in 2012 is no longer realistic because the state Department of Transportation must find an alternative to the cloverleaf design that has sparked strong opposition from interchange neighbors, said Tom Harley, the DOT’s manager of consultant design.