Last year was a low point for the Republican party in the city of Hartford. The year after a Democratic mayor was convicted of corruption, it chose not to field a mayoral candidate, and as a result, saw the GOP kept off the city council.
One would think Republicans could have made a strong argument that it should be given a chance to run the city. After all, since the Democrats took over for the city’s last Republican mayor in 1971, the city has suffered a steep plunge in population, from 158,000 people in 1970, to 124,00 in 2010. Along with residents, the city has seen virtually all of its downtown retail go to the suburbs, and waved goodbye to countless companies which set up shop in the less expensive environs outside the city limits. The capital city of the country”s wealthiest state routinely makes the dubious list of the poorest cities in America.
New buildings have gone up over the years, but for every step forward, the city seems to take a half step back. Progress has been excruciatingly slow and shows no signs of shifting out of first gear. Less than four miles away, the town of West Hartford is sifting through some reported 35 proposals to build a hotel, while the Goodwin Hotel in the heart of downtown has been vacant for more than three years.
This past Sunday on Face the State, I asked Governor Malloy essentially if this is the new normal; if we should just get used to Hartford always being a poor city. The governor admitted the city has suffered from poor management at times, and he said one party rule has not been helpful.
Governor Malloy also talked about his desire for more housing downtown and his disappointment in the Connecticut Convention Center.
You can watch the interview right here: http://www.wfsb.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=7482270
also read:
http://dennishouse.wordpress.com/2012/07/09/governor-malloy-unlikely-nhl-will-return-to-connecticut/
Categories: Uncategorized
Dennis House blog 
You Democrats must be very proud of your accomplishments in the city of Hartford. Anybody who’s a registered Democrat in Hartford has to be embarrassed at what their party has done to this once great city. Stand up and take a bow.
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Funny and sad at the same time. With Governor Malloy’s nod, the Democratic dominated General Assembly this fiscal year simply ignored Republican input on the budget, which still is not in balance. So, one party dominance in major cities is lamentable, but the same dominance in the General Assembly is …. OK?
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The true low point for Hartford and the rest of the state was 2010 when Ct.(via alot of inner city voter fraud) sent the full socialist congressional crew back to D.C. along with a despicable&cowardly Attorney General (Blumenthal) who has a record of suing businesses out of the state. I believe 2 more years of John Larson and his ilk may succeed in the total collapse of Hartford’s cash cow known as the West End.
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Blog is interesting, Dennis and all — but at same time puzzling. Going through:
Headline “…Opening for Republicans in Hartford? Governor questions One Party Rule in City”
But did the conversation mention that Republicans are not the only other game in town now? — That the Governor’s election was significantly bolstered by a new and active player on the scene – Working Families Party? Has the question been asked of him, many others, and yourself, whether a truly innovative alternative is needed from the old, two-party, tweedle-dee-tweedle-dum machines?
We, and many others now, AGREE with the Governor in questioning one-party rule in Hartford, the state, and, indeed, the nation. Will real democracy (small ‘d’) and the economy be strengthened by the old back-and-forth, mediocre, non-transparent debates in City Hall, the Capitol, and Congress??
Why is it so difficult for journalists and the public here to examine more widely, as is so common in most multi-party democracies around the world?
So coming back home: Working Families is now THE minority party in Hartford – and I call it that deliberately, rather than ‘opposition’ party, and the Governor and maybe someday you will agree in an open, positive way.
Do you think it’s now time for public exposure of Working Families back on your show and in the press?
Larry Deutsch, Minority Leader (Working Families Party), Hartford City Council
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