The MDC's public hearing on the future of recreation on their (our) lands was last night. Unsurprisingly, everyone who spoke was in favor of keeping the trails open. It's clearly a hot button political that has attracted numerous Democratic candidates (and people who are already elected): Blumenthal, Glassman, Slifka, Rep. Baram (D-15), Rep. Fleischmann (D-18), Syd Schulman, and Malloy, Wyman and Cotto in absentia. There are obvious a lot of voters in the West Hartford and reservoir-abutting towns. They talked about the imperativeness of keeping public lands open to the public and the necessity of amending the statement's municipal recreation liability statute. The public, myself included, talked about the same thing. I also delivered Hartford's keep-the-trails-open resolution to the commissioners (which I think is a pretty kick ass resolution).
A few people assailed trial lawyers, though not as much as one would have thought. That surprised me, because I figured there would be Republican candidates there to take that position. I mean, Linda McMahon's office is right in West Hartford, mere yards away. I guess she doesn't either hates public land, the woods, mountain bikers or all three. There was one sort of crazy, Republican throw-the-bums-out member of the public, who spoke after me. For reasons I don't understand, he singled me out as a lawyer who was to blame that the CGS hadn't been amended after Conway v. Wilson. Since, I'm not a lawyer and didn't represent myself as such and also didn't talk about that case at all, I'll assume that he's just out of his mind.
While I was waiting to speak, I emailed my state rep, Hector Robles, and asked him to cosponsor Rep. Baram's proposed bill (though, yet to be written). He consented, which was nice.
So, I guess mountain biking and democracy go well together. I'm cautiously optimistic about all this now.
6 comments:
It's hard to take your content seriously with a blog post title like "Pubic Herd"
And that's ok.
Being charged for water is hard to take seriously.
P.S.
Brendan, that guy was out of his mind. I moved my seat away from him because he was agitated and rocking back and forth, no lie. I was afraid he was off his meds or something and about to get stabby. Throughout the whole thing he was talking to himself and heckling, and basically spewing false information.
Everyone has a right to speak, I was just confused as to why he kept pointing at me.
I guess I lucked out in terms of neighbors where I was sitting. The KO sat next to me and the mom of the UConn mountain biker. They were both very pleasant.
Of course the dude had a right to speak, but that did not make him any less alarming.
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Hey, check this update:
http://blogs.courant.com/rick_green/2010/07/mdc-panel-chair-says-there-is.html
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