"As your State Senator, I will bring honesty and integrity to the 13th District, and am committed to offering real-world solutions to the issues our communities face. I look forward to working with you to strengthen our district and provide a brighter future to our citizens for decades to come."—Dante´ Bartolomeo
"I'm honored to be the endorsed Democratic candidate for the 13th District State Senate seat, covering the towns of Meriden, Middletown, Cheshire, Middlefield, and Rockfall."—Dante´ Bartolomeo
“Dante´ Bartolomeo has spent her career in public service fighting for her constituents, and I am confident she will bring a passionate voice to the Capitol on their behalf…”—U.S. Senator Richard BlumenthalConnecticut Democrats say Meriden gas event was illegal 'vote buying'
New Haven Register
Luther Turmelle
Friday, October 19, 2012
Jonathan Harris, executive director of the Democratic State Central Committee, said party officials filed a complaint with Connecticut’s State Elections Enforcement Commission about Suzio’s actions because he is accepting public financing for his re-election campaign. Harris said Suzio’s presence at an Americans for Prosperity event in which the conservative political action group paid a Meriden gas station owner to lower the price of gas to $1.84 per gallon for two hours represents a violation of state election law.
“Senator Suzio likes to rail against misuse of public money, but he’s taking it for his re-election campaign and this cheap stunt is his attempt to skirt the spending limits that are set under the law,” Harris said in a telephone interview.
But Suzio insisted that no electioneering was going on on his part. But a large banner urging motorists to vote President Obama out of office to help change the nation’s high energy costs flapped in the breeze nearby.
Organizers say the price per gallon is tied to the level of gas prices before Obama took office.
“This is the 20th time I’ve been at an area gas station in the past year,” Suzio said. “My position that gas prices are too high hasn’t changed. It’s just that Democrats don’t like it when you talk about it.”
Suzio has led the fight in Connecticut to reduce the state’s gas taxes. By attending this event, he is aligning himself with an organization that is one of the most powerful conservative groups in the country. The group has the backing of David and Charles Koch, who are known to bankroll conservative candidates across the country.
The local event is one of about 10 planned in states across the country, according to the group.
It is estimated that American’s for Prosperity paid Danby’s Gulf Express station owner Kevin Curry in excess of $10,000 to cover the difference between the current price, which is $3.93 per gallon for those who pay cash for regular gas, and $4.03 for those who pay with a credit card.
Suzio is running against Democratic Meriden City Coucilwoman Dante Bartolomeo, who visited the carnival-like atmosphere at Danby’s on East Main Street. The event prompted several hundred people to line up for gas, some as early as six hours in advance, and backed up normally snarled traffic coming off of Interstates 91 and 691 for several city blocks.
Meriden police officers acknowledged that traffic along that section of East Main Street, which also includes an on-ramp for the Wilbur Cross Parkway, is normally pretty heavy. But as drivers accused one another of cutting ahead in the line for the cheap gas and other motorists honked at having to sit through several changing traffic light cycles just to get a few city blocks, one Meriden cop just shook his head.
“Is it a problem?” he said, pointing at the frustrated motorists. “ I think you can judge that one for yourself.”
Customers were able to buy 15 gallons at the reduced price.
Most drivers said they came for the low gas price and weren’t aware of what group was behind it.
The 13th District at Suzio represents covers Cheshire, Meriden, Middlefield and Middletown.
State Democrats file complaint against Suzio's involvement in Meriden gas station event
Dan Brechlin
Friday, October 19, 2012
Record Journal
MERIDEN — A complaint against state Sen. Len Suzio, R-Meriden, has been filed with the state Elections Enforcement Commission following his involvement in a gas rollback event.
"It is additionally troubling that (the) publicity stunt, while constituting an illegal campaign event, carries the additional stench of an attempt to purchase the favor and votes of attendees,"
The complaint, filed by Democratic State Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo, alleges that Suzio's involvement in the Thursday event, in which gas for sold for $1.84 per gallon, was an illegal attempt to exceed Suzio's campaign spending limits. By participating in the Citizens Election Fund and receiving $91,290, Suzio, who is running for re-election in the 13th state Senate District, has limits and restrictions on financing expenditures.
Jonathan Harris, executive director of the Democratic State Central Committee, said Suzio was in violation. He believes a law was broken.
"Basically, money was spent by another organization to promote his candidacy," Harris said. "It was not an independent expenditure. ... The money was going to help his candidacy."
The event, held at Danby's Gulf Express at 872 E. Main St., was sponsored by the Connecticut branch of a conservative political action group, Americans for Prosperity. The group paid the difference between the actual gas price, close to $4, and $1.84. Suzio had been listed as a confirmed participant on a press release, which was cited in the complaint.
Dante´ Bartolomeo Announces Major Endorsement From United States Senator Richard Blumenthal
Meriden Patch
United States Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today announced his endorsement of Democratic State Senate candidate Dante´ Bartolomeo, who is running for the 13th Senate District seat that represents Meriden, Cheshire, Middletown, Middlefield and Rockfall. In announcing his support, Senator Blumenthal cited Bartolomeo’s longstanding dedication to the residents and families living in her community.
“Dante´ Bartolomeo has spent her career in public service fighting for her constituents, and I am confident she will bring a passionate voice to the Capitol on their behalf..."—U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal
“Dante´Bartolomeo has spent her career in public service fighting for her constituents, and I am confident she will bring a passionate voice to the Capitol on their behalf,” Senator Blumenthal said. “Dante´ is dedicated to strengthening her community by fostering greater economic opportunities for small businesses and ensuring access to employment training, and by improving public safety through code enforcement, support for police and fire services and the revitalization of City neighborhoods.”
“I am honored and grateful to receive Senator Blumenthal’s endorsement for my State Senate race, and will continue to work hard to justify his faith in me,” Bartolomeo said. “Senator Blumenthal has proven his leadership and dedication to Connecticut throughout his career in public service, and I look forward to working with him and his staff to ensure a brighter future for all citizens in the 13th District.”
In particular, Senator Blumenthal pointed to Bartolomeo’s efforts to provide enhanced educational opportunities for Meriden students during her current tenure as a City Councilwoman and as a longstanding community advocate. In addition to her role as City Council Liaison to the Board of Education, Dante´ also served as a member of the Board’s All-Day Kindergarten Committee that today has enabled Meriden to expand its full-day kindergarten program citywide and enhance the City’s early education outreach.
“Dante’s track record of ensuring our students have access to the quality of education they deserve will be a tremendous asset to her District and the entire State of Connecticut,” Senator Blumenthal said. “I have every confidence that Dante’s leadership and experience will benefit future generations by improving curricula, recruiting the highest quality of teachers and expanding access to early education."
In contrast, current 13th District State Senator Len Suzio, Bartolomeo’s Republican opponent in the November 6 general election, voted in 2011 to cut $165 million in state education funding and opposed the Earned Income Tax Credit, the latter of which benefits lower-income residents by providing financial benefits that can reduce poverty and create jobs.
“The 13th District deserves an elected representative who will lead by example and get results,” Senator Blumenthal said. “I have no doubt that Dante´ will continue to exemplify those traits as a State Senator.”
Bartolomeo: 'I pride myself in my ability to build a consensus'
Record Journal
Dan Brechlin
October 13, 2012
MERIDEN — Democrat Dante Bartolomeo takes pride in doing her homework before making a decision, whether it concerns a resolution that comes before the City Council or an issue that has been raised during her run for the 13th Senate District seat.
In a meeting with the Record-Journal’s editorial board Wednesday, Bartolomeo discussed her four-plus years on the City Council and her plans going forward as the city and state face serious concerns regarding the economy, violence and job creation. Throughout the campaign, which she began at the beginning of the year, Bartolomeo has consistently made sure to do her research before making statements, she said.
“Before any of this started, I sat down with (former state Sen.) Amelia Mustone, I spoke with (former state Sen.) Tom Gaffey and many other senators to get a feeling of what this would look like in the campaign, as well as afterward in the Senate,” she said.
Now deeply entrenched in a run for a state Senate district that includes Meriden, Middlefield and parts of Middletown and Cheshire, Bartolomeo said she is pleased with the way her campaign is going and that she has not run into any unexpected surprises — even in balancing her work life with the schedules of her sons Riley, 16, and Cameron, 10, and her husband’s career as a Berlin police officer.
If Bartolomeo can take the Senate seat from Republican incumbent Leonard F. Suzio, she plans to work for immediate change. Bartolomeo has been vocal about the Risk Reduction Earned Credit program, which allowed Frankie Resto to be released from prison 199 days early following an armed robbery conviction. Shortly after his release, Resto was charged with the killing of convenience store owner Ibrahim Ghazal in Meriden.
Bartolomeo has opposed the program and proposed an amendment after talking to her husband, correction officers and others. She wants to disallow early release for specific crimes, including all Class A and Class B felonies.
Dante´ Bartolomeo Reminds Public About National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Meriden Patch
October 10, 2012
Meriden – City Councilwoman and Democratic State Senate candidate Dante´ Bartolomeo today reminded the public that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and encouraged women throughout Connecticut to get annual screenings to ensure their continued health. Connecticut has the second-highest rate of breast cancer incidence in the United States. However, fewer women are dying of the disease because of access to early detection screenings, according to a 2011 report by the Connecticut affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
“This year, nearly 3,000 Connecticut women will be diagnosed with breast cancer,” Bartolomeo said. “These women are not just statistics or numbers on a budget sheet, but rather our mothers, sisters, daughters and friends. In the interest of saving lives, I encourage all women to get their annual mammogram as soon as possible.”
13th District Senate race shows no signs of cooling off
Record Journal
October 9, 2012
Dan Brechlin
MERIDEN — With less than a month until the Nov. 6 election, the 13th Senate District race continues to be a hotbed for back-and-forth political banter between Republican incumbent Leonard F. Suzio and his Democratic challenger Dante Bartolomeo.
The latest exchange was prompted by a statement Suzio released following a recent meeting between Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and commissioners in which Suzio says Malloy left the door open for possible tax increases. Suzio said there was no way he could stand for a tax increase of any sort, especially following the largest in the state’s history.
“I will be working morning noon and night to slam the door on any tax hikes,” Suzio said in the statement. “There is no alternative but to balance the budget the way ordinary Connecticut families balance their budgets by cutting back expenses to match revenues.”
In response, Bartolomeo, a Meriden City Councilor, said she would “do everything in my power” to prevent a tax increase. Bartolomeo defended her own track record by noting she has voted in favor of city budgets that have cut spending, funded city pensions, grown financial reserves and, in turn, increased the city’s bond rating.
“Pledges similar to the one Len Suzio has circulated are exactly the type of political pandering that has caused gridlock in Washington,” Bartolomeo responded. “They lead to predetermined voting, devoid of relevant facts and circumstance.”
Democrats Aim To Retake 13th Senate District Seat
Republican Suzio Won Special Election In 2011; Bartolomeo Is Challenger
The Hartford Courant
October 5, 2012
Outspoken state Sen. Len Suzio has emerged as a key part of an ambitious, long-shot Republican strategy to win control of the state Senate.
Republicans must add five seats to their present 14 to take control of the Senate. Keeping Suzio, a Meriden Republican who won in a special election in 2011 in the 13th Senate District, is essential, said state GOP chairman Jerry Labriola.
Meriden city councilwoman Dante Bartolomeo, a Democrat, is Suzio's opponent this year, and the race has been heated at times, with Suzio insisting that Bartolomeo would be a "rubber stamp" for the Malloy administration. He said high-level Democrats are calling the shots in her campaign.
Western Massachusetts town still feeling the effects of N.E. Log Homes' failure
Record Journal
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Eric Cotton
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.—For an outsider, it would be easy to miss and easy to forget the flat, open piece of land just a short walking distance from a bustling downtown. But those who live here know the history and headaches surrounding years of financial and environmental stress caused by that site.
The eight-plus-acre parcel in Great Barrington is largely surrounded by trees and overgrowth, along with a chain-link fence topped by barbed wire. A 30-foot stretch of the fence is visible from the street, along with a handful of signs warning "Danger" and "Keep Out."
Until taken down a few months ago, the charred remains of a former log home manufacturing plant stood at the site, vacant since the mid-1990s. A fire ripped through the building in 2001.
In a town of about 7,000 featuring a large amount of farmland and forest and voted the "Best Small Town in America" by Smithsonian Magazine, the site could not have looked more out of place.
From 1978 until 1994, 100 Bridge St. housed New England Log Homes Inc., a company that cut and treated the wood for log homes and sold kits to construct them. In 1989, Leonard F. Suzio, now a Republican representing Connecticut's 13th Senate District, bought the company with a partner and became its president.
“In Connecticut, he claims he is a friend to taxpayers," Bartolomeo said. "I find that quite hypocritical when he has actually hurt the taxpayers in Great Barrington. Not only is he walking away from this contaminated site, he did it without paying taxes and forcing them to pay for the cleanup.”
Suzio's involvement with the failed business drew criticism during previous campaigns. Forty-one customers were unable to recover more than $500,000 in unpaid deposits for work never completed. Now, as the first-term senator seeks re-election, his Democratic opponent, Meriden City Councilor Dante Bartolomeo, has raised new questions about back taxes that have gone unpaid on the site, the environmental effects of the business and taxpayer money used for cleanup and redevelopment.
"In Connecticut, he claims he is a friend to taxpayers," Bartolomeo said. "I find that quite hypocritical when he has actually hurt the taxpayers in Great Barrington. Not only is he walking away from this contaminated site, he did it without paying taxes and forcing them to pay for the cleanup."
Bartolomeo held a press conference last week at a former industrial site in downtown Meriden surrounded by state and local Democrats, talking about Suzio and his former business as she drew a parallels to Meriden's own experience with contaminated sites.
Immediately following the press conference, Suzio campaign manager Anna Neumon handed out a prepared statement calling Bartolomeo's criticism "poorly researched accusations" using "incomplete and inaccurate facts."
The reaction was so quick it seemed as if Suzio knew what Bartolomeo was going to say.
"I can't run away from it," Suzio said Thursday. "You can't be afraid in life to try and succeed. Sometimes, in those efforts, you fail."
The failure of the business followed a nationwide housing slump that occurred near the time Suzio took over, according to a study done on the property. Because of the company's demise and the lack of money left over after liquidating and selling the equipment, the property was abandoned. It is believed to be the second most contaminated site in Berkshire County, according to South Berkshire Community Development Corp. Executive Director Tim Geller. The only parcel more contaminated, Geller said, is the 250-acre site of a General Electric plant in Pittsfield.
Through a public-private partnership, the town has been working for close to 20 years to clean up the New England Log Homes site, spending millions in state and federal money.
Meriden could receive $200,000 for City, Brookside park improvements
Record Journal
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Dan Brechlin
MERIDEN — The city could soon be awarded $200,000 from the State Bond Commission for improvements to City and Brookside parks.
Plans have been in the works since 2009 to revitalize the parks, which had received little attention previously.
The City Council has allocated $250,000 of an expected $500,000 in local spending for the project after previously approving $40,000 for a playscape and $4,000 for initial designs. The total project is expected to cost close to $1 million, City Manager Lawrence J. Kendzior said Wednesday.
"This is very good news for a very worthwhile project," Kendzior said. "It will provide a recreational opportunity for a neighborhood and the neighbors were the ones to request it. It'll be something for the whole city to enjoy and something that is part of the city's heritage."
State Senate candidate calls for ban on lobbying for early prison release
Record Journal
Dan Brechlin
Monday, September 17, 2012
Referencing a letter her opponent sent to the state Department of Correction on behalf of an inmate convicted of embezzling over $1 million, Democratic candidate for the 13th Senate District seat Dante Bartolomeo on Monday called for an end to elected officials lobbying to reduce prison sentences for felons.
"Politicians have no business lobbying to reduce sentences handed down by judges and overturn verdicts reached by juries,"
"Politicians have no business lobbying to reduce sentences handed down by judges and overturn verdicts reached by juries," Bartolomeo said in a statement. "Banning the practice of lobbying for early release by elected officials will help ensure that the politically connected don't get a free pass, regardless of the crime."
On June 12, Republican state Senator Leonard F. Suzio sent a letter to DOC Commissioner Leo C. Arnone advocating the early release of John M. Papandrea, a Meriden resident convicted on several first-degree larceny charges for taking part in an embezzling scheme in which he took over $1 million from his employer in order to buy artwork for his home. While Suzio said he does not know Papandrea personally, he met with Papandrea's father, also John Papandrea, who told Suzio of his wife being "seriously ill" and he being elderly. The mother and father worried that they would not be able to see their son again out of jail, Suzio said.
"He literally broke down in tears asking me for help," Suzio said, noting that letters to the Parole Board are not unusual. "You'd have to have a heart of stone to just be indifferent to their plight."
But Bartolomeo said she was "shocked" by Suzio's letter asking for Papandrea's early release, noting that the sentencing transcript from Judge Joseph A. Licari Jr. states: "Rehabilitation appears doubtful and incapacitation is warranted in view of your lack of remorse and continued effort to shift the blame to others."
"Senator Suzio either failed to read the sentencing report or didn't care about its contents," said Bartolomeo, a Meriden city councilor. The 13th District includes Meriden and Middlefield and parts of Middletown and Cheshire.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro Endorses Bartolomeo in the 13th State Senate District
Meriden Patch
September 27, 2012
"The years of leadership Danté has dedicated to her community as a City Councilwoman and community advocate make her an ideal candidate for State Senator."
Danté Bartolomeo, who is in the race to represent Meriden, Middletown, Cheshire and Middlefield, was praised by DeLauro has a dedicated city councilwoman.
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) today announced her endorsement of Democratic State Senate candidate Danté Bartolomeo, who is running for the 13th Senate District seat that represents Meriden, Cheshire, Middletown, Middlefield and Rockfall. Congresswoman DeLauro currently represents Middlefield, Rockfall and Middletown as part of the 3rd Congressional district.
"The years of leadership Danté has dedicated to her community as a City Councilwoman and community advocate make her an ideal candidate for State Senator." DeLauro said. "Her commitment to serving her constituents is second to none, and I have every confidence that Danté will represent the entire 13th District with the same integrity and dedication that has guided her to this point."
"I am most grateful to receive Congresswoman DeLauro's endorsement for my State Senate race and am truly excited to have her support," Bartolomeo said. "Congresswoman DeLauro has been an inspiration to me and her years of public service on behalf of Connecticut's citizens speaks for itself. I would be honored to have the opportunity to work with her to ensure a better quality of life for the citizens of the 13th District."
Meriden Senate candidate claims opponent's failed company walked away from pollution
Record Journal
Dan Brechlin
Friday, September 14, 2012
MERIDEN — Democratic state Senate candidate Dante Bartolomeo called on her Republican opponent Leonard F. Suzio Friday to explain pollution and financial issues she says were caused by his now-defunct business New England Log Homes Inc.
"I know firsthand what a struggle it is for a community to recover environmentally and financially," Bartolomeo said, referring to environmental issues at the Hub. "It takes years and years and millions of tax dollars, which is why I was shocked to find out state Sen. Len Suzio did this exact same thing to another community."
The failed business, abandoned in 1994, was based in a residential area of Great Barrington, Mass. in an old industrial building. Bartolomeo, along with Great Barrington resident Olga May Milligan and Jonathan Harris, executive director of the Connecticut Democratic Party, held a press conference at the vacant Meriden Hub site questioning Suzio's ties to the business and the problems it left behind.
"I know firsthand what a struggle it is for a community to recover environmentally and financially," Bartolomeo said, referring to environmental issues at the Hub. "It takes years and years and millions of tax dollars, which is why I was shocked to find out state Sen. Len Suzio did this exact same thing to another community."
Suzio denied responsibility for any environmental problems, which he said were caused by previous industrial uses of the company's more than 130-year-old building and pollution by other companies dumping into the Housatonic River.
"Ms. Bartolomeo's poorly researched accusations reflect her lack of experience and her willingness to say and do anything to win an election," Suzio said.
Bartolomeo, a Meriden city councilor, is challenging Suzio for the 13th District state Senate seat, which Suzio won in a special election last year.
The use of the Hub site as a backdrop for Friday's press event was symbolic. It is not related to the defunct log home business, which was based on eight acres adjacent to the Housatonic River in Great Barrington.
Democrats have made Suzio's ties to the company an issue in previous campaigns. As a result of the abandonment, 41 customers were never able to recoup over $500,000 in unpaid deposits for projects never finished or started.
