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Current Week  

July 10, 2009

Governor Gets the Veto Pen Out
Update on Budget Talks
Pay as you Go Member Service Program
CRMA Golf Outing Update
Retail News and Notes

• Well, the Governor sure has been busy reviewing bills.

• Last week after the FF went to press, the Governor vetoed PA 09-(SB 1080) “An Act Concerning Access to Health and Nutritional Information on Restaurants”.

• The bill was a high priority for the Sen. President Don Williams and we worked on the language of the bill with his office.

• During the session, the Governor hinted that she did not like the idea of the bill but gave no indication that she would veto it.

• The governor not only vetoed the bill but in her message she had some interesting comments about her reasons. Go here to read the Governor’s veto letter, http://www.ct.gov/governorrell/lib/governorrell/veto_ltr_-_sb_1080_restaurant_info.pdf.

• The governor also vetoed two health care bills that were very popular among members of the House Leadership, in particular Speaker Chris Donavon.

• One bill, the so called Pooling bill, PA 09 - 147, “AAC Establishing the CT Healthcare Partners” would have allowed any non profit, municipality or small business to purchase their health care using the State plan.

• She also vetoed a companion health care plan, the so called SustiNet, PA 09 - 148; “AAC Concerning the Establishment of the SustiNet Plan” which would have also called for a type of universal health care by creating a public insurance pool that anyone could join.

• You can read the Governor’s veto message on these bills by going here, http://www.ct.gov/governorrell/lib/governorrell/hb6582_hb660_veto_08jul90.pdf.

• What is interesting about the Governor’s vetoes are not that she recognized the issues themselves but the sponsors of the both bills.

• What impact they have on budget negotiations will be the thing to watch for.

Update on Budget Talks

• There is not a whole lot of news that is being reported regarding the progress of talks on the State Budget.

• As we reported last week, legislative leaders and staff have been meeting with the Governor and her staff at the Governor’s mansion to try and broker a deal.

• It appears that talks are scheduled to resume next week

• We will be watching developments and checking in with our sources and will report back to you any findings or any new information about progress in budget talks as soon as we have some new information to share.

Pay as you Go Member Service Program

• We want to once again encourage members to take a look at a new member service offering that is available to them.

• CRMA has teamed up with Smith Insurance of Groton CT and Complete Payroll Solutions to offer members a great way to save money on their payroll costs while managing their cash flow thru a pay as you go workers compensation program.

• This unique program is available only to members of CRMA or CJA and we encourage all members to at least take a look at the potential savings that is available thru this offering.

• If you are interested in learning more about the new member service program, please call Cathy in our office at 860-527-1044 or email her at cathy@crmaonline.com.

CRMA Golf Outing Update

• We are in the middle of the golf season, despite all the June rain, and want to take a minute to remind members to hold Oct 5, 2009 for the CRMA Golf Outing.

• Our Golf Committee will be holding another meeting the last week in July to review this year’s event and we would encourage any member that would like to participate on this committee to call us today.

• Remember Oct 5, 2009 at the Hartford Golf Club is when and where this year’s event will take place. Reserve your foursome today!

Retail new and notes.

• Sears gets a jump on the holiday season
Sears is already rolling out its Christmas merchandise in stores and online, where the retailer has introduced Christmas Lane, an e-commerce boutique. The retailer hopes that the early introduction of Christmas merchandise -- which it normally puts out on Nov. 1 -- will entice customers who want to put items on layaway. Chicago Tribune (7/9)

• Retailers pursue rent cuts as vacancies increase
Companies such as Gap, Williams-Sonoma, Chico's and AnnTaylor are pursuing aggressive enforcement of the co-tenancy clauses in their leases. The clauses promise a rent reduction if a center or mall loses key tenants or drops below an occupancy threshold. The Wall Street Journal (7/9)

• Freebies can mean repeat business
Discounts and freebies can create repeat customers, according to an industry group, and quickservice chains such as McDonald's are using that strategy to bolster sales. Other chains, including Firehouse Subs, fear that deals could devalue their brands and are focusing instead on raising brand awareness. QSR Magazine (7/2009)