From the transcript of the Senate session of June 6, 2007:

"Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, the amendment before us is a measure that is very important to my self and many, many of my constituents. It has to do with the clean water project that is being conducted by the Metropolitan District Commission, the MDC.

And let me explain the amendment first, it does a couple of things. First of all, the first sections of the amendment authorize the MDC to impose a water charge to generate revenue to pay for bonds which were authorized by referendum in November, 2006.

The revenue generated by the surcharge would help to pay back the bonds. Also importantly, it makes clear that the surcharge can be imposed on the customers of the member towns only.

There are some towns that utilize water services of the MDC, but they are not residents of the member towns of the MDC. This amendment makes clear that they would not be subject to the surcharge.

Secondly, or thirdly, the next part of the amendment has to do with affirmative action requirements and set-aside contract requirements that would relate to the actual construction work and the provision of goods and services in connection with the project.

It is a 20-year project, and the whole purpose of the project is to importantly correct the incapacity of the sewer system that runs through many of the member towns but primarily through Hartford.

And for years, many of my constituents, particularly those on Edgewood Street, have been the victims of this inadequate sewer system and have routinely and frequently had waste from the sanitary sewer system backup into the basements of their homes.

The amendment also seeks to address not only the sanitary sewer problems that my constituents have been subject to, but also this community is a community that is plagued by a very high unemployment rate. And so in the spirit of the new deal model of the Roosevelt era, it was thought that a couple of things could be accomplished with this project.

Number one, the separation of the sanitary sewer system from the stormwater system could be accomplished, and thereby eliminate those problems of sewage backing up into the basements of the residence in that area.

Secondly and perhaps as importantly, there are some training and employment opportunities that could result from this project.

And I would urge the Members of the Senate to support this amendment and to greatly assist my constituents in these two regards. Thank you, Mr. President."