Connecticut State Senate Democrats have released a videotape which seems to indicate that Governor Jodi Rell was aware of massive budget overruns incurred by the New Haven Rail Yard long before she claims she was informed about them.

The Rail Yard upgrade, which are designed to accommodate the arrival of new M-8 Metro-North train cars in late 2009, was originally projected at $300 Million, but is now estimated at $1.7 Billion. Rell claims she was not kept informed of the budget overruns by DOT.

In the video, shot at a 2006 New Haven Rail Yard ribbon-cutting, H. James Boice, a deputy commissioner for the Department of Transportation, states the planned rail yard upgrade will cost $800 million, with Rell looking on. Apparently the governor admits to hearing the statement, but thought the other $500M Boice referred to was for ’some other projects’ at the Rail yard she wasn’t immediately aware of, and didn’t bother asking for clarification.

via The Stamford Advocate