New Haven school board is frank with public: Get lost!

By CHRIS POWELL New Haven’s Board of Education, of which Mayor Justin Elicker is a member, says city residents should not be told how well School Superintendent Madeline Negron is doing her job. Lamont and Tong applaud defeat of their party’s own water scheme Hospital rescues promise far higher medical costs Wesleyan’s vegetarian plaque mayContinue reading “New Haven school board is frank with public: Get lost!”

Lamont, Tong applaud defeat of their party’s own water scheme

By CHRIS POWELL While it’s not likely to be widely understood, there may be a profound lesson in this week’s rejection by the state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) of the bid by the South Central Regional Water Authority to acquire Aquarion Water Co. Hospital rescues promise far higher medical costs Wesleyan’s vegetarian plaque mayContinue reading “Lamont, Tong applaud defeat of their party’s own water scheme”

Hospital rescues promise far higher medical costs

By CHRIS POWELL Someone had to be found to take over Waterbury Hospital, Manchester Memorial Hospital, and Rockville General Hospital in Vernon as they wallowed in bankruptcy after being looted by their private-equity owner, Prospect Medical Holdings. Connecticut couldn’t afford to let the hospitals go out of business and leave major population centers without service.Continue reading “Hospital rescues promise far higher medical costs”

Wesleyan’s vegetarian plaque may become more persuasive

By CHRIS POWELL Wesleyan University in Middletown often rivals Yale University in New Haven for nutty political correctness, and that’s how many people perceived its most recent news. A group of Wesleyan students, faculty members, and alumni has asked the university to erect a plaque outside the university’s dining hall to memorialize all the animalsContinue reading “Wesleyan’s vegetarian plaque may become more persuasive”

Connecticut designs itself to prohibit affordability

By CHRIS POWELL Perhaps taking a hint from socialist Democrat Zohran Mamdani’s successful campaign for mayor of New York City, whose slogan was “A city we can afford,” politicians in both parties in Connecticut are taking “affordability” for their own platforms, this state being nearly as expensive as its western neighbor. Report on state’s homelessContinue reading “Connecticut designs itself to prohibit affordability”

Report on state’s homeless mocks new housing legislation

By CHRIS POWELL Last week Governor Lamont and state legislators congratulated themselves for reaching a compromise on the housing legislation the governor vetoed in June over concerns that it would have weakened municipal zoning too much. The new legislation aims to get municipalities and state government working together to set housing goals, tinkers with zoningContinue reading “Report on state’s homeless mocks new housing legislation”

State government endures three more scandals in a week

By CHRIS POWELL According to records obtained by the Connecticut Mirror and published last week, state government officials knew two years ago that state Sen. Doug McCrory, D-Hartford, was steering state anti-poverty and community development grants to his girlfriend. But those officials and their superiors apparently failed to recognize and act on the conflict of interest andContinue reading “State government endures three more scandals in a week”

Can the Democrats ever deliver ‘a city we can afford’?

By CHRIS POWELL Maybe the most effective slogan for Zohran Mamdani’s campaign for mayor of New York City was “A city we can afford.” Indeed, New York long has been famous for being horribly expensive, part of why people often said, “It’s a nice place to visit but you wouldn’t want to live here.” TantrumContinue reading “Can the Democrats ever deliver ‘a city we can afford’?”

Tantrum by Democrats isn’t worth hobbling government

By CHRIS POWELL Food subsidies for the poor and disabled are being used as political weapons by both Democrats and President Trump. Democrats in Congress have shut down much of the federal government, including food subsidies, by withholding the votes needed for ordinary appropriations to pass the Senate. The Democrats seek to force the RepublicanContinue reading “Tantrum by Democrats isn’t worth hobbling government”

‘Nip’ bottle fees don’t recover their cost in litter and drunken driving

By CHRIS POWELL Next time you come upon empty and discarded “nip” bottles — the tiny plastic containers of liquor sold in abundance at Connecticut’s liquor stores but neither returnable for deposits nor recyclable — Larry Cafero wants you to be thankful. Connecticut’s contradictory ideals: local control vs. equality Corrupt ex-official’s trial evokes musical comedyContinue reading “‘Nip’ bottle fees don’t recover their cost in litter and drunken driving”