By Chris Powell As the first woman to get tenure as a professor at Yale Law School, the first woman appointed to Connecticut’s Supreme Court, and the state’s first woman chief justice, Ellen Ash Peters must have had something going for her. But the tributes offered for her last week after her death at ageContinue reading “Praise late chief justice but not for Sheff case”
Author Archives: cxpowell
More absentee ballots mean more corruption in elections
By Chris Powell Judging by voter participation in Connecticut’s most recent municipal elections, Hartford may be the most demoralized place in the state. The Hearst Connecticut newspapers report that only 14% of Hartford residents who are registered to vote did so in last year’s municipal election, when the city had the lowest voter participation amongContinue reading “More absentee ballots mean more corruption in elections”
Democrats scapegoat supermarkets for government’s inflation tax
By Chris Powell Democrats in Connecticut think they have found someone other than their national administration to blame for the inflation ravaging the country: supermarkets charging too much for groceries. So state Attorney General William Tong announced last week that he is sending letters to supermarket chains asking about their profits, and Democratic leaders inContinue reading “Democrats scapegoat supermarkets for government’s inflation tax”
Dodging poverty problem again; and no wonder kids skip school
By Chris Powell News reports say the General Assembly’s Finance Committee has approved legislation “designed to eradicate concentrated poverty” — that is, the poverty of U.S. census districts in Connecticut where 30% or more of the households have incomes below the federal poverty level. But the legislation, whose leading advocate is state Sen. John Fonfara,Continue reading “Dodging poverty problem again; and no wonder kids skip school”
Problem of mental illness isn’t shortage of treatment
By Chris Powell When confronting a problem most people instinctively look first for its cause and try to eliminate it. But such logic doesn’t apply so much in government, as indicated by government’s response to what is reported to be an explosion of mental illness among young people. Teachers and school administrators throughout Connecticut sayContinue reading “Problem of mental illness isn’t shortage of treatment”
Should Connecticut declare that men can become women?
By Chris Powell Transgender ideology, having conquered most of the Democratic majority in the General Assembly, suffered some pushback last week when the Appropriations Committee considered what was said to be mental health legislation. The bill contained the term “pregnant persons,” and some Black and Hispanic legislators on the committee wanted to know what hadContinue reading “Should Connecticut declare that men can become women?”
Connecticut’s political left celebrates mental illness
By Chris Powell As President Biden reminded the country with his ill-timed proclamation, this year Easter Sunday fell on a new and more politically correct holiday, Transgender Day of Visibility. A few days earlier at the state Capitol in Hartford, Connecticut Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz led a celebration of a flag symbolizing transgender rights —Continue reading “Connecticut’s political left celebrates mental illness”
To end car tax, spend less; and UConn abides thuggery
By Chris Powell Many state legislators claim to be perplexed by the challenge of eliminating municipal property taxes on cars, which produce about a billion dollars per year for municipal governments. If property taxes on cars were eliminated, how would the money be replaced? One advocate of eliminating car taxes, state Senate President Pro TemContinue reading “To end car tax, spend less; and UConn abides thuggery”
Disability pension scandal is shocking — but not new
By Chris Powell Why is state government always short of money in the face of what are said to be compelling human needs? One reason is that compelling human needs are easily confused with human wants, which are infinite. Another reason is that state government is not at all careful with its money, especially whenContinue reading “Disability pension scandal is shocking — but not new”
State’s economy isn’t strong; and a teacher salary trick
By Chris Powell Democrats warn that Donald Trump’s return to the presidency will endanger Social Security and Medicare. Trump has made ambiguous and contradictory comments on those programs and is not the master of policy details. But as a practical matter President Biden’s administration already has made big cuts in Social Security and Medicare —Continue reading “State’s economy isn’t strong; and a teacher salary trick”
Chris Powell column 