By Chris Powell Suppose Donald Trump, campaigning for president, cited Connecticut U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy’s support for federalizing a right to late-term abortion and said the senator’s pandering to the abortion industry was meant “to kill more kids in order to make more profits for Planned Parenthood.” There would be outrage from the political left,Continue reading “Chris Murphy exceeds Trump with demagoguery on guns”
Author Archives: cxpowell
Push for teacher diversity risks racial bias in hiring
By Chris Powell Why is student performance so poor among students from racial minorities in Connecticut’s cities? A state law enacted last year suggests it’s because city schools don’t have enough teachers from racial minorities. Connecticut’s Hearst newspapers reported the other day that while the state’s schools have increased their share of minority teachers toContinue reading “Push for teacher diversity risks racial bias in hiring”
If you chant ‘Trump’ enough, Democrats’ policy failures vanish
By Chris Powell While Donald Trump can be intemperate, reckless, and megalomaniac, that is not why he has been so damaging to politics in Connecticut. Trump is most damaging to politics here because he has provided an excuse for so many members of the state’s majority party, the Democrats, as well as their allies inContinue reading “If you chant ‘Trump’ enough, Democrats’ policy failures vanish”
Why Connecticut will never get tough on gun crime
By Chris Powell Connecticut’s failure to prosecute many gun crimes aggressively isn’t as bad as it seems, prosecutors and a former state legislator told The Day of New London this month. They were responding to a General Assembly report that as many as two-thirds of the gun charges brought by police in Connecticut in recentContinue reading “Why Connecticut will never get tough on gun crime”
Legislators’ brazen deception should cost them re-election
By Chris Powell Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely, and with its 24-12 majority the Democratic caucus in Connecticut’s Senate is well on its way there. For recent commentary from the Yankee Institute’s Meghan Portfolio shows that the party was even more deceptive than originally reported with its legislation to award unemployment compensation to strikers.Continue reading “Legislators’ brazen deception should cost them re-election”
Murphy challenges Trump for biggest demagogue
By Chris Powell Anyone who thinks that Donald Trump is the country’s biggest demagogue should examine the remarks made by Connecticut U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy last Saturday as the Democratic State Convention nominated him for a third term. Trump, Murphy said, “wants to turn us against each other,” as if Murphy’s party isn’t preaching asContinue reading “Murphy challenges Trump for biggest demagogue”
Hartford’s new archbishop eyes the poverty factory
By Chris Powell When he was installed two weeks ago, Hartford’s new Catholic archbishop, Christopher J. Coyne, said he has several big objectives, though he conceded that with two of them he may be dreaming. Coyne’s most practical objective is simply restoring the local church and regaining parishioners. “In recent years,” Coyne said, “we haveContinue reading “Hartford’s new archbishop eyes the poverty factory”
Don’t leave hospitals’ fate to a big game of chicken
By Chris Powell A big game of chicken may determine what becomes of Waterbury Hospital, Manchester Memorial Hospital, and Rockville General Hospital in Vernon. Yale New Haven Health, which two years ago agreed to purchase the three struggling hospitals from Prospect Medical Holdings for $435 million, now is suing Prospect to nullify the agreement. YaleContinue reading “Don’t leave hospitals’ fate to a big game of chicken”
Slush fund paves the way for subsidizing strikes
By Chris Powell Connecticut state government’s mad dash to the far left produced another ridiculous moment last week when, as the Connecticut Mirror reported, “with no explanation and scant debate” the state House of Representatives approved a bill to establish what essentially would be a slush fund at the disposal of state Comptroller Sean Scanlon.Continue reading “Slush fund paves the way for subsidizing strikes”
Can state legislators resist clamor to bust ‘guardrails’?
By Chris Powell Last week’s projections of more than a billion dollars in unexpected state government tax revenue over the next two years have strengthened demands for more spending in the last days of the General Assembly’s current session. Legislators already had been grabbing furiously at the remnants of federal pandemic emergency aid, and theContinue reading “Can state legislators resist clamor to bust ‘guardrails’?”
Chris Powell column 