Author Archives: cxpowell

By Chris Powell Bridgeport might not be Bridgeport without irregularities, improprieties or worse in its municipal elections. Connecticut state government might not be itself if it didn’t take too long to address breaches of integrity. So only recently did the State Elections Enforcement Commission get around to the corruption in the 2019 Democratic primary inContinue reading “Bridgeport reminds again of risk of absentee ballots”

By Chris Powell Hope and happy excitement bubbled up in Connecticut this week as children began a new school year, though of course children going to school for the first time were apprehensive, along with their parents, many of whom were yielding custody of their kids to outsiders for the first time.  The luckiest childrenContinue reading “New school year brings less joy, more anxiety”

By Chris Powell Who and what are to blame for the soaring cost of medical insurance in Connecticut? Last week, a hearing held by the state Insurance Department heard opinions in response to more requests from medical insurers for premium increases, this time averaging 20% for individual policies and 15% for small group plans.  OfContinue reading “Blame government first as medical insurance explodes”

By Chris Powell Yale University’s police union seems to have thought last week that it could scare up a better contract by distributing to incoming freshmen a handbill suggesting that New Haven is so dangerous that just leaving their rooms in the university cocoon could get them killed. Crime and violence in New Haven areContinue reading “Cities can’t save themselves and Connecticut isn’t helping”

By Chris Powell Hartford’s Democratic primary for mayor Sept. 12, which will be the equivalent of the general election in November, may give Connecticut another reason to enact the runoff election mechanism known as ranked-choice voting. Under ranked-choice voting, voters designate not just the candidate who is their first choice but also second and evenContinue reading “Hartford election for mayor invites ranked-choice voting”

By Chris Powell While Connecticut state government reduced income taxes this year, being flush with hundreds of millions of dollars of “emergency” federal aid for an emergency that is long over, no one should expect state government to make a habit of it. With a national economic recession coming on, state taxes probably will beContinue reading “Connecticut shouldn’t raise taxes even on the super-rich”

By Chris Powell Some people may privately celebrate the steady decline of the Catholic Church in Connecticut, which worsened last week as Hartford Archbishop Leonard P. Blair announced the closing of two more churches in Waterbury and the merger of three others there. The church is resented for its opposition to homosexuality, its exclusion ofContinue reading “Decline of Catholic Church isn’t improving Connecticut”

By Chris Powell Next week’s installment of Connecticut’s annual suspension of sales taxes on clothing and shoes may be a reminder that government is very good at bribing people with their own money. Sales Tax-Free Week is promoted as state government’s special benevolence to families with children about to return to school and in needContinue reading “Week’s sales-tax suspension is a bribe we pay ourselves”

By Chris Powell Government’s subsidizing and thereby encouraging and legitimizing parental irresponsibility isn’t the only cause of the country’s long-worsening child neglect. Government causes the problem in other ways too. The next most important cause of child neglect may be persistent inflation, which is always underreported in government economic data, since the criteria for measuringContinue reading “How much should Connecticut let parents be irresponsible?”

By Chris Powell Most people in Connecticut want to support the police, especially now that social order seems to be breaking down throughout the state. But last week the state police union provided another reason why such support is not always deserved. The union announced that its members had taken a vote of no confidenceContinue reading “Public’s confidence counts more than trooper union’s”