Author Archives: cxpowell

By Chris Powell For many years Hartford’s North End, the heavily Black area of the city, has suffered extensive sewage overflows into basements from its antiquated sewer system, and the other day residents there complained about it again, this time to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The problem is universally acknowledged but nothing is beingContinue reading “North End’s sewer mess is pathetic politics, not racism”

By Chris Powell Could Stamford, a Democratic-controlled city, be tired of forfeiting its financial management to government employee unions? That’s the implication of a vote by the city’s Board of Representatives — the city council — at its first meeting of the new year. The board voted 23-7 to reject a proposed contract with theContinue reading “A Democratic city may learn binding arbitration is awful”

By Chris Powell Connecticut may have had its “All power to the Soviets!” moment the other day as more than 200 people summoned by the Democratic Socialists of America gathered on the internet to call for a law to limit residential rent increases to 2½% annually. Five Democratic state legislators have co-sponsored the legislation andContinue reading “Rent limit will only worsen Connecticut’s shortage of housing”

By Chris Powell Seldom does the New York Times pay attention to Connecticut unless it involves something edible, and so it was again the other day when the newspaper identified New Haven as one of 52 places around the world that everyone should visit this year for “food, culture, adventure, and natural beauty.” Certainly forContinue reading “Could New Haven wake up? And skip the dope course”

By Chris Powell Only one practical proposal has been offered for immediate reduction of Connecticut’s electricity prices, the highest in the continental United States. But the practical proposal is the least publicized one. The practical proposal is [ITALICS] not [END ITALICS] the legislation offered by state Rep. Christine Conley, D-Groton, to give the General Assembly the authority to decideContinue reading “Political honesty might cut electric bills 20% real fast”

By Chris Powell News organizations and state government proclaimed last week that marijuana is now legal in Connecticut. But it’s not really. Pressed about the issue, the U.S. attorney’s office for Connecticut quickly confirmed that while Connecticut and other states have repealed their criminal laws on marijuana, possession and sale of the drug remain violationsContinue reading “Marijuana is not really legal; and shelve the highway fantasy”

By Chris Powell What is likely to be done about Connecticut’s high energy costs and particularly its exploding electricity rates? Judging from an informational meeting held by Connecticut and Massachusetts officials the other day, nothing that is politically possible would make any difference. Should Connecticut’s two major electricity distributors, Eversource and United Illuminating, which purchaseContinue reading “Forum on rising electric rates shows why nothing is done”

By Chris Powell When three young men from Bridgeport were shot, one fatally, another mortally wounded, in a car on the Wilbur Cross Highway in Hamden early New Year’s Day, state police called it “an isolated incident.” This meant that the crime was not believed related to any other crime or prospective crimes, did not indicateContinue reading “‘Isolated incidents’ emerge from overlooked underclass”

By Chris Powell Because of the First Amendment, anyone in the United States can be a journalist at any time — no training or licensing required. Because of Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act, everyone has access to state and municipal government proceedings and records, with narrowly defined exceptions, though government officials and employees are alwaysContinue reading “Video taken at town halls fails as citizen journalism”

By Chris Powell Connecticut’s terrible shortage of housing isn’t just impoverishing and putting great stress on thousands of people. It’s killing people too. The shortage is enabling unscrupulous landlords to rent substandard, overcrowded, and illegal rooms and apartments and causing desperate people to take them. According to the Connecticut Examiner, last year a man livingContinue reading “Housing shortage is deadly and requires urgent initiative”