Author Archives: cxpowell

By Chris Powell Good for Governor Lamont and the state legislators who approved the new state budget, which is providing 7½% raises to about 1,700 managers in state government, along with $2,000 bonuses for some, adding up to more than $15 million. It’s not just good in itself. It’s also good for demonstrating just howContinue reading “Little management remains in Connecticut state government; and Lamont sounds Republican”

By Chris Powell Connecticut’s state employee unions may be rendering great service to Governor Lamont’s probable campaign for re-election by complaining about him. This service may be greater than their usual provision of manpower to Democratic campaigns. For their complaining suggests that the governor isn’t their tool as most Democrats are. Last week the unionsContinue reading “State employee unions help Lamont as they criticize him”

By Chris Powell At Governor Lamont’s order state government is reducing its direct subsidies to businesses coming into the state or expanding here — cash grants, discounted or forgivable loans, and tax credits. These subsidies have reeked of political patronage and corporate welfare, have sometimes cost more than they gained, have incurred financial risk toContinue reading “To end corporate welfare, Connecticut should cut taxes for all businesses”

By Chris Powell “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life,” Oscar Wilde wrote. But sometimes it’s awful both ways. Many years ago an episode of the television drama series “Law and Order” showed police detectives entering a dingy New York City apartment where an abandoned baby was crying. The detective played by JerryContinue reading “Connecticut must examine the causes of its social disintegration”

By Chris Powell Fall out of bed and kill yourself in Connecticut and your state legislators well may introduce legislation memorializing you by purporting to do something about the manner of your demise.These laws have little actual impact; mainly they aim to console the families of the victims. So Connecticut recently has enacted laws purportingContinue reading “Democrats strive to conceal the failures of Connecticut’s juvenile justice system”

By Chris Powell Enrollment at Connecticut’s community colleges has been collapsing, probably because the state’s economy is weak and most students being admitted are unprepared for higher education, having never mastered high school work but having been promoted anyway. So what are the colleges doing? The Connecticut Examiner says that instead of cutting staff, theContinue reading “Colleges serve only themselves; and expose juvenile courts”

By Chris Powell Enrollment at Connecticut’s community colleges has been collapsing, probably because the state’s economy is weak and most students being admitted are unprepared for higher education, having never mastered high school work but having been promoted anyway. So what are the colleges doing? The Connecticut Examiner says that instead of cutting staff, theContinue reading “Colleges serve only themselves; and expose juvenile courts”

By Chris Powell Suffield has opted out of what First Selectwoman Melissa Mack calls the “flag wars,” which are being fought over attempts to use government flagpoles for proselytizing or propaganda by non-government groups. The town’s Board of Selectmen voted 3-1 last month to reserve town government flagpoles for government’s own flags, denying a requestContinue reading “A Connecticut town skips the ‘flag wars’; and what’s the ‘pride’ of sex?”

By Chris Powell .So much in government in Connecticut is euphemism. Political patronage is called “equity” and “social justice.” Increasing the compensation of teachers is “aid to education.” Raising gasoline taxes is a “climate initiative.” And now the new state budget, at the instigation of the House chairman of the General Assembly’s finance committee, Rep.Continue reading “With taxes in Connecticut, ‘fair’ always means ‘more’”

By Chris Powell Lately the Lamont administration has boasted about closing prisons in Connecticut even as crime has exploded. Of course the crime wave isn’t exclusive to this state. But those in charge seem to think that since the explosion in crime can’t be blamed on Donald Trump, it can be largely ignored. So thoseContinue reading “Might Connecticut care more about crime than politically correct trivia?”