Author Archives: cxpowell

By Chris Powell Gambling and intoxicating drugs mainly transfer wealth from the many to the few and the poor to the rich, so it is sad that state government is striving to get into the business of sports betting, internet gambling, and marijuana dealing. That’s how hungry state government always is for more money. EvenContinue reading “Gambling expansion plan could be worse, or better”

By Chris Powell By a 3-2 vote, Connecticut’s Commission on Compensation of Elected State Officials has recommended small raises, a bit more than 1%, for state legislators and the top state elected officials — the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, treasurer, secretary of the state, and comptroller. There’s good reason for such raises. The salaryContinue reading “Legislators are scared of raises; and Democrats mock women”

By Chris Powell Legislation can’t be right when its premise is wrong, and a big premise of the proposals to legalize recreational marijuana in Connecticut is wrong. That is, the proposals presume that racial minorities deserve special reparations for the damage the “war on drugs” has done to them. So the proposals would give preferenceContinue reading “Marijuana bill has false premise; and let New Haven devour Yale”

By Chris Powell Nice guy that he was, Joseph D. Duffey, who died last week at age 88, was not a terribly adept politician. He was not outgoing or a glad-hander but a soft-spoken Protestant clergyman. But from 1967 to 1970 he was the most courageous participant in Connecticut politics, and more than anyone elseContinue reading “How insurgent Joe Duffey changed Connecticut’s politics”

By Chris Powell Everyone is entitled to be sick and tired of the virus epidemic, and no one is more entitled than Governor Lamont, whose administration has been consumed by it. Most people were happy with the administration’s handling of the epidemic until this week, when the governor changed policy on prioritizing the long-awaited vaccinations.Continue reading “Lamont has earned a break; and prevent big bank merger”

By Chris Powell Does recognizing that the “war on drugs” is a failure and that people are entitled to be left alone in their personal lives require not just legalizing marijuana and taxing it heavily but also putting state government into the marijuana business and turning that business into racial political patronage? Governor Lamont andContinue reading “State shouldn’t promote marijuana; and housing can’t be a right”

By Chris Powell Having just gotten big raises amid an economic depression with horrible unemployment in Connecticut, the state employee unions have proclaimed that they won’t consent to Governor Lamont’s budget proposal to freeze state employee salaries for a while. The unions insist that state government should raise taxes on the wealthy so they payContinue reading “Wealthy should pay more, but in federal taxes, not state”

By Chris Powell Without taking much notice, Connecticut lost a hero of journalism and justice the other day: Donald S. Connery, 94, who lived in Kent for almost 60 years even as he traveled and reported from around the world for United Press International and Time magazine and its related publications. Connery’s feats of journalismContinue reading “A great Connecticut journalist leaves a legacy of justice”

By Chris Powell Since Governor Lamont mused the other day that he has rather enjoyed being able to rule by decree for the past year without having to bother with the General Assembly, maybe it’s not so surprising that most criticism of his state budget is coming from fellow Democrats, who are used to sharingContinue reading “Governor’s budget is scorned most by his fellow Democrats”

By Chris Powell Nearly everyone will forever remember some admired or even beloved teachers whose insight, enthusiasm, and caring pointed students in the right direction. Of course there were and are some mediocre, incompetent, and even malicious teachers too, but they are easily forgotten. So even as society becomes more fractious and angry, there isContinue reading “Teachers of your memories aren’t necessarily today’s”