By CHRIS POWELL When he peremptorily fired the Hartford police officer who shot and killed a mentally ill man who was walking through his neighborhood with a long knife and was refusing police commands to drop it, Mayor Arunan Arulampalam last week worsened a bad situation and probably increased city government’s financial liability. Accountability terrifiesContinue reading “By firing cop in shooting, did Hartford mayor yield to politics?”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Accountability terrifies public higher educators
By CHRIS POWELL Connecticut’s public higher educators, or at least those with the ear of the General Assembly, want to prohibit the public from finding out what they’re teaching students at tax expense. For the fourth straight year they have persuaded legislators to advance a bill that would exempt the outlines of their courses —Continue reading “Accountability terrifies public higher educators”
At last Linda McMahon finds a school that will listen to her
By CHRIS POWELL U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon at last has found a school in Connecticut willing to listen to her. McMahon’s visit to speak at a civics program at an elementary school in Fairfield in January was canceled when parents objected and the school administration decided that public education’s usual exaltation of “diversity” doesn’tContinue reading “At last Linda McMahon finds a school that will listen to her”
Democrats’ legislation would turn Connecticut into a people’s republic
By CHRIS POWELL Apparently afraid that Democrats in California and Illinois are getting ahead of them, Connecticut’s Democratic state legislators have pushed into overdrive their campaign to destroy the private sector and turn the state into a people’s republic. Another bailout won’t reveal why Hartford’s schools fail Overlong legislative hearings are for venting, not persuadingContinue reading “Democrats’ legislation would turn Connecticut into a people’s republic”
Another bailout won’t reveal why Hartford’s schools fail
By CHRIS POWELL Eight years ago Gov. Dannel P. Malloy induced a sleepwalking General Assembly to approve a bailout of $550 million for Hartford’s incompetent city government. This week nothing seemed to have changed, with the Hartford Courant reporting that the city’s school system is operating with a likely deficit of $70 million and isContinue reading “Another bailout won’t reveal why Hartford’s schools fail”
Overlong legislative hearings are for venting, not persuading
By CHRIS POWELL Small but feisty, the Republican minority in the General Assembly made a big stink the other day about the Democratic majority’s deciding to terminate at midnight a public hearing on vaccine legislation. Hundreds of people who wanted to speak at the hearing lost their opportunity. Why should Connecticut waive law enforcement anywhere?Continue reading “Overlong legislative hearings are for venting, not persuading”
Why should Connecticut waive law enforcement anywhere?
By CHRIS POWELL Hearings of the General Assembly on proposed legislation almost always could use more critical questions, especially when such questions are not merely politically inconvenient but politically incorrect. Suspension of fuel taxes won’t really save any money Public schools couldn’t meet new home-school standards Greens would cripple democracy in guise of making stateContinue reading “Why should Connecticut waive law enforcement anywhere?”
Suspension of fuel taxes won’t really save money
By CHRIS POWELL Don’t make too much fun of Governor Lamont’s idea about suspending Connecticut’s fuel taxes while prices are soaring because of the war in the Middle East. But the idea isn’t such a boon either. Public schools couldn’t meet new home-school standards Greens would cripple democracy in guise of making state cleaner StudentsContinue reading “Suspension of fuel taxes won’t really save money”
Public schools couldn’t meet new home-school standards
By CHRIS POWELL In principle there’s nothing wrong with the basics of the home-schooling legislation that got a public hearing before the General Assembly this week. The bill would require people to notify local officials in person when they withdraw their children from public school to home-school them, to bring their home-schooled children to someContinue reading “Public schools couldn’t meet new home-school standards”
Greens would cripple democracy in guise of making state cleaner
By CHRIS POWELL Connecticut’s so-called environmentalists are following the state’s employee unions in contriving new ways of destroying what is left of democracy and accountability in state and municipal government. They want to put a “green” amendment in the state Constitution to guarantee everyone the right to a clean and healthy environment. Students visiting stateContinue reading “Greens would cripple democracy in guise of making state cleaner”
Chris Powell column 