By Chris Powell Even more than its ever-increasing expense, the biggest failure of government in Connecticut may be its lack of relevance. News and commentary last week raised several examples. It was reported that the upcoming session of the General Assembly is expected to see a renewed attempt to prohibit “legacy” admissions in public andContinue reading “Can government in Connecticut ever become relevant again?”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
‘Go beyond Roe’ means aborting viable fetuses
By Chris Powell Fanaticism and extremism were unleashed when the U.S. Supreme Court returned the abortion issue to the states in 2022, reversing the court’s 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, which had discovered in the national Constitution a limited right to abortion, a right to abortion prior to the viability of the fetus. TheContinue reading “‘Go beyond Roe’ means aborting viable fetuses”
Buy EVs now, pay later, just don’t ask how much
By Chris Powell Governor Lamont and leaders of the Democratic majority in the General Assembly are planning to call a special session of the legislature next week to enact the strict California standards for auto emissions that were declined by the General Assembly’s Regulations Review Committee in November. Back then two Democratic legislators on theContinue reading “Buy EVs now, pay later, just don’t ask how much”
Attorney general’s opinion needn’t stop ranked-choice voting
By Chris Powell With his excellent and even fascinating review last week, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong did not oppose ranked-choice voting in principle or declare it surely unconstitutional. He concluded that the concept’s constitutionality is “a close call” and so it shouldn’t be enacted without an amendment to the state Constitution. Caution is usuallyContinue reading “Attorney general’s opinion needn’t stop ranked-choice voting”
Governor, treasurer celebrate a disaster with ‘baby bonds’
By Chris Powell Governor Lamont and state Treasurer Erick Russell this week invited Connecticut to celebrate a disaster. They announced with rejoicing that almost 8,000 children born in Connecticut since last July 1 have qualified automatically for state government’s “baby bonds” program by virtue of the coverage extended to their parents by Medicaid, government medicalContinue reading “Governor, treasurer celebrate a disaster with ‘baby bonds’”
Prisons aren’t the only agency that could use an ‘ombudsman’
By Chris Powell With their residents locked in and the public locked out, Connecticut’s prisons are inevitably far more secretive than other agencies of government. Combine this secrecy with the disdain for prisoners and the decline of journalism and prisons become especially susceptible to malfeasance, misconduct, and abuse of power. Criminal justice in Connecticut isContinue reading “Prisons aren’t the only agency that could use an ‘ombudsman’”
Soccer won’t rescue Bridgeport but middle-class housing might
By Chris Powell Hartford’s decline into poverty over the last 60 years hasn’t been reversed or even halted by the expensive development projects that have shuffled the city’s downtown this way and that — first Constitution Plaza, an office building complex; then the Hartford Civic Center; then the Connecticut Convention Center; and most recently aContinue reading “Soccer won’t rescue Bridgeport but middle-class housing might”
Poor need much more housing, not protection from eviction
By Chris Powell Many elected officials make a living by causing problems and then purporting to solve them. So it is with the Eviction Protection Act recently re-introduced in Congress by Connecticut U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District. The legislation would have the federal government offer financial grants to state governments that provide lawyers toContinue reading “Poor need much more housing, not protection from eviction”
Publicize more police video; and can Hartford change?
By Chris Powell Video from police cruiser dashboard cameras and body cameras worn by officers in Connecticut isn’t just protecting civilians against police misconduct, as was the main objective of camera advocates years ago. These videos, like the ones made quickly available by the state’s inspector general after recent shootings of criminals, are also protectingContinue reading “Publicize more police video; and can Hartford change?”
Weather hysteria of TV news doesn’t keep Connecticut safe
By Chris Powell Even on a warm, sunny summer day local television newscasts in Connecticut are usually trivial. But when winter comes and there is any chance of a few inches of snow, TV newscasts are liberated from all pretension to meaning, and they crown their triviality with redundancy. As they did last week, forContinue reading “Weather hysteria of TV news doesn’t keep Connecticut safe”
Chris Powell column 