Category Archives: Uncategorized

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?”

By Chris Powell For months the far-left faction of the Democratic caucuses in the General Assembly, which controlled the legislature this year, sought to raise taxes all over the place and especially on the wealthy and business. The party’s leader, Governor Lamont — while derided by lefties as a blue-blooded business magnate — is usuallyContinue reading “How long will Governor Lamont hold the line on Connecticut’s taxes?”

By Chris Powell Connecticut’s most important journalism last week was the study produced by Bill Cummings of the Hearst newspapers about the weakness and secrecy in discipline of misconduct by municipal police officers in Fairfield and New Haven counties. While police are far more sinned against than sinning, sensational cases of misconduct, however unrepresentative, heightenContinue reading “Discipline for police in Connecticut fails amid secrecy and union clout”

By Chris Powell Did someone try to get the General Assembly to pass a gasoline tax increase last week without the knowledge of the public and most legislators themselves? It sure looked that way. The 800-page bill “implementing” the new state budget carried a strange provision authorizing state government department heads to make contracts withContinue reading “Legislative leaders exterminate their own rat; and state finances exclusion of housing”

By Chris Powell Municipal zoning that controversially excludes inexpensive housing in the suburbs isn’t the only area where Connecticut long has allowed the local interest to thwart the broader public interest. That is also the story of Tweed-New Haven Airport. The governor, business leaders, and most residents in the New Haven area who pay anyContinue reading “Tweed and zoning controversies suggest a new motto for state”

By Chris Powell What a mockery of democracy has been made by the Democratic majority in the General Assembly with its legislation “implementing” the new state budget. While the budget itself turned out to be bipartisan, drawing many votes from the Republican minority because it threw lots of federal emergency money around without raising taxes,Continue reading “‘Rats’ ride the ‘implementer’; and presto-change-o: It’s Equity!”

By Chris Powell While bullets flew and people fell all around Hartford, some within sight of the state Capitol dome, the General Assembly deliberated its state budget legislation and then, as part of the budget, voted to remove from the Capitol’s façade the statue of Maj. John Mason, without whom Connecticut and the rest ofContinue reading “At state Capitol, an old statue is offensive but not mayhem in nearby streets”

By Chris Powell Celebrating last week the General Assembly’s passage of legislation to legalize marijuana and put state government into the drug business, Governor Lamont condemned the “war on drugs” that was proclaimed 50 years ago by President Richard Nixon. The “war on cannabis,” the governor added, was “at its core a war on peopleContinue reading “Lamont celebrates marijuana bill with racial demagoguery”

By Chris Powell Legalizing recreational marijuana in Connecticut is off until a special session of the General Assembly this week, with House Speaker Matt Ritter, a Democrat, blaming the Republican minority for stalling passage during the regular session just concluded. The Republicans, Ritter said, planned to talk the legislation to death in the session’s lastContinue reading “Legalizing marijuana is easy; what’s hard is the patronage”