By Chris Powell Why is state government always short of money in the face of what are said to be compelling human needs? One reason is that compelling human needs are easily confused with human wants, which are infinite. Another reason is that state government is not at all careful with its money, especially whenContinue reading “Disability pension scandal is shocking — but not new”
Tag Archives: Governor Lamont
State’s economy isn’t strong; and a teacher salary trick
By Chris Powell Democrats warn that Donald Trump’s return to the presidency will endanger Social Security and Medicare. Trump has made ambiguous and contradictory comments on those programs and is not the master of policy details. But as a practical matter President Biden’s administration already has made big cuts in Social Security and Medicare —Continue reading “State’s economy isn’t strong; and a teacher salary trick”
Hartford doesn’t need hockey; and state’s ‘values’ don’t help
By Chris Powell Some people think that Hartford’s decline began in 1997 when the city’s National Hockey League team, the Whalers, left for North Carolina. Governor Lamont seems to be one of them, though the city’s plunge into poverty and dysfunction started at least 30 years earlier. For a few years in the 1980s andContinue reading “Hartford doesn’t need hockey; and state’s ‘values’ don’t help”
If schools had discipline, they would not have racism
By Chris Powell Cromwell lately has been convulsing over a student’s at-first anonymous public complaints about racist or abusive conduct by other students in school. What was the first action taken in response by the school administration and the town’s Board of Education? Of course it was to hire a consultant — an expert inContinue reading “If schools had discipline, they would not have racism”
Crime without consequences hastens Connecticut’s decline
By Chris Powell What happens when there are no consequences for misconduct? With Connecticut full of repeat criminal offenders on the loose, and with juveniles stealing cars and committing mayhem with impunity, having realized that government won’t punish them, almost anyone might have a clue about where social disintegration is coming from. But few DemocratsContinue reading “Crime without consequences hastens Connecticut’s decline”
Democrats abruptly reverse their pose on illegal immigration
By Chris Powell With Governor Lamont playing a big part, Democrats across the country have abruptly reversed their posture on illegal immigration, moving from support or indifference to indignant opposition and blaming Republicans for the problem. In national television interviews the governor said immigration policy should be much stricter, Democrats had been slow to faceContinue reading “Democrats abruptly reverse their pose on illegal immigration”
No magic wand is needed for medical debt relief
By Chris Powell Governor Lamont is acting as if he has a magic wand that can eliminate $650 million or more in medical debt owed by unfortunate state residents. He has been waving that wand for more than a year and waved it again this week in his address to the new session of theContinue reading “No magic wand is needed for medical debt relief”
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”
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’”
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”
Chris Powell column 