By Chris Powell There’s a big gap in Connecticut’s “fiscal guardrails,” the rules enacted in 2017 to require state government to save a big part of any budget surplus and apply it to its unfunded pension obligations. The gap was noted the other day in an essay in the Hartford Courant by the executive director of the ConnecticutContinue reading “‘Guardrails’ have big gaps and so don’t achieve much”
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Getting electric rates down requires more natural gas
By Chris Powell Connecticut has nearly the highest electricity prices in the country in large part because it lacks a good mix of sources of energy for electrical generation. The Millstone nuclear power station in Waterford is the biggest source of the state’s electricity, with natural gas second. This year electricity from natural gas hasContinue reading “Getting electric rates down requires more natural gas”
Connecticut Republicans have lots of opportunities: issues
By Chris Powell Low participation in the recent primary for the Republican nomination for U.S. senator has renewed observations that there doesn’t seem to be much left of the party in Connecticut. Such observations are often accompanied by pro-forma expressions of support for competitive politics, if usually from people who would be appalled if theContinue reading “Connecticut Republicans have lots of opportunities: issues”
Can state legislators resist clamor to bust ‘guardrails’?
By Chris Powell Last week’s projections of more than a billion dollars in unexpected state government tax revenue over the next two years have strengthened demands for more spending in the last days of the General Assembly’s current session. Legislators already had been grabbing furiously at the remnants of federal pandemic emergency aid, and theContinue reading “Can state legislators resist clamor to bust ‘guardrails’?”
Chris Powell column 