Redrawing the Lines on Redistricting
With Connecticut’s redistricting process concluded, it is clear that it needs overhauled. The gerrymandered Congressional districts drawn in 2001 to protect incumbents were left unchanged. With an evolving American economy, our society will depend on effective leadership to implement public policies that meet new challenges. The status quo is not good enough and the process needs big reform.
» Read MoreLessons from Hurricane Irene
EAST HAMPTON, CT – Mother Nature dispenses tough love on occasion and many Connecticut residents had it tough this week recovering from Hurricane Irene. People discovered that camping in the living room is fun but only for a little while. In my CT News Junkie op-ed, I write about the lessons learned from Irene.
» Read MoreAll the way to the US Supreme Court
Just moments after the big clock overhead showed 10am, the Justices of the US Supreme Court took their seats on the highest court in America on Monday of this past week to hear a case with major significance for Connecticut. Hanging in the balance is a critical component of the state’s publicly funded campaign financing program that shelled out $27.1 million during the 2010 election cycle.
» Read MoreNot a Step Back
Just one day after announcing their plan for the largest tax increase in state history, the administration of Governor Dannel P. Malloy tossed their second stinkbomb when they made it known that they would seek $2 billion in concessions from state employees. The usual suspects from the state employee unions have taken to the microphones [...]
» Read MoreE-Governance Can Save Money, Deliver Services Better
Making state government work better is now the job of Gov. Dan Malloy and his administration. Combined with their need to confront the state’s $3.4 billion budget deficit, Mr. Malloy and his team should turn to increasingly important tools of e-governance to make state services more convenient for citizens and less expensive for taxpayers.
» Read MoreAbout as Apathetic as Everyone Else
Connecticut primary voters headed to the polls on Tuesday, August 10th to choose candidates to represent their respective party on the November 2010 ballot. Just 25% of eligible Connecticut voters exercised their right to do so, which caused some observers (this author included) to publicly grumble about the fact that the Nutmeg State primary is held in the dead of August.
» Read MoreThe Slow Sword of Justice in Cheshire Case
The murder trial of Steven J. Hayes, one of the two men suspected of committing the horrific Cheshire triple murders, got underway this week in New Haven. Social networking tools like Twitter have allowed observers to get the grisly play-by-play of the trial as it happens. Juxtaposed to the speed with which information about the trial exits the courtroom, however, are the 1148 days that have passed since the commission of the crime and the beginning of the trial.
» Read MoreThe Truth about “Jobs” Governors
In a lousy economy, the buzzword with every candidate is “jobs”. Each one has a jobs plan and most of them feature a slogan about creating jobs or otherwise getting Connecticut back to work. To a man, each one pledges that their political party will be better on creating jobs and fixing the state’s budget deficit than the other. Republicans blame the Democratic legislature and Democrats blame the Republican Governor. The cycle completes itself.
» Read MoreReform Connecticut’s State Employee Pension System
On Monday, I talked to NBC Connecticut’s Tom Monahan about Connecticut’s $51 billion unfunded pension liabilities and how to fix the problem. According to recent studies, Connecticut’s pension system could be broke by 2019 and is in the 5th worst shape in the nation. Moving state workers from a defined benefit plan to defined contribution plan will save the state money and be more secure for employees.
» Read MoreWant a Better Legislature? Longer Terms May Be the Answer
For Connecticut’s state legislators, Election Day is almost always just around the corner. The Nutmeg State is one of just 14 states where legislators in both the state House and Senate serve two year terms, beginning in January after their election and concluding (for General Session purposes, anyway) until the next year’s May.
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