The General Assembly’s bipartisan redistricting commission unanimously approved new districts Wednesday for the state House and Senate ahead of a midnight deadline, leaving an unfinished congressional map in the hands of the Connecticut Supreme Court. Attorney General George Jepsen will ask the court to grant the commission an extension to continue negotiations on congressional districts, […]
November 2011
Posted inNews
Fuel experts say gasoline consumers had it easy during recent storms
There was plenty of inconvenience, but no real threat of a fuel shortage in the days following both last October’s nor’easter and Tropical Storm Irene, industry experts told a state panel Wednesday. But if Connecticut were to face a major hurricane similar to the one that struck in 1938, emergency fuel supplies could be exhausted […]
Posted inNews
Doctors wary of looming Medicare cut, or a short-term fix
John Foley has wanted to be a doctor since he was 6, and the Norwich cardiologist still considers the chance to take care of patients “the coolest thing on the planet.” But increasingly, Foley has found himself questioning the future of the field. Despite working longer days, his income is down 45 percent from 4½ […]
Posted inNews
Redistricting: General Assembly is set, not Congress
Facing a midnight deadline, the bipartisan redistricting commission is set today to approve new districts for the state House and Senate, but the panel will ask the state Supreme Court for more time to draw a congressional map. Democratic and Republican negotiators tentatively agreed late Tuesday night on new lines for 36 Senate districts, while […]
Posted inNews
Wheelchair-accessible cabs to be deployed, but advocates still fighting
They’re big (5,200 pounds), bright (yellow or orange-striped) and, in the coming weeks, will be navigating the streets of Connecticut. The new wheelchair-accessible cabs that are expected to soon be on the roads in the Hartford and New Haven areas will dramatically increase the on-demand transportation options for people who use wheelchairs. Metro Taxi President […]
Posted inNews
Redistricting creates two open House districts
The state House redistricting map is out. Some obvious winners and losers are in Hartford, Windsor and Milford. The map creates two open seats: One that straddles the Hartford-Windsor line; the other is in Milford. One reasonable interpretation: Rep. Marie Kirkley-Bey, D-Hartford, whose district now shifts sharply toward Windsor, is about to retire. The same […]
Posted inHealth
Griffin Hospital requires flu shots for workers, reports full compliance
All Griffin Hospital employees have complied with a new policy requiring them to get flu shots, the Derby Hospital announced Wednesday. Between Sept. 27 and Nov. 1, 1,275 full and part-time employees got the flu vaccine, which was provided free. Volunteers, students and physicians were also required to get vaccinated. The hospital allowed exemptions for […]
Posted inHealth
Northeast contains highest percentage of elderly in the U.S.
The Northeast represents the region with the highest percentage of its population aged 65 and older at 14.1 percent, according to new 2010 U.S. Census data released Wednesday. Connecticut also makes the top five states possessing the largest percent of the total population aged 85 and older. The Northeast’s elderly population is the highest percentage […]
Posted inHealth, Money
Advocates ask HHS to intervene in exchange board composition
A small business owner and critic of the state’s health insurance exchange board has asked a top federal health official to intervene and urge Connecticut leaders to change the board’s composition.
Posted inMoney
We lose boasting rights in this (green) category
Thanks to Talking Points Memo’s IdeaLab for pointing us to NPR.org, which has done a cool map tracking how various parts of the country rate in terms of buying hybrid and electric vehicles http://idealab.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/11/where-do-hybrid-electric-cars-sell-best.php. The San Francisco area (wow, who would have imagined?) that beats out all others in this category: 8.4 percent of […]
Posted inMoney
We lose boasting rights in this (green) category
Thanks to Talking Points Memo’s IdeaLab for pointing us to NPR.org, which has done a cool map tracking how various parts of the country rate in terms of buying hybrid and electric vehicles http://idealab.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/11/where-do-hybrid-electric-cars-sell-best.php. The San Francisco area (wow, who would have imagined?) that beats out all others in this category: 8.4 percent of […]
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Thinking About Job Creation? Look Close to Home
We are delighted that the Connecticut legislature and Governor Malloy have approved a $1.1 billion jobs bill that will foster economic growth and job creation. We are especially pleased that the jobs bill focuses on small businesses, and includes money for loans and tax credits for new hires and job training. While for many, however, […]
Posted inHealth, Money
Thinking About Job Creation? Look Close to Home
We are delighted that the Connecticut legislature and Governor Malloy have approved a $1.1 billion jobs bill that will foster economic growth and job creation. We are especially pleased that the jobs bill focuses on small businesses, and includes money for loans and tax credits for new hires and job training. While for many, however, […]
Posted inNews
Budget chief calls for legislature to tackle cash-starved pension system
Now that state legislators have closed the largest budget deficit in Connecticut history, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s administration has a new challenge: Fix a state employee pension system on a collision course with fiscal collapse in about two decades. Office of Policy and Management Secretary Benjamin Barnes, Malloy’s budget chief, presented the challenge Tuesday to […]
Posted inNews
Fiscal analysts leave large question mark over small budget surplus
Three months after the largest state budget deficit in Connecticut history was resolved, the budget remains modestly in the black — for now. But budget analysts both for Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the General Assembly put a big asterisk next to surplus figures Tuesday, warning that could change quickly — for better or for […]