Yes, the state does need marketing help. A two-year, $22 million marketing campaign to establish a “brand” for Connecticut is something important to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, but the Department of Economic and Community Development chose to “launch” the effort with a late-in-the-day email blast to reporters today. The campaign will led by Chowder Inc., a New […]
Money
Stories about Connecticut’s budget, the federal budget, jobs and employment, state investments and casinos.
Posted inEnergy & Environment, Money
“Today in Green IT: The fossil fuel subsidy game”
One often hears cries of “foul” when the possibility of government support for energy renewal efforts and industries is raised. Here’s a rebuttal, in an essay that explores the many, many ways in which fossil fuel industries have been historically subsidized. Not enough to change a point of view, perhaps, but an interesting thing to […]
Posted inMoney
With $20 million for local projects, the bows are bipartisan
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has finished his holiday rounds of announcing $20 million in local aid to 20 communities through the Small Town Economic Assistance Program. In a press release from the Democratic governor, there were plenty of laudatory comments from local legislators of both parties about the state’s largesse: Ashford was awarded $196,000 in […]
Posted inMoney
The cost of Massachusetts casinos to Connecticut
It is widely accepted that the casinos that will soon begin popping up in Massachusetts will cause a major cut in revenue the state receives from its casinos — and now a price tag has been calculated as to how painful it may be. The legislature’s budget office estimates the state may be headed for […]
Posted inEducation, Energy & Environment, Money
Connecticut leads the way with green schools
The US Green Building Council’s Center for Green Schools recently published a report for state legislators, providing them with a guide to best policy practices concerning green schools. The report states that Connecticut is one of only 12 states that have policies in law encouraging green school construction. In 2006, Connecticut passed legislation mandating that […]
Posted inMoney
With billions in ‘tax expenditures,’ legislature ignores spending cap
What are the odds that the Connecticut Legislature would violate its own laws? Would the odds go up or down if those laws concerned billions of dollars? The billions of dollars involve what is known as tax expenditures. These are tax laws intended to subsidize selected economic activities and favored taxpayers. Because these subsidy measures […]
Posted inHealth, Money
Working group on collective bargaining for home care workers draws critics, supporters
The fight over unionizing home care attendants continued Wednesday as the working group charged with recommending ways to structure collective bargaining rights for the workers heard testimony from the public. People who work as personal care attendants spoke of the challenges of doing their jobs with low pay, no benefits and no paid sick time. […]
Posted inEducation, Health, Money
After controversial executive order, child care workers vote to unionize
Child care workers paid through a state program voted by a wide margin to form a union, electing CSEA/SEIU Local 2001 to represent them in non-binding discussions with the state Department of Social Services. Family child care workers who provide services as part of the state’s Care 4 Kids program voted 1603 to 88 to […]
Posted inHealth, Money
Malloy urges nursing homes, union to settle contract dispute
The governor weighed in Monday on a contract dispute between a nursing home chain and the union representing its employees, urging HealthBridge Management and the New England Health Care Workers’ Union District 1199, SEIU, to reach an agreement. Last week, HealthBridge locked out 78 unionized workers at its West River Health Care Center in Milford, […]
Posted inMoney
Sweating Bullets — Body Scanners May See Perspiration as a Potential Weapon
The folks at ProPublica.org, the online investigative news website, have looked into the high number of false positive readings being made by a type of airport scanner. http://www.propublica.org/article/sweating-bullets-body-scanners-can-see-perspiration-as-a-potential-weapon The millimeter-wave machines are considered safer than the X-ray body scanners, which are also widely used at airports. Unlike X-rays, however, the low-level electromagnetic waves are not linked to […]
Posted inEnergy & Environment, Money
State’s face is red (not green)
When the U.S. Green Building Council — the folks who brought us the LEED certification system for buildings — released its inaugural list of “Best of Green Schools” Connecticut with its fuel-cell and solar-powered schools was notable by its absence. What’s worse, who’s the sponsor for the USGBC’s Center for Green Schools, which oversaw the awards and other […]
Posted inMoney
Is America Working?
The Financial Times, out of London, starts a series today, “Is America Working?” that examines “the US jobs crisis” http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/6327a7f4-21bb-11e1-8b93-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1gKGPta9C . This first part may not break any new ground for those whose job it is to study what’s happening under our collective noses, but it can often be helpful to see things from more 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 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 […]