I was nervous. This was my first case before the United States Supreme Court. But here I was, ready to argue against Friedrichs vs. California Teachers Association. In this case, a few public school teachers claim they shouldn’t have to pay union dues because it violates their First Amendment rights. A conservative ruling would be bad, extending to Connecticut teachers, many of whom went to jail in the 1970s to win improvements in collective bargaining….
Opinion
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Upcoming CT count is opportunity to help end homelessness
The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness is calling for individuals across the state to join us Jan. 26 in the largest national data collection event on homelessness of the year. The Point-in-Time (PIT) count is an important annual exercise to estimate the total number of homeless on a given night across Connecticut and the country and a wonderful opportunity for individuals to get involved in ending homelessness.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
GE’s move muddles economic development debate
General Electric’s corporate-headquarters move from Connecticut to Boston has been inaccurately described as a decision based solely on taxes. This characterization might be understandable, given GE’s public outcry over the legislature’s adoption of a common-sense policy known as mandatory combined reporting, which requires profitable corporations to pay their fair share. On the other hand, Massachusetts has long had such a policy on the books and is also seriously considering a millionaires tax.
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A Connecticut Muslim’s reflections from the State of the Union
As I sat in the gallery of the House Chamber at the United States Capitol, I soaked in what was about to commence; the State of the Union address by President Barack Obama. Elevating the eminence of the epic experience was the fact that this would be his last. I reflected on how unlikely it was that I, just a common resident of Eastern Connecticut, was sitting in this auspicious historic hall that looked strikingly different from what appears on television.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
General Electric’s departure not Connecticut’s fault — or loss
Has State Sen. Toni Boucher taken the blue pill? She seems a little ignorant of the most basic facts about the reality of General Electric. Ginning up a false narrative about onerous taxes and Connecticut’s anti-business climate can hardly be taken seriously at this point. These billion dollar corporations, now more powerful than governments, leverage that power to get unnecessary sweetheart deals, use tax loopholes and armies of lobbyists to rig the game to not only get out of paying their fair share in taxes, but in GE’s case actually having the Federal Government pay them or paying a nominal effective state tax rate.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
On keeping GE: Too little, far too late
When GE and other major employers warned that onerous taxes and financial instability would make it impossible for them to stay in Connecticut, the state’s response could be described as novice at best, similar to a minor league player in a World Series game. The governor’s office made a huge faux pas when they showcased GE’s competitor’s engine in their final pitch to persuade them to stay.
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Resident: Willington unwilling to host CT State Police firearms compound
I am a 19-year-old resident of Willington, a town in the Quiet Corner of Connecticut that my family has lived in since 1914. This town of about 6,000 people is living with the fear that their home is on the brink of transformation into something unrecognizable. The state police wish to turn 326 acres of pristine woodland in the heart of our town into a massive training facility and gun range complex.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
CT Muslims thank Courtney for invitation to State of Union address
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Connecticut wholeheartedly thanks God and the honorable U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, 2nd District, for graciously inviting Dr. Mohammed Qureshi, our statewide president, as his guest at State of the Union 2016.
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Connecticut IS preventing and ending homelessness
In August of 2015, Connecticut made history when we became the first state to end the long term homelessness of veterans with disabilities. We are also on track to end the long-term homelessness of all Connecticut residents with severe disabilities by the end of this year. Rep. Dan Carter wrote in a recent op-ed that our state’s system to addressing homelessness, “merely put a Band-Aid on the hopelessness of those already without a home.” He also referred to the people we serve as, “’statistics’ who will be back out on the street in no time at all.” These statements could not be further from the truth.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
The what and why of ‘due process’
Since Gov. Dannel Malloy announced his intention to issue an executive order barring people who appear on the federal government’s “no-fly” list from buying guns, a debate has ensued about whether such an order would violate a person’s right to “due process.” The purpose of this post is not to join that debate, but instead to help non-lawyer readers understand what the “due process” debate is really about.
Posted inCT Viewpoints, Talking Transportation
Who sets Connecticut’s speed limits anyway?
Crawling along I-95 the other day in the usual bumper-to-bumper traffic, I snickered when I noticed the “Speed Limit 55” sign alongside the highway. I wish! Of course, when the highway is not jammed, speeds are more like 70 mph, with the legal limit, unfortunately, rarely being enforced. Which got me thinking: who sets speed limits on our highways and by what criteria?
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Prevention is the key to fighting homelessness in Connecticut
We all know one person or another who is living paycheck to paycheck and literally a step from being forced onto the street. This happened to a woman I know and her 10-year-old daughter a few weeks ago. In my effort to assist her, I was shocked to learn how few resources are available to keep people in their homes when faced with difficult times.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
We helped create Puerto Rico’s problems, and should correct them
Puerto Rico is in a severe economic crisis, and Connecticut shares some of the responsibility. After all, we made the island what it is today: a colony. Our state’s congressional leaders must act to correct this long-standing injustice.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Faculty must have a say in determining UConn’s future
The staunch advocates for public higher education and stewards of the state’s future – UConn-AAUP- should have a strong role in influencing university decisions that impact the common and public good.
Unfortunately we have witnessed exclusionary praxis from the UConn administration in recent months – dismissing the role of UConn-AAUP and leaving them out of vital decision-making. If this pattern continues where educators don’t have a voice in student learning conditions, scholarly work, or university direction, then the quality of education at the University of Connecticut will suffer immensely.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
CT Board of Regents should reconsider its spending priorities
The state of Connecticut claims that it has a large deficit and it needs to cut the budget for higher education – mostly through cutting the number of faculty positions at the Connecticut State College and University system. However, one questions its higher education priorities.