Television stations seem to love one word above most others. Marketing consultants have come up with dozens of ways to say it. It’s almost a game: how many ways can you weave the word “local” into a catchy slogan?
It’s live, but is it really local?
Posted inCT Viewpoints, Talking Transportation
The billion dollar bridge — really?
Could it really cost $1 billion to replace the 562-foot Walk railroad bridge in South Norwalk? Or is there a cheaper alternative that the Connecticut Department of Transportation is hiding from us?
Posted inPolitics
What to watch for in CT Senate battleground districts tonight
It’s Election Day in Connecticut. In the crucial battle for control of the state Senate, here is an overview of what to watch for in each of the nine most competitive races as the results come in tonight.
Posted inJustice, Politics
Feds to monitor election in Hartford, New Britain, other CT towns
WASHINGTON — Federal monitors will watch elections in Hartford, West Hartford, East Hartford, New Britain, Farmington, Middletown and Newington on Tuesday. Secretary of the State Denise Merrill says they will observe the new voting system for the disabled.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Vote Tuesday for our country’s future — our children
I am a pediatrician and I vote. I vote on behalf of kids who cannot speak up for themselves. I vote so that the needs of children are prioritized by our elected leaders. I vote on behalf of the children I see in my clinic every day.
In a few short days, all of us will have the opportunity to make a difference by casting our votes, and I plan to use my vote to support our country’s future – our children.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Think twice about continuing Connecticut’s decades of single-party control
I have been an “unaffiliated” voter from the day I registered and I have for the most part voted that way, preferring to take the measure of each individual candidate rather than voting for any particular party. However, the consequences of this coming election cycle compel me to view things differently. I think that nearly two decades of a single party controlling our legislature have done enormous damage to our state’s economic vitality with no end in sight.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Canton needs a ‘smarter, visionary’ choice on town garage issue
The focus this year has been on the national political races with all their ugliness, hyperbole, and vehemence. It is interesting to observe the same phenomenon playing out in Canton, which is voting on a referendum about whether to reconstruct the town DPW garage in its current location on the Farmington River.
Posted inPolitics
Clinton-Trump battle overshadows CT’s down-ballot races
On the last weekend before voters go to the polls, the same question gnaws at down-ballot candidates from both parties. Are their presidential nominees a help or a hindrance to them? Many say they don’t have a handle on exactly who will turn out on Tuesday.
Posted inHealth, Money
‘There’s a lot of anxiety:’ Mental health system braces for more cuts
So far, the impact of cuts to the state’s mental health system has been mixed, those involved say. Some agencies have absorbed reductions, while others have reduced hours, cut staff or closed programs. But nearly all expect that the cuts they’ve already faced are just a start.
Posted inPolitics
A look at the latest news from CT Senate battleground districts
The battle for control of Connecticut’s state legislative chambers is in its final days. Here are the latest headlines in the Senate battleground districts.
Posted inPolitics
Pentagon-Lockheed fight over F-35 price doesn’t extend to Pratt
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin differed this week over the price of the a ninth batch of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, but Pratt & Whitney, which makes the engines for those planes, has successfully negotiated contracts for that lot and the next.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
The CT spending cap as written: ‘An unmitigated disaster’
The purpose of the spending cap should be to limit taxation on Connecticut taxpayers. But as written, it actually cost the state jobs, undermined tax revenue, and surely raised taxes on Connecticut taxpayers. OMG. How did that happen?
Posted inCT Viewpoints
How Progressives can invest in future elections on Nov. 8
Voters are disheartened, with polls showing much dislike for both Trump and Clinton. But to paraphrase Michelle Obama, even as this presidential race has brought us “low,” we can still go “high” by effecting change beyond 2016. We have an opportunity to contribute to a more representative, democratic electoral future by considering other presidential candidates —“third parties”– who represent important populist issues neither Trump nor Clinton do.
Posted inMoney
What cuts in the next state budget could look like…
State agencies have offered the governor’s budget office options as it prepares a 2017-18 state budget proposal. Among those made public so far: State residents could be charged a new $10 vehicle registration fee every two years to support state parks; prisons could incarcerate 1,100 fewer people; mosquito and tick management programs could be scaled back; and state funding of tax breaks for elderly property owners and renters could be reduced.
Posted inHealth
CT exchange officials considering big changes to stay viable
Among the ideas Access Health CT will explore: Allow insurers to offer plans with narrow provider networks, restrict coverage for people who sign up after the enrollment deadline, and consider eliminating the lowest-cost, high-deductible bronze plans.