I thought I would provide some vital statistics on U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, who is seeking reelection. In the 2012 election cycle Rep. Himes received a total of $63,450 in contributions from Wall Street bank CitiGroup. I found this data on opensecrets.org. Rep. Himes was a Wall Street banker before being elected to Congress.
On the Himes – Wall Street connection
Posted inPolitics
Business, labor bet big on fight for Connecticut Capitol
Business groups intent on boosting the influence of Republicans in the General Assembly outspent labor allies of majority Democrats by roughly a 2-1 margin in independent expenditures reported to the State Elections Enforcement Commission through Tuesday, according to an analysis by CT Mirror.
Posted inHealth
Panel endorses strategies to curb health costs, redesign care system
The recommendations are aimed at curbing health care costs, but some members of the state’s Health Care Cabinet wondered if they will be too expensive. Another key recommendation faces opposition from one of the agencies that would be charged with implementing it.
Posted inEducation, Money
Teacher pension costs to surge, widen hole in next state budget
State spending on retired teachers’ pensions is set to surge $282.7 million next fiscal year – a 28 percent increase the state is obligated to fund and is likely to worsen budget deficit projections for 2016-17 by $47 million.
Posted inHealth, Money
Hospitals ask feds to declare CT Medicaid rates, hospital tax illegal
Citing a host of job and program cuts and funding levels that threaten hospital viability and patients’ access to care, Connecticut hospitals have asked the federal government to declare that the state is violating federal law by paying inadequate rates for treating Medicaid patients and imposing a $556 million tax on the industry.
Posted inNews
Record number of active voters registered for election next week
The total is about 25,000 more active voters than were registered before the 2012 election between President Obama and Mitt Romney.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Lembo says state finances are $42 million in deficit
State finances are $42 million in deficit this fiscal year, Comptroller Kevin P. Lembo wrote Tuesday, a modest shortfall that splits the difference between competing budget projections from Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and nonpartisan legislative analysts.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
CT can do better for minority teacher candidates than Relay GSE
Without question, Connecticut needs more teachers who see themselves in their students (and vice versa), who have roots in the communities where they teach, and who are well positioned to instruct in ways that are academically challenging and culturally, linguistically, and community responsive. The pipeline into the profession for teachers of color is too often obstructed and unwelcoming, and change is imperative. … But the Relay Graduate School of Education is no panacea for our pipeline problems, and instead represents the tip of an approaching iceberg that threatens the education of the state’s most under-served students and sells short the very teachers to whom we owe the best preparation, support, working conditions, and compensation available.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Choose candidates who have economic growth as top priority
If you’re satisfied with the state of the economy in Connecticut, then vote for the status quo.
If you think we can do better, and bring greater investment, economic growth, and job creation to our state, here’s how we can make it happen.
We can start by electing state House and Senate candidates on November 8 who will make economic growth their top priority.
Posted inPolitics
Esty, Cope differ sharply, and sometimes agree, in a civil race
WASHINGTON — Overshadowed like other congressional races in Connecticut by the loud and vitriolic presidential race, the matchup between Democratic Rep. Elizabeth Esty and GOP challenger Clay Cope has been a civil contest between party moderates.
Posted inEducation, Justice
DCF pivots to a new strategy to keep juveniles out of jail
The new strategy aims to keep youths – unless they are deemed a risk to the public – out of juvenile jail and in a less-restrictive group home or with their families, with appropriate support services.
Posted inPolitics
Blumenthal: Comey’s comments ‘cryptic’ and actions ‘highly unusual’
While stepping back from demanding James Comey’s resignation, as some Democrats have done, Blumenthal, a former federal prosecutor, said Comey has a lot of explaining to do about his “cryptic” comments.
Posted inEducation, Health
Study: Opioid hospitalizations for kids nearly doubled in 15 years
The hospitalization rate grew especially quickly among toddlers and preschool-aged children, surprising researchers.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Feds new policy on Part B hurts cancer patients
Connecticut residents are doing everything they can to find a cure for cancer both professionally and personally. For some, that means lacing up their sneakers and participating in charity runs, for others, it means showing up for treatment or work at hospitals, cancer centers, medical offices or biopharmaceutical firms across the state. However, a new proposal that officials at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are pushing could thwart many of these efforts and result in cancer doctors having to move away from providing patients the most advanced medications.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Budget deficits and state elections have a turbulent history
Democratic and Republican governors have been accused frequently of hiding red ink over the past decade-and-a-half — particularly when legislative seats or control of the governor’s office is at stake.