WASHINGTON – Citing a need to reduce waste and improve efficiency, Pentagon officials said Thursday they want to a round of military base closings like one that threatened Naval Submarine Base New London in 2005.
Pentagon chiefs ask Congress for another round of base closings
Posted inHealth, Money, Politics
Malloy suspends $140 million in payments to CT hospitals
Responding to shrinking tax revenues, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s administration suspended about $140 million in payments to Connecticut’s acute-care hospitals this week. The decision drew angry responses from the Connecticut Hospital Association and the legislature’s Republican minority.
Posted inPolitics
Proposed change to law on carrying guns draws skepticism
A number of legislators expressed skepticism Thursday about a bill that would allow law enforcement officers to ask to see an individual’s state-issued pistol permit without reasonable suspicion of a crime. Others expressed support for the bill.
Posted inPolitics
Wolf blames young staffers for campaign disarray
August Wolf, the Republican U.S. Senate candidate beset by staff turnover, financial problems and allegations of a hostile work environment, broke a six-day silence Thursday and blamed the three young staffers he put in charge of his campaign for its failings.
Posted inEducation, Money, Politics
Legislature considers furloughs; judiciary cancels raises
Underscoring the fiscal crisis facing Connecticut, the General Assembly is considering furloughs of legislative staff, a rollback of staff raises, and a rare rejection of a negotiated contract. Meanwhile, the Judicial Branch has canceled raises for non-union employees that were to take effect Friday.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Expediting childcare for homeless kids is right for all of us
Over 1,000 families and more than 2,000 children were homeless in Connecticut over the course of 2015. It is best for the health of these families — particularly for their children — and less costly for our communities to resolve family homelessness quickly by helping these families stabilize their lives. To do so requires streamlining access to quality childcare for these children to help them through a difficult period, while freeing their parents to find work or sign up for needed employment training, and secure permanent housing as quickly as possible.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Providing exceptional education to all students requires more accountability, not less
The release of Connecticut’s teacher evaluation results in a school-funding trial has revealed that only 1 percent of teachers were evaluated as either “below standard” or “developing.” Recently, a CT Mirror story covered a discussion among members of the Connecticut Performance Evaluation Advisory Council (PEAC) about whether and how to amend the teacher evaluation process. In that story, Connecticut unions represented that the inclusion of a state assessment in the evaluation process is unfair to teachers. But, as a former teacher, principal, and superintendent, and a father of six Connecticut children—it strikes me as somewhat obvious that, quite to the contrary, these results indicate a strong, existing bias in favor of protecting teachers from data.
Posted inEducation
State releases grades for every school
Grading schools on more than just tests scores has been a long time in the works. But the State Department of Education has now released a zero-to-100 rating for every school in the state based on 19 different measures.
Posted inPolitics
CT has outside chance of tilting presidential primary contest
WASHINGTON – When it comes to presidential primaries, there are states that have a disproportionate impact and others little at all, and Connecticut may be in the latter category this year. But some say there’s a chance of relevance in this unpredictable political year.
Posted inEducation, Money, Politics
Malloy urges rejecting UConn labor pact
After nudging legislators to reject a labor deal granting raises at the University of Connecticut, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy gave them a hard push Wednesday, publicly urging rejection of a contract the university negotiated with its Professional Employees Union. Senate leaders quickly indicated they will comply.
Posted inPolitics
DeLauro to travel to Flint ahead of key Michigan primary
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District, will join House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and nearly two dozen other progressive Democrats on a trip to Flint, Mich., on Friday to rally behind the victims of the city’s water crisis – and perhaps try to give Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton a boost.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
It’s time we stop bashing Connecticut’s 1 percent
From what I have briefly researched, the top 1 percent income earners in Connecticut — 14,000 households among 1.4 million statewide — earn above $677,000 per year. These are our fellow citizens targeted for punishment by our state workers and anybody else protecting their worthy cause, meaning something that only others should be paying for.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Connecticut divide between ‘haves,’ ‘have-nots’ apparent at hearing
Having attended nine hours of testimony at the State Legislature’s Education Committee public hearings in Hartford on Wednesday, Feb. 24, the divide between the “haves” and the “have-nots” in Connecticut has become even more apparent.
Posted inPolitics
GOP activists still search for a challenger to Blumenthal
With less than three months until Republicans endorse a candidate for U.S. Senate, GOP activists are seeking an alternative to their only candidate, August Wolf, whose campaign is beset by financial and staffing issues.
Posted inPolitics, Transportation
Auto retailers, makers call on Tesla to apply for franchise
Car manufacturers and Connecticut auto retailers pushed back at a bill that would allow electric car makers like Tesla to sell cars in the state without opening a franchise. The bill is being put forward again after being considered last year and dying as the legislative session expired.