Gov. Dannel Malloy recently wrote the foreword to a book titled The Lean CEO: Leading the Way to World-Class Excellence. The governor wrote how Connecticut business leaders adopted Lean Management with great success beginning in the 1990s. He extolls the virtues of Lean Management in private industry and its new application in government. As an expert in Lean efforts in both industry and higher education, I would like to compare Gov. Malloy’s words on Lean Management to the Board of Regents’ actions. You will see areas of remarkable misalignment between the governor’s LeanCT effort and the Board of Regents, which is under the new management of Mark Ojakian and currently in contract negotiations with CSU-AAUP.
Lean Governor, anti-Lean Board of Regents
Posted inMoney
Is pension fund in play as remedy for state budget deficits?
Though Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s plan to restructure state pension payments doesn’t provide any budget relief until 2019, some legislators are looking to the pension fund one more time to help Connecticut out of its current budget crisis.
Posted inHealth, Money, Politics
Malloy: Time is running short to strike a budget deal
While legislative leaders were uncharacteristically coy following Monday’s budget negotiations, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy made it clear lawmakers are running out of time if they want to play a role in balancing state finances.
Posted inPolitics
Conservatives confront Blumenthal on Syrian refugees
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal came to Hartford to talk about labeling standards for genetically modified fish, but he left Monday with a petition opposing the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Connecticut.
Posted inPolitics
With Congress deadlocked, CT senators press Obama on gun checks
WASHINGTON – Sens. Richard Blumenthal, Chris Murphy and other gun control advocates have switched their focus from Congress to the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue to try to close what they call loopholes in the FBI background checks of gun buyers.
Posted inEducation
CSCU President: Savings needed from faculty
Mark Ojakian, president of Connecticut State Colleges and Universities CSCU President Mark Ojakian pushed back Monday against faculty allegations that the college system is “under assault” by his adminstration. “We are not looking to destroy public higher education,” the governor’s former chief of staff said during a lengthy interview on WNPR. “We are not looking to minimize […]
Posted inEnergy & Environment
Bridgeport election sparks anxiety over big environmental plans
BRIDGEPORT — With Mayor Bill Finch leaving office soon, there is concern for the incomplete environmental projects in his BGreeen 2020 initiative. Some worry that Mayor-elect Joseph P. Ganim, who campaigned on cutting taxes, could choose to pull the plug on some of the projects – especially those that involve city money.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
CT prof on CSCU’s Ojakian: Scorched earth, not warm feelings
The Mirror’s recent article on CSCU President Mark Ojakian portrayed him as a good listener, a mediator, a reasonable man, and a really nice guy. But the warm feelings engendered by the Mirror’s puff piece should not be allowed to obscure the fact that the contract proposals put forward by his Board of Regents are nothing short of a scorched-earth attack on the faculty of Connecticut’s four state universities and the students they serve.
Posted inHealth
Unlike UnitedHealth, Aetna, Anthem say they will stay in ACA exchanges
WASHINGTON — UnitedHealth may quit the nation’s insurance exchanges, but Aetna and Anthem say they are staying and will work on problems with the marketplaces.
Posted inMoney, Politics
House Democrats hope to resolve deficit by Christmas
Leaders of the House Democratic majority said Friday they expect the General Assembly to return for a special session before Christmas to pass a deficit-mitigation plan, despite differences with Senate Democrats and the Republican minority.
Posted inNews
Paris attacks, Syrian refugee policy dominate Congress
House and Senate negotiators did manage to finish work on an education bill that will take the place of the “No Child Left Behind Act,” but the week in Washington was dominated by the Paris attacks and debate in Congress and across the country over Syrian refugee policy.
Posted inHealth
Public Health Commissioner Mullen leaving for federal post
Public Health Commissioner Dr. Jewel Mullen is leaving to take a senior post with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Posted inNews
Himes, Courtney defy Obama, vote for bill pausing refugee program
WASHINGTON — The debate over U.S. policy on Syrian refugees that has roiled the nation and Congress split the Connecticut delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday over a measure that would effectively suspend entry of refugees from Syria and Iraq until the screening process is strengthened.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Rell: Dems proposal eviscerates election law spirit and letter
I am profoundly disappointed that legislative Democrats would turn aside, through budget cuts, the public campaign financing program many of us worked so hard to put in place to prevent political corruption scandals. The Democrats have effectively eviscerated the spirit of the law since 2011 and now they are looking to overturn the actual letter of the law altogether.
Posted inHealth, Money, Politics
Senate Dems break with House, go own way on deficit
Senate Democrats issued their own deficit-mitigation plan Thursday, pressing for a retirement incentive plan opposed by House Democrats and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy as damaging to the state’s overburdened pension system.