The state’s transportation system is the latest fiscal casualty as Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the legislature scramble to replace savings that were supposed to come from employee givebacks. Originally poised to receive more than $78 million in additional aid from the General Fund this fiscal year, the Special Transportation Fund lost that fiscal boost […]
Transportation fund pays the price for failed concession deal
Posted inNews
Fledgling UConn Health Center union caught in concession turmoil
Bruce Mayer never had grand ambitions of becoming a union boss, as he calls it. But since the research biologist was elected president of the new faculty union at the UConn Health Center in January, he’s gotten something of a crash course in labor relations. “Anything that can happen to your union will, in the […]
Posted inNews
Larson walking a fine line as debt discussions drag on
WASHINGTON–As the debt negotiations drag on and the stakes ratchet up, is Rep. John Larson in a tough spot, or a sweet spot? As chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, Larson has to go to bat for his party’s core policy and political interests, which include preserving Social Security and Medicare benefits. At the same […]
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Malloy promises millions as CIGNA makes Bloomfield its HQ
BLOOMFIELD — Amid a backdrop of dreary economic news, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy today announced a “performance-based” economic-development package worth between $47 million and $71 million to grow and retain jobs at CIGNA Corp. as the health insurer declared Connecticut its corporate home. “Our corporate headquarters, effective today, is Bloomfield, Conn.,” said David Cordani, the […]
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Business group launches campaign for sweeping education reform
It seems an unlikely scenario: A group of influential business leaders convening at the state Capitol to announce a campaign to lobby state lawmakers to spend more money. But that was the scene Tuesday as the Connecticut Council for Education Reform launched a drive for its package of education reforms. “Gosh, I know it seems […]
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Without union concessions, big consolidations yield small savings
The challenge of reducing state government operating costs without wage and benefit concessions was underscored in a new, nonpartisan report showing a reduction of nearly 30 percent in the number of government agencies will save less than 1/20th of 1 percent of this year’s overall budget. In its initial summary of the $40.54 billion biennial […]
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Unions may try to amend SEBAC bylaws next week
The Malloy Administration will go forward with layoffs this week as they await details of a union effort to change the rules for ratifying a new concession deal. At least one union, the UConn chapter of the American Association of University Professors, gave its members today the briefest outline of a plan to revise the […]
Posted inHealth, Money
Medicare board under political microscope in the House
How to curb health care costs in the Medicare program? One solution, included in the federal health reform law, is the Independent Payment Advisory Board, a controversial federal panel established to make some of the tough decisions Congress has shied away from. But even as Medicare is a hot topic in Washington’s budget-and-deficit talks, opposition […]
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Roberti tosses rhetoric at Donovan, hits Malloy
Has Dan Roberti decided that the way to win a Democratic primary for Congress is by questioning the tactics and motives of the Democratic governor, Dannel P. Malloy? Roberti tried to score points against House Speaker Christopher Donovan today by lobbing a grenade at a budget solution devised by the governor and supported by the […]
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Study: Adults as likely as teens to share personal data online
Adults are as likely as teens and pre-teens to share personal information on Facebook, a new Canadian study says–and they also crave popularity just as much. “The online environment influences people of all ages. Both parents and teens share and show more about themselves than they might in other social settings, and the same psychological […]
Posted inPolitics
Wilson-Foley raises $200,000 in 2nd quarter
Lisa Wilson-Foley, a Republican candidate for Connecticut’s 5th congressional district, raised about $200,000 in the 2nd quarter of 2011. Her campaign didn’t say how much cash she had in the bank. “With our state and country reaching almost 10% unemployment, and with our government at a stalemate in this budget crisis, I am seeing voters […]
Posted inPolitics
Ex-Blumenthal staffer joins Democratic Super PAC
Richard Blumenthal’s top spokesman has left the Connecticut senator’s office for a job with a Democratic “Super PAC” that could play a major role in the 2012 elections. Ty Matsdorf, who worked on Blumenthal’s 2010 Senate campaign and then joined his staff in Washington, just started a new gig at the American Bridge 21st Century. […]
Posted inHealth, Money
Malloy signs “most favored nation” ban
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has signed a bill prohibiting the use of “most favored nation” clauses in contracts between health insurers and providers, making Connecticut the latest of more than a dozen states to restrict or ban the practice. A most favored nation clause requires a hospital or health care provider to give an insurance […]
Posted inMoney
Super-PACs and dark money: A guide to the new world of campaign finance
Get ready for yet another “most expensive election in history,” Kim Barker and Marian Wang say at ProPublica–this one fueled with massive amounts of money coming from “more players with more opportunities to hide the source.” Encouraged by recent court decisions, Republicans and Democrats both have been raising vast sums from wealthy donors freed from […]
Posted inNews
DCF reports placing more children with family members
The state Department of Children and Families, which has been criticized for failing to place children removed from their homes with relatives, has started to reverse the trend, according to figures released Monday. Four months ago, just 14 percent of the state’s 4,700 foster children lived with relatives. That figure has increased to 17 percent, […]