Connecticut’s new man in Washington on Tuesday offered state agency leaders a glimpse at the job of trying to secure funding from a deficit-conscious Congress, in the midst of what he called a debate over the scope of the federal government. Don’t expect new federal programs, Dan DeSimone, director of the governor’s Washington D.C. office, […]
The word from Washington: ‘We have a lot of challenges’
Posted inNews
Health care reform forum draws thin crowd with broad concerns
DANBURY–Two women worried about losing their health insurance wondered what they could do. An insurance broker asked how more money could be squeezed out of insurance companies that he said make modest profits. And in less than a half hour, everyone in the audience who wanted to speak had spoken. The crowd wasn’t big, but […]
Posted inHealth
Paid sick leave measure clears Judiciary Committee, goes to next Appropriations
Legislation requiring many Connecticut employers to provide paid sick leave cleared another legislative hurdle Tuesday, and will likely be considered by the legislature’s budget-writing committee next. The Democrat-controlled Judiciary Committee on Tuesday adopted the bill over Republican objections in a vote largely along party lines. The measure technically heads now to the Senate, but will most […]
Posted inNews
College student gets deportation reprieve
The Obama Administration has given a 22-year-old New Britain student a temporary reprieve from his impending deportation. The Department of Homeland Security announced today that Mariano Cardoso, who is a month from finishing his degree at Capitol Community College, will be granted a temporary stay of removal. Cardoso’s parents entered the United States illegally from […]
Posted inNews
Charter schools face shortage of talented leaders
Charter schools have flourished in the last decade, with enthusiastic backing from parents and bi-partisan political support. But their advocates fear the rapid growth could be stalled by a shortage of high-quality leaders, Sarah Butrymowicz says at the Hechinger Report. Public schools across the U.S. are also facing a leadership void, but charters face unique […]
Posted inHealth
Malloy only closing the door to a ‘public option’ this year
As supporters of Sustinet prepare to rally at the State Capitol Wednesday, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is adamant that a state-run insurance program will not happen this year. “If you’re asking do I think this year we could move into a Massachusetts model, the answer is no,” Malloy said Monday. But he’s not completely rejecting […]
Posted inHealth
If you didn’t support paid sick days before, this slogan might change your mind
As slogans go, this one is about as evocative as you can get: “No Boogers in Our Burgers.” Gross, yes. But effective? That remains to be seen. That catch-phrase promises to be on prominent display during a rally for paid sick days at Friendly’s Restaurant in West Haven tomorrow. Rep. Rosa DeLauro and others have […]
Posted inHealth
GOP’s Medicare proposal generates political heat
It didn’t take long for the House Republican’s budget proposal-which, among other things, calls for turning Medicare into a voucher program-to become a flashpoint in Washington’s never-ending campaign cycle. Democratic-leaning groups have launched TV and radio ads targeting House Republicans who voted for the plan. And the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is doing robocalls in […]
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Don’t undermine the Citizens’ Election Program
The landmark Citizens’ Election Program represents the most comprehensive and successful effort to remove special interest money from the political system undertaken by any state in U.S. history. With the two initial runs of the program, the state has made enormous progress, transforming our state from “Corrupticut,” an example of rampant wrongdoing after years of […]
Posted inNews
Don’t undermine the Citizens’ Election Program
The landmark Citizens’ Election Program represents the most comprehensive and successful effort to remove special interest money from the political system undertaken by any state in U.S. history. With the two initial runs of the program, the state has made enormous progress, transforming our state from “Corrupticut,” an example of rampant wrongdoing after years of […]
Posted inNews
Is higher ed reorganization happening? Depends on whom you ask
Missing from the 467-page budget agreement announced last week was a plan to reorganize the state’s public colleges and universities–and now there’s disagreement between the Malloy administration and some top Democratic legislators over whether a deal for the restructuring has been reached. “There were some outstanding issues that needed to be resolved before the House, Senate […]
Posted inNews
Berwick: Connecticut can be a prototype in health system changes
Connecticut can be a prototype for the country in implementing federal health reform and transforming the health care system, a key Obama administration official said during a visit to the state Monday. Dr. Donald M. Berwick, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the state can do so by “getting everyone around […]
Posted inNews
Hospitals facing a double hit from Hartford, Washington
WASHINGTON–Frank A. Corvino, the CEO of Greenwich Hospital, is still reeling from the fiscal punch from Hartford, in the form of a proposed new tax on hospitals across Connecticut. Now, he’s girding for a second hit from Washington, where federal Medicare officials are fine-tuning a cut to hospital reimbursement rates. The two blows, Corvino and […]
Posted inNews
Electric car backers focus on conquering ‘range anxiety’
Frank Calder remembers the 38-mile drive from Karl Chevrolet in New Canaan to his home in Oxford just before Christmas last year in his new electric car – a Chevrolet Volt, the first one sold in Connecticut. “Coming home on the Merritt Parkway, it was bumper-to-bumper,” Calder said. It was also cold and he knew […]
Posted inNews
Do state ‘millionaire taxes’ send the rich packing?
Raise taxes on the rich and they’ll move out of state! That’s one of the principal arguments against increasing tax rates on the highest earners–what is commonly referred to as a “millionaire tax.” But is that really the case? After studying tax and migration patterns in New Jersey, which bumped its top rate for filers […]