One out of every 50 state employees is a “union steward,” allowed to conduct union business while on the state payroll, and Republican leaders at the State Capitol are asking why taxpayers are picking up that bill. Republican leaders said Monday the salary, not including benefits, of the 911 stewards cost the state $93 million […]
Republicans say state should stop paying for union activity
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A former mayor plans to tackle state’s education aid formula
As mayor of Stamford, Dannel P. Malloy grew so frustrated seeing his wealthy neighbors get almost the same per-pupil education grants from the state as his city did that he joined a class-action lawsuit over the funding system. As governor, he intends to change that system from within. “There are two ways to do it: […]
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The Game: Dodd’s jetting to Houston, Malloy’s driving to a sports bar
There’s perks, and then there’s perks. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy will be driven after his town hall meeting in Norwalk tonight to Damon’s, a sports bar in Hartford, to watch at least some of UConn’s attempt to win its third national championship. Chris Dodd, who was with Malloy in Hartford today for a movie event […]
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Cookies and popcorn on the line in tonight’s UConn game
Forget the showdown in Washington over this year’s spending bill. The real cliffhanger is, of course, tonight’s NCAA championship game between UConn’s Huskies and Butler University’s Bulldogs. To that end, Sens. Joseph Lieberman and Richard Blumenthal have put a bet on the congressional table-some Pepperidge Farm Swirl Breads and Dinner Rolls-that the Huskies will win. […]
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The ‘Hate the forest, love the trees’ syndrome
Several recent polls illustrate one of the paradoxes of polling, Humphrey Taylor writes at Huffington Post’s Pollster blog. On issue after issue, large proportions of Americans say they are opposed to something taken as a whole, but majorities or pluralities are in favor of the component parts. Take government spending: Several polls say large majorities […]
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A very good year for some Connecticut hedge fund managers
Here is a nugget likely to pop up on both sides of the tax equity debate in Connecticut: Two of the five richest hedge fund managers in 2010, as measured by AR Magazine, live in Connecticut. Ray Dalio, who dabbled in politics in 2008 by hosting Republican presidential nominee John McCain at his company, Bridgewater […]
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Protected: teacher staging space
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Paid sick days a healthy choice for restaurant workers and customers
When I read what the Connecticut Restaurant Association had to say about the proposed paid sick days bill, I had to respond. They say paid sick leave is a bad idea for restaurants. People who own restaurants might feel that way, but those of us who work at restaurants – or eat at them – […]
Posted inHealth
Paid sick days a healthy choice for restaurant workers and customers
When I read what the Connecticut Restaurant Association had to say about the proposed paid sick days bill, I had to respond. They say paid sick leave is a bad idea for restaurants. People who own restaurants might feel that way, but those of us who work at restaurants – or eat at them – […]
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The ‘public option’ in forefront of state’s health reform debate
Even as Gov. Dannel P. Malloy expressed concerns about the proposed SustiNet state-run health plan this week, he emphasized that he embraces its goals. He supports universal health care coverage and allowing municipalities and nonprofits to buy into the state employee insurance pool. But the SustiNet plan also calls for offering state-run insurance to the […]
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Municipal aid is at stake in Malloy’s talks with labor
A central promise of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s proposed budget–maintaining state aid to municipalities–comes with a big asterisk: The pledge depends on the success of the administration’s continuing concession talks with labor. “All the assumptions will have to be re-examined, because he is committed to producing a balanced budget with no gimmicks, and if the […]
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CHRO would lose affirmative action role under proposed reorganization
It is a bill with a title so bureaucratic and so long it seems to defy anyone to actually read it. But Gov. Dannel P. Malloy was told the other night he should give it look, because it seems to accidentally gut affirmative action within state government — and deliberately weaken a civil rights agency. […]
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National reports say state is near top in higher ed funding
Facing significant budget cuts, officials of state colleges and universities rarely miss a chance to remind legislators that the state’s share of their funding has declined over the years. But two recent reports say Connecticut still ranks near the top nationally in support of public higher education. Postsecondary Education Opportunity, a newsletter that tracks higher […]
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Bysiewicz says she’s raised $500,000
Susan Bysiewicz is telling supporters she will report on April 15 that she’s raised at least $500,000 in her run for the U.S. Senate in 2012. The first financing report will be an early test for Bysiewicz, who exited the political stage last year as damaged goods. She declared her candidacy Jan. 18, shortly before […]
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Dodd’s coming home for a movie event
Who knew that Chris Dodd’s new job as the CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America would take him to Connecticut on actual MPAA-related business? Dodd will be at the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford on Monday with Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to promote the state’s fledging digital animation industry and the first movie […]