Posted inMoney, Politics

Connecticut economy, the facilitator will see you now

It was inevitable. Suzanne Bates of the Yankee Institute, a conservative think tank critical of public-employee benefits, found herself at a table next to Daniel J. Livingston, the lawyer who negotiates those benefits for state employee unions. The unlikely table mates were emblematic of an experiment staged Friday to find a new approach to economic policy in Connecticut.

Posted inCT Viewpoints

CBIA paddling against the current on climate change

The fall meeting of the Connecticut Business and Industry Association’s Energy and Environment Council features a keynote address by Yale professor and former DEEP Commissioner Dan Esty, sharing “his insider’s perspective on where climate policy is headed.” The event will also include a tour of Wallingford-based Proton Onsite, a global leader in gas generation and renewable energy storage. So why does the promotional description of the event in CBIA’s recent newsletter call for a reconsideration of Connecticut’s existing commitments to climate protection?

Posted inMoney, Politics

A nonprofit and an accountant join anti-tax chorus

The Connecticut Business and Industry Association brought a new voice Monday to its campaign to roll back state tax hikes — a major Hartford-based job development nonprofit. During a rally mid-day rally outside of the Capitol, the CBIA also tried to undercut one of its opposition’s chief arguments: that Connecticut businesses are profitable enough to afford more taxes.

Posted inMoney, Politics

On these ‘major victories,’ Malloy celebrates alone

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy forced legislators to yield to his every key tax demand in budget negotiations last week, including setting aside a portion of the sales tax for the long-term transportation improvements that could be the governor’s legacy. Now comes the harder task: Convincing the rest of Connecticut to accept his priorities and ignore the outcry over higher taxes on business.