Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s municipal aid plan has hit a snag after an analysis showed 15 percent of all communities–including more than a dozen of Connecticut’s poorest–lose funding, while Fairfield County towns are the biggest winners. The administration conceded this week that this was an unintended consequence of the Democratic governor’s bid to protect municipalities […]

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy doesn’t want this problem to get away from him. The news that Metro-North is slashing service on the North Haven line due to storm and maintenance issues is a red flag any politician from Fairfield County can recognize. Exactly at a time when commuters to NYC are looking to rail, the […]

After what was shaping up to be a long night, the 4th Congressional District race ended earlier than expected Tuesday when incumbent Jim Himes took the stage to claim victory shortly after 11 p.m. “We’re going to have some fun tonight!” he said. But he added, “We have a lot of work yet to be […]

With one day left in what has become a  close race, 4th Congressional District candidates Jim Himes and Dan Debicella braved the cold Monday to reach as many voters and volunteers as they could. Dan Debicella shakes hands with a voter outside a Trumbull supermarket (Uma Ramiah) “This race has turned out exactly how I […]

It’s not often that civilization is demolished to make way for wild birds, especially within sight of Connecticut’s largest city. That’s what’s happening on a long barrier beach between Bridgeport and Stratford. View through the windows of a cottage awaiting demolition on Stratford’s Long Beach West (Christine Woodside) On the Stratford side, a yellow excavator […]

NORWALK–It’s been a campaign season fiercely focused on the economy, and this latest debate was no exception. But for a good part of Thursday’s event, two other crucial issues got some attention: energy and the environment. “Ninety seconds on energy policy,” said Rep. Jim Himes (D-4th District), “Okay. Here’s an area where we really need […]

WASHINGTON–In his congressional campaign, Republican Dan Debicella has blasted the 2009 federal stimulus package, saying the $787 billion measure is the ultimate example of out-of-control spending and should be repealed. “The pork-barrel stimulus bill has done next to nothing to create jobs in Connecticut,” Debicella declares on his campaign website. A state senator from Shelton, Debicella […]

With three weeks until the midterm elections, Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Himes and Republican challenger Dan Debicella are reaching to moderate and unaffiliated voters, painting each other as too extreme for Fairfield County’s 4th Congressional District. “I feel very comfortable about the very clear distinction between what we’re proposing to the voters of the district,” […]

STAMFORD-U.S. Rep. Jim Himes trudged up and down Connecticut Avenue one day this week, knocking on doors and handing out fliers in the rain. In brown loafers and a blue Marmot waterproof jacket, he looked slightly out of place in this working-class neighborhood. But Himes doesn’t have much time to think about aesthetics: It’s a […]

U.S. Rep. John B. Larson, D-1st District, is in his closest race yet in his bid for a seventh term, according to a new poll released Thursday that shows Republican Ann Brickley trailing by just 7 percentage points. In the 4th Congressional District, incumbent Democrat Jim Himes is virtually tied with challenger Dan Debicella, according […]

Republican Dan Debicella portrays U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District, in a TV ad released today as “a rubber stamp” for “the failed policies of the past two years.” It is illustrated with the obligatory unflattering photo of Himes, as well as a shot of the incumbent side by side with Sen. Christopher Dodd. Interestingly, there is […]

BRIDGEPORT – It was a Congressional event, one of more than 17 in 17 days that freshman U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District, scheduled for the congressional recess. But the distance between policy and politics was as brief as his introduction Thursday. “Please give your applause, and if I can say, your vote, to Congressman […]

Connecticut’s congested transportation network does more than try motorists’ patience: It costs businesses and residents at least $670 million a year in lower productivity, higher operating expenses, weakened worker recruitment efforts and other problems associated with clogged highways and limited alternatives, according to a new draft report. The position paper, one of several that ultimately […]

Despite being locked between two of the country’s oldest sports markets, Fairfield County would be a more attractive site for a Major League baseball franchise than Milwaukee or Denver, two MLB host communities, according to the latest quarterly economic report from the University of Connecticut. But don’t buy those season tickets just yet. Economics Professor Steven […]