Policy Corner

House Speaker Aresimowicz has dismissed toll opponents and sceptics as “emotional” in their attachment to “perceived details.” But details from a new working draft of the tolls bill that may dominate the final struggle over this issue for 2019 demonstrate that toll opponents have the details right, while Aresimowicz’s and the governor’s camouflage of promises seeks desperately to hide ...

The Governor and legislative leaders have promised us a paid FMLA plan that will cost only one-half-of-one-percent of each worker’s payroll. They have also promised that the benefit will cover up to $900 or $1000 per week in lost wages for 12 – and sometimes more – weeks every year.  As we demonstrated earlier ...

Tolls can be user fees, depending on how they are conceived and implemented. As proposed in Connecticut, however, they will not be user fees, but rather a massive wealth transfer:  in short, another giant tax increase.  Politicians trying to hide a huge tax increase under another – any other – label is depressing, but not surprising. What is ...

Analysis: Preview of the budget battle ahead Democrats are gearing up for an intra-party squabble about how to close the $3.7 billion two-year budget deficit. This year’s budget battle won’t be Democrats vs. Republicans, but rather progressive Democrats vs. moderate Democrats. Unfortunately, the disagreement isn’t over whether to raise taxes ...

We would all like to be able to take up to 12 weeks of paid time off every year if something bad happens to us, or to a family member, or if we are blessed with a child, or face any number of other stressful circumstances.  In fact, that’s exactly the ...

How can the state reduce education spending (save money on education) while continuing to support high – and improving – educational achievement? The answer likely includes some specific instances of gradual school consolidation and school-service centralization. A long train of experiences in other states, studied again and again by a ...