CT News Junkie

‘All Roads No Longer Lead To Print’

2010-02-09T10:00:13Z

The New Haven Register‘s parent company’s new CEO told his 3,100 employees that he’s bringing their newsrooms into the digital age. To start: Every reporter gets a video camera.

Click here to continue reading Paul’s report.

Republican Candidates Stump In Rockville; Another Gets Ready To Enter the Race

2010-02-08T18:49:18Z

(Updated) Some have opined that 2010 is the Democratic Party’s best chance at taking the governor’s office. The Republicans see an opportunity too, as was clear when 100 of the party faithful from east of the Connecticut River gathered Saturday morning to talk about how they plan to hold onto that seat.

AERIAL VIDEO: Kleen Energy natural gas power plant explodes in Middletown

2010-02-07T22:12:16Z

An explosion at the almost completed Kleen Energy power plant in Middletown, Conn. killed five people and injured at least 12 others. Search and rescue teams remained on the scene Sunday night in hopes of finding any other workers who may have been buried in debris.

Click on the four-arrows on the bottom right corner of the video to enlarge to full screen and view in high definition.

Middletown Mayor Sebastian Giuliano said an estimated 100 to 200 people could have been working on the site at the time of the blast around 11:30 a.m. today. Adding to the confusion after the explosion was the fact that there were multiple contractors working on the site, which officials say was 95 percent complete. Middletown officials said they are working with contractors to get a complete list of workers.

OP-ED: The State Of Things Yet To Come

2010-02-07T10:01:39Z

After months of political clashes between legislative leaders and the Governor, Connecticut’s fiscal position for the current year remains $515 million in deficit , according to the most recent update from State Comptroller Nancy Wyman. The next fiscal year, which begins July 1, is another $686 million in the red. But these titan sums are trifles compared to what is yet to come.

OP-ED: Into the Briar Patch – The Tortured Path of Connecticut’s Campaign Finance Law

2010-02-07T10:00:43Z

As the debate about Connecticut’s fiscal crisis rages and partisan barbs are being thrown across the political spectrum, for many there was a brief moment of common ground during the Governor’s state of the state speech when urged lawmakers to “act quickly to fix and preserve the public financing law that so many of us championed and that takes special interest money out of campaigns.”

OP-ED: It’s not just about the budget, it’s about growing jobs and the economy

2010-02-06T12:14:47Z

A recent op-ed published by CTNewsJunkie and written by Jonathan Pelto appealed to gubernatorial candidates to tackle the tough decisions facing Connecticut. Mr. Pelto wrote that the next Governor would be forced to make the “deepest cuts” and the “largest revenue increases in our state’s history.” In his view, this is the only solution because the budget is the problem. We believe the problem is the economy and the loss of tens of thousands of jobs. To solve the problem AND balance the budget, you’ve got to look deeper and focus on jobs and the economy.

Alternative Case Management A Tough Sell

2010-02-05T22:31:54Z

An experiment launched in Hartford and New Haven—aimed at bypassing insurance companies in delivering health care to poor and working families— has gotten off to a slow start. The state says it’s too hard to market; advocates say they’re not trying hard enough.

It’s Not Easy Being Green

2010-02-05T02:47:14Z

Hours after Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s farewell budget address, the Office of Policy and Management released its recommendations for which revenue stream it would like to see the state borrow against to find $1.3 billion to balance the state budget.

OP-ED: America’s (most dangerous) game

2010-02-05T01:45:47Z

Super Bowl Sunday has become a quasi-national holiday but we should at least be honest about what we are watching. We are watching men slowly kill themselves.

Can someone pass the guacamole?

The game of football does permanent and irreversible damage to the brain and body and each year the medical evidence becomes more certain that the damage is more common and takes place earlier than anyone previously anticipated.

Bysiewicz’s Qualifications Not An Issue At Candidates Debate

2010-02-04T20:42:11Z

(Updated) Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz didn’t want to block the cookies so she staked out a corner in the back of the room at a Chester restaurant Wednesday night.

First Chance In Months For Many To See Docs

2010-02-04T13:29:50Z

Bonnie Wilcox lost her job at a veterinary hospital in Colorado in November. Then Wilcox’s husband lost his job as well, leaving the couple without health insurance.

For Some, Rell’s Speech Offers Few Budget Solutions, Big Ideas

2010-02-03T20:38:57Z

(Updated) Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s farewell budget address didn’t include any big policy ideas or solutions to the $3 billion budget deficit that the next governor and legislature will inherit.

Text of Governor Rell’s State of the State address

2010-02-03T18:08:48Z

Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Williams, members and guests.

We gather today to mark the opening of the 2010 legislative session and we do so at a time of continued challenge, continued anxiety.

None of us need to be reminded of the unparalleled struggles that we have endured over the last 22 months. Our nation has been in the grip of an economic crisis unlike any witnessed in generations.

The stark reality of our struggles is all too real. Housing prices are down; unemployment is up. The value of savings and retirement accounts are down; mortgage foreclosures are up. The amount of debt at all levels of government is up.

At First Glance, No Tax Increases & Less Than $30M Spending Cut In Rell’s Budget

2010-02-03T16:34:56Z

When Gov. M. Jodi Rell said there would be no big surprises in her annual budget address Wednesday, she meant it. Based on a budget briefing given by Rell’s Budget Director Robert Genuario, there will be no tax increases and there will be less than $30 million in spending cuts, despite a $515 million budget deficit.

Here are the governor’s midterm budget adjustments in PowerPoint format. Here’s the text of her speech.

Rell Will Focus On Job Growth And Fiscal Restraint

2010-02-03T12:13:10Z

It should come as no surprise that at least a portion of Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s annual budget address Wednesday will be dedicated to the economy and job growth.