Connecticut's Pork of HB 7066-To the Victims: You Will Be Spoiled

 As we discussed last week (and in drawing on the great Mark Twain) Connecticut Taxpayers are never, ever safe with the Democrat State legislature in session. Needless to say, there are no checks and balances to state government since Connecticut is ruled and driven with a hard, liberal fist of Connecticut Democrat Party socialism.  More evidence of this citizen-be-damned rule can be seen in one of the most incoherent bills seen in a long time: HB 7066 "An Act Concerning Interactions Between School Personnel And Immigration Authorities, The Purchase And Operation Of Certain Drones, Grants To Certain Nonprofit Organizations, And Student Athlete Compensation Through Endorsement Contracts And Revenue Sharing Agreements."  This catchy, feel good, political glad-handing and payoff bill is an excellent example of why both the Connecticut State Legislature and Connecticut's State Government is broken beyond repair. (https://legiscan.com/CT/text/HB07066/2025)

This bill (“bill”) spends over $2.88 million dollars of Connecticut Taxpayers monies on a variety of "feel good" and "politically correct" nonprofits and organizations having no benefit to the hardworking and taxpaying legitimate citizen. In a note of hope for the future, the bill's funding was somehow cut/reduced by DOGE or the "evil" Republicans such as Republican President Trump. The bill makes a stew of incoherent issues such as making foreign made drones illegal, procedures to ignore Federal laws regarding illegal immigration, and making sure student athletes especially at the University of Connecticut, (aka “U-Conned”) can get paid ridiculous amounts of money for playing a college sport. The bill itself is a gourmet feast of pork, political art, and incoherence at its worst.

As just one example, $800,000 is included in this bill for “Planned Parenthood of Southern New England”.  Planned Parenthood of Southern New England's President and CEO Amanda Skinner earned $434,095 and $18,574 in "other" compensation in fiscal year 2023. This organization also has $57,330,020 in "net assets" in fiscal year 2023. (https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/60263565). Thus, one may assume that without this $800,000 from Connecticut Taxpayers that Planned Parenthood of Southern New England will either go out of business and or President and CEO Amanda Skinner would have to take a pay cut or have her position eliminated. Why is this $800,000 so critical to the operation of Planned Parenthood of Southern New England? Did any of the “talented public servants” in the Connecticut State Legislature bother to perform the simple five-minute analysis that I just did that would reflect this money is simply not needed? Did any of these same people question the salary paid to Amanda Skinner prior to the grant from the bill? Or does anyone there even care as to how they spend your tax money? (Why should we even bother to ask such a nonsensical question)

But wait! There is more!! Adding further insult to the Connecticut Taxpayer are grants to more than twenty nonprofit organizations. These include $62,500 to the “Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants, Inc.” The President and CEO of the “Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants, Inc.,” Susan Schnitzer, made $108,355 in salary and $12,130 in "other" compensation for fiscal year 2023.  This organization also has $1,684,033 in "net assets" in fiscal year 2023. (https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/60669118). Thus, one may assume that without this $62,500 from Connecticut Taxpayers that they either will go out of business and or President and CEO Susan Schnitzer would have to take a pay cut. Why is this $62,500 so critical to their operation? Is any part of this funding to be expended in support of illegal immigration? Are you curious about this? (If you are, do not bother asking a legislator, as we can be absolutely sure none of them asked this question when the grant was contemplated or thereafter).

Also included for free cash is the “Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services, Inc.” which will receive $225,000. Then-Executive Director Chris George of the Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services, Inc. made $122,987 in salary and $11,033 in "other" compensation for fiscal year 2023. This organization also has $4,864,659 in "net assets" in fiscal year 2023. (https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/60653044). Thus, one may assume that without this $225,000 from Connecticut Taxpayers, Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services, Inc. will either go out of business and/or the successor of Executive Director Chris George would have to take a pay cut. Why is this $225,000 so critical to their operation? Will any part of this funding be used in the encouragement of illegal alien voting? It is known that in 2023, Chris George wrote on the site about his post-retirement plans being the “strengthening our democracy by working on voter registration and voter turnout.” Does this not provoke your curiosity? Does Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services, Inc. have any involvement with illegal voter registration? Are they working on the up-and-up, or to the contrary? Will anyone in the Legislature ever ask the right questions or exercise fiscal governance in the least?

HB 7066 was deemed as an "Emergency Certification” bill. This legislative maneuver (which should deemed illegal) is used to fast-track legislation without vetting by legislative process, such as public hearings. The legislative process is made deliberately difficult to research and to understand by Connecticut Taxpayers to facilitate the repeated financial rape of them. Most certainly it is meant to be that way, and it is made excessively complex to push through junk bills like HB7066 that give the distinct appearance of payoffs and show an arrogant disagreement with Federal policies that Connecticut must now follow. For we know, garbage legislation  suits the political needs of the Connecticut Democrat Party and its sycophants’ supplicants, toadies, flunkies, and lackeys, (and who gives a rip-roaring red apple about you, anyway?)  

Moreover, how does this over $2.88 million dollars in "emergency certification” apply to Connecticut's venerated and celebrated "fiscal guardrails"? This is just another lie circulating in Connecticut's corrupt Legislature. The fiscal horrors of Connecticut are not discussed by either party. Connecticut's short- and long-term debt along with its unfunded liabilities is roughly $100 to $150 billion dollars. There is no plan whatsoever to resolve this fiscal tsunami and nightmare for Connecticut Taxpayers which deficit the "guardrails" do not touch. But holding on to false or incomplete fiscal ideals while blithely handing out money to cronies and twisted idealist and secretive projects is a Connecticut hallmark. And one really must question the amount of money given to "non-profits" especially in Connecticut.  Connecticut taxpayers seem to have no say in their government that they pay for nor are they allowed public comment especially for spending bills such as HB7066. 

And as usual Connecticut Taxpayers keep getting financially raped. The Connecticut of dodgy and questionable nonprofits and pilfering college leaders inter-alia continues unabated with the only hope of curtailing the same will be cutoffs in Federal funding. 

But rest assured, Connecticut will continue to soldier on to fiscal Armageddon with new heights in citizen disregard and crony-feeding. The Connecticut Democrat Party will make sure of that premise, ad infinitum, and forevermore.

 

Constitutional Crisis? The Democrat Party IS The Constitutional Crisis

It is an amazement to listen to the new Democrat Party experts on the United States Constitution as to what constitutes a "Constitutional Crisis". Of course, this is the same incompetent and sordid cast of characters that locked us down in 2020 “following the science” of Covid-19 while at least three Constitutional rights of Americans were violated. But you are supposed to forget about those abuses and losses of lives and livelihoods as The Democrats are the party that is always out to protect you and shield you from all manners of harm and disinformation, as its leaders such as Connecticut's King Governor Ned Lamont the Unaccountable find ways to profit from citizen pain and misfortune.

Lest you think I digress, I find that as I listen to the daily noise echoed by these same Democrat Party elites one would think that America has fallen off the face of the earth and or was taken over by foreign enemies or fascists. And it is shocking as to how little Democrat elected officials understand our sacred document known as the United States Constitution. Read the Preamble: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

This grand-scale mental and emotional meltdown is due to the beginnings of the dismantling of a bureaucracy via the new Department of Government Efficiency known as DOGE. I personally do not see any references to DOGE in the Constitution. Looking at some of DOGE's findings which I discussed in my blog last week, the storm continues in intensity. Listening to Connecticut's Socialist/Democrat/Unhinged Lunatic United States Senator Chris Murphy raging against DOGE was comical. He stated: "that President Donald Trump and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) leader Elon Musk's actions constitute "illegal seizures of power," sparking a "constitutional crisis.". He further stated: "Democrats should not support "a single nominee" appointed by Trump and "should not grant expedited process to any nominees until this crisis passes."     As for USAID, the senator said Trump "has gone as far to essentially shutter the entire agency, laying off 60% of the people in many bureaus, telling employees yesterday that none of them should show up for work." "That is unconstitutional" the senator said, speculating that Trump "may be making a guess" that the U.S. Supreme Court will give him the power to shutter agencies. (https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dem-senator-says-trump-seizures-power-have-sparked-constitutional-crisis-calls-block-all-nominees). So much for this Democrat Secretary of State wannabe working with his peers for the betterment of our country.  A $36 Trillion-dollar National Debt can be damned according to Socialist/Democrat/Unhinged Lunatic United States Senator Murphy, as the man baby continually cries out to do it his way or visit the highway so you can be run over. Murphy might consider becoming an actor as he is suited for that rather than governing.

Why haven't all of the Country's problems been solved yet? But we have spent trillions so far with little result? Murphy and his Democrat Political Elite avoid this question. This past Tuesday, I was interviewed by my good friend Tony De Angelo who was the guest Host for Lee Elci on his show 94.9FM. To paraphrase part of what I stated on the show that it is simplistic yet complex for our government to understand. Let us just think about the trillions of dollars we have spent over 60 years reaching all of the way back to “The Great Society” of President Lyndon B. Johnson. But we still have wars, we still have homeless, we still have people starving, we still have crime, we still have a drug crisis, we still have human trafficking, we still have dead people collecting social security, we still have pathetic rotting cities, and we still have fraud/waste and theft going on in our government.  There are never any solutions offered by the Democrat Party on these issues except to throw more money at these same agencies, studies, reports, committees, and programs and get the same failed results, only with greater failure. We really should have none of these problems with the money American Taxpayers have spent over the years.

It is funny that America’s forerunners knew more about 2025 America than today’s politicians. Mark Twain was an American writer, humorist, and lecturer, widely regarded as one of the greatest literary figures in U.S. history. He blended sharp social commentary with humor and vivid storytelling. Twain was a master of satire, often critiquing human nature, politics, and institutions with a biting wit. At one point, Mr. Twain famously stated that “No man's life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session” Unfortunately for the poor taxpaying citizen of Connecticut, this must be the most accurate description of the Connecticut State Legislature ever made. For rather than take heed of the will of citizens to tax less, increase government transparency and accountability, reduce utility costs, and strip out bureaucracy, the fervor of what has driven Connecticut to the gutter driven by the imperious and arrogant Democrat-driven representative body continues at a frantic pace. Be it an electricity cost that will increase with no critical action when solutions are easy and obvious, more reckless spending in education-just because, the veneration and protection of illegal aliens over citizens and veterans, increased spending on climate change, and uncontrolled grants to non-profits, money is never an object to the delusional and inept legislator. In these cases, the legitimate taxpaying citizen prays for federal funding to be discontinued to the state so that further damage will be starved out at the source.

Speaking of great men of history, there is a quote that has been attributed to President Abraham Lincoln that was paraphrased from the historical Lincoln Douglas Debates. This quote is appropriate for 2025 and what we are now seeing with the Democrat Party and their cries of a Constitutional Crisis, stating that “You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.” President Lincoln also stated: “It is the eternal struggle between these two principles — right and wrong — throughout the world. They are the two principles that have stood face to face from the beginning of time; and will ever continue to struggle. The one is the common right of humanity, and the other the divine right of kings. It is the same principle in whatever shape it develops itself. It is the same spirit that says, "You toil and work and earn bread, and I'll eat it." No matter in what shape it comes, whether from the mouth of a king who seeks to bestride the people of his own nation and live by the fruit of their labor, or from one race of men as an apology for enslaving another race, it is the same tyrannical principle.” (https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/403565-the-lincoln-douglas-debates)

The American and Connecticut Taxpayer is tired of being fooled by an out-of-control government who shows no respect for them. They are tied of the whining of the political elitists who know so much more than they, but actually, know nothing.  The Democrat Party has created their own crisis of destruction, incompetence, and lies into a macabre and horrific art form. They own it. President Trump is leading our country. The Democrat Party is leading in their own slum of deceit, incompetency, and corruption.

Society will be much better off if the Democrat Party goes the way of the Whig Party. This would be a fitting tribute for sixty years of failure reaching back all the way to Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society.

They Hate You For Asking Them What They Did With Your Money.

 The Gold Standard of fiscal conduct in government has been based upon waste, fraud, larceny, and abuse for many years. Unfortunately, this type of conduct is nothing new. In Liberal states such as Connecticut, this conduct is much worse. Furthermore, no matter where you are, you will hear the din and cry of the administrative state in all places resisting any effort whatsoever to see where years and years of collected tax dollars have been spent. But who are you to ask these “dedicated public servants” any questions, especially with respect to their integrity? Why can't Taxpayers know where their hard-earned dollars are going in 2025? The cash-starved, debt-ridden, non-politically connected citizen has asked about what government has done with their money for years, only to be scoffed at and humiliated. These poor, beleaguered citizens voiced their displeasure with this conduct during the election of President Donald Trump in 2024. The election of Mr. Trump was a firecracker thrown at the administrative state, delivered with the classic admonition of “you will go no further.” 

In this connection, taxpayers are finally getting some answers from the Federal Department of Government Efficiency (better known and referred to as “DOGE”). Regardless of the cry of thousands every day on social media, I will point out that Connecticut has nothing even remotely resembling a DOGE office, nor is there any politician speaking out about the need for one. On the Federal level, DOGE has come up some amazing finds of waste, fraud, and inefficiencies. Conversely, Connecticut has no idea as to what and where taxpayers’ monies are spent and really seems not to care in the least way. Do you disagree? Just look at the new Connecticut budget being offered by the omnipotent one-party Democrats for this new fiscal year. Non-Transparency is a secret of Connecticut's stoic and closed-door government.

Conversely, The DOGE website posts their finds for the day (htttps://DOGE.gov/).

The DOGE findings should shock every legal Taxpayer our country for the waste, fraud, and inefficiencies that American Taxpayers have funded. How much of Connecticut Taxpayer's monies might go to waste each year? Does anyone care?

Here are just some of the places DOGE found embarrassingly stupid and/or corrupt spending (htttps://DOGE.gov/):

The Department of Education terminated 89 contracts worth $881mm. One contractor was paid $1.5mm to “observe mailing and clerical operations” at a mail center.” 

The Department of Agriculture terminated 18 contracts for a total of $9mm, including contracts for “Central American gender assessment consultant services”, “Brazil forest and gender consultant services”, and the “women in forest carbon initiative mentorship program.”  

As we proceed further down the trail, we find that the EPA will not be renewing our membership with “Politico” and “Politico E&E”, saving the American taxpayers $458,919 per year.

As we move even more down the trail, the U.S. Department of Education registered a $4.6mm contract to coordinate zoom and in-person meetings - $3.mm contract to write a report that showed that prior reports were not utilized by schools and a $1.4mm contract to physically observe mailing and clerical operations

$50 million dollars were also set aside for “condoms in Gaza.”

The list is endless as to the total and obscene waste of Taxpayers’ money. And these facts should make everyone mad, beyond mad, irate and scream out and demand accountability for where Taxpayers’ money is being spent on. And we need to hold both elected and non-elected politicians, political appointees, department heads, career government inefficient employees and everyone else involved in this mess accountable. By seeing the reactions from the Democrat Party outraged that anyone, (especially Elon Musk), would question their ability to corrupt a system such as they have done to help nurture an out-of-control $36 Trillion Dollar National Debt, is unthinkable.

In addition, look at the cries, moans, and complaints from Connecticut's Democrat Congressional Delegation. You think the world ended for them, which it did, since their charade of representing their own political self-interests was exposed and will blessedly be eliminated through the Trump Administration. Why are the Democrats defending this fraud and waste of American Taxpayers monies? Why have they been lying to their constituents for years now? Look at the horrific and unspeakable messes that follow them everywhere they go. Moreover, honestly think about what they are saying, and see the total incompetence and societal wreckage of their governing from top to bottom.

But again, I am compelled return to the pathetic state of Connecticut. Not only are there so many non-profits, “quasi-publics”, NGOs, NGOs such as ADVANCE CT, 4-CT and the UCONN Foundation that are involved in state government and/or questionable investments all without transparency, accountability, or any desire by any political figure to call for the same, Connecticut is the state where racketeering is an accepted means of governing. Just this past week, my friend and colleague Tony De Angelo reported on “X” that Connecticut Democrat Speaker of the House Matt Ritter’s law firm (Shipman & Goodwin) is heavily involved in counseling clients that are impacted by the recent Federal sweeps against illegal immigration. Meanwhile, Mr. Ritter, as a legislator of profound influence in Connecticut, stands to benefit financially by the Legislature’s contemplated and federally illegal expansion of the illegal alien protecting TRUST ACT. This is staggering. Connecticut Democrat Speaker of the House Matt Ritter can literally draft a law to facilitate his personal business interests, even though such conduct caused a New York Democrat Speaker of the House Sheldon Silver to go to jail in 2015 for such blatant racketeering. Such conduct should have been the lead story of every newspaper and television station in the state this past week. Such conduct should have had every Republican in the legislature screaming at the top of his or her lungs. But as is the usual course of business in Connecticut, the global silence is deafening. (https://x.com/TonyDeAngelo7/status/1889742032840560897) . It is believed that a now wiser (and much more aggrieved) voter will not be tolerating rigged political transactions like this much longer, and this is more than about time.

As you can see, we deserve much better from our government. We have been treated as garbage by our government for too long and have been ripped off one too many times by the bureaucrat elites that dictate what we can and cannot have while they shamelessly take from us. President Trump is right in dismantling the unspoken Fourth Branch of American Government: Corruption. The Democrat Party, having nothing else in the toolbox, is fighting to hold on to the failed Federal Government mess from which they profit. 

The United States of America, and the State of Connecticut will be much better places if this Fourth Branch of American Government can be abolished once, and for all.

Pay Up, Shut Up, And I Feed Off Of Your Tax Money. The Connecticut Democrat Gold Standard Of Governance And Accountability

This past week, the world stage was treated to the inane and frenetic babblings of Chris Murphy as he railed on about all things evil concerning President Donald J. Trump. For the world, Chris is the junior Democrat U.S. Senator from Connecticut. However, for the right-thinking and taxpaying people of Connecticut Chris is a manic jerk, being a child of privilege who never had to hold gainful and profit-making employment in his entire life. This is because his father’s law firm (Shipman and Goodwin) has a hand representing about every anti-homeowner, anti-parent and anti-taxpayer body in the state. Its nice work if you can get it, however Chris failed at this work and found his way into the lowest common denominator of employment, which is the political system.

Murphy has the policy and conceptual understanding of a flea. As he rails about “Trump favoring Billionaires and screwing the little guy” he does not tell you that he voted AGAINST a 20% tax deduction for small business people in 2017. He will also call Elon Musk an “illegal agent against government” not acknowledging that government hires contractors all of the time. Murphy’s conceptual tax and policy knowledge is summed up perfectly by the analysis of my friend and colleague Tony De Angelo, who often says “that Murphy knows as much about tax and fiscal policy, as I might, about building the Neutron Bomb.”

But you must give credit where credit is due. The Connecticut Demo-commie universe (unlike the State GOP) has a bench. It cultivates acolytes. It develops other similar personalities to Murphy that are high on glibness and empty headedness, bereft on governance, and short on substance. It then buys media to hammer to an unsuspecting public how wonderful these people are, and what great public servants they can be.

And the leading horse in this race for bigger and better things is the current Connecticut State Comptroller, Sean Scanlon.

By way of information, Sean Scanlon is a career politician whose salary is paid for by Connecticut Taxpayers. Like others in the horse race, he will seek higher office in the future in a jump ball with the other career Democrat politicians. He will be mentioned as a future Governor, U.S. Representative and or US Senator. He is currently the State Comptroller, however whenever we read about his fiscal acumen it is either a disaster such as the handling of his own office, (https://ctnewsjunkie.com/2025/01/08/auditors-comptrollers-office-lacked-internal-controls-for-insurance-payouts/) or an impending disaster such as the “refinancing” of the state short-term debt which, (while cheered by equally ignorant Republicans) displayed the fiscal sense of delaying debt that anyone making the minimum payment on a credit card knows is a horrific disaster to come.  By way of education and training, Scanlon shows no bona-fides in economics/accounting and finance with a degree in Political Science from Boston University, and his work for Chris Murphy in a variety of positions while being a Connecticut State Representative for eight years and miraculously becoming the Executive Director of Tweed-New Haven Airport for a short and very unpopular stint.  How all of this becomes functional for a Comptroller position that pays $206,062 plus benefits is beyond me and many others considering Scanlon is managing a $26 Billion dollar state budget. His job mission is "To provide accounting and financial services, to administer employee and retiree benefits, to develop accounting policy and exercise accounting oversight, and to prepare financial reports for state, federal and municipal governments and the public." (https://osc.ct.gov/about/). Thus, anyone in Connecticut, no matter their education or work experience can be a State Comptroller with Scanlon as an example, provided, they join the Democrat food chain and be manufactured according to the Chris Murphy Gold Standard of Failure.

Recently Scanlon in true Democrat Party form, condemned President Trump in his overhaul of the Federal government especially when it comes to aid. He stated on January 28, 2025; “President Trump’s reckless decision to abruptly freeze federal grants and loans will have immediate and disastrous consequences for Connecticut. As Comptroller, it’s my job to track what we get from Washington D.C. and how we spend it. In fiscal year 2024, more than $14.3 billion passed from the federal government through our state agencies directly to Connecticut residents, nonprofits, schools, and much, much more. While the exact list of impacted programs remains unclear, what is clear is this: any pause, however brief, of any federal funding will hurt people in Connecticut.” (https://osc.ct.gov/articles/comptroller-sean-scanlon-condemns-trump-administrations-reckless-suspension-of-federal-funding/). If I understand his quote correctly, this statement means that $14.3 billion dollars is either is a part of the state budget and/or is in addition to beggarly Connecticut's $22.1 billion dollar budget for 2024. Presuming Scanlon is fiscally coherent, I believe he should clarify his economically illogical and confusing remarks. Does he even have an idea as to where the money goes? He has apparently become an expert in accounting and finance. But a person with little to no experience in finance is bound to be confused in his stated remarks.

But one thing that the Democrat machine is quite good at is building personal financial dynasties at taxpayer expense. Scanlon is married to Meghan Scanlon, who has degrees in English and Political Science from the University of Connecticut and is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the “Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence” which has 18 (Eighteen-count 'em) member domestic violence organizations that provide services to victims. “Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence” is a "non-profit". The coalition serves around 40,000 individuals across the state. It receives federal and state aid along with donations. From the last public audit of 2023, Meghan Scanlon’s compensation was $126,676 plus other compensation. (https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/60985675). Further, there is a massive amount of money spent in Connecticut on domestic violence victims and issues. For 2024 according to opencheckbook.ct.gov,  the sum was $27.63 Million dollars in a wide array of grants. It seems alarming to me that this much money is being spent with apparently poor results since it seems that this type of violence is growing in the state.  Is there an issue in the state with actually enforcing the domestic violence laws currently on statute?  Are domestic violence criminals not being prosecuted? Obviously, I am not trying to make light of domestic violence however after throwing millions upon millions of dollars at it what is the net result? More domestic violence? Anyone with the least bit of reason knows that the continued high spending towards a situation that does not improve is a reinforcement of failure. Apparently, reason is a concept foreign to the Democrat-driven political system of Connecticut.

But the ostensible debacle above lends itself to questions of other failures taking place at Connecticut nonprofits. Cause IQ tells us the following: "There are 24,541 organizations in Connecticut. Combined, these Connecticut nonprofits employ 358,650 people, earn more than $57 billion in revenue each year, and have assets of $195 billion." (https://www.causeiq.com/directory/connecticut-state) In scanning the records,  I have always wondered why state-connected "non profit"Administrative salaries so high?   Why are salaries so high especially with many "non profits" having non-paid boards who help in these organizations? Why are the state-connected non-profit salaries so high when they hire highly paid accounting and legal firms with a strong connection to state government? When someone is appointed by a "non-profit" there seems to always be a glowing press release of the person and their qualifications that usually lead to the connection of a politician. But again, why are the salaries so high? And are the actual results of these "non profits" truly helping the people who need the help? Washington and Hartford spend billions of dollars in social welfare programs with ostensibly little to no result as many of those to whom fiduciary or oversight responsibility is granted are making out quite well. Why is this the case?

Is There Anyone Out There Capable Of The Job Of Being The Governor Of Connecticut?

What does Connecticut need in a Governor? It should be a simple question, but you will have difficulty in answering it.   What would it take for a Republican to be Governor? Is there a person on the horizon that possesses the character, intelligence, vision, and perspective necessary to turn around the total downward spiral of the Nutmeg State?

Believe it or not, Connecticut at one time had a functioning two party system.  In addition, Republicans did hold the Governor's office many times in the state's history. It is even more unbelievable to recall that Connecticut used to be a Conservative working-class state with a great deal of business and industry. Do you want to travel even more over to the dark side? Connecticut used to have a huge and thriving Black middle class with many of these folks working and owning homes due to secure employment in the firearms industry, an industry that was legislated out of existence by “sensitive” Democrat politicians that by “doing social good” threw families into drugs, poverty, fatherlessness, and ruin.  And there were better higher-character people than today on both sides of the aisle. Democrat Ella Grasso, Connecticut first Female Governor, who served from 1975 to 1980, was a working person, common sense Governor for the state and was loved by many on both sides of the aisle for her no-nonsense approach to governing. And there were bad people on both sides as well. Governor Grasso inherited a $70 million dollar plus budget deficit from Republican Governor Thomas Meskill. When taking office, she immediately laid off over 500 state employees, gave back her pay raise of $7,000 and sold the state's limousine and plane to pay down the debt. (https://museumofcthistory.org/2015/08/ella-giovanna-oliva-tambussi-grasso/) Fast forward 50 years later, and we see that Connecticut's short- and long-term debt along with its unfunded liabilities is roughly $100 to $150 billion dollars as politicians on either side of the aisle avoid dealing with this grievous situation like the plague.

After Governor Grasso passed, Connecticut shifted to Governor William "Bill" O'Neil who presided over the boom years of the 80's and subsequently led the state into the recession of 1990 when Connecticut's economy started its 35-year march to economic stupefaction and oblivion. Rather than deal with the matter at hand, the Democrat Party started believing that taxes, spending, running deficits, and the fire hosing of money would cure all ills. Lowell Weicker, a liberal Republican who turned Independent lied his way to get elected. Weicker accelerated Connecticut's economic downturn with his ill-gotten cash grab of Connecticut's first Income Tax, thus starting Connecticut down a path of welfare-state status.

After Weicker, Republican John Rowland became the next Governor in a term with some hope and vision that was later marred by arrogance, bulbous spending, inattention to deficits, and petty scandals. He was succeeded by Connecticut's second Female Governor Jodi Rell in an unremarkable term ending in 2011 that was somewhat liberal in social areas and somewhat conservative in economic matters.

Since that time, the landscape has strayed from all manners of  reasonable conduct, governance and fiduciary responsibility. Since Rell, Connecticut has had two very irrationally liberal and free spending Democrat Governors in Dan Malloy and Ned Lamont. I have written about them at length over the years and I am confident my readers understand and feel the brunt of their economic consequences and actions. However rather than creating a bright line and hammering home critical and sound Republican principles, the Republicans decided to run two sporting and wealthy individuals during the past four elections in Thomas Foley and Bob Stefanowski. In both of their first runs for Governor, third-party candidates seeing a lack of principles in the Republican campaigns moved to run, thus losing elections that otherwise would have been won on better Republican principles and policy. And the second campaigns for each gentleman were far worse than the first. In my opinion, the second Stefanowski campaign was a testimony in the state GOP trying for a muddled and moderate approach to all, thus losing voters on all sides. Hopefully after 16 years the Republican Party now realizes that it needs to get away from the wealthy person as-candidate approach to Governor.

So what does the upcoming election look like for the Connecticut Republican Party in their quest to become a bright-line alternative to the incoherent gibberish and societal decay that is force fed to the public on a daily basis by the Omnipotent (and Incompetent) One Party Rule of the Connecticut Democrat Party?  Looking down the bench of potential GOP candidates to date  I am reminded of Inspector Reynaud in the 1943 film “Casablanca” calling for the “usual suspects” as at the same time I am reminded of the late industrialist and Presidential candidate Ross Perot bellowing that “those who claim to be a part of the solution after being comfortable in the problem are still a part of the problem”. Curiously, no aspirant to date has aggressively championed the good and decent Republican policies of Connecticut residents first, there are only two sexes; male and female, schools need to teach again not be tools of failed and sick ideologies, reforming the white-collar crime of state energy utilities and policy, removal of sanctuary state status and prosecuting deportations, diluting the stranglehold of public unions, non-profit money laundering and fraud, accountability for rogue elected officials and pilfering department heads (followed if necessary by criminal charges) , removing tampon dispensers in boys rooms, dealing with voter fraud, crime, theft, social unrest and gender madness, and dealing with the need for a real balanced budget along with a comprehensive and extensive plan to pay off Connecticut's short and long-term debt along with its unfunded liabilities.  

More egregiously no aspirant to date has breathed a word about rooting out the “Fourth Branch” of Connecticut government, being racketeering and corruption emanating all of the way from the throne room of King Governor Ned Lamont The Unaccountable to just about every branch of elected and administrative government 

This is just a start.

So, who will this next Republican candidate be? That much is uncertain. But what is dead-on certain is that the non-state connected decent taxpaying voter of Connecticut is now well-aware of all of the Elephants in the state living room and will no longer tolerate weak, want to be liked pitty-pat candidates that will once again lead to failure as their well-paid consultants dealing in the profits of failure get paid regardless. The person who runs as the Republican candidate for Governor whether they are male or female, rich or poor, politician or non-politician needs to articulate that Connecticut can do much better than the current affliction and dysfunctional garbage called state government. 

And as my friend and colleague Tony De Angelo often says, it is simple as that, and unfortunately, just as difficult.

 

 

The Energy Of Incompetence, Confusion, And Failure

I am totally confused by energy policies. However, this confusion does not exist on a national level. President Donald Trump made a campaign promise to unleash the fossil fuel “Liquid Gold” present under the feet of every American with his program of “Frack, Burn, and Drill Baby, Drill.” The late Dr. Henry Kissinger told us all half a century ago that those that control energy control the world. Cheap and plentiful energy is critically necessary for a strong America and for developments in business and artificial intelligence and in industry. A more plentiful energy supply suppresses wars because countries like Russia fuel destruction by selling oil at absurdly soaring prices. Any object in our home, office, workspace, or driveway is somehow composed of fuel or by using fuel. It is a no-brainer. It is simple beans. But these dirt simple concepts are far too weighty for the astute souls in the Connecticut legislature who primarily through idiocy (and sometimes aided and abetted by weak and deferential pushback) continually figure out ways for Connecticut Residents to starve, freeze and go broke in trying to concoct fictional energy policies that will do nothing other than throw precious taxpayer capital into the sea, ground and air.  

In my estimation, the biggest problem in Connecticut is the State Legislature attempts to think and craft policy where solutions are pre-made, time tested, and easily executed. Nowhere is this sad fact more critical in the Connecticut Legislature’s attempts to deal with energy. Like parrots, legislators repeat the terms “Climate Change” and “Green Energy” not knowing (or even understanding) the consequences of their inane statements and postings. Wind Turbines kill sea mammals. Disposed electric car batteries are huge environmental disasters. The mining of e-car minerals kills and maims children of color in Africa. The wildfires in California were made much worse by combusting e-cars where the fires could not be extinguished. Did you know that? You never heard any of that from the state-run media. But you heard plenty of that from me and from my friend and colleague Tony De Angelo on The Lee Elci Show on WJJF 94.9 and on THIRTY WITH TONY for over a year. But why didn’t the state-run media tell you? Because it is their job to window-dress for the powers that be as knowing the truth on a global scale would render said powers inoperative, once, and for all.

However, what actually represents “green energy” and why have we spent the massive amount of taxpayers’ monies in Connecticut to achieve either absolutely nothing (or negative) in Connecticut is horrifically unclear. Disgustingly, Connecticut residents and businesses pay some of the highest electric rates in the country. In Connecticut, the Omnipotent (and grossly incompetent) Connecticut Democrat Party, has continually raised electric rates through insane green energy policies, green energy taxes and the rationing of electricity shamefacedly feel that they need to give everyone “a break” since consumers are starting to understand their insane electric bills. Democrats are now pushing the Utopian "Ratepayers First Act,” a desperation effort to undue the massive damage their party created over the past twenty years with their economically incoherent forced increases in electric rates and green energy at all costs. Apparent/Anointed electric rate expert, Democrat State Senator Norm Needleman, from Essex, made this ridiculous statement: "Certainly the aspects of accountability and making sure that the performance that the utilities provide in exchange for an exclusive monopoly to provide us not only distribution but transmission of electricity — that is something that is very complicated. But other than adding condescending and inane commentary, he further added these nonsensical statements: “This bill is an open book. There are no specific things that we’re going to talk about at this moment. We’re going to listen to all the bills that are coming in, and they’re coming in at a rate much higher and faster than the energy committee has ever seen. We’re going to listen to ideas from across the spectrum, —that’s Republicans and Democrats, that’s cities and rural areas, that’s everybody that we can hear from.”  (https://www.senatedems.ct.gov/senate-democrats-prioritize-ratepayers-in-new-energy-legislation). Since when have these astute and esteemed souls ever listened to either the people who actually pay for the electricity and/or the Republican Party and/or the fine Conservative minds of all ages present in the state? Needleman, in my opinion reinforces Democrat incompetence and obfuscation with the typical late night dump of this Democrat bill with his statement of "This bill is an open book,” meaning that there will be a great deal of pork and political payments and cutting and amending for the sake of all of “them” and not “you” (In case you missed this, the categories of “them” and “you” are the two real races in the racial divide that is present in Connecticut).

 But wait! There is more! Connecticut Senate Bill SB1105 is another gibberish-type feel-good bill that will  "(1) prohibit certain mergers of utility companies, (2) prohibit a utility company from owning both gas and electric utilities, (3) incentivize the adoption of grid-enhancing and energy-efficient technologies and prohibit a public utility company from imposing any fees that would disincentivize the adoption of such technologies, (4) repeal any provision providing a right of first refusal to acquire property by a utility company, and (5) prohibit deceptive fees to utility end use customers." (https://legiscan.com/CT/bill/SB01105/2025). Is this a bill apparently to somehow undue the economic damages of the feel-good Public Benefits aspect of your bill which is the cost of supporting state-authorized energy programs that do little for either increasing the supply of energy or lowering costs. And pray tell, why do we never see a bill prohibiting and penalizing Legislators and those connected with the Legislators from receiving compensation from the utilities their body regulates? That would be way too simple to just enact and enforce a common-sense law that has been flouted for years by both parties? As we all know, Connecticut has one of the most complex electric bills to read and understand in the country mirroring the disjointed, incompetent, hard-to-follow and unclear Connecticut Democrat Party Green Energy policies that have failed the state dramatically.

I also wonder where all the electricity in Connecticut will come from with the new cash tax cash cow of data/AI centers that are being coveted by the political elite? Will the state tell households to reduce their energy consumption so that these centers can be built and have enough power for them? How about rotating blackouts for single family homes? Or maybe more destruction and sea mammal murders at Connecticut's shorelines and seas as has been exhibited in the horrific, $300 million dollar and growing New London State Pier project that will provide apparently "free" electricity by the hideous wind farms that still have not produced one kilowatt of "Green" energy after $300 dollars of Connecticut taxpayers spent?  But who cares if we rape the environment? What are the actual safeguards to the ocean ecosystem? Perhaps these questions are obviated as no one in his or her right mind would make an investment in a Connecticut Data Center, anyway. But no matter, "Green" energy is essential, no matter what the cost and or destruction to the environment that is supposedly "saving". And almost one year after Tony De Angelo cried on the Lee Elci show for a “Natural Gas First” energy policy for Connecticut the CT State Senate has finally agreed to campaign for its use rather than to timidly “studying” such use as a year of destruction and waste intervened? What more incoherent gibberish, politicking and incompetence will be force fed to the Connecticut Taxpayer in 2025?

It will be interesting to see how the 2025 Connecticut Legislative session progresses and how little change electric consumers will see.  It should be obvious to all that the Connecticut Democrat Party has created the electricity crisis in the state and now it is entirely incapable of solving the failure it has created.

But so what? It is just another day in the race to the economic bottom for Connecticut and its economic slaves who support this disarray, turmoil, and incompetence.

Bills, Laws And Destruction: The Connecticut Legislative Session of 2025

It has been said by many citizens and legal professionals that the General Statutes of Connecticut are among the most difficult state statutes to understand, adding needless confusion to many everyday issues. Connecticut has a long legal history, with statutes dating back to 1650, which means there is a significant amount of legal tradition and layering that make current laws complex and difficult. For instance, the General Statutes of Connecticut have been through numerous revisions, the most recent major one in 1958, with regular updates since then. This accumulation over time adds to the intricacy of the legal code. I do know that the State Statues consist of thirteen volumes and 978 chapters with thousands upon thousands of statues, rules, and regulations.  And. as is often said in Connecticut, the state laws are written for the state, by the state, on behalf of the state. And how many laws exist is anyone’s guess. (https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/titles.htm). 

To give you an idea, the Connecticut legislature has introduced over 34,442 bills from 2010 to 2025. Of that amount only a few passed every year since there is no conceivable way that all 34,442 bills were read completely.  (https://legiscan.com/CT/). It is also interesting to comprehend the amount of actual laws that have eroded personal and economic freedoms in the state while the state continues its protracted economic and social downward spiral starting since the enactment of the law creating the State Income Tax back in August 1991. This tax was supposed to resolve all the state's financial issues and would lead Connecticut to economic vibrancy that was Utopian in nature and did nothing more than to drive it into reckless spending and fiscal ruin.

But the farcical and shameful status of Connecticut on the world’s stage continues. Despite the almost parrot-like repetition that maintaining the “fiscal guardrails” will save the fiscal integrity of the state, not one elected official acknowledges that Connecticut still has $100-$150 billion dollars in short- and long-term debt along with myriad unfunded liabilities accruing interest daily. And it ranks in the bottom five states in the country with the highest taxes, poor business climate conditions, and the highest electricity rates in the country. Moreover to add some icing to a sickening cake, Connecticut made National News this week with Democrat United States Senator Richard (“Stolen Valor”) Blumenthal questioning Secretary of Defense Nominee (and Combat Veteran) Pete Hegseth on his nomination thus invoking the ire of national news personalities, most notably radio host Mike Gallagher, who called Connecticut voters “stupid” in front of millions of listeners for voting for such a sham as Dick Blumenthal.

But if you are a Connecticut legislator, the more irrational, unhinged, and delusional you are, the more attention you will receive for some of the worst law proposals ever to be penned to paper. Rest assured that in 2025 the Legislature is in full force introducing many such bills. Here are a few your legislators feel are essential to the state: 

(Senate Bill) SB00718 is "To prohibit the issuance of a drive-only motor vehicle operator's license to a person who cannot provide proof of legal United States residency or a Social Security number."  This bill implies drivers’ licenses for illegal immigrants in the state.

SB00523 "AN ACT CONCERNING THE CURATION AND RETENTION OF LITERARY MATERIALS CONTAINED IN PUBLIC AND SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND LEGAL PROTECTIONS AFFORDED TO LIBRARIANS AND STAFF WORKING IN SUCH LIBRARIES. To protect state residents by prohibiting public and school libraries from censoring the most sick and pornographic books and providing librarians and other library staff members with legal protections, including immunity from criminal and civil liability, for carrying out work-related duties in accordance with state law."  Thus, any type of questionable book including what amounts to being pornography for children is allowable in a school library and that librarians have legal immunity from any consequences of their actions in keeping those books in their library. Further as my friend and colleague Tony De Angelo pointed out this week on 94.9’s “Lee Elci Show” (https://www.949newsnow.com/) this bill allows a legally immune library worker to sue a rightfully complaining parent on the grounds of “causing emotional distress”, thus putting their livelihood and property at legal risk. This bill should sicken every parent in the state let alone the long-silent CT GOP who should be demanding that sponsor Democrat Senator Bob Duff read the texts of several of these so-called works into the official record in addition to being a national star on "Libs Of Tik Tok" as he parades around with this Bill. But more seriously, it is interesting to note that police in the state are not afforded the same immunity in their life-or-death actions since HB6004 from 2020 was passed. This bill limits qualified immunity for police officers in the state. This bill gave Connecticut the sobriquet "Crime Free Democrat Connecticut". since there is now rampant crime, rampant theft, and little prosecution of juvenile crime and or career criminals contrary to what the Connecticut Democrat Party wants you to believe.   Police, in the opinion of many in the state, are not able to do the job for which they were hired.

But right or wrong or decent of indecent, Democrat lunatics can pass whatever laws they wish since the Connecticut Democrat Party has a super majority in the State House and Senate. They will be able to push through bills with ease at any time day or night. And there is never an accounting for what laws would really matter to the taxpaying public. As one example, King Governor Ned Lamont The Unaccountable somehow is positioning himself to lower electric rates with an imbalanced magical formula that will never be able to appease the green energy cartel that runs the state's energy policy even if it were the least bit workable. The minority Republicans have offered SB647 "An Act Concerning Protections For Consumer Access To Affordable Electricity." This bill attempts to: "To reduce energy costs and increase energy supply."(https://legiscan.com/CT/bill/SB00647/2025). The Republicans have offered HB5356 "To discontinue the state's use of California vehicle emission standards and establish the state's use of such standards established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency."  This bill will tie to rational Trump based energy policy rather than California's economically unobtainable and laughable standards. I am confident that the Connecticut Democrat Party will eliminate all efforts to put forth these Republican bills, regardless of the soundness of any proposed policies contained in them.

With the hundreds of bills being introduced in Hartford I see nothing that addresses the massive fiscal debt of the state but I do see more pie-in-the-sky lunacy. The Democrat irrationality is so pervasive that there is a bill that was introduced to protect the legal rights of girls playing sports prohibiting biological males on their teams and from them using their bathrooms, being HB5352, a Republican sponsored bill "An Act Prohibiting Students Who Are Biological Males From Competing On Female-only Athletic Teams And Using Female-only Locker Rooms And Facilities."(https://legiscan.com/CT/bill/HB05352/2025). Can you imagine that a bill like this actually has to be brought forth to protect girls in our public schools? Yet this is Connecticut in 2025.

But fear not! There is hope! There has been a bill introduced HB5335 stating “That section 46b-21 of the general statutes be amended to prohibit marriage between first cousins. Statement of Purpose: To prohibit marriage between first cousins."(https://legiscan.com/CT/text/HB05335/2025). To me that summarizes the lost state of Connecticut for I did not realize that was such an issue in the state needing an actual bill to prevent it.

 But sick as that may be, the state has no problem with porn in school libraries, corruption in its elections, massive runaway debt, legal cannabis, and many more failed liberal experiments. Connecticut never changes and hope fades quickly for those who wish the Connecticut Democrat Party would stop its destruction of the once "Constitution State" to feed its sick, progressive, and destructive demons.