Who to believe in Connecticut?

 Who to believe in Connecticut? This is a question without an answer. Take the Connecticut Health System. We found out this past Thursday night that Dr. Deidre Gifford retired from her leadership role at Connecticut’s Office of Health Strategy. Mind us all this is not some quiet fade into the sunset, but rather it is a blaring siren of scandal, drenched in fraud allegations tied to a canceled Medicaid audit. That audit, abruptly shelved, is linked to a bribery case involving Konstantinos Diamantis, a former state official now infamous for questions on his dealings. Emails uncovered in the investigation show Gifford was in on discussions about contracts and payments that reeked of kickbacks. And if that is not enough, her legacy and professionalism reaches all the way back to the debacle of her Covid-19 management and her incessant push for vaccines harming many innocent citizens and children. And her career reaches back even farther to her leadership of the Department of Social Services (DSS), and it was a masterclass in screwing things up. Under her watch, administrative costs ballooned—state audits pegged DSS spending at $50 million over budget in 2018 alone, with no explanation beyond “operational needs.” Access to care cratered too: rural clinics closed at triple the national rate, leaving swaths of eastern Connecticut without Medicaid providers. Deidre is an exemplar for a leader in King Governor Ned Lamont the Unaccountable’s Connecticut; screw up, get involved in multiple failures and swindles, become unaccountable, hide, and when the wolf starts for your door, quit, skip out, and cash in on taxpayer money. It is the Connecticut Gold Standard.

Who to believe in Connecticut? That is easy! Believe Ned Lamont! The Unaccountable was crowing on Thursday about U.S. News and World Report ranking Connecticut #8 in its 2025 economy category, which sounds great until you dig into how they got there. For the economy part, the report focuses on business environment, employment, and growth. Connecticut scores decently here because of the statistical and income distortion of Fairfield County millionaires and Yale graduates. But here is the catch: it tanked at #48 for fiscal stability and #43 for opportunity. So, we see that U.S. News is cherry-picking features to a privileged few and downplaying the ugly characteristics we are all too familiar with. There is no mention of the 2025 "Rich States, Poor States" report ranking Connecticut 44th for economic outlook and 48th for performance. There is no mention of the state’s crushing pension debt, high taxes, serial and blatant corruption, and business-hostile regulations. So, in the final analysis, you can’t believe The Unaccountable either, (but you already knew that).

Who to believe when it comes to the Connecticut Legislature? This is another unanswerable question. We do not know, especially when it comes to state budgets that normally are voted on at all times of the day and night with no transparency. There are no negotiations on state budget with the minority Republican party, even though this year Republicans presented a tepid alternative budget that somewhat lowers taxes and cuts spending.  “This budget is a step toward what residents deserve—affordability, accountability, and flexibility in the face of federal funding uncertainty,” stated Finance Committee ranking member Rep. Joe Polletta (R-Watertown). But the Democrats immediately condemned the Republican plan as “House Speaker Matt Ritter (D-Hartford) said the plan is “not the most serious document I’ve ever seen, so we’ll probably have to write this one off.” (https://www.cbia.com/news/issues-policies/house-gop-state-budget-plan). Certainty the last ten years of Democrat fiscal horse-manure rammed down Connecticut Taxpayers throats are not the most serious documents I have ever seen and should have been written off for their excessive taxation, spending and loss of personal freedoms slammed into them. But again, Connecticut's Democrat party does not believe in either opposing voices, co-operation with elected officials from the opposition party nor any type of compromise or citizen input. They rule with an iron hand.

Trying to understand this new Democrat budget that again raises spending and taxes offers nothing different than in past budgets. Spending will go up over $1 billion dollars, since the first year of the budget increases spending over $395 million dollars, and the second year follows suit with over $770 million dollars according to initial estimates. Estimates of new and higher taxes for the first year of the budget are over $935 million dollars and over $1.2 billion dollars for the second year, although these figures are both secret and uncertain at the time of this writing. But who cares? As a reminder, Connecticut has $100 to $150 billion dollars in short- and long-term debt along with unfunded liabilities. Connecticut is unattractive to new citizens and businesses with its excessively high taxes along with a non-transparent and corrupted government. Why move to Connecticut? Why move your business to Connecticut? Given this economic situation of high taxes and high state debt it really would be an economically incoherent move.

Who to believe in Connecticut regarding solutions to the messes? Solutions are nonexistent to Connecticut's fiscal problems in the realm of the political class. I have written about this for many years now and all is getting worse. Connecticut badly needs a citizen driven "DOGE" type commission as has been recommended by my good friend Tony De Angelo on his weekly segment on the Lee Elci show 94.9 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBxTuCSLdCw) A no holds barred approach of dismantling the current bureaucracy is critically necessary and would be truly helpful to Connecticut Taxpayers to see where their hard earned tax monies actually go to.  Is Connecticut efficiently run? Is there waste and fraud occurring in the state budget? Are all monies accounted for going to the correct accounts and programs? Does state government have excessive management positions and or excessive "do nothing" types of jobs? Why are public hearings on state spending issues limited in nature? What is the plan to pay off the state's massive debt? Could you really trust anyone connected to a state paycheck or income stream to give you an answer on any of those questions? (And it is almost a certainty that the next Republican candidate for Governor will turn against such a necessary analysis and will state his or her belief that the state can fix itself fiscally with a little help and guidance).

But citizens now know that their government is untrustworthy. The list is endless on what a Connecticut type DOGE could investigate and find. Just think at how much money could be save for Connecticut Taxpayers? Just think of the economic boom the state could have with more money freely being used by private citizens and private businesses rather than Connecticut's Democrat Party and its associated bureaucracy deciding who gets what. Connecticut would be much better served with a fully transparent government along with a true system of checks and balances.

In closing, Connecticut Taxpayers are no longer being represented or heard in Connecticut's failing, politically inept and stale one party ruled government. A bizzarro-type government where increasing incompetency and fraud is rewarded while you pay more each year to see things get worse and worse. But who can you believe who tell you the truth? The sad fact is that there is seemingly no one whatsoever connected to government that you can believe in Connecticut for any reason, anymore.

Connecticut! A Train Wreck In The Making

 Connecticut! It is home to an estimated 3.6 million souls. This same Connecticut has spent the last 35 years playing demographic musical chairs in its continual mission to destroy itself from within.

Connecticut! Let us start with illegal immigration. For the last few years, Connecticut’s Fearless Leader King Governor Ned Lamont The Unaccountable told us via his state-run mouthpieces that Connecticut did not have an illegal immigration problem, while anyone with any knowledge of facts rather than fiction found that statement to be laughable. Today, we see Illegal immigrants continually pouring in, while the state’s higher-educated, higher-income, and downright wealthier citizens tired of carrying the costs of this destructive foolishness, transition to saner, safer, and lower-taxed jurisdictions. Who can blame them? Connecticut boasts some of the nation’s most punishing property, state, and business taxes, not to mention sky-high housing, insurance, transportation, and electricity costs. Living in this liberal paradise does not come cheap. Just ask your wallet, or your neighbor.

 

Connecticut! If you want to be insulated from the plight of being a battered taxpaying legitimate citizen in Connecticut, there is another way! Join the government, or better still, the Connecticut State Legislature and become a member of the patrician class! Because if you are a member of the Legislature, you can go through life being a part of the most impractical, nonsensical and citizen crushing legislation ever known to mankind. But you need not care. Reality, and the burdens of the citizens you purport to represent are simply not your problem. You barrel forward in this current session, hell-bent on spending taxpayer cash with the restraint of a drunk at bar closing time and equivalent respect for the rule of law. After all, you are entitled.

 

Connecticut and governance? I really wonder as to how many legislators of any political stripe even understand this most critical concept in the least. As just one example, nonprofit governance in Connecticut is an overflowing out of control fiscal sewer. As you may recall, I recently shone a spotlight on the state’s nonprofit glut—24,195 active tax-exempt outfits as of 2025, according to ProPublica (https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/states/CT)—a tangled web of political cronies and taxpayer-funded freeloaders, toadies, lackeys and hangers-on. Between 2019 and 2023, my analysis indicates that roughly 1,500 to 2,500 unique nonprofits consumed state funds, with annual recipient counts swinging from 600 to a bloated 1,200 in 2022, courtesy of budget dumps of your taxpayer money. Being in the Legislature, you may have heard about the Federal DOGE effort to root out fiscal waste, fraud, and abuse where a dilution in federal funding can severely impact the funding of your inept, illogical, and redundant pet causes, but you really do not care. Because, you see an inexhaustible resource in continually reaching into the pockets of state taxpayers. But in your mind that is fine, as who the hell cares about the average citizen, anyway?

 

Connecticut! Where the mind of most Democrat legislators treats their “causes” to be more important than life and reality. Take the Scholars Strategy Network (SSN), a Boston-based outfit with suspiciously cozy ties to the Connecticut Democratic Party and the University of Connecticut (UConn). Its Executive Director, Paola Maynard Moll, rakes in $158,403 plus a tidy $30,532 in "other" compensation—nice work if you can get it, right? (https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/270480740). House Democrats gush over its "Collaborative Effort" with such groups, conveniently forgetting to invite the minority party to the party. They wax poetic: "Using objectivity and scientific methods, they analyze the effects of policies or interventions. Their training allows them to synthesize knowledge across studies, determine policy effects, interpret nuance, and understand implementation challenges" (https://www.housedems.ct.gov/legislation-collaborative-effort). SSN even runs a sanctimonious "Help Others To Vote" gig at UConn (https://voting.socialwork.uconn.edu/help-others-to-vote/), which sounds noble until you recall Connecticut’s voter fraud debacles and the state’s nonprofit messes. Does any legislator ever question the propriety, redundancy, and usefulness of these myriad nonprofit cash cows? Why would they? Because governance may mean that the well will run dry at the time of your next glad-hand and photo op and your time to throw taxpayer cash around.

 

Connecticut! Where if this seems bad, unbelievably, things even get worse. We saw the taxpayer-gouging masterpiece Senate Bill 1453, "An Act Concerning Emergency Nonprofit Assistance," rammed through the House on Wednesday March 5, with the sole purpose of bankrolling Democratic pet causes. In typical Connecticut fashion, the language is so vague you would think it was intentionally designed to dodge questions.  

The delusional and self-interested haul is divided up as follows:

 (1) 45.3 percent to nonprofits coddling the LGBTQ+ community.

(2) 26.7 percent to reproductive health care squads like Planned Parenthood.

(3) 22.1 percent to refugee and immigration assistance—because Connecticut is a sanctuary state.

(4) 2.1 percent to community and youth empowerment (whatever that means); and

(5) 3.8 percent skimmed by the Judicial Department for “administration, whatever “administration” may mean:

 

(https://fastdemocracy.com/bill-search/ct/2025/bills/CTB00032774/).

 

Connecticut! Where in the face of DOGE and citizens pleading for spending restraint and fiscal governance, Connecticut Democrats laugh in their faces, plowing ahead with an agenda that spits on citizens while showering special interests with cash. The League of Women Voters of Connecticut snagged $200,000 in 2019 from the Democracy Fund—part of a $650,000 handout to 25 groups—because nothing screams "democracy" like state-subsidized voter drives in a fraud-riddled state. Meanwhile, Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS) pocketed $150,000 that year via the Immigrant Integration Pilot Program, one slice of a $300,000 pie for immigrant “resettlement”. Add in the NAACP of Connecticut ($100,000) and Lutheran Refugee Services ($100,000), and you have gotten a cool $700,000 to $950,000 annually from 2019 to 2023 for these niche crusades—totaling $3.5 million to $4.75 million over five years. That is miniscule next to the $1.4 billion in annual state contracts propping up 500-700 nonprofits yearly, a gravy train so lavish it would make Frank Nitti and John Gotti blush. But this of course is Connecticut, where self-dealing, fraud, drunk driving (and drunk law making) legislators, hidden business in state nonprofits and gargantuan un-ascertainable deficits are just normal operating procedure in the land of all things Nutmeg. 

 

Meanwhile, Connecticut government continues its duplicitous and carpetbagging ways, ostensibly undeterred by a nation and a large part of the state that finds this conduct reprehensible. This will lead to a collision course. Either the continued crushing taxation and spending will drive the last of productive capacities out of state, or the impending cuts in Federal funding will cause a different type of destruction from within. Neither scenario bodes well for the once proud and now teetering governance-less State of Connecticut.

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 Debtor Is The Slave To The Creditor, and The Creditor Is The Master Of The Debtor

 Debt is defined as the state of owing money. Debt for many has become a lifestyle. Although there are times in human life where incurring debt may be necessary, vast amounts of personal debt are incurred as the result of bad choices or purchases based on desire and not critical need. The Holy Scriptures tell us that debtors are slaves to their creditors and the creditor becomes the master of the debtor. And this is a terrible situation to be in.

If you do not believe that, just ask any debtor.

The American citizen understands there are several types of debt in our economy. We have consumer debt which can be broken down into various categories such mortgage debt, auto loan debt, credit card debt, higher education loan debt and personal loan and credit line debt. The figures for these types of debts astonish many. Here are some for you to ponder from the third quarter, 2024 (https://www.fool.com/money/research/average-household-debt/?referring_guid=9589b076-6540-4e22-a38f-3645b0110312&utm_campaign=article&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=nasdaq)

Total American Household debt is $17.943 trillion dollars.

Total American Credit Card debt is $1.166 trillion dollars.

Total American Mortgage debt is $12.594 trillion dollars.

Total American Auto Loan debt is $1.644 trillion dollars.

Total American Student Loan debt is $1.606 trillion dollars.

Household debt based as a percentage of disposable income as a debt payment-to-income ratio, from the second quarter of 2024, is 11.5%. Or in other words 11.5 cents of each dollar of disposable income goes to service debt. The other 88.5 cents of each dollar you clear is what you would have to pay all your other expenses.

One may think that a government, with all its collective wisdom, would be able to fund its operations without debt. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. Government at all levels, be it local, state, or national, is massively in debt. The Federal National Debt is $36.2 trillion dollars and rising. For 2024, the Federal Government will spend a mere $892 billion dollars to finance its National Debt. State governments such as Connecticut have $150 billion dollars in short- and long-term debt and unfunded liabilities that are never tackled or confronted by the superficial, feel-good “bi-partisan” political Uniparty, and this happens elsewhere, as well. If one were to add the total state debt of all fifty states, you are looking at $1.7 to $2 trillion dollars in debt depending on published figures and unfunded liabilities. Municipal Debt, which is funded by municipal bonds, is roughly $4 trillion dollars. (https://www.usdebtclock.org/)

If one were to add up Total American Household and Government Debt it is approximately $58 trillion dollars in total. Is there any plan to pay off the Government debt at all levels, local, state, and national? Not to my knowledge. In fact, the opposite is true. U.S. Senator Ron Paul released his annual “Festivus” report describing the horrific if not obscene wastes in left-inspired government spending. (https://san.com/media-miss/rand-pauls-annual-festivus-report-highlights-1-trillion-in-government-spending/) The Connecticut of King Governor Ned Lamont The Unaccountable pays no attention to fiscal wreckage and pilfering by state university officials and aides while anti-business capitol city Hartford is watching its tallest office building fall into foreclosure on the way to capitulating into subsidized low-income housing. (https://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/hartfords-tallest-office-tower-faces-loan-delinquency)

  The iconic Chrysler Building in midtown Manhattan New York, one of the most historically desirable business locations in days gone by, is facing foreclosure in a rotting and violent New York City (https://www.curbed.com/article/aby-rosens-chrysler-building-saga-a-timeline.html).  Obviously some states and municipalities are in much better shape financially than others especially Democrat led and poorly governed states like Connecticut and New York where commercial taxpaying businesses leave so as not to continue to fund policies of woke nonsense, DEI programs, unchecked illegal immigration, high crime, and higher and higher taxes paid to the inept and illogical Blue State governments burning cash more quickly than their infrastructures and economies are deteriorating.  

But in review of this sordid and sick situation, one has to conclude that if debtors are slaves to creditors, Blue State Democrat politicians love to increase debt and redundancy while increasing the enslavement of citizens by tossing them fictional “bones” and freebies that the fewer remaining legitimate and taxpaying citizens must bear the burdens of paying via increased taxes and fees. The worst examples of this reckless and unregulated spending are in education and medicine, where the philosophy has been that more spending, redundant administration, and taxes will continually solve problems when all of this drives costs and debts to astronomical levels that are impossible for debtors to ever pay. However, in Connecticut and other Blue States, your Democrat politician such as The Unaccountable and his henchmen will create “medical debt forgiveness” causing such egregious debt to magically disappear overnight with a legally questionable program. In Connecticut, it is reported that 23,000 residents (citizenship optional) with have $30 million debt in debt wiped out! My good friend and colleague Tony De Angelo sharply questioned the legality of this program in detail which is apparently run by "Undue Medical Debt"  on his weekly segment on the Lee Elci show 94.9 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgdFNln9OI4) , (https://www.UndueMedicalDebt.org) , this being a strange charitable organization which has been by billionaires for bulbous contributions that can be channeled per its own website to various locales for the ostensible buying of votes and political influence.  This "loan forgiveness" program has several legal questions that need to be answered clearly and transparently for Taxpayers, but we know it will not be. Because, the Democrat Master is calling the shots! (You see? The Master increased your debt. The Master is now coming to relieve your debt with his signature on the debt forgiveness letter! To show your appreciation, always vote for The Master as he creates more bulbous debts to charitably relieve for others. Be advised, The Master, has spoken.).

Contrary to what our elected officials tell us, and credit companies tell us our current collective level of debt is not sustainable. It will be quite painful to see what economic damages consumers and governments will be dealing with in 2025, especially with the amount of interest that will be paid to finance $58 trillion dollars in debt. Where does this money come from? Just more and higher taxes on a government level? On a personal level the elimination of one meal a day and or homelessness or broken families or foreclosure? Perhaps our economy, especially our government, could learn to do much more with less and pay down this sickening economic albatross that strangles our economic system for generations to come.  Then again maybe they could care less about it since political power means economic power in our not so brave new world as more slaves are created for their avaricious and corrupt masters.

Happy New Year.

Connecticut 236 Years Later. The Long Road to Fiscal and Social Disaster

The time of Disaster has finally come, being long in the making. The bell now tolls for Connecticut, being the fifth state in our country since 1788. Ironically bearing the moniker of "The Constitution State," Connecticut seems to be gasping its' last breaths of its 236-year existence. 

The trip along the highway to disaster accelerated since the advent of the "cure-all" Utopian State Income Tax that was passed in 1991. Since that time, the state budget has increased from $7.9 billion dollars in 1991 to over $26 billion dollars in 2024. That is an increase of over 270%, far exceeding the rate of inflation. But has there been a great influx of new residents over thirty-five years? Hardly not. Connecticut's population has increased in the same period since 1991 by only 300,000 people from 3.2 million to 3.6 million in 2024. This is a 12% increase in 33 years, being far below the population increase in our country. So, using pure simple mathematics, there is no “population boom” nor teeming attraction for people to move into Connecticut. This realization is truly sickening, especially after the lies the Democrats and state-run media sources have fed to us to the contrary.

But that is just one symptom of the trip on the road to ruin. What was the cause? In recent history, we can start with Connecticut's Governor in 1991. The Governor was the liberal Republican turned Independent multi-millionaire Lowell Weicker, who was hailed at the time of enactment of the state income tax as saving the state from bankruptcy and cuts from essential services in the state. When looking back at some of the articles written during this debate, we heard that children would be starving, the homeless would have no place to go, and drug addicts would no longer be cared for if we did not enact the tax. The elderly would also become homeless with little to no social welfare programs for them, and anyone else would be in grave difficulty especially those most in need. Pedestrians would be shot and killed. Drug addicts would roam, rob, and pillage the streets! Women would be raped! Roads and bridges would be collapsing! Kids would come out of school stupid with no marketable skills whatsoever! Of course, these were all classic Connecticut Democrat Party talking points which have now turned into realities in Democrat Connecticut and are more solid realities after 35 years of separating Connecticut from their wallets and purses via tax money.

But on the road to the fiscal disaster Connecticut has a pattern of repeating its greatest hits. In 2024, Connecticut's Governor is the liberal Democrat vapid multi-millionaire King Ned Lamont, "The Unaccountable" who has helped to nurture massive increases in state spending, profited personally through questionable, unethical business dealings with no-bid state contracts going to firms such as Sema4  that were heavily invested in his wife's hedge fund Oak HC/FT, and has veto proof power in the State Legislature with an omnipotent one-party Democrat ruled majority.  As my friend and colleague Tony De Angelo pointed out this past week, SEC documents show that the Lamont-related interests made upwards of $77,000,000 in one day at the Sema4 public offering to a chorus of silence from anyone in the political sphere or corporate state-run media interests. But that egregious rape of ethics pales in comparison to the fact that any piece of liberal, socialist, or communist legislation can be rammed through and signed with ease by Lamont over the next two years. But what about that thing called Ethics? It is common knowledge that the Connecticut State Ethics Department could not find an elephant in the snow, and this has been made much more clear since the Lamont-related pillagings. The time for disaster has arrived for a true dictatorship and treasury leveraging never seen before anywhere in 236 years.

But despite the incredibly obscene and bulbous amounts of tax money collected by Connecticut over thirty-five years, it is ironic that in 2024 we see the same issues that the state prophesied in 1991. Children are not being cared for except for things such as gender change. There is still a homeless crisis. There is a massive illegal drug crisis. There is now massive crime and theft in the state. There are still massive infrastructure problems with constant road and bridge repair needed. Yet the state budget increased by over 270% with the state income tax. And Connecticut has $125 to $150 Billion dollars in short- and long-term debt along with unfunded liabilities that just never get mentioned, as the prevailing ideology is that saving the “fiscal guardrails” will save us all. Regrettably, nothing can be farther from the truth. As one cause, it is rarely discussed in 2024 that the bulk of the state's spending goes to state employee salaries, benefits, and pensions along with interest on the state debt. There is little to spend elsewhere. Read the state budget for this economic reality for yourself (https://portal.ct.gov/opm/bud-budgets/2024-2025-biennial-budget/fy-2024-2025-biennial-budget).

Connecticut’s 236-year road to disaster accelerated into the freeway fast lane since 1991. Since that time, the state has evolved into a cesspool of political nepotism, crime, serial incompetence, debt, and incoherent socialistic gibberish. Connecticut's state government caters to the well-connected and has little impetus to make life easier for those who are the indentured servants, the Connecticut Taxpayers who must fund this economic debacle. Could you run a company and earn a profit if the bulk of your business’s funds just paid for salaries, benefits, pensions, and debt service benefiting the old cronies on the top floor? But Connecticut's Democrat Party has no problem doing this. Why? How does it benefit Connecticut Taxpayers? In what way? Can anyone explain that to Connecticut Taxpayers?

Thus, Connecticut slogs along with high state taxes, high property taxes, high state debt, high homelessness, high crime, excessively high electric rates, high cost of living, massive unfunded liabilities, massive illegal drug problems, massive infrastructure problems and more.  It is not what our founders envisioned in 1788. Personal and economic freedoms should be flourishing in a state like Connecticut. Instead look forward to two more dismal years economically and socially in "The Constitution State" a state that its political class feel is theirs and theirs only. Citizen once again, be damned.

We’re Number 50! - The Democrat Victory Of Making Connecticut The Most Financially Troubled State In The Union

There seems to be no limit to the gutters that Connecticut continually falls into. Rampant corruption. Condoned (if not coddled) illegal immigration. Free tuition and healthcare for these same illegals. State senators destroy public property without a demand for prosecution from either political party. Other legislators drive drunk, flip cars and/or abuse substances, even while making laws. However, if that is not wretched enough for you, there is worse news for Connecticut Taxpayers. The State of Connecticut is pretty much broke. Yes, you read that correctly. Broke. Tapped out. Busted. On the Breadline.

Again, I repeat: The State of Connecticut is pretty much broke.

How has this happened, do you ask? Easy. It has been the usual “what, me worry?” posture in the land of Nutmeg for any semblance of fiscal governance. The election that took place a few weeks ago rewarded the fiscally illiterate Connecticut Democrat Party even more power for their inept fiscal mismanagement of the state. But how can this be possible in light of easy to find public sources? A recent “2024 Financial State of the States Report” (“report”) issued by the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver, ranked Connecticut at the complete bottom of their report at #50 out of 50 states giving the state a "F" for their finances based on 2023 results. The report which I urge all to read can be found at https://www.truthinaccounting.org/library/doclib/Financial-State-of-the-States-2024.pdf.
To make a dire situation even worse, Connecticut is ranked at the bottom of all "Sinkhole" states. This reference to a “Sinkhole" means that all state taxpayers will owe a certain dollar amount to pay off the state's debt. The state does not have enough revenue and assets to pay its bills. For Connecticut it is a mere $44,300 each person (p.17 report). I have written for many years the issues of Connecticut's short- and long-term debt along with its unfunded liabilities at being $100 to $150 billion dollars, an astronomical amount for the state as small as Connecticut, only for me to be continually derided by many feel-good politicians. However, to show how deluded these politicians are, the report clearly breaks out the following grave issues concerning Connecticut: Unfunded Pension Benefits: $38,010,340,000. Unfunded Retiree Health Care Benefits: $17,091,549,000 (p.51 report). The mind-numbing figure of $64,897,085,000 is the actual debt that the state reports from its fiscal report, however over the years several budget items were taken off budget and as such are not counted towards this figure (p.51 report). That to me is called creative (if not fraudulent) accounting. It also may be noted that the "Government Finance Officers Association (“GFOA”), the standard for states to publish their annual reports is 180 days after the end of the fiscal year." (p.28 report) Connecticut took 271 days to file their report thus disregarding the GFOA guidelines that they are supposed to adhere to by law. But hey, it's Connecticut, where rules and laws do not matter anymore, if at all).

Unfortunately, the lack of fiscal acuity on the part of the Republican party has not provided any moments of consideration or pause over time thus making a bad situation even worse. As just one example, in this past election I heard no candidate on either side discussing the grievous state debt or this report. And this fiscally negligent attitude has gone on for years. For example, in 2023, Democrat State Comptroller (and fiscal genius) Sean Scanlon magically “saved millions of dollars” by re-amortizing the unfunded liability of the municipal pension fund from 17 to 25 years as both political parties cheered. But what did Mr. Scanlon do? He simply increased the amount of debt by deferring payment on the same, showing no conceptual understanding of present-value finance and the concept that a dollar will never be worth any more than it is today in the future. For, how does one save money when your debt is the same but now will take an additional eight years to pay off as it continues to accrue interest? Isn't the debt financed by interest paid? Or has that mysteriously been eliminated? How is this simply thoughtless move any different than continually making the minimum payment on your credit card and believing your debt will be paid off faster? But perhaps I am wrong, and Mr. Scanlon has the right idea! That said, why don’t we go about re-amortizing all of Connecticut's debt into 100-year notes? That way generation upon generation of Connecticut Taxpayers get to live their lives as indentured servants to the Connecticut Democrat Party and their fiscal inefficiencies and maladroitness. This idea might work so well that the Connecticut Democrat Party could then reinvent a modern-day system of serfdom and or a new form of economic slavery to the state's master political ruling elite by the issuing of these 100-year debt bonds. This new financial plan would work well with the party that wants unchecked illegal immigration, state-run media, controls on social media and free speech, redundant and functionally useless bureaucracies, and the encouragement of party “leaders” that harass and shame ordinary citizens while the opposing party never cries out for the censure or removal of these evil individuals. This is life as we know it in the nearly broke, vision-less, and morally bankrupt State of Connecticut.

Thus in 2024, Connecticut is no more resolving its debt crisis than in years passed. Thus in 2024, no one wearing a political uniform seems to care. This new report issued reconfirms many of the same problems that the state has had for years. Excessive state spending coupled with excessive state debt, fueled by “feel-good” politics at every turn. Connecticut continues to rank as a top five taxed state in the country. It continues to have massive financial issues no matter how King Governor Ned Lamont the Unaccountable, his should-be-abolished Department of Economic Development, and his faux-prop economic spokespeople such as Sean Scanlon try to spin it. For Connecticut to survive it must address its out-of-control spending and unchecked fiscal corruption that offer little in either comfort or results other than to those directly involved. Connecticut has massive problems with criminals and crime is running rampant. Connecticut has massive problems with illegal drug use and trafficking. Connecticut still has massive problems with its public schools that are more interested in indoctrination rather than teaching life skills and functional knowledge. Connecticut still has massive problems due to a skewed political system that is ripe with corruption as seen with the never-ending voter fraud in Bridgeport. Connecticut fiscal economic incentives are nothing more than the throwing of bribes to the politically connected. Moreover, Connecticut still has massive problems that truly need to be addressed for the last time.
But not the least of sorrows is that albatross of never-ending debt hanging on the shoulders of innocent Connecticut Taxpayers who toil daily in a dysfunctional state economy while the Connecticut Democrat Party moves blindly ahead without even the least criticism of this debt. But the solutions are simple. Cut spending and cut taxes. Learn the spelling of the word "governance" But that concept is always ignored in the wasteland of debt, in the state known as Connecticut, which is the paradise of unchecked and enabled Democrat Party led economic gibberish leading to ultimate collapse.

Deja Vu All Over Again. Part 3. A Taxpayer Never Gets a Break in The Land of Steady Habits

Connecticut is a state known by many names. The Nutmeg State. The Gateway to New England. The Constitution State. But perhaps the most apt name for Connecticut over the past few decades is the Land of Steady Habits. This name is incredibly apt and deserved as the steadiest of habits for Connecticut has been its insatiable desire to tax, to spend, and to add to its bulbous and inept Administrative State in grotesque proportions. Again, Taxpayer be damned.
Week in and week out and year and year out, Connecticut Taxpayers do not get a break from paying excessive, new, and higher taxes coupled with the daily fear of crime and having their vehicles broken into and or stolen. The Legislative session of 2024 arrogantly signaled to Connecticut Taxpayers that there will be no respite from paying excessive, new and higher taxes any time soon, and no respite from living with the daily fear of crime and/or having their vehicles broken into and or stolen. Rather, Connecticut Taxpayers received more of the same in review of just some of the brutal bills that will end up costing Connecticut Taxpayers more in taxes and the costs of goods and services they must purchase, thanks to the arrogant Connecticut Democrat Party.
As discussed last week, the horrific HB 5431 "AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE STABILIZATION SUPPORT AND ARPA REPLACEMENT FUND" did indeed pass. Unbelievably, it does mandate for Connecticut Taxpayers to pay for unemployment benefits for striking workers. Why did this pass? Why has the definition of being unemployed changed? Further, why does the burden in the Land of Steady Habits never shift from off the backs of the private sector and small business?
But unfortunately, the oppression does not stop there. These same beleaguered small businesses will now see increased costs from HB 5005 "AN ACT STUDYING PAID SICK DAYS" that expands the types of employees that receive annual paid sick leave. It will also gratuitously expand the definition of “family members” for family leave purposes. This Act will also increase the rate at which leave accrues and broaden the diverse ways leave days can be used. These changes will of course cause an increase in the costs of operating a business which will only be passed on to consumers in the form of higher costs for goods and services. Again, why is there yet one other job-killing business-hostile policy lifted on to the backs of tired and poor taxpayers and small businesses? Yet one is supposed to believe that this Democrat Party-driven policy is a great benefit and blessing to the masses, and the shrinking coffers of the private sector can be damned.
Of course, in Connecticut’s Land of Steady Habits there are never (ever) any proposals from the legislature to lower taxes, cut, cap and end pensions, eliminate "quasi-public" organizations, or to otherwise shrink and streamline the Connecticut Administrative State. But predictably, we see the opposite. As a matter of social justice and right, several bills were brought forth demanding new and higher taxes and or increases in capital gains. After all, this is the Land of Steady Habits! It is the habitual hissing and popping of a broken record, repeating and repeating the same old refrain. More of what we have heard about for the past 34 years. More money will solve all of Connecticut's social ills (like crime), more money is needed for failing schools, more money is needed for underpaid Connecticut state unionized employees, more money is needed for the big, dangerous and corrupt cities such as Bridgeport and New Haven. The list is always endless, and the results are always horrific since nothing is ever mentioned in the state-run media about The Land of Steady Habits having $100 to $150 billion dollars in short- and long-term debt along with a myriad of unfunded liabilities.
What do Connecticut Taxpayers really get for a $26 billion dollar plus yearly budget? What do Connecticut Taxpayers really receive for over $100 to $150 billion dollars in short- and long-term debt along with unfunded liabilities? Connecticut can't declare bankruptcy. It should, given its current insolvent economic state that has grown worse since the establishment of the Utopian cure-all state income tax. No matter how much your income is, you will never pay enough in taxes. No matter how much your taxes increase they will never keep up with the massive social ills, waste, and the increasing and crony driven Administrative State in The Land of Steady Habits that just keeps getting bigger and bigger year-in and year-out.
Taxpayers never get a break in Connecticut, but rather will be broken. The Democrat Party of The Land of Steady Habits will make sure of that forever.

The Economic Farcical Clown Show Commonly Known As Connecticut

This past week, the poor, beleaguered taxpaying citizens of Connecticut were treated to the public sham and spectacle of the state’s leading political brain trust cursing and condemning supermarket operators for “price gouging”. Since just about every single one of these people has never done anything whatsoever in the realm of private-sector gainful employment, or can tell the difference between a profit and loss statement and a kite, it does not dawn upon them (or just about anyone in the Connecticut Legislature) that bad and foolish energy policy is the root cause of the majority of economic problems. All products and services are affected by fuel. Fuel costs money. Fuel costs increase expenses. Expenses impact prices. And as my friend and colleague Tony De Angelo often says, it's as simple as that, and just as difficult. And unfortunately, these concepts are much too difficult to comprehend for just about every elected official in the state.
Welcome to the pie-in-the-sky fintech-wind powered-climate-change-terrified Economic woke-liberal universe, where simple economic facts understood by high school business students are difficult to comprehend for many of the liberals/Democrats and Socialists in our country. We can see this from the complete economic failures of the pathetic, inept, and corrupt Biden Administration featuring runaway inflation, a failed green energy plan, excessive taxation, and a crippling $34 trillion dollar National Debt. As apples do not follow far from trees, let us now focus on the vast economic wasteland with an omnipotent one party Democrat-ruled government known as Connecticut, with socialistic pressure on legitimate businesses, high taxation, a loss of jobs, a poor and uncoordinated infrastructure, an imperious administrative state, excessive state mandates on its cities and towns, and the excessive economic costs of rampant and unchecked crime that the state does not wish to control and frequently explains away in its state-run media broadcasts.
As just about no legacy–reward the loyal with government jobs media outlet in Connecticut can be trusted with any consistent objectivity, one is forced to look outside of the state to find honest and objective information as to what is actually happening. In this connection, these economic facts were presented in the "2024 Rich States, Poor States ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index © 2024 American Legislative Exchange Council report". (https://alec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2024-17th-RSPS-State-Pages_WEB.pdf). This report presents pure and objective economic facts for all 50 states. When reading the report, one can see the differences between "liberal Blue states" and "conservative Red states". As a spoiler alert, Connecticut did badly in this survey. According to the ALEC-Laffer State Economic Outlook Rankings, 2024, Connecticut is ranked 40th out of 50 states that is based upon equal-weighting of each state’s rank in 15 policy variables for this category. Connecticut ranked 48th out of 50 states for the ALEC-Laffer State Economic Performance Rankings, from 2012-2022 based on its State Gross Domestic Product that measures cumulative growth over this time frame, since it was only 33.59%, its non-farm payroll employment showed a .91% growth over the same time frame, and its absolute domestic move-out of state rate reflected a loss of 181,117 people over the same time frame (https://alec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2024-17th-RSPS-State-Pages_WEB.pdf page 12).
Also, there is one horrible elephant in the state-run media newsroom that this veritable Ministry of Information does not want for you to focus on...Illegal Immigration. Just how many illegal migrants are being transported into the state? Credible reports from real citizens tell us of squatters and break-ins happening in formerly safe neighborhoods. Every bordering Blue State to Connecticut unabashedly admits its mismanagement and incompetence in not being able to stem the tide of the Biden open-border policy. But we have none of those issues in the Land of King Ned Lamont the Unaccountable! He keeps Connecticut safe! Much like he mismanaged Covid-19 while busily figuring out how he could rip off Pandemic money. After all, it's simply the best state to be in!
Regardless of the state-run media spin that Connecticut residents pay for with their tax dollars, even an unobservant observer can tell what is happening in the state by just living here from day to day. Connecticut is graced with high state and local taxes, a high minimum wage, a high debt service as a share of tax revenue along with it also not being a right to work state. Connecticut is perpetually in a recession of its own making. Connecticut is always at the bottom of most business and economic categories. Connecticut still has over $100 to $150 billion dollars in short- and long-term debt along with unfunded liabilities. Economic facts are difficult to accept to the economically illiterate Democrat Party at any level of government. Tax more, spend more, promise more, demand more, rule as dictators never compromising on anything at all especially economic issues is their platform. It is a platform that has failed miserably but is endorsed at all costs to the point of economic ruin.
As the above-mentioned report is proof of the failures of Democrat led states such as Connecticut, one really does not need it. Just venture a little way into the state and draw your own conclusions.

 

 

About Taxes: The Lies They Taught Us in Connecticut Schools.

 

If you attended a Connecticut school prior to the Millenium, you were taught that taxes were the obligation of a free people in order to defend freedom, educate children, and to keep peace and order in society. You were also taught that we, the people, had rule over government as we were able to vote people in and out of office and to determine how our money was spent. Although no system is perfect, the tax system we all understood worked remarkably well in funding the many interests of a vibrant and varied society.

However, in recent years, the Connecticut power to tax its citizens has become a license to oppress the rights of Connecticut citizens and to dilute their power by taking away their substance. The new mantra from Connecticut Government is: Do as I say and do not question what I say, since you are a mere vassal. If you question my ruling powers, I will then try to limit everything you say and/or do by deeming it offensive or calling it disinformation or (pray-tell), racism, especially if you use social media and/or question my infallible judgment during a supposed pandemic.

Sounds bizarre? Think again. This is now the reality of life in Connecticut. Connecticut's state government continues to act like a big bully you hated in school, always busy picking on someone and making them miserable. If you are a small business owner with no political ties, you have no voice or choice and may have lost everything you worked for during the pandemic and the daily dictates given by the Lamont regime to “keep you safe from harm.” If you dare to challenge or criticize an elected official or an unelected highly compensated bureaucrat publicly or on social media, be prepared to be punished, ridiculed, and/or silenced. If you have been robbed or have had a family member murdered, you need to understand that the criminal is the victim while you have been made to be the criminal in voicing your outrage against your injustice and the lawless act committed against you and your family. If you have had a family member die of an illegal drug overdose, there is nothing you can do about since your government endorses a fully open border with the free flow of illegals and illegal drugs to come into our country and state to help murder more Americans daily while an entirely out-of-control state blathers drivel and continually promises to “do something” as “it cares about the people”.
So, let us return to the textbook definition: Taxes are defined as "a mandatory payment or charge collected by local, state, and national governments from individuals or businesses to cover the costs of general government services, goods, and activities." (taxfoundation.org). Do the costs of general government include eliminating dissenting opinions? Do the costs of general government include eliminating freedom of speech and constitutional rights? Do the costs of general government include eliminating political opposition and interfering with elections as we are currently seeing with President Trump? Do the costs of general government include supporting the information machine of the elect at taxpayer expense? Do the costs of general government include eliminating the rule of law and order? Do the costs of general government include eliminating medical and personal freedoms as we saw with the reported pandemic? Does the costs of general government include the complete eradication of ethics in government through a never-ending profit chain for King Ned Lamont The Unaccountable’s family hedge funds during the entire time he has been in office? Do the costs of general government include eliminating any form of transparency in government and the continual funding of a perpetually-inept ethics office causing this behavior to continue endlessly? Do the costs of general government include the elimination of a free market economic system in favor of a bribe-type of economy favoring an elect few using the hoax of
“economic development dollars”? Do the costs of general government include the free flow of illegal drugs into our country? Do the costs of general government include eliminating a legal border and to allow criminals and terrorists in with no questions asked? Do the costs of general government include the public safety disaster that is now either a Connecticut city or interstate highway? Since the state and our country are such an economic and social nightmare why are our taxes being collected and used in this manner of rack and ruin?

Many also believe our state and country are at a breaking point. The regime-like atmosphere in Hartford and Washington has bred a massive decline in our society. A ridiculous and abusive State of the Union address made by a pathetic and corrupted Democrat President Biden only reinforces his hatred of any and all expressing opposition to the Democrat Party New World Order of deception and totalitarian rule. Connecticut's elected demigods, ruling with an iron fist, have helped nurture the decline in the state for many years with the net result of a state saddled with $125 to $150 Billion dollars in short- and long-term debt along with unfunded liabilities. It is also comical to note that there is no plan whatsoever to pay down this debt, ever, and no elected official of any party ever raises this highly cautionary point. American and Connecticut Taxpayers are sick of runaway inflation, runaway crime, and runaway taxes to support this debris and waste being served to us a supposed elected government.

There needs to be a real change in both our elected officials and our government. Enough of this horrific path to economic and social destruction. Our taxes need to start going to a real democracy again to serve the citizenry, and not a socialist, oppressive, failed system of ruthless control of the masses while benefiting the politically collected reign of the chosen and the few. We, The People of our great state and country are no longer being represented, the time for a change is today. For failure to make these most critical changes would result in the destruction of the State of Connecticut and the United States of America.

What Exactly are the Connecticut “Fiscal Guardrails?”

For a number of years, Connecticut taxpayers have heard many statements out of the mouths of politicians and in media about “fiscal guardrails.” This buzz-phrase had its origins during the 2017 state budget negotiations and ever since has been trumpeted as a security system of sorts against fiscal recklessness and insanity in the State of Connecticut. However, since the onset of the 2024 Legislative session, this term has been used increasingly as a term equivalent to a gold standard of ensuring against fiscal ruin. To this end, I have felt it incumbent upon me to strip the concepts to bare metal and describe what the Connecticut “fiscal guardrails” really mean, and as to if the basis they have in actuality.
To understand what the guardrails are is amazing look at the creative “funny money" accounting of Connecticut's government going all the way back to 1991. Unbelievably a "spending cap" was enacted as part of the agreement to give Connecticut a State Income Tax in 1991. That "spending cap" was summarily ignored by careless feel-good legislators on both sides until said cap was rebranded as the "fiscal guardrails" in 2017 as the state was entangled in excessive spending, borrowing, bonding and ignoring all of its long term unfunded liabilities including (but not limited to) the bulbous state pensions paid to retired state employees and state legislators (with many checks sent to low/no tax states where these people now live). Therefore, rather than dealing with sharp fiscal controls, expense reduction, and eliminating the waste, fraud, abuse, and oppressive administrative state redundancy in Connecticut, these "fiscal guardrails" were instituted to accomplish a mere three restraints on spending, being, a spending cap of a base percentage tied to the inflation rate, a volatility cap that forces excess revenue from variable revenue sources to go first to the budget reserve and then to underfunded pensions, and a revenue cap that limits state spending in order to create the illusion of a surplus. Trying to understand these "fiscal guardrails" since 2017 is a colossal study of a vague theory never quite catching up with the reality of the fiscal wreckage and spending horror that unfortunately, is the Nutmeg State.
To make the weakened “fiscal guardrails” concept example even more clear, let us take a step back to reflect on basic fiscal realities. In 1991, the Connecticut State Budget was $7.7 billion dollars. In 2024 Connecticut is sporting a $26 billion dollar budget. That is a 335% increase in state spending. Adjusting that figure for inflation, we see that it has increased roughly 135%. In that same period, Connecticut's population has stagnated by increasing between only 5% and 9% depending on what you read and or believe and state GDP has cratered with rampant business departures and the loss of professional and high paying occupations. Thus, state spending has accelerated to an incredible level with little increase in its population. And Connecticut proudly boasts one of the highest property tax rates in the country in addition to one of the highest state rates in the country while being a constant bottom five states in business categories in one of the most business-unfriendly and avoided states in the union. Also, Connecticut has $100 to $150 billion dollars in short- and long-term debt along with unfunded liabilities (such as the state pension fund). Contrary to the rhetoric of King Ned Lamont (aka “the Unaccountable”), his Democrat Party, and his state-run media spokespeople, legal and productive citizens and new businesses are not flocking to the state, nor have they been coming in since 1991, going all the way back to the enactment of the first state income tax.
In 2024 like past years, cries from liberal sources spew their hatred against all "fiscal guardrails", as incomplete as they may be. From liberal/socialist Democrat State Representatives and State Senators to the insatiable SEBAC-state government union groups, to the money that is never spent on children and for the perpetual deficit of state higher education, we will hear the shrieks of “more spending” is essential for Connecticut to survive! It is borderline miraculous as to how Connecticut has survived since 1991 in overspending and overtaxing its dwindling business and legal citizens for 33 years.
But where is the improvement of over three decades of reckless spending? One may notice that there is massive crime, a decaying infrastructure, shameful cities, massive state debt, massive taxes, and a migration out of the state even with these minimal "fiscal guardrails" that are a battle cry to Democrat Party socialists who wish to end them. In fact, if more money is the answer to all the problems stated above, then why isn't Connecticut flourishing in 2024? Why has Connecticut now become dependent on tax revenues from public safety and societal hazards such as legalized gambling of all forms and now legalized marijuana sales? What is next for the state; legalized taxed prostitution? Legalized heroin? Psychedelic mushrooms? I am now of the belief that there is no limit to the lows where this can all go.
In addition, many wonder how these "fiscal guardrails" are working in the least when the state somehow magically saves $20 billion dollars in 25 years by making payments to its underfunded pension fund. If indeed true, will this $20 billion dollar windfall be used to lower taxes in the state? Or will it just be used to throw more many at failed social programs that do little for the state? Why cannot state government fiscal restraint be the norm as it is for Connecticut families and businesses who are fighting for their economic survival in 2024?
So, while there may be some partial benefit in the concept of the "fiscal guardrails", said concept is not nearly adequate for the fiscal out of control wreckage that is Connecticut. Real, honest-to-goodness guardrails would be an effort towards consolidation and fiscal transparency while removing the Connecticut cancers of waste, fraud, abuse, and redundancy. Instead as we stand, the wonders of Connecticut government are akin to placing hard working legal Connecticut Taxpayers in an ill-equipped electric vehicle gasping down the wrong side of a potholed highway to a slow and painful fiscal death. But The Connecticut Democrat Party cannot wait to rail that any sort of "fiscal guardrail", even limited ones, be dismantled and destroyed for the last time.

The 2024 Illusion of The State Speech, by Connecticut's King

In the annual illusory pageant called the opening day of the Connecticut State Legislative session, it is surprising to see the wan and pale King Ned Lamont (aka “the Unaccountable”), wearing a tie. But, he was. For some strange reason be it is an election year and/or to give himself a break from his usual disheveled and unkempt appearance, Lamont gave an incredible and unbelievable Utopian cure-all to the peons, alluding (but not limited to), affordable housing, electric car mandates, climate change control, and fiscal stability. However, if you think this projection of governmental Nirvana was to continue unabated, it turns out that the standard political theater was in effect. Side bets were made as to when the planned and confused “Pro- Palestinian” protesters would come in to disrupt the speech, and they did, crying "Cease Fire!" Ensuring they would be heard and to be shown on all the local state-run newscasts later, the planned cries worked wonders to help hide the Unaccountable’s trips to Israel and/or to Gaza on at least three occasions over two years for whatever reason he went there for. (And he was indeed wiser since his horrific performance during New Haven’s protest a month ago, as he made no mention of the same).
Lamont’s speech was a tall tale to everyone and anyone who was willing to listen. It highlighted most, (if not all) of the failed Democrat Party policies that have brought America to its knees both socially and economically. The speech was heavy on giving away Connecticut Taxpayers’ monies to the Democrat Party constituency via programs such as affordable housing that will be controlled by profit making Lamont type companies and will eventually push electric vehicle mandates to combat the incredible global warming/climate change naturally occurring since the beginning of time. Of course, climate change will now be successfully controlled by profit making Lamont type companies. The speech was huge on feel good programs and vote-buying while being noticeably short on the specifics on how everything will be paid for. But what difference does any of this make? This is the usual rhetoric that Connecticut Taxpayers hear year in and year out. They will pay in the final summary as they do each year while many delusional legislators and simpatico nonprofits claim taxes are too low, and taxpayers must pay more to support the government charade.
Affordable housing is really big in Connecticut now. It is so big, that there is now a war against the evil, racist Connecticut homeowner. Even though you may have worked extra jobs and saved up enough money to purchase a home and paid your mortgage and property taxes consistently, you are now the problem and evil equivalent of pond-scum in Connecticut. But in the happy delusional world of The Unaccountable and the legislature, there are no real issues in this vein and Connecticut is a desirable jewel that people cannot wait to move to. Lamont stated: "And people are noticing. Unlike our neighboring states which are losing population, Connecticut has gained population over the last few years. Today we have more people working, more people starting businesses, more people joining labor unions with better pay and better benefits, more of our graduates staying in Connecticut, and more out-of-staters wanting to move here. One warning sign: we have too many people who cannot find a place to live – it is not available, or it is not affordable. Our biennial budget doubles our investment in housing – workforce housing, affordable housing, supportive housing, elder housing, and downtown apartments." He further stated: "If you already own a home, you may be doing great, but a lack of housing drives up costs for everybody else and increases the risk of homelessness." (https://portal.ct.gov/Office-of-the-Governor/News/Speeches/Governor-Lamont-2024-State-of-the-State-Address) As an economist reviewing this delusional diatribe, I wonder why the actual laws of supply and demand are not at work in Connecticut's housing market? Who (or what) controls "affordable housing"? Why do Lamont and his political operatives want to control zoning in all towns and cities while offering their preferred crony developers to get the work to create this new and somehow affordable housing?

Always bear in mind that Connecticut Raised Bill H.B. No. 6890. "(i)s a scary and hideous eight-page law proposal, whereby any clear-thinking person can quickly perceive its mission to remove local cities and towns from oversight of their zoning laws and regulations. It should alarm most local taxpayers as to what they will have to look forward to in their communities. This Bill, also known as "Work, Live, Ride" will give incentives for what is known as “transit-oriented development” within a half mile of bus and train stations. This horrific plan would be executed under the auspices of an autonomous new "Coordinator "working in the new "Office of Responsible Growth" within the Intergovernmental Policy Division of the Office of Policy and Management. This position creates a non-elected state bureaucrat "Zoning Czar" to override local zoning laws within the areas of bus and train stations for the purpose of promoting grant-subsidized housing" (https://swickspeak.blogspot.com/2023/03/zoning-law-blues-in-democrat.htm)
“Desegregate Connecticut" being a suspect organization that still backs this type of illogical development, has a main financial source backed by several large corporate interests that would profit from this type of development near these locations, and also will be subsidized by Connecticut Taxpayers. Is this then the type of "affordable housing" Lamont is pushing for in 2024? To strip local zoning laws from towns and cities and further destroy what once were excellent communities?
However, despite all of the platitudes of the “fiscal guardrails” that we hear bandied about state media, there was no mention in The Unaccountable’s speech as to the brutal realities of Connecticut being one of the highest taxed states in the country, a bottom five state in most business categories, and still having between $100 to $150 billion dollars in short and long term debt along with unfunded liabilities. However, Lamont stated: "okay, in addition to making our regular payments to the pension fund we have paid down an extra $8 billion, saving taxpayers about $800 million every year for the next 25 years that can be dedicated to critical services, and we have added thousands of new taxpayers, which further strengthens our budget and our future." How Lamont magically saved over $20 billion dollars in 25 years should astound any finance/accounting/economist in Connecticut as to the inner-workings of this magical transformation.
However, according to members of his own party such as State Senate President Martin Looney the Lamont speech fell short: "Looney, a New Haven Democrat, believes the state must do more to provide for the middle and working classes. He has floated possible changes to the current “guardrails” regime to fund increased state investment in childcare, mental health services, higher education, and other social welfare programs..." (https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/hartford/connecticut-legislators-react-to-gov-ned-lamonts-2024-state-of-the-state-address) How much more investment is needed is unknown and since Looney has been in office for a mere 30 plus years, it seems that no amount of money can solve these issues. Moreover, is not Looney a large part of the problem as he has overseen a massive decline in Connecticut since he assumed office back in 1992?
Thus, the State of the State speech in 2024 is no different than since Dan Malloy bellowed his rhetoric in 2011.
These days, Connecticut has enormous social and economic problems with unchecked crime, unaddressed in the speech. Sadly, it is the same chorus of more money solves all problems, more and larger state government solves all problems, and one must follow the path of giving up personal freedoms for the sake of an omnipotent state Democrat Party that rules by force and decree, and now, legalized robbery of taxpayers.
Nothing really changes in the sad state of Connecticut.