The Pharisee And The Publican- The Connecticut Democrat Version of 2026

Most people are familiar with the Biblical tale of the Pharisee and the Publican.

It goes something like this: Two men went up to the temple to pray: one a Pharisee (a member of a Jewish religious group known for strict observance of the Law) and the other a publican/tax collector (a figure often viewed as a sinner and collaborator with Roman authorities, despised).

 

• The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.”
•  
• The tax collector (publican) stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

In the Bible, two men came before God seeking him and one was able to approach God for mercy, being of a sincere heart. In the political theater of Connecticut, two men came before members of their party seeking primary votes. Sadly, both failed miserably as both projected no sense of sincerity whatsoever.

 

Welcome to the 2026 Democrat Version of the Pharisee and The Publican. 

 One, Josh Elliott wants to be the Governor of Connecticut so badly he can taste it. He demands your vote as any good Communist/Socialist Young Democrat demands. He confronted the Taxpayer funded Capitalist evil, enemy Governor Ned Lamont in a 45-minute debate held on July 22 on WTNH News 8 for all to see (https://www.wtnh.com/news/elections/lamont-elliott-spar-over-taxes-utility-costs-and-ice-mask-policy-in-news-8-debate/). And what a stale, scripted debate it was.  The same old, same old, tired failed Democrat policies echoed repeatedly. The agreed-to, (or network prepared?) questions were out of central casting.   No new ideas or logical thought provided.

Here are some interesting and as expected quotes from this fight between two Democrat Party brothers in corruption. (https://ctmirror.org/2026/07/22/lamont-and-elliott-clash-politely-in-only-tv-debate-before-primary/)

 Elliott:  “We’re the second-most reliant state on the property tax, which is deeply regressive,” Elliott said Wednesday. “The only way we can fix this is through a fair tax structure, asking the wealthy to pay a commensurate amount, a fair amount.”  Hey Josh! how much are you going to charge the wealthy in taxes?  100%? 200%?  At what point do you think they will move out of your state and thus pay zero in Connecticut taxes as they have done in every other state except your own?  Have you seen anyone and or any business move into state to pay Connecticut taxes in your ten years of damaging public service as a State Representative? In fact, what businesses have moved in state, excepting those receiving 2% taxpayer-funded sweetheart loans from our should-be-abolished Department of Economic and Community Development? What experience do you have with said loans? Why don’t you ask your opponent Mr. Lamont about this type of 2% forgivable economic assistance as he is well familiar with multi-million-dollar fundings advanced to his wife’s investors via Sema-4 and the Digital Currency Group?  What have you done about any of this?  

Not much as your record of accomplishments in unrecognizable.

Elliott also stated: “When I see that I’m up against somebody who takes my message and does the Temu version of it, I find it deeply frustrating,” “The fact is, I’m glad we’re rowing the same direction, but not quite the same, and not quite the same velocity. We could do so much more here in Connecticut, and the fact is, we have to fight for fairness up and down the board.”  What is this fairness he is talking about? Political nepotism for Connecticut Democrat Party operatives as in Bridgeport? More low-income jobs, multi-unit housing, and supporting dependency on the backs of the remaining legitimate taxpayers in the state? More gender-affirming care for innocent children?

Lamont:  “He (Elliott) doesn’t have much of a track record to talk about,” Lamont said. “I could talk about minimum wage. I could talk about economic growth. I could talk about the money we got for education and what we’re doing for health care. So, it gave me a lot of material to work with.”  Corrupted Capitalist Lamont could answer questions on how much did his family's hedge fund profit from Infosys Limited, Digital Currency Group and its affiliates, "ADVANCECT", Boston Consulting Group, UNITE US (CT), Mt. Sinai Genomics, "Thermo Fisher Scientific", "Sema 4", " Core Informatics", "Ocrulus", "Urjanet", "1life Healthcare", "Galileo Health", "Castlight Health", "Paladina Health", "4-CT", and "VillageMD ““The Horsebarn Hill Investment Fund”, McKinsey, “CT Next”, and the Tidal River Fund, 'Baby Bonds portfolio, the UCONN Foundation, to name a few?  I wonder why the moderators of the debate nor Elliott did not bring these areas up. Also, why does the Boiler Room of Connecticut ("Connecticut Innovations") steadfastly refuse to release any information whatsoever on their portfolio holding “Yuma Asset Management?” Is it because it is directly related to that same Digital Currency Group, and neither you nor your wife ever really “got out” of that deal and you lied to the citizens as you are wont to do?

Or how about both candidates disclosing their Income tax returns? (Hey Josh! Be sure to ask for Annie’s separate return, especially the part of Schedule “B” that asks for locations of foreign investments such as the tax-free and secret Cayman Islands, an integral part of the Sema-4 debacle).

Lamont also added: “We’re getting our fiscal house in order, and we had some surpluses to allow us to pay down some of the pension debt,” Lamont said. “Now we have the resources we need to make some of the big investments to really make a difference in people’s lives.” But what are exactly these investments? More 2% loans? More throwing money in exchange for votes and gimmees? More picking of winners and losers? But who cares about Connecticut and its  $100 and $150 billion dollars in short and term debt along with unfunded liabilities? What is the plan to pay that off? Why are so many legal and illegal citizens on state taxpayer funded social aid? Why do you never seem to care about any of that?

 You could have predicted the rest of debate. More rhetoric, more theatrics, and more spins on one of the worst performing states economically in the country.  Are you excited about either Democrat Party candidate? I would venture to say no as both will end up increasing state spending, increasing taxes, do less to try to combat crime and take away more of your personal freedoms. It’s the same garbage force fed to you by the Connecticut Democrat Party and its state-run media since time immemorial. It is the same rhetoric and the same lies over and over again. And most insultingly, they believe that no one sees (or cares).

Yes, both candidates are "insincere" about representing Connecticut. Both candidates represent the powerful economic and social self-interests that have made them career politicians with zero accomplishments. One candidate desperately wants to be important and be a good socialist helping to tear apart our country and its very fabric of being. The current Governor is desperately trying to keep his family's Connecticut Taxpayer funded increase in wealth, through the biggest bunch of shell companies with zero transparency and the stock deer-in-the-headlights look whenever he is confronted with a question of self-dealing or leveraging the state for personal gain. Both are inept and both are unfit to serve the Connecticut Taxpayer. 

It is the 2026 Connecticut Democrat Version of the Pharisee and The Publican. The difference, is, neither Elliott or Lamont promises to repent, straighten up, and fly right.

 

Is An “Election” A Mythological Term In Connecticut?

 Since we had such a fun time in last week’s Chris Murphy article using definitions of terms, I decided to start in like manner this week.

1)  ELECTION: An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population or group freely votes to choose an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office or other position of responsibility.

 

2)  CANDIDATE: A candidate is a person who petitions to run for public office.

 

3)  POLITICAL PARTY: A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in elections and participate in governance. It is common for the members of a party to coalesce around similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or policy goals.

 

4)  REPRESENTATIVE: A representative is a person chosen to speak or act on behalf of others, especially in government.

 

5)  DISENFRANCHISEMENT: Disenfranchisement means taking away someone’s right to vote or making it very hard for them to vote. This can happen in many ways including voter discouragement, where people are not directly blocked from voting but are pushed not to vote by removing their input and opinion from the process.

 

6)  43% OF CONNECTICUT VOTERS THAT VOTED FOR TRUMP IN 2024:  Cannot relate to any number above, (but for 5)

In review of just several of the horrors of this past month concerning elections and the conduct of those in political high places this week, I am forced to wonder: Does voting and elections matter anymore in Connecticut? Many wonder if their votes even count any more in Connecticut in any type of election given the mass amount of deception, fraud and lies that Connecticut Taxpayers are force fed daily. This upcoming state election is yet another case in point as over 43% of the voting public wonder if anyone will ever represent them and not even caring what their feelings and sentiments may be. Unbelievably, not everyone in Connecticut agrees with Omnipotent One-Party Socialist Democrat Party diatribes and jeremiads that are blabbered on a daily basis over the should-be starved out state run and paid for media channels. Many people turn off such drivel and are searching for vision, boldness, and aggressiveness heretofore unseen in the land of the established Connecticut political system.

And in the words of the late ABC Sportscaster Howard Cosell, this, is a sick scene, that speaks for itself.

We were once told that Connecticut Governor King Ned Lamont The Unaccountable was both beloved and un-defeatable. However, reality has this nasty habit of being (well), real, and this reality is finally catching up to The Unaccountable. We now see storm clouds brewing over what was once the Lamont Sea of tranquility as The Unaccountable is doing everything he can to appease the radical left that the Connecticut Democrat Party has transformed into in addition to protecting his wife's cash flow into their Oak HC/FT hedge fund place in state-connected business and pension assets. Crossing over, the Republican Party front runner against Lamont, Mayor Erin Stewart is imploding with new revelations of her Administration and questionable dealing with both back dated taxes and her boorish ad entitled request for a partial pension for 14 years of service to the city of New Britain (https://ctmirror.org/2026/04/30/ct-erin-stewart-mayor-pension-benefit/). Many workers in Connecticut in that 43% block have worked for many years with NO PENSIONS after any number of years and have to deal with it.  Many workers in Connecticut in that 43% block continue to question why Connecticut state workers and elected officials are so deserving of massive pensions for their work? Meanwhile, many workers in Connecticut in that 43% bloc are fast concluding that elected officials view them only as a means to fatten their wallets and to bankroll their farcical conduct while masquerading in something called “representative government”.

But perhaps there is hope after all! Providing a breath of fresh air to the Republican race is former New York Lieutenant Governor Betsy McCaughey and her no-nonsense approach to resolving Connecticut's never-ending problems. In true Connecticut politics fashion, McCaughey, a conservative, is being unapologetically shut out by the party's hierarchy https://x.com/ct_unite/status/2049316754514411701?s=20. Moreover, the Connecticut GOP is so inexplicably impotent that it refuses to capitalize on the national dismembering of Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro by EPA Secretary Lee Zeldin this past week https://x.com/epaleezeldin/status/2048895480151593427?s=20. But due to this ostensible lack of enthusiasm for the party, the outlying problem in the upcoming election is once again a lack of Republican candidates to run against the entrenched Democrat candidates in the State House and State Senate. Several non-Republican Party individuals have geared up to get candidates to run in these open seats. To many this should have been the first priority of the party right after their crushing state losses in 2024. The weakness and cowardice resonates as the call for a full investigation into Ned Lamont's financial streams and for a full disclosure of his income tax statements has never been made by Connecticut Republicans. We still have no answers to dealings with  "Thermo Fisher Scientific", "Sema 4", " Core Infomatics", “Centrellis”. "Ocrulus", "Urjanet", "1life Healthcare", "Galileo Health", "Castlight Health", "Paladina Health", and "VillageMD",  the Lamont-related Cayman Island partnerships, large Cayman Islands deals such as the "Horsebarn Hill Investment Fund" hiding in the UCONN Foundation,  and other deals working through “quasi-public” organizations such as Lamont-connected (and covert) “Connecticut Innovations”. No Republican candidate for his office ever raises these issues, which have all been documented since Tony De Angelo broke the stories of Sema4 and Digital Currency Group several years back. Why is this continuing to be hidden? And why are the Republicans so silent about it? Can these inroads be more entrenched than what we may have imagined previously?

Through  it all, Connecticut's problems have not cleared up in any way, shape, or form. Connecticut still has massive short- and long-term debt between 100 and 150 Billion dollars, an illegal immigrant problem, a massive crime problem, a huge corruption problem, a horrific illegal drug problem, an infrastructure problem, a gross incompetency problem in the Great Connecticut Administrative State,  and a critical crisis in the ethics, honesty, information sharing, and transparency of its state government, all of which are funded by Connecticut taxpayers.  Connecticut has one of the highest tax rates in the country, one of the highest electric rates in the country and one of the most toxic business climates in the country. These are all Republican campaign platforms that this state party should be about on a minute-by-minute basis.

Connecticut therefore needs a leader in the mold of a President Trump. Someone who is willing to make real decisions to improve the state in a variety of ways; economically, ethically, and socially. A leader who will reverse the down arrow. A leader who must confront the evil empire that the Connecticut's political system on both sides of the aisle has developed into. The Connecticut Republican Party and the remaining RINO's therein also need to be held accountable. Why do we not see filibusters and walking out on votes of 1000 page bills delivered 30 minutes prior to vote? This would be a start. Good old 1960’s tactics like sit-ins and pickets work wonders. How about bringing lawsuits against these putrid bills? This should be the norm. Tying up illegal and unconstitutional laws in courts for years to come is also essential. Given the horrific state of Connecticut's corrupted state government, this election should be an overwhelming victory for the Connecticut Republican Party and not the confusing morass we are witnessing.

Can anyone step up to this challenge and actually take back Connecticut to the once great state that it was? Or is it doomed to be a cesspool of socialist bombast and grandiloquence, turning the state into a permanent sewer of economic and social failure? Meanwhile, 43% of the state is crying for their voice. I respectfully ask the Republican Party not to blow this opportunity to connect with these folks, just like they have blown every opportunity hand-delivered to them previously. The future of Connecticut and all citizens born and unborn, depends on it.

Connecticut: Its The Debt, Stupid

Over the past twenty years, I have been writing to tell readers again and again about the wretched state of Connecticut finances, and the incredible amount of debt heaped upon poor and innocent taxpayers by arrogant, ignorant, and uncaring politicians. I have also written time and time again about the stranglehold of the omnipotent and incompetent Connecticut Democrat Party, in addition to some of the weak-minded Connecticut Republicans that have made that party's job that much easier. Many times, I felt discouraged that I was not getting through. But when I finished and published last week’s article on the sickening and redundant $9,700,000,000 bipartisan approved bonding for largely special-interest and vanity projects, something happened. Multiple thousands pf people read the article over several platforms. My good friend and colleague made this a point of his February 17 Lee Elci Show segment. TONY DE ANGELO LEE ELCI- LEE ELCI SHOW 2 17 2026

 And all of this led to one point of critical mass. The Connecticut taxpayer is mad as hell at politicians and pontificators that have created a fiscal mess that will take years to shovel out of. State taxpayers, livid at the increasing amount of costs they face every day, are finally (and fully) lambasting politicians for the morass they have created for decades.

However, the only group of people not reading that memorandum and acting upon it are those very same arrogant and stiff-necked politicians that created the mess in the first place. Unfortunately the elementary concepts of (what is) the present value of a dollar, the time value of money and the opportunity cost of deficit spending are lost on almost the entire state government, who see fiscal management as throwing a sack of cash at their district and begging reelection. Nothing else matters to them, nor do they really care about the generational burdens they are heaping upon citizens. For reelection is Job No. 1. In turn, you, do not matter in the least.

As this selective arrogance and ignorance grow from elected officials, Connecticut's state government debt grows year in and year out. It has been like this since 1991. A recent Reason Foundation analysis of October 23, 2025, studied and reported on Connecticut's massive debt problem. Their report confirms what I have been stating for several years that the state has $100 to $150 billion dollars in short- and long-term debt along with unfunded liabilities. The following figures are taken from this report: (https://reason.org/transparency-project/gov-finance-2025/state/)

Total State Debt: Connecticut #7    $94.43 billion "On a per capita basis, Connecticut had the highest state debt, with $26,187 of debt per state resident at the end of 2023."  

State Government debt per capita Connecticut #1 $26,187

State Government long term debt Connecticut #7 $86.3 billion

 State Government long term debt per capita Connecticut #1 $23,934

 State Government net pension debt Connecticut #6 $40.36 billion "On a per capita basis, Illinois again had the most pension debt, with $11,355 per resident. Connecticut was (2) close behind with $11,192 per capita pension debt."

 State government other-post employment benefit debt Connecticut #7 $16.9 billion "The rest of the states with the most OPEB debt per capita at the end of 2023 were Connecticut ($4,687) ..."

State government other-post employment benefit debt per capita Connecticut #3 $4,687

Total of every state government's outstanding bonds, loans, and notes Connecticut #6 $29.17 billion "In per capita terms, the state governments of Hawaii and Connecticut rank first and second, respectively, with outstanding bonds of over $8,000 per resident."

Per capita amount of every state government's outstanding bonds, loans, and notes Connecticut #2, $8,090

If one examines the limited data one can find for Fiscal years 2024 and 2025, one will see the same excessive debt and borrowing for Connecticut. Connecticut continues to lead the nation in debt. This newer information is difficult to find as the Democrat Administration of Governor Ned Lamont does not believe in transparency whatsoever and would much rather hide these figures from the diligent Connecticut Taxpayers who are enslaved to Connecticut's drug infused spending and debt addictions.  How a state as small as Connecticut has this much debt and spends this amount yearly is incomprehensible, especially in this election year. Realistically, Connecticut politicians could give a damn about how much money they spend and how much debt the state has since it will not be their problem. The protected political elite of Connecticut, along with its cronies, sycophants, toadies, and lackeys will make sure they become vested in a perpetual state Taxpayer funded pension with unlimited lifetime benefits, in addition to lifetime health care, all paid at your expense. Why should these elitists and state-connected people settle for Medicare as the rest of working population must, when their damaging, fiscally inept policies that have driven the state to the brink of bankruptcy, entitles them to a superior lifetime health care plan for themselves and their families? “To the victors go the spoils!"  is the essence of the ruling Connecticut political elite. Connecticut is in essence broke and has been broke for years. And about every person wearing a political uniform does not give a damn about that, if they even understand the damage they are creating.

But again, who cares? 

The new Connecticut state budget, spending over $28 billion dollars for the year, follows the same yearly script. As we have been told for decades, more spending will solve all the state's problems such as food insecurity (as in the yearly salary of non-profit Connecticut Foodshare's President and CEO's Jason Jakubowski at near $400,000), homeless issues, illegal drug deaths and addictions, a crumbling transportation infrastructure,  widespread worker’s compensation fraud, excessively high taxes, a failing public education system where students cannot read nor write, voting fraud in Bridgeport and other locations, fraud and lost funds in the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development as more millions are heaped upon it,  and two incoherent, screaming United States Senators who are an insult to the voters of Connecticut.  And as the debt keeps growing, the same rhetoric is spewed with the same failed debt results. That is the reality of Connecticut's poor economy and horrific economic policies and programs.

The Republican candidates for Governor could easily win the upcoming election and all state offices by campaigning on the debt issue, expense reduction, and full transparency. If only they would challenge the failed economic policies of the Lamont Administration every step of the way and the financial enrichment that the Lamont family has nurtured through their hedge fund and their deceptive investments, victory and permanent change would be assured. Again after many years, we still do not have any answers to Ned Lamont's family hedge fund (Oak HC/FT Partners), investments in Rapyd, a global Fintech-as-a-service provider, and Unqork, both having documented common-investment ties to "Infosys", that same Infosys that received Connecticut taxpayers monies. We have no disclosures as to what happened in the Lamont-Infosys trip to India in February of 2025 completed under that secret cloak of that same-secret ADVANCE CT. Nor are any answers forthcoming from associated companies relating to the Covid-19 crisis that include "Thermo Fisher Scientific", "Sema 4", " Core Infomatics", “Centrellis”. "Ocrulus", "Urjanet", "1life Healthcare", "Galileo Health", "Castlight Health", "Paladina Health", and "VillageMD" to name several. Nor are there ever any answers to the questions concerning the Lamont-related Cayman Island partnerships, large Cayman Islands deals such as the "Horsebarn Hill Investment Fund" hiding in the UCONN Foundation,  and other funny-money deals working through “quasi-public” organizations such as the now-clearly Lamont-connected (and covert) “Connecticut Innovations”.  Again, your standard-issue Connecticut legislator never asks those questions, as getting re-elected, throwing cash, smiling in pictures, and signing on to inane and sometimes perverted causes take on a much higher priority.

Connecticut's debt and deception by the Lamont Administration continues to choke the state's economy. But again, who really cares except for Connecticut's Taxpayers who will never be heard and several non-paid citizen journalists who are condemned and vilified by the socialists who desperately glorify their own failures in society by pushing their perversions as policy parameters. 

Dear Candidates: The game, is over here: The lights need to come on. For once. For you. You need to grasp these concepts and actually, think. Connecticut and its debt are the real and true campaign issues in 2026. 

Too bad no one is listening. 

The Affordability of Courage

What makes something affordable? How is that defined? And does affordability mean different things to different economic groups in our economy? And why has Connecticut become so unaffordable to those remaining legal, working, middle-class, law-abiding citizens who remain? These are all legitimate questions for the upcoming Connecticut Governor’s race, which is fast approaching.

The election is starting off as scripted. Several candidates have emerged from the minority Republican Party, each with very different ideas and political ideologies, while the Democrat Party begins its familiar, fanatical condemnation of all things President Trump. Meanwhile, Ned Lamont, the ruling/ unaccountable King/Governor has humbly announced that he is running yet again for another term. Left-wing, socialist, communist-leaning young Democrats may also enter the race, declaring that Lamont is unfit to serve any longer because he is too old and not liberal enough to govern. They will threaten him with a primary if he does not give them what they demand. This amounts to free universal health care, free rent, free public transportation, free public education from birth through graduate school, free cell phones, free food, and anything else that comes to mind over the next few months. If you are one of those humble working taxpaying citizens of Connecticut, you will be paying for this as the Federal government is on to the continual waste, fraud and abuse that is the Gold Standard of the omnipotent Connecticut Democrat Party. The spigot for all of that foolishness is about to be cut off by the Trump administration. Trump administration orders review of federal funding in more than a dozen Democratic states | CNN Politics.  

The line is being drawn in the sand for November 2026.

So how does this apply to affordability? Or does affordability have something to do with courage?

If a candidate for Governor, especially a Republican, would boldly state out loud that Connecticut is no longer affordable and present a coherent and genuine citizen-centric economic plan to reduce the economic stress and pain of living in this state, they might actually be heard and could win the election by an overwhelming margin. And if Republicans also ran a candidate for every State House and Senate district rather than leaving many uncontested and unrepresented, this would represent a radical shift in campaign strategy and indicate a seriousness heretofore not present in what has been a weak and disjointed Republican Party. With a gubernatorial candidate advancing such a genuine, citizen-centric plan, they could realistically win General Assembly seats along with statewide offices such as Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Comptroller, and more. It really can be done if someone has the courage to address it, and clearly commit to ending the irritating deference to the state workforce and the Connecticut Administrative State.

Affordability in a one-party-ruled Democrat Connecticut, can easily become the ticket to real change in state government. Contrary to the daily deranged rhetoric of Connecticut Democrats and their paid followers, toadies, and lackeys, the reality is that they have made the state totally unaffordable. Excessive local and state taxes on nearly everything especially income taxes, high and excessive business taxes, user fees, vocational taxes, license taxes, gas taxes, electric taxes, natural gas taxes, and high sales taxes have all contributed greatly to the economic destruction of this once-prosperous state. It cannot be denied that the progressive, unyielding, anti-economic- tax rates and  administrative burdens and oppression of Connecticut have damaged the state to the point of becoming a bottom-five state in the country for business and economic performance.

Excessive and unchecked state spending driven by political nepotism with no transparency and sparse resistance at best, have helped nurture these high taxes that have vandalized the economy. This entire wretched mess could be stopped with a rational citizen-centric  Republican plan to cut the bloat of an ever-expanding state government that shows negative meaningful economic results year after year, especially when Connecticut has yet to recover from the Great Recession of 1989 thirty-six years later. Think about how poor that economic record is to run on in every election. But somehow, the omnipotent and incompetent Democrats remain in power, year after year (after year). How is that even possible?

2026 is really Custer’s Last Stand for the once-great state of Connecticut. If Connecticut is to survive both socially and economically, the Republican Party must reject its RINOs and all fealty to the administrative state and its agencies, and claim policies and programs that jump-start the state through lower state spending, lower state taxes, a real adult energy policy, and true transparency in how the state operates. Freedom of Information laws and requests should not be secrets from Connecticut taxpayers. The cries for a citizen DOGE must be heeded and propounded forthwith. The $100 to $150 billion in short- and long-term debt and unfunded liabilities should be discussed and debated daily, along with these real citizen-centric solutions presented.

This election, like the elections of the past 36 years, represents a true social and economic turning point for the state. This year, the Connecticut Democrat Party is out of deceptions, lies, and smokescreens to cover up its inability and lack of desire to represent the legal voters and taxpayers of the state. The Republican Party has a perfect opportunity to flush out the corruption, crime, deception, and fraud that the Democrat Party has utilized for personal and financial gain for years.The change is there for the taking. Does anyone have the vision and the courage to get Connecticut back on track? 

That is what Connecticut voters are voting for in November. And as of the time of this writing, this type of vision and courage is what we are still waiting for.

 

 

Connecticut: The Economy Stinks. So, Let's Make Things Up.

 

“Small businesses are the heart of our communities and economy. Yesterday in Southington, I toured F&F Concrete Manufacturing, spoke with local business owners, and visited Southington High School to hear from students about their goals.”

“Showing up and listening matters.”

(Ned Lamont, Governor of Connecticut- “X” Post- January 15, 2026)

As more and more businesses leave the state or close up in the face of that irrepressible “Ned Mojo,” https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/new-haven/macys-closing-cheshire-south-windsor-distribution-centers-cutting-over-1000-positions/, as small business farmers are being driven off of their farms due to tax policies that are abysmal even by Connecticut standards, https://www.wfsb.com/2026/01/13/state-leaders-push-moratorium-some-farms-see-300-increases-under-new-assessment-rates/ and as irrational energy policy is not replaced by simple and effective fixes, (Study: Nuclear, natural gas would save New England hundreds of billions over renewable mandates)  any sane person can only wonder if Governor Lamont is the least bit sane as none of his nattering represents the sad reality of the crumbling of Connecticut. 

(https://hartfordbusiness.com/article/study-nuclear-natural-gas-would-save-new-england-hundreds-of-billions-over-renewable-mandates/)

Several prominent historical figures (most recently, Presidential candidate H. Ross Perot) reminded us that if we do the same task repeatedly with the hope of achieving different results, we are insane. Mr. Perot should have moved to Connecticut, where insanity has been the Gold Standard of the ruling Connecticut Democrat Party and the Connecticut administrative state for many years. The “moderate businessman” Governor Ned Lamont in professing his continual love for Connecticut, is the equivalent of Mark David Chapman who expressed his love for The Beatles by assassinating John Lennon in 1980. There simply is no rationality or reason for the economic dealings of Connecticut where destruction and business closure is now an almost daily event. And for solutions, that is easy. There has never been a problem that the Democrat-run state government cannot “solve” by simply throwing more Connecticut taxpayers’ money at it.

The true reality is that Connecticut still suffers from many of the same problems it has faced since 1989. The economy in particular is consistently ignored and overlooked, as it has been for more than 35 years. Connecticut has never economically recovered since that recession of 1988–89. According to the September jobs report published in December, Connecticut is losing jobs. The state ranks 50th in payroll growth from 1989 to 2025 and is one of only three states that have failed to fully recover from the Great Recession.
(https://hartfordbusiness.com/article/carstensen-federal-budget-cuts-structural-gaps-put-ct-jobs-at-risk/utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Equipment%20supplier%20buys%20Southington%20building%20for%20%241%204M%20%7C%20Developer%20buys%20CT%20office%20tower&utm_campaign=HBJ%20Today%20011326)

Since 2020, the state has continued to lose jobs while state spending has grown dramatically since 1989. During this same period, Connecticut’s population depending on the year, has either declined or remained stagnant. Businesses come and go, with fewer new business formations occurring unless subsidized by taxpayer-funded incentives and goodies from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (“DECD”). But in Connecticut, facts do not matter. According to a recent U.S. News & World Report ranking on fiscal stability, Connecticut ranks 48th out of 50 states.
(https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/fiscal-stability).

Given these facts, why isn’t Connecticut’s economy the central theme of the 2026 election? Why aren’t Republicans screaming about this, daily? Why are they silent on these most critical matters? There is ample data showing that Democrat control has coincided with long-term economic decline since 1989 . Year after year, we hear the same rhetoric: more spending here, more spending there, more “SomethingCT”- type organizations need to be set up, more funding is needed for nonprofits, more cash for state employees, more cash for education, and more spending ad infinitum. And this increased spending has produced dismal results. Businesses continue to close, residents move out of state, crime persists, illegal drug abuse remains widespread, and infrastructure continues to decay.

None of Connecticut’s political class questions why the state spends roughly $27 billion annually with little to no measurable economic growth or meaningful resolution of these chronic problems. At the same time, the state ignores between $100 and $150 billion in short- and long-term debt and unfunded liabilities. How is this a successful economic policy? And how does it benefit Connecticut businesses or taxpayers?

But Connecticut is extremely good at one thing. Faking. Faking of grandiose faux economic programs. Faking of grandiose economic programs such as “QuantumCT”    https://www.quantumct.org/, where the state has committed $121 Million dollars to fund a dream concept of quantum computing that will save the state of all of its ills. A review of the website indicates no commitment in this regard of any economic worth. The resident economist of the University of Connecticut has clearly stated that this project will take years to bear any fruit, if it ever does. The usual state GOP silence on matters such as this has become deafening. (My friend and colleague Tony De Angelo did an excellent job of covering these economic farces on the January 15 THIRTY WITH TONY) THE CONFIDENCE GAME THIRTY WITH TONY JAN 15 2026 

Regardless of the continued taxpayer-supported efforts at prevarication and fakery, the reality is that Connecticut has massive economic problems. Connecticut has massive debt problems. Connecticut has massive illegal immigration problems. Connecticut has many serious challenges not aided a historically docile Republican party yet Democrat Party leaders are more concerned with exempting themselves from the laws they impose on others, while engaging in daily incoherent and irrelevant attacks on President Trump and common sense.

Pick almost any topic. Can anyone clearly explain why criminals appear to have more rights than victims in Connecticut? Or why illegal immigrants should be supported without question by Connecticut taxpayers? Or why Connecticut forbids police to arrest and detain illegal aliens? Or why Connecticut’s state government stripped citizens of their right to earn a living during the pandemic while Governor Ned Lamont’s hedge fund was able to profit?

Connecticut desperately needs change from top to bottom in its stale, entrenched Democrat-controlled state government. That government has driven the state into an economic quagmire with no clear path forward.

Perhaps Republican candidates for state office can finally have the courage to make this the central issue of the election: You are not better off under the Democrat Party regime that has governed and failed Connecticut for decades.

With lower taxes, less spending, a renewed commitment to law and order, real accountability, and transparency at all levels of government and new leadership, Connecticut can once again become a vibrant state. 

The time for that change has finally come.

 

 

Truth, Fiction, and The Democrat Media-Industrial Complex

 Even through the darkest moments since the brutal assassination of “Turning Point, USA” founder Charlie Kirk, the Good People of Connecticut should thank God every single day that the state-run Media Mob of the state of Connecticut is not the sole source of news. For in this Bermuda Triangle of Misinformation,  down is up, lies are truth, and we are to all worship at the feet of the one party-driven Democrat Connecticut.

This past week, three issues further cement Connecticut as a state unconcerned with its legal Taxpaying citizens and its massive debt issues, or in dealing with the truth in any way whatsoever.

Let us first look at an incredible "agreement" that Governor Ned Lamont made with Connecticut Chief Justice Raheem L. Mullins. Ever since we were grade-school children, we have been taught that the United States  system of jurisprudence is a crowning jewel of a free society where citizens of a free country can have their grievances heard in an impartial and fair manner. But all that changes in the warped wonderworld of Connecticut. We are now told that the court system is to be supported of everyone, including (but not limited to) those who reside illegally within Connecticut borders. 

Connecticut policy now dictates that we now must somehow understand that courthouses "remain safe and accessible to everyone, regardless of immigration status."  Thus, Lamont and Mullins have now decided to create their own "rules" that intend to supersede federal law by "prohibiting federal immigration agents from conducting warrantless arrests in state courthouses and from wearing masks while inside them."  Lamont further stated; "There have been not a lot of incidents, but there have been some instances, of ICE going into our courthouses, wearing masks, taking people out," Lamont told reporters in Hartford. "[It's] very important that people, immigrants, and even undocumented immigrants, feel safe going into our courthouses. In many cases, they're going into our courthouse as a witness to a crime, doing everything for public safety; more broadly, maybe they've been a victim of abuse. Maybe it's something regarding landlord, whatever it is, people should feel safe going into the courthouse." (https://patch.com/connecticut/across-ct/connecticut-bans-warrantless-ice-arrests-masked-agents-state-courthouses)

Therefore, to illegally slow down and/or attempt to eliminate the arrests of illegal immigrants who are in Connecticut, the woe-begotten policy  "requires federal agents such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to obtain a judicial warrant before making an arrest inside a courthouse. It also bars law enforcement from wearing masks while conducting enforcement actions there, unless medically necessary." (Ibid). But of course, this is hypocritically ironic. For now, we are supposed to forget that Ned Lamont and his Democrat Party slammed anyone and everyone if they did not wear their masks for the past five years in their Covid-19 shakedown of the state. Therefore, anyone who lost their job and or business or had their lives ruined during the hostile and draconian Covid-19 shutdowns should be suing the state in these same "safe" and "mask free" courthouses to get their jobs and businesses back. 

The reality is that you are to expect no fairness, clarity, or integrity from anyone in the Democrat-driven Connecticut government, and you are to understand that policies and procedures will be driven entirely by their whims and desires at a given moment. 

Secondly, we really do have Federal Immigration Laws! It is not a myth. The Connecticut state-run Media Mob will lead you to believe that such laws do not exist, or that whatever convoluted and illegal laws (such as the “Trust Act” ) take precedence over Federal law. Or conversely, state legislators from both parties will tell us that their pal State Rep. Corey Paris did not break Federal Immigration Law when he put illegal aliens on “alert” when Federal ICE agents came into his district to arrest them. Unfortunately, 8 U.S.C. § 1324 unambiguously reads to the contrary. However to show he cannot be beat in this category, Lamont overtly conspired this week with state school superintendents (all supported by your tax dollars) to shield illegal students from ICE (https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/hartford/lamont-superintendents-to-meet-on-protecting-students-from-immigration-enforcement/ ) (My friend and colleague Tony De Angelo did a wonderful job of explaining this situation in factual terms on his September 18 THIRTY WITH TONY Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUoewcLhNkc&ab_channel=THIRTYWITHTONY )  . By definition of Federal law every single one of Lamont and the superintendents should be arrested. How that comes down remains to be seen. However, it is quite clear that the political system and the state-run Media Mob of Connecticut will never follow established law if it is inconvenient to their purposes, regardless of if such purposes are legal or ethical.

In addition, Connecticut,which is proud to call itself a “sanctuary state” (while often denying that assertion in its own print  publications),  never discloses how much it costs legal Connecticut Taxpayers to house, give medical benefits, schooling, and other assorted benefits to these illegal immigrants, some who are also criminals in the state.  Why is that? (Shame on you for even asking the question).

But in the Media-Industrial Complex of Connecticut, distortion and obfuscation know no bounds. Once again, we see another embellishment piece published by the CT Mirror regarding darling Finance expert and current Comptroller Democrat Sean Scanlon 

(https://ctmirror.org/2025/09/17/ct-slashes-more-debt-state-worker-health-care/) Scanlon, who never ever fails to postpone a debt payment that he does not like, is once again exhibiting the financial acumen of teenagers by delaying due debts on state obligations, thereby accruing incalculable interest on innocent taxpayers, some not yet born. This is the same Scanlon, being the same person who "won" over Avelo Airlines to have them fly out of Tweed New Haven Airport. This is the same Scanlon who never speaks about the gargantuan long term unfunded liabilities in the state nor is he pressed by any political figures with respect to the same. But of course, Scanlon keeps smiling and of course media accountability is nonexistent. My readers are well-aware of the short- and long-term debt along with the unfunded liabilities of Connecticut. This figure, hovers more than $100,000,000,000 to $150,000,000,000 billion dollars well in excess of the treasured "fiscal guardrails". In practice, it is literally impossible to ascertain as to how much it really is. A recent report by the Connecticut Office of Fiscal Analysis should alarm all legal Connecticut Taxpayers. The report states that for 2024 that there is a shortfall of over $956 million dollars in the state's retirement health trust fund for healthcare eligible state employees. The fund is funded at 16.2% which is apparently a political victory for the Democrats since it was only 10.1% for 2021. I find the costs staggering for the 85,696 retired members, spouses and beneficiaries currently receiving these benefits, considering the overall unfunded retiree health care benefits is over $17 billion dollars. (https://www.cga.ct.gov/ofa/Documents/year/SMF/2026SMF-20250831_Other%20Post%20Employment%20Benefits%20(August%202025).pdf).  But of course, all these concepts are lost to Mr. Scanlon as he smiles for the cameras and faces no hard questions whatsoever as to what is really taking place.

The wretched state of the fisc in Connecticut does not stop there, as bad as that is. The shortfall for the unfunded part of the state pension system (non-health care)  is over $38 billion dollars and is also severely unfunded. The state in just retiree pension and health care costs is in debt for $55 billion dollars. (https://www.truthinaccounting.org/library/doclib/Financial-State-of-the-States-2024.pdf)  This is fiscal leadership by Ned Lamont and his Democrat Party? We are supposed to feel good about this. And what will the SEBAC state employee contract cost Connecticut Taxpayers and how much higher will the state debt become? 

But alas, what does truth matter? The distortion of law and finances are evident in Connecticut and are the results of poor social and fiscal policies enacted by the chronic one-party Democrat rule for many years. The Democrat-driven political system and its attendant Media Mob never offer any solutions but in lieu of that, continually produce made up economic and governance fantasies in a state that continues to spiral out-of-control in so many areas especially with crime and state finances. But reality, incompetence, malfeasance, and obfuscation cannot exist in the same universe. Crime, high taxes, and a lack of transparency are the real Democrat political messages and problems that continue to ignore daily. 

Since the Democrat Media Industrial Complex will not protect you, my very strong admonition is to continually hold these malfeasant souls to a continual reality-based litmus test. Refuse the lies and continually expose falsehoods and demand accountability. It is the only way.

The State of Connecticut Has A Much Bigger Problem Than Crime And Incompetency

 The State of Connecticut Has A Crime Problem: Auto thefts surged by 33% in 2023 alone, jumping from 7,091 reported incidents in 2022 to a staggering 9,400, marking the third-highest percentage increase nationwide and leaving countless residents vulnerable to brazen juvenile offenders who often face minimal consequences. Persistent strings of car break-ins and thefts in 2025 continue to terrorize communities from Montville to Fairfield, underscoring a systemic failure to curb property crimes that erode public trust and safety. Almost every Connecticut city is a horrific and mismanaged hellhole. 

However, the gist of this article is not crime.

 The State of Connecticut Has A Competency Problem: Unhinged Liberal Incompetent Scraggly Bearded United States Senator Chris Murphy makes a fool of himself moment by moment on “X” with his repetitive nonsensical babbling reflecting his entire lack of conceptual understanding of any issue but also reflecting a crystal-clear hatred of President Donald J. Trump. Congressional Representative Rosa DeLauro, one of the oldest in Congress at age 82, is embarrassing in appearance and a babbling shame, shunning any suggestions of improvement or developmental vision for her pitiful Congressional district. Senior United States Combat Veteran Senator Richard Blumenthal lied about serving in Vietnam and lied about “not knowing” that he was addressing a Communist convention in 2021. Attorney General William Tong in his furious defense of illegal alien rights, called for a boycott of “Avelo Airlines” in New Haven, either not knowing (or caring) that the fiscally incompetent state Comptroller Sean Scanlon engineered the Avelo arrangement for the inadequate Tweed New Haven Airport campus, residential safety and noise pollution be damned. And not to be undone, Governor Ned Lamont (affectionately known as “King Ned, The Unaccountable”)  continues to move from fraud to scam, the latest being to corrupt the entire state with a new generation of incipient slum housing that helps along one of his wife’s investments, while he is trying to convince his wealthy neighbors in Greenwich that he has everyone’s best interests at heart. 

However, the gist of this article is not political incompetency.

Connecticut has many more problems too numerous to mention. But I submit unto you that Connecticut, (aka the State That Cannot Do One Thing Right) has a far greater problem than either of the above problems. It is horrible. It is insidious. It is crippling. It can send the state into bankruptcy and erode private capital and destroy any viability in the state whatsoever.

It is the Debt Problem.

Regardless of what the state-run media and the political system tell you, The State of Connecticut has a debt problem.  There is now an awareness and understanding of the debt and how much debt Connecticut is obligated to pay. Using real numbers, let us examine how much in debt Connecticut is in, and why this should be the number one issue in the upcoming state election in 2026.

To my knowledge, I am the only writer or reporter that has mentioned Connecticut has $100,000,000,000 to $150,000,000,000 (billion) dollars in short- and long-term debt along with unfunded liabilities. Certainly, no candidate or office holder has ever mentioned anything along the line. For a state as small as Connecticut and as small of a population that it has, this is a massive fiscal red flag. But it is not, as the Connecticut Democrat Party just cannot seem to tax and spend enough to satisfy its political special interest groups such as the state employee unions, myriad and unaccountable nonprofits, and politically connected state patronage jobs over the past four decades.

Here are some real fiscal facts that the entire political establishment avoids talking about as published in "The Financial State of the States 2024" report published by Truth in Accounting (https://www.truthinaccounting.org/library/doclib/Financial-State-of-the-States-2024.pdf). Connecticut in this report was given a "F" grade, ranking the state fifty out of 50 (or last) as far as its financial state of affairs. From the report found on pages 50 and 51, "Connecticut had $21 billion available to pay $85.9 billion worth of bills". This figure will increase in 2025 as some federal funding will no longer be available to the state. 

Trying to break down the $85.9 billion dollars’ worth of bills in complex and difficult to ascertain. Connecticut in each year's budget, which increases each year, also increases its bonding and borrowing within. Bonds are issued in the state for many reasons including building projects and other related items in the state. Bonds are issued to finance "debt" in the state. Total bonds in the state for 2024 were $34,355,859,000 according to the report. Also according to the report, Unfunded Pension Benefits were $38,010,340,000 and Unfunded Retiree Health Care Benefits were $17,091,549,000. In simple terms, this means every Connecticut citizen down to the smallest infant minimally shoulders a $25,000 debt of the state for which they did not cause. These figures are astronomical for a state as small as Connecticut and unsustainable in any way. Moreover, this massive obligation is more than the supposed "fiscal guardrails" that continue to be ignored by Connecticut's Political Fiscal Barons for what little value they provide. But more clear-headed people are seeing this horrific situation for what it is. My good friend and colleague Tony De Angelo also discussed Connecticut's per person state debt is his segment on Tuesday 9/2 on the 94.9 Lee Elci show (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rJCaC5DusE)  

The state therefore has a massive debt problem. It also does not have enough assets to cover all its debt. The Connecticut Democrat Party laughs about (or fails to comprehend) the debt issue by its usual incoherent economic gibberish. This incoherent economic gibberish includes the usual babblings that the wealthy do not pay enough in taxes, businesses do not pay enough in taxes, there are not enough social programs to help people, more funding is needed in education and that state workers deserve much higher wages and benefits. Economic reality does not exist in the state as Connecticut continues to be a bottom five state in many economic categories. This fact is glossed over by the new, younger incoherent leftist and socialist Democrat candidates that have announced their intentions to run Governor, United States House seats and state legislature seats. Where the money will come from to pay for all their "giveaways" remains a mystery to most educated voters, but not to them as they simply do not understand, let alone care.

It is a simplistic question that truly needs to be addressed by anyone running for Governor, on any ticket in 2026. Republicans that have continually failed to challenge Democrats on many  issues must first learn to understand this most critical debt issue and secondly challenge Democrats and Socialists continually. What is your plan for paying off the massive debt and unfunded liabilities of Connecticut's government in both the short and long run? What does the plan entail? How long will it take? What will you do to decrease state spending? What will you do to whittle the bulbous and often inept state workforce? These questions should be asked daily until there are specific answers to the same. But I am not confident that will ever happen, as courage is in short supply in Connecticut government.

You see, Connecticut's state government is like a drug addict. To feed the drug monkey an addict often lies and steals. It keeps taking drugs at all costs, looking for its next fix. That fix is your tax money wasted on another failed social program and or non-profit who could be pilfering as there are no financial controls on either. That fix is a long-serving state politician getting a simplistic state nonjob to help boost his or her state pension. That fix is to give money to a politically connected business or individual for their work in a campaign, with no worries as to how the money is spent and if it is ever paid back. 

And so, it remains in the indentured state of fiscally insolvent Connecticut. Connecticut Taxpayers are damned while the benefaction and veneration of the State's Political and Administrative Bureaucracy is the most critical work that our state government must perform. So let the state perform that critically valuable work all the way into bankruptcy. Regrettably, bankruptcy may be the only cure to eliminate the waste, fraud, crime, incompetency, and debt of Connecticut, once and for all.

The Poisoned Economic Nutmeg Of Connecticut- Where The Political System Destroys Business Economics (And It Could Care Less).

 Economics is many times misunderstood. Most citizens correctly believe that elected officials have little to no understanding as to how economics and our nation's market system works. The Democrat Party, with no conception of how an economic system works, is especially of the mind that government should be the sole provider of all things economic; public transportation, public education, public child care, public housing, public drugs and drug treatment, public groceries, public safety and many other "public" items, of course with no idea as to how to pay for them other than to yell “tax the rich” or “tax the white neighborhoods” (if you are NYC presumptive Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani). The free market system, if it is functioning, allows for both the consumer and businesses to address supply and demand conditions with regards to the needs of the society. In Democrat states like Connecticut, a socialist based command/government directive economy exists instead, and this economy is doing a terrific job of driving the state to total ruin.

At one time in recent memory, a ride through the State of Connecticut was a remarkable sight. Cities were alive, safe, and functioning with commerce and culture and culinary choices. Beautiful suburbs featured well-kept homes and bright clean and green parks. The finest public schools produced the best and brightest students. Office space was hard to come by. Many avenues for upward mobility were available to the motivated. But if we take that same ride in Connecticut 2025 we see decaying, dangerous, and drug ridden cities where illegal aliens are prioritized over taxpayers. We see office space begging for tenants. We see formerly thriving commercial buildings are adorned with “FOR SALE” signs. We see parks have strewn with the homeless and the addicted. Schools have failed. Colleges have become Woke-Liberal paradises training students for no practical purpose and leaving them in incalculable debt. Taxes are high. Productivity is non-existent. The stark change is so dramatic and devastating that one wonders where the train jumped the track.

I submit to you that the economic poisoning of Connecticut started with the imposition of the Lowell Weicker-inspired Connecticut state income tax in 1991. Ever since that time, the state's economy has exhibited profound wreckage, exacerbated by the horrific regimes of Governors Dannel Malloy (2011–2019) and “Businessman Governor” Ned Lamont, (2019–present). This policy onslaught triggered a corporate exodus beginning that very same year with Saab and UPS, followed by General Electric relocating its headquarters from Fairfield to Boston in 2016, Alexion Pharmaceuticals fleeing New Haven for Boston in 2017 (after receiving a huge state handout of tax dollars), Aetna shifting operations to New York amid threats of full departure, and more recently, the LEGO Group announcing its U.S. headquarters move from Enfield to Boston by 2026, alongside Subway's 2023 transfer to Miami. Every single entity cited some combination of taxes, business hostility and administrative state oppression in its decision to depart.

It is inarguable that Connecticut has regressed economically form the past 34 years, while the inept, incompetent, and enabling state government has had its  budget increase dramatically over the same time. The state's budget increased from roughly $7 billion dollars in 1991 to over $26 billion dollars in 2025. Connecticut's population was roughly 3.3 million people in 1991 and is roughly 3.6 million people in 2025, (not counting the illegal and undocumented within the state borders). Thus, for a net increase of 300,000 people in 34 years, the state has increased spending by approximately $19 billion dollars a year. And taxes have increased dramatically over that same period while the same inept, incompetent, and enabling state government ignorantly continues on its path to destruction, seeing no reason whatsoever to change anything it is doing.

As discussed in the past, "The 2025 Rich States, Poor States" report issued by the American Legislative Exchange Council Center for State Fiscal Reform (https://www.richstatespoorstates.org/states/CT/) shows Connecticut as currently ranked 44^th in the United States for its economic outlook."  

"Connecticut is currently ranked 48^th in the United States for its economic performance. This rank is a backward-looking measure based on the state’s performance (equal-weighted average) in three important performance variables shown below. These variables are highly influenced by state policy." 

"Cumulative GDP Growth, 2013 - 2023	43.80%	44th
Cumulative Domestic Migration, 2014 - 2023	-170,538	41st
Non-Farm Employment Growth, 2013 - 2023	2.05%	43rd"

If one looks at a state as small as Connecticut spending over $26 billion dollars a year and being ranked this low in these important economic categories, ostensibly there is a massive imbalance in the state between private industry and state government. "New data from CBRE show the Greater Hartford office market sitting at a 28.2 percent vacancy rate, while Cushman & Wakefield peg Fairfield County availability at 26 percent in the first quarter of 2025. In some downtown blocks, empty space now tops 50 percent, creating a drag on local tax bases and neighborhood vitality." (https://waittgrain.com/markets/stocks.php?article=abnewswire-2025-6-20-connecticut-firm-helps-struggling-owners-as-commercial-vacancies-rise-across-the-state) Could an actual decline of businesses being in the state be a cause of these vacancies? Could the decline in businesses in Connecticut be due to the high property tax rates of the state? Could the decline in businesses in Connecticut be due to the high minimum wage rate? Could the decline in businesses in Connecticut be due to the high workers compensation and unemployment insurance tax rates? Could the decline in businesses in Connecticut be due to the poor bridge, road, and highway systems? Could the decline in businesses in Connecticut be due to the wretched economic decisions by the Democrat Party especially with the dysfunctional and non-transparent Department of Community and Economic Development picking their politically connected winners and losers? Could it be that whenever Connecticut tries to fix massive economic problems it starts a "new" state taxpayer funded program incentive to "resolve" the same economic problem, with the invariable result of greater failures at increased costs?

Regardless of the lies you have been told, Connecticut's economic decline is due to years of omnipotent Connecticut Democrat Party rule with a lack of transparency in state government, a bloated state government bureaucracy, high state and local taxes, a quagmire of byzantine business laws and regulations including high workers compensations costs, high unemployment tax costs, high paid family leave costs, and a state GOP that has never fully and aggressively advocated for sound business principles of Republicanism, refusing to do so to this very day.

In light of the above, why would anyone in their right mind want to own and operate a business in Connecticut?

Connecticut's state election is coming up in 2026. For the state to be saved and/or be the least bit viable anymore  Connecticut truly needs courage, boldness, and new ideas and to address its bloated state debt, state budget and unfunded liabilities.  It needs leaders who will actually lead and not scream and bellow incoherent gibberish about their perceived "injustices". It needs Republican and Conservative candidates to rise that are truly part of the conservative solution and not an extension of the problem that has taken place for decades.

Despite all the nonsensical gibberish we hear from political people about “injustices,” the gravest injustice in Connecticut is continually perpetuated upon its legitimate taxpaying citizens via the Democrat-Socialist-driven disaster that has masqueraded as a state government. A government that worships and nurtures the oppressive and overpaid administrative state. A government that steadfastly refuses to simplify and cut taxes. A legislature where not one member therein cries for the abolition of the Department of Economic and Community Development especially considering the recent nonprofit scandal.  A government in full embrace of the Trump-Burgum energy policy leading to the dilution of the Eversource burden upon the state. A government in grave need of open source and timely access to all state documentation and the seating of a citizen no-holds-barred DOGE panel to tear the compounded horrors wide open. Hard? Brutal? You had better believe it. But all of the above in my estimation are necessary to right a sinking ship sabotaged by self-serving bureaucrats and politicians over decades of wreckage.

The World Is a Volatile Place. (But Connecticut Is Always The Place With The Steadiest Of Habits)

 It was the week that it was. The Middle East. Russia vs. Ukraine. Musk and Trump. Tariffs. Harvard. The revocation of student visas. President Joe Biden was non compos mentis while in office. Volatility. Unpredictability. Danger! It is all a reminder that the only constant in the 21st Century world, is change, and tomorrow is always another day.

 However, year after year things never seem to show any positive change in Connecticut. You know, Connecticut! The Land of Steady Habits. And ask any decent law-abiding taxpaying citizen in Connecticut as to what these steady habits are and they will pick from the following list. Fraud. Concealment. Incompetence. Crime. Redundancy. Reading pornographic texts for children into the General Assembly record while Democrat elected officials make videos dancing and gagging like fools. Elitists using a “budget emergency” to launder investment cash to the UCONN Foundation via a specious tax credit. (June 5, 2025 THIRTY WITH TONY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8wCu_v35EQ (THE SHOW! DOES ANYONE HERE HAVE A HEART? THIRTY WITH TONY 6 5 2025) Drag Queens in Libraries. Drunken lawmaking. Drunk driving legislators applying for “accelerated rehabilitation.”  Followed by their perfunctory “repentance” and “turning the page”. Assaults on the home via corrupted zoning or gross mismanagement of rampant crime. National embarrassment.

THE SHOW! DOES ANYONE HERE HAVE A HEART? THIRTY WITH TONY 6 5 2025

Like we said: Steady habits. So steady that you can time a metronome to all of it.

But nothing characterizes “steady” in Connecticut like the formulation of the state budget. When the budget is assembled (calling it “crafted” would be an insult to the term) these same legitimate citizens can bank on higher taxes, more unfunded mandates, more non-budgetary bills being codified into disastrous laws therein, more reckless spending in the crumbling cities with no accountability, bogus “utility price cuts” and other impending disasters on the way to manifestation.

Per terms of the concept, this budgetary disaster is the steadiest habit of all.

Perhaps you like to talk about the budget in greater detail? Not much new to report other than once again we will await as to how the socialist-driven state Democrat party will now save us from ourselves again as they have every year for the past three decades. This year’s whopper of a budget increases state spending to $55.8 billion dollars for the next two years. As is par for the course, the state budget increases yearly while there never is a mention from any politician of any party of the $100 to $150 billion dollars in short- and long-term debt along with unfunded liabilities that the state has on its corrupted books. Who will pay this debt? When collapse comes, will property taxes triple as state aid crumbles? Is that the idea so that more trash new dimension slums of the future could be built in place of houses? Will your child’s school close? Will there be no police and fire services even if you hate police and firefighters and you need them at a point in your life? This is the cold hard reality of the world we now live in, a reality that no legislator has even given lip service to for many years running.

But these issues are not important. Other things are much more critical. With no eye towards consolidation or efficiencies and tax savings, this new budget magically increases redundant spending for the usual social services, domestic violence issues, drug addiction, education, municipal aid, and as usual pork barrel grants, gimmies, and freebies that the Connecticut Democrat Party loves in their never-ending quest to continually be re-elected and buy out the vote.  Also, Connecticut Taxpayers see no tax reductions. The idea is that you will pay more and more taxes . If you question this continuing path to disaster, you will be labeled a right-wing fanatic or a racist along with several other things. (For after all, Connecticut habits must remain steady).

Of course, the budget itself is not written for the common person. For who are you to demand fiscal accountability, anyway? For those sad souls that have read either the entire 279-page version of this monstrosity of fiscal gibberish or parts of it, you are to be commended. For those who do not have time since you are working many hours to pay your Connecticut state and municipal taxes here are some highlights for you to assist you in going insane, as not one dollar of spending was cut:

(https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/opm/budget/2026_2027_biennial_budget/governors_budget_2627_final_webversion.pdf )

Page 54: General Fund Debt outstanding is $1,682,162,437 and Interest on that is $853,058,397 for a total of $2,535,220,834. Looking at that in real terms, almost 8% of the budget is just General Fund Debt and interest alone. 

Page 68: Department of Economic and Community Development (“DECD”) budget for two years is over $560 million dollars in order to continue its inept and malfeasant “economic development” legacy of the “First Five”, Sema4, ADVANCE CT, Digital Currency Group and the (happily derailed) “Artificial Intelligence Bill” embraced 30-4 by the state senate this past May. Due to intentionally garbled records and disclosure, it is entirely unascertainable as to how much this department has wasted in your taxpayer dollars in no interest loans/bad loans/non repayable loans, “Ned Deals,” “Ned Deals We Have Not Found Out About Yet” and other crony-driven disasters.  Even with all this spending, Connecticut is last and or near last in most economic categories. Why does this sieve and debacle of an economic development agency continue year after year? To suffice political nepotism? Now move to Page 85: Same failed agency has a budgeted estimated cost of fringe benefits is over $7.7 million dollars. Why? It is inarguable that over a half billion dollars of taxpayers’ monies is wasted here, as Connecticut would still be dead last in all economic categories had not one dollar been spent by the DECD. Also keep in mind that the state would have had all of the funds not so wasted in the treasury in this case.

But wait! There’s More!! Help is supposedly now on the way for you, Mr. and Mrs Vassal, with "cuts in your electric bill" as somehow SB-4 "AN ACT CONCERNING ENERGY AFFORDABILITY, ACCESS AND ACCOUNTABILITY. To improve service and reduce costs for electricity ratepayers in the state.", does this trick. In reading and rereading this bill from an economic point of view, I really cannot see how it will save more than a few dollars of one's electric bill nor do I understand why the Republican minority voted in favor of it. The gist of this bill is to use state bonds to pay down some of the public benefits portion of your electric bill. Could any elected official tell me from where does state bond money come from other than the Connecticut Taxpayer or any foolish investor purchasing a Connecticut bond that is in danger of default? Thus, the burden of these "public benefits" changes paid by the Connecticut Taxpayer and ratepayer is the continuing due tribute for the massive amount of bonding the state embarks upon year in and year out. How does address the shortages of electricity in the state due to the incredible amount of "green" energy mandates that the state requires from its remaining two electric companies? The bill vaguely addresses bringing more natural gas into the state to produce electricity and allowing the evil nuclear energy segment of energy to have some new and limited capabilities. That said, who will be the great minds, leaders, and fiscal engineers who will marshal these bold new sources right to your wall switch in your home? Hint: You will not see these players sitting on the state bench, even if you look all of the way down (and even into the stands).

The new overspending by this $55.8 billion dollars budget is an incredible power grab by the Connecticut Democrat Party with little opposition by the Republicans. Since the outcome was a foregone conclusion, a great stand for principle and sanity for the woe-begotten taxpayer could have been made if every Republican had walked out of the chamber refusing to consent to this budgetary and faux legislative farce in the least way.  But principles, courage, clarity, and boldness in Connecticut always take a back seat every year to “collegiality and bipartisanship.” And as the steadiest habit of all, the collegial and bipartisan results are always worse than those of the last budget.

Once again, the Connecticut Taxpayer is damned by elitist power brokers and state-serving bureaucrats who care not one iota for those who actually work for a living in the state. And these days, they no longer even bother to hide this grievous fact.