Showing posts with label DOGE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DOGE. Show all posts

Saturday, April 26, 2025

The Continuing Connecticut Economic Free Fall Into Unconsciousness

 If I could invoke the spirit of the great “60 Minutes” commentator Andy Rooney.  I can ask this question: "Did you ever wonder why they call it a State Legislature?”

Do you wonder? For after all, what in fact is a Legislature?
A Legislature is supposed to be the group of elected officials in a state who make, amend, or repeal laws. The term comes from Latin—lex for law, and latus meaning carried or proposed. A legislature passes bills in accordance with the will of the people, sets budgets, and handles state-level policies.
That is what a legislature is supposed to be. And then, we have Connecticut. 

And we have the Connecticut State Legislature. Such legislature being a body of individuals so out of tune and touch with the citizens they represent that the far corners of the Grand Canyon are closer in proximity.

In that connection, it is amazing to watch the Connecticut State House of Representatives and State Senate when they are in session. The State House consists of 102 Democrats and 49 Republicans, while in the State Senate there are 25 Democrats and 11 Republicans. As one can see, the Connecticut Democrat Party has an iron grip on Connecticut's State Legislature. And when Democrats rule the roost, your money flows like water without any regard to you. The costs of this Legislature are excessively high for the pitiful results it gives Connecticut Taxpayers. As just one 2024 example, $9,890,000 was spent for "Legislative Management", whatever that is, (not counting the operations budget) according to Open Payroll (https://openpayroll.ct.gov/#!/year/2024/full_time_employees,others/pay1,pay2,pay3/explore/0-0-0-0-0/job_cd_descr/Legislator/0--0-0-0/agency/Legislative+Management/0--0-0-0/union_descr/Legislative+Management/0--0/emplid_empl_rcd). This would be hysterically funny, if it were not so sad and so sick.

However, undeterred, legislators gave themselves a large raise to somehow attract a wider mix of individuals who would be willing to serve in the Legislature. So far nothing has changed other than the Connecticut Democrat Party further tightening their grip on power. It is also interesting to note the Connecticut's State payroll for 2024 was $5.8 billion dollars, while the state budget for 2025 is a mere $25.2 billion dollars. The "fiscal moderate" Governor Lamont has proposed a FY 2026-27 budget that increases spending to a $55.2 billion dollars for both years. Included in this proposal is to loosen and lessen Connecticut’s fiscal guardrails, start a major early childhood development initiative spending even more money in this area, (with little result), and more pork type spending projects.

But always keep in mind that your elected officials are there to serve you! And here is what YOU get for this $25.2 billion dollar investment according to a new study by the American Legislative Exchange Council (alec.org) in their 18th Edition of "Rich States, Poor States". Based upon equal weighting of each state’s rank in fifteen policy variables, Connecticut ranks #44 out of 50 states, after it has shown a constant drop in its ranking over the past six years.  

If one looks at Economic performance rankings based on the period of 2013 to 2023, Connecticut ranks #48 out of fifty states. This ranking is: "A backward-looking measure based on the state’s performance (equal-weighted average) in the three important performance variables. These variables are highly influenced by state policy." (https://alec.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ALEC_RSPS_18th_2025_Web.pdf). The three performance variables include State Gross Domestic Product, Absolute Domestic Migration, and Non-Farm Payroll Employment. Each area shows continual decline for the state. Contrary to biased and state-fabricated reports, Connecticut has lost over 171,000 citizens who have moved out of the state since 2013. Connecticut also has one of the highest property tax burdens in the country ranked at #45 out of fifty states and one the highest minimum wages in the country ranked #48 out of 50 states.  High property taxes and excessively high minimum wages have greatly contributed to the state's economic decline.

But chilling news such as this is lost with Connecticut's Democrat Legislative Super majority. There never can be enough spending and funds freely given out with no strings attached to satisfy their unquenchable need to spend Connecticut Taxpayers monies. This lack of thinking is evident by the free cash to the increasing amount of "nonprofit" groups who hold massive sums of money in their assets and seem never enough to solve the problems they supposedly are taking care of. We view this as well with the powerful state labor unions whose raises, benefits and pensions are never good enough for them. We see the political patronage positions that State Representatives and State Senators yearn for to help boost their state funded pensions to infinity. We see this with the hidden monies and 2% interest-only loans given away to politically connected businesses especially those affiliated with the Lamont Oak HC/FT hedge fund; Sema-4, Digital Currency Group and its affiliates, ADVANCECT, 4-CT, Boston Consulting Group, UNITE US, Mt. Sinai Genomics, “The Horsebarn Hill Investment Fund”, Tidal River Fund, McKinsey, and the Lamont-based Cayman Islands shell companies to name a few of many.  The list of economic "freebies" and "giveaways" is endless, and arrogantly continues in the open, again, citizen, be damned.

Thanks to the Connecticut Democrat Party, years of economic decline have nurtured $100 to $150 billion dollars of short- and long-term debt along with unfunded liabilities, to a point of economic Armageddon, a point of economic ruin and a point of true economic failure. Why has this been allowed? This Legislative session has not been any different than any other year (except as of the time of this writing no legislator has flipped over a car, drunk, on the way home). Connecticut Democrat Legislators want even more spending especially for social services of any type, more taxes especially on the "wealthy" (whatever their current moveable definition of it is), and most importantly less personal freedom for those who must toil daily in their command economy.

But let us remember the hardworking and decent taxpaying of Connecticut. He or she does not want more government. He or she wants to see lesser government and lower taxes. Many of these disaffected souls have cried for a Connecticut DOGE to rip and tear at the wreckage of the Connecticut fiscal morass and root out waste, fraud, and abuse. Many of these disaffected souls are correct in that neither the Legislature nor those in Connecticut government are capable of such an endeavor as most are well past being part of the solution and have become part of the problem over time. Therefore, the only type of DOGE that could work would be one done by capable individuals with no financial ties to government.

To this end, my good friend Tony De Angelo has outlined to Senator Rob Sampson exactly the type of DOGE on X that is necessary in Connecticut in order to fix things once, and for all, in my view:

“In order for a Connecticut DOGE to be the useful at all, it minimally has to be.

1) 5-10 NON politically connected individuals of stature and acumen, serving as volunteers.

2) 60 days of "no-holds barred" access to any item or record requested to be delivered in no less than 72 hours.

3) Remove every (read that as EVERY) restriction on records and state-connected nonprofits, agencies, and "quasi-publics" (whatever in the hell a "quasi-public", is).

4) Full access to all travel and other records from all offices including that of UConn Foundation, Advance CT, and the office of Gov Ned Lamont

5) Real-time access to the retirement plan and treasury. If we have at least that, it would be a very meaningful exercise.

If we have an "inspector general" type of corrupted shop-steward thing like Vincent Candelora has suggested, Connecticut DOGE will be a joke.

Your ball. (https://x.com/TonyDeAngelo7/status/1914703792320254259)”

Tony De Angelo summarizes what is needed to finally end the economic decline of what was once a vibrant and robust economic state. For Connecticut to have any chance of economic survival, it must weed out the corruption of theft, waste, and fraud that Connecticut's government has evolved into.

 Connecticut is on track to be #50 out of fifty states next years in the American Legislative Exchange Council (alec.org) in their 19th Edition of "Rich States, Poor States".   But who cares in government? I guess nothing really matters any more to the deluded leaders of the Connecticut Democrat Party who the authors of this morass are.  They have to be proud of the economic quagmire they have created and truly own.

 

Saturday, March 08, 2025

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.

Saturday, February 22, 2025

Constitutional Crisis? The Democrat Party IS The Constitutional Crisis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday, February 15, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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





Saturday, February 08, 2025

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?