Connecticut: The Power Failure Looking For A Place For a Blackout

 Taxes. Energy. These are important aspects of our economy. They are the lifeblood of any business or municipality And if you live, work or own a business in Connecticut you must wonder why taxes and energy costs are so screwed up in the state. 

Sadly, it has never been any different. As just one example, the primary electric utility for the state (now Eversource) has featured the “convertible legislator” for years and years. This is the legislator or legislative family member who is employed in a prima-facie/incestuous/conflicted status by both a utility and the legislature. This is a criminally punishable offense in many right-thinking states, but not here. Ostensibly there has never been an outcry about this sordid practice as both political parties have had members financially benefiting from this lucrative arrangement. So why should any of them complain?

But you will complain in silence. For years Connecticut's Democrat Party has helped to hammer socialistic taxes and energy policies that have damaged Connecticut's economy. For the record, there was an 28% increase in commercial bankruptcies for 2024, the highest in ten years (https://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/business-bankruptcies-spike-in-ct-as-uncertainty-hovers-over-economy). Why did this happen? It is a good guess that excessive state taxes and state regulations have forced companies to the point of no return to cease doing business in the state. It is a further good guess that a weak and non-urgent attitude on the part of the sitting state GOP by not demanding both the establishment of the President’s Pennsylvania Gas pipeline along with the removal of the illogical and nonsensical DEEP Commissioner, Katie Dykes, reinforces an acquiescence to continued failed energy policy. And as sprinkling on this sundae of failure, how many Republicans are calling for the extension of the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts, which if not passed will be the death knell for any Connecticut business anywhere. In addition, how many Republicans are advocating for the 100% expensing of capital goods that President Trump is now doing? Seeing this muddled and conflicted posture concerning tax, economic and business energy policy, the only businesses that would dare to come to Connecticut would be those enticed by a juicy Connecticut Department of Economic Development taxpayer-funded secret bribe. And how much more will the remaining Connecticut Taxpayers spend to continue to prop up a failing state economy through various state agencies devoted to "improving" the economy?

Why does Connecticut have such high taxes? Connecticut ranks as one of the top five highest taxed states in the country. "Connecticut‘s tax system ranks 47th overall on the 2025 State Tax Competitiveness Index. Connecticut’s tax code includes all major tax types, and the state has historically ranked among the bottom ten on the Index. Connecticut has one of the most complex and least neutral individual income tax systems in the nation, featuring seven tax brackets with a top marginal rate of 6.99 percent and a recapture provision that eliminates the benefit of lower brackets, effectively taxing all income at the taxpayer’s highest marginal rate. Additionally, tax brackets and the personal exemption are not adjusted for inflation." (https://taxfoundation.org/statetaxindex/states/connecticut/)  And what does Connecticut have to show for these high taxes and where does this money go? To add insult to injury, why can’t such a small state have one, simple flat percentage rate for all types of taxes? This concept is poison to sitting legislators who are addicted to all types of spending and crony-feeding, plus added tax complications create projects for a lot of their contributors and buddies.

While we travel up and down the harbor of failure, Connecticut has a massive state employee system that seems to have no worry for accountability. State employee wages continue to increase and the ability to measure productivity is nonexistent. A type of a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for Connecticut would be helpful in both finding waste in Connecticut's massive state budget and in turn lowering taxes for all. However, we may wait decades for any one legislator to call for the trimming of the state workforce and administration budgets with the serial funding of redundant and unaccountable nonprofits, for after all, favors must be returned.

The failure game in the state is exacerbated with an at all costs "green energy" program that has increased electricity costs to one of the highest in the country, thus placing an enormous burden on both customers and businesses. Even with many homeowners installing the cure-all solar panels on their homes, electric rates continue to rise to economically punishing levels. What is the solution to higher electric rates? You got it! More Legislation! One of the many economically incoherent Connecticut Democrat Party solutions to this problem can be found in Senate Bill 1531 "AN ACT CONCERNING PUBLIC UTILITY TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE PUBLIC UTILITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY."  This bill if passed would eliminate any utility company from wanting to do business in the state. Found in the bill: "(5) prohibit certain mergers of utility companies, (6) prohibit a utility company from owning both gas and electric utilities" (https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&which_year=2025&bill_num=1531). Thus, by eliminating competition completely and any incentive to do business in the state somehow energy costs will go down. The state only has two utilities currently, does the state want just one run by the state itself? Who will control said utility? The Democrats? Would the Democrats turn off the power on their political enemies? Of course, the bill itself makes no sense. But then again what the Connecticut State Legislature does each session makes less and less sense for the past 35 years.

There are many free markets solutions that Connecticut could embrace to lower the costs of living in the state. But they would involve dismantling the current political bureaucracy and hierarchy driven by the omnipotent one-party rulers in the state. The state's Republican Party has been non-existent and impact-less with its solutions to these problems and/or have not expressed clearly enough with their own alternatives even with many marketable ideas handed to them. Connecticut's state government still picks its winners and losers daily through their failed economic programs and agencies with little to no result and or accountability to Connecticut Taxpayers.

As the Connecticut Democrat Party continues to rape and pillage the Connecticut Taxpayer incessantly with its failed policies, taxes and energy policies need to be revamped and changed. Rather than the daily bashing of President Trump, legislators could look at his administrations energy policies to see something different that might actually work in reducing costs and creating economic stimulation for the state. But again, if that were to happen the political elite of Connecticut would be toppled and we know that is not acceptable to such elite.

As we discussed last week there are two classes of people in Connecticut playing in a huge macabre game. Them vs. you. And as far as you are concerned, what a mess they have created for you in this rigged macabre game, with no way out.

The Energy Of Incompetence, Confusion, And Failure

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Chaos and Confusion of The Connecticut Electric and Energy Policy Jungle

Welcome to Connecticut! The state with one of the most expensive, nonsensical, impractical, irrational, and laughable energy and energy policies in the country. Therefore, suffice it to say that Electric bills are extremely expensive in Connecticut especially if one has Eversource Energy. Lately it has been discovered by many individuals that Eversource includes a "Public Benefits" charge in its monthly billing. You, as a poor slob ratepayer may wonder what a "Public Benefits " charge is doing on your electric bill? Unfortunately, you pitifully ignorant consumer, you are just now realizing that your electric bill today is a very secretive example of governmental market interference burdening the cost of a critically needed commodity.

In review of the psychodrama entitled “How Many Ways Can Connecticut Screw Up Your Light Bill”, you will note that your Eversource bill now has four areas of division, 1) Generation and Supply, or the costs to produce the electricity you use, 2) Transmission, being the costs to actually deliver the electricity from generator to electric substations, 3) Local Power, or the costs of getting the electricity from these substations to your home or business, and finally 4) Public Benefits, being a Democrat created term for hidden confiscatory state taxes that pay for state mandates such as renewable energy investments that you never were given opportunity to vote on along with welfare benefits that help to pay for people who can't afford these incredibly high energy costs in the state and other similar programs. The cost of Public Benefits is 27.8% of your bill, or over one quarter of it. As an example, if you have a $400 monthly bill, $111.20 of it has absolutely nothing to do with the electricity you are using. It should be referred to as a state excise “gouging tax” that gets doled out to yet another bureaucracy in Connecticut providing absolutely no benefit to you.

Needless to say, when Democrats run amok in Connecticut the operative question then becomes what constructive and aggressive actions will state Republicans push back with? Sadly, the usual answer is not much. A press conference held at the Legislative Office Building on August 8 found Republicans calling for the usual lukewarm mix of using ARPA funds and contrived surpluses as a band-aid fix. Regulatory changes were also mentioned. Some moderately constructive suggestions to date have come from Republican State Senator Rob Sampson who has been vocal in his opposition to this "tax". and has over the past two years introduced different "policy proposals" that would help to lower astronomical electric bills. (Sen. Sampson: CT’s Energy Crisis is the Last Straw - Connecticut Senate Republicans). However, to a man or to a woman, no state Republican in Connecticut has ever even hinted at the most critical medicine needed to truly fix state energy policy, being the embracing of the Trump energy proposals, calling for the elimination of the farcical and horrific green energy and wind power debacle, and the immediate infusion of the use of natural gas of which my friend and colleague Tony De Angelo commented that Republicans are just now whispering about, where they should have been screaming for its introduction and infusion six months ago.

But even so, more problems are afoot. The regulatory environment for electric companies is farcical and obstructive in Connecticut. I have always believed such was developed as a veneer to help nurture high and politically correct electric rates for the state. The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (“PURA”) is responsible for regulating the rates and services for Eversource Energy. If one looks back at the decisions that PURA has made over the years for Eversource there is no appearance of any effective questioning of rates, expenses, mandates or accountability, nor do Eversource customers have any say whatsoever in the process of rate hearing and or rate increases. Why is this so? Is it because of prominent legislators from both parties being employed, highly compensated, and/or connected to Eversource or related clandestinely operating nonprofits in conflicted arrangements criminal in several better-thinking states? (https://www.advancect.org/our-organization/board-of-directors). But now, public awareness is at an all-time high with Eversource stating there will be a $48 a month increase in the Public Benefits section of customers' bills as supply rates will go down from 14.71 cents to 8.99 cents per kilowatt-hour. (https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/eversource-rates-increasing-in-july/). The announced increase is a mere $8 a month for average customers. However, what is not noted is the Public Benefits part of your bill for the next ten months for an average $400 monthly bill is an astounding 39% of the bill itself! But I have no concerns. That projection is only for a mere ten months!

Of course, there is the usual blame game along with the typical stale political and economic rhetoric over this rate increase that is echoed by both political sides. However, Eversource is mandated and burdened by the state to create clean energy at any cost. Eversource needs to earn a profit to stay in business. Democrats scream about electric rate increases while not understanding any of the economic consequences of their decayed and rancid clean energy and “public good” decrees and fiats that do much more harm than good for the state's economy. But due to this rudderless mess, Connecticut ratepayers get to pay one of the highest electric costs in the country.

But somehow, with this rudderless mess starting from King Ned Lamont the Unaccountable and his Democrat Party henchman and stooges, the electric rate increases, the excessive taxes on electricity and the unattainable desire not to use or even suggest the use of fossil fuels, will all be forgotten. And this is standard operating procedure in a state that has massive, short- and long-term debt along with unfunded liabilities of anywhere from $125 to $150 billion dollars, along with the monumental and prodigious cost of living and cost of doing business in the state. This rate increase along with many other examples of Democrat Party interference and lack of pushback in the economy are the cancer that has helped create the economic conundrum that Connecticut is known for today.
Effective policy, and not oratory, pandering, and bloviating, is what is needed in 2024 for the state.

The Economic Cancer of Democrat-Centric Economics

I have studied Economics all my life and have taught the subject for 42 years. It never ceases to amaze me the twists and turns of our economy and how the supposed (and often state-supported) economic experts are so far off in many cases regarding their predictions and policies. Regardless of what the state-run media tries to jam down your throat daily, even the most ignorant of observers cannot ignore the horrific economic impact of the poor economic policies and programs of the Biden and Lamont administrations. The focus of their irrational and nonsensical policies continues to be an incessant death march to green renewable energy at any cost and economically incoherent tax and spend policies that persist in driving the national debt and state debt to incalculable levels. From 2021, we continue to have rampant inflation as the cost of food and housing has skyrocketed making it unaffordable for many in our economy. Needless to say, the cost of goods and services is a direct coefficient of the cost of energy, and nonsensical Democrats along with Climate Change-paralyzed Republicans continue to feed or enable the impossible myth of “affordable green energy”. And this is a costly and crippling political fantasy. To refresh your memory, our current national debt is an astronomical $34.8 trillion dollars, and growing daily. Each United States Taxpayer owes a mere $266,000 plus for this debt, while Connecticut Taxpayers are on the hook for $100 to $150 billion dollars in short- and long-term debt along with unfunded liabilities on top of that. High government debt at all levels, high taxes, regressive trade policies, waste, fraud, abuse, unsustainable social welfare programs and one of most complex tax codes/laws in the world are hindering our economy. Some things must change.

The Biden re-election candidacy seems to be mired in their constant blaming of former President Trump for everything and anything, including (but not limited to) events that happened well past his Presidency. If we candidly examine the economic differences between the two Presidencies there are stark and undeniable contrasts. The Trump Presidency offered great financial gains for the economy especially for low- and middle-income workers and people of color that saw their income and opportunities increase. Real wages rose, many jobs were created, and most of all prices were stable with little to no inflation or inflationary pressure. This all changed with the draconian pandemic shutdown of the economy. Since 2021. the Biden Presidency has delivered an incredible tide of inflation and runaway inflation with the highest increases in prices seen in food/groceries, housing/rents, and insurances of all types in decades along with massive increases in the costs of new and used vehicles. Tied into the Biden economy are the wars that are currently taking place in the Ukraine and Middle East having a negative impact on our economy due to the gargantuan amounts of aid being sent by our government. In my opinion, it is now critically imperative for voters to put personal feelings aside and ask themselves while voting “am I better off economically than I was four years ago?” I will venture to say no you are not, and therefore you now must vote accordingly.

The Biden Administration keeps trying to tell you that the economy is great, and you are much better off than you were under the Trump Administration's economy whether you know it or not! This is sickening economic gibberish as the real economic figures are showing a much more gloom and doom scenario since inflation has raised the costs of mostly everything and real wages have gone up to support the inflation rate. If you are on a fixed income like most retirees, you may be skipping meals to stretch your budget due to the excessively prohibitive costs of food. There also seems to be a disconnect in the labor market as certain jobs remain unfilled while gluts of workers are seen in other industries. The service industry has been especially hard hit since the pandemic as many former service workers left the industry during the pandemic as restaurants were forced to close (without good reason as finally admitted in 2024), and will never return. President Trump has actually offered a real economic incentive to help stimulate real wages and the service industry by eliminating taxes on tip income. This policy will put more in the hands of many lower-income workers, thus giving them a greater ability to spend, save more and eliminate debt. But rather than embracing a bold and necessary economic solution, cowardly politicians from both parties turn a high tail and run, seeing the possibility of their cherished administrative state being starved out. But what value is failure unless you come full circle? The Biden Administration brainlessly seems to be placing all of its efforts into green energy jobs especially with electric vehicles and its attendant “DEI” and “equity” quotas that are impossible to fill. The Biden Administration does not see its own attendant failure with the gargantuan number of jobs eliminated from needlessly shutting down fossil fuel industries where it now looks like few if any of these new "green" types of jobs will generate any economic or tangible return to society whatsoever.

Not to be undone, the Connecticut of King Ned Lamont the Unaccountable enjoys this Biden-esque assault on genuine economic prosperity to steroidal proportions. While connected elites prosper, dangerous and incoherent conditions in cities have caused restaurant and storefront businesses to close in staggering numbers. Taxes on fuel have accelerated so rapidly that many modest people have been forced out of their critically needed vehicles. Taxpayer paid “economic development” funds are funneled to a should-be-abolished Department of Economic and Community Development to fund elitist and speculative projects with investment potential for the Lamont family business interests. Motorists following all of the rules are in a daily fight against the State Legislature to keep operating their gas-powered vehicles. Homeowners are vilified as racist, exclusionary, and environmentally dangerous by some Socialist-Marxist members of the Legislature and their tax-dollar supported nonprofits for merely wanting to live quietly in their homes and pay their bills. But as far as King Ned The Unaccountable is concerned, the state economy is great! After all, he’s been caught on several occasions benefiting from these state development dollars providing a major assist to his related-party investments, which he never admitted until my friend and colleague Tony De Angelo first caught him. In addition, he’s been to the Middle East at least three times by his own admission (twice in the post-war time frame) for supposed state “economic development” missions where few (if any) details have been provided to the public. All said, I would surmise that the Democrat-driven economic plans are great, if you are a high-ranking and loyal Democrat.

But as we return to the baseline, high taxes, high government debt and runaway inflation driven by incoherent and economically irrational economic policies and programs should be the theme of this year's Presidential and state elections. An unstable economy led by a feeble, mentally challenged President who continues to make poor choices enabled by equally incompetent economic advisors is ruining both our society and economy. Stable prices led by economic policies that promote growth and a country's self-sufficiency are essential for our country. But soon, the childish illusions must end. The United States cannot sustain a Democrat Party-controlled economy with instability and uncertainty. Because America has the economic ability and economic resources to expand and grow. America has the know how to resolve many of the current economic problems it has, the biggest being excessive government interference through a byzantine labyrinth of absurd bureaucracy force fed to us by the inefficiencies of our taxpayer supported government. We need new economic thoughts in 2024. Boldness. Innovation. Clarity. Not name calling, bloviation, serial incompetence, shaming, gloating and lies that we are forced to endure on a daily basis. It is high time for all Americans of all persuasions to prosper, and not just an elitist politically connected ruling class.

Deja Vu All Over Again Part 4: Democrat Inflation and the Compounded Damage of Politically Generated Economic Stupidity

Over the past three years we have had excessive runaway inflation in our economy. The political explanations for this phenomenon have been farcical, if not frightening. Over the past three years, my students have asked me on numerous occasions to explain what is happening in our economy to cause inflation. To this, I have always defined Inflation as is a sustained increase in the overall price levels of consumer goods and services. In other words, an item that used to cost $1 now costs $1.50 or has increased in cost by 50%.

It is simple. In an inflationary environment, consumers, families, and businesses must pay more to purchase the same items. Where does this money come from? Consumers have limited options that include cutting back on their purchases, buying these same items using credit cards and having to pay back that amount with interest over a longer period, cashing in savings to help pay for these items and/or not buying the item and doing without. Businesses must now cope with raw material cost increases, higher transportation costs, higher insurance costs, higher taxes at all levels of government, and more useless and hurtful government interference during a period of inflation. Consequently, this situation leads business to either increase the costs of the product, good or service that is sold. Of course, it is important to realize that based on our somewhat free market economy, businesses need to make a profit to remain open. How can they stay in business if they do not? Can any elected official explain this to us? Can business stay open only if government says it's okay to stay in business via Taxpayer funded subsidies and or political contributions to elected officials’ campaigns? Look at the contraction in businesses in Connecticut since the illegal shutdowns implemented by the Lamont administration during the Covid-19 debacle.

To get to the roots of inflation, we unfortunately must start at the top. The Democrat Biden Administration has engineered a massive overhaul of the works and functions of our economy since it took office in 2021. The voodoo policy of “Bidenomics” has tortured the economy with disastrous results, including runaway inflation. From a pure economics view, many of the policies it embarked upon defy economics (if not gravity), and are economically incoherent to anyone with the least sense of logic or reason. Examples include an open border with Mexico that has led to Taxpayers paying for illegal migrants coming in from other countries for their clothing shelter, food, transportation, and medical care, among other things. This policy has placed an exceptionally high burden on Florida, Texas and their border communities while increasing numbers of illegals flee to Democrat run cities like Chicago and New York City thereby causing massive social and economic problems such as crime, murder, illegal drug trafficking, human trafficking, a housing shortage and much more in these places. The economic costs of all the social welfare programs to pay for these multi-millions of people here illegally are estimated at $42 billion dollars a year. In my opinion, these costs are underestimated since we have no idea how much the "gotaways" or those illegal immigrants who cannot be found are costing the economy. My economic guess is that Taxpayers are paying roughly $60 billion dollars a year at a minimum for this economic nightmare of the Democrat Biden administration. (https://budget.house.gov/imo/media/doc/the_cost_of_illegal_immigration_to_taxpayers.pdf). This extra $42 to $60 billion dollars is a massive drain on our economy. Illegal immigration is a massive drain on housing costs in cities, medical care, social welfare services and our public education system. It is now common for legal Taxpaying American citizens to be ignored while illegal immigrants are getting a blank check and free hand in their "needs". With an increase in consumption and a decrease and supply and production, inflation soon follows.

Of course, the Democrat-led economically clueless Connecticut State Legislature (and its presiding Paterfamilias, King Ned Lamont the Unaccountable) are not to be undone in continually throwing good taxpayer money after bad, with such disasters always leading to increases in taxes, fees, useless and painful regulations, and the ceremonial hiring of politically connected cronies. As a case in point, I was saddened this week by the closing of a Bob’s Furniture Warehouse in Meriden, CT (https://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/financial-issues-threaten-154-jobs-at-bobs-stores-eastern-mountain-sports-warehouse-in). However, in 2018, I had written a blog (https:/swickspeak.blogspot.com/2018/02/connecticuts-department-of-economic-and.html) about the serial handover of taxpayer dollars to this same organization through the oxymoronic Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, a Cracker Jack box of favors for the politically connected. But to the inflation matter at hand, wasted money and increased expenses invariably lead to tax increases, which lead to greater inflation. Even so, no one in our legislature ever makes a proposal of either gutting or abolishing this tax-consuming and grossly incompetent organization as more taxpayer-financed debacles soon to follow.

Are you interested in learning about more money-burning follies? Green energy and the hysteria and paralysis against the use of fossil fuels have led to massive increases in our energy costs in our economy. Why is fossil fuel bad? Can this be explained? Why is there a massive regression racing to an unsustainable green energy plan with undesired electric vehicles due to their cost and lack of range one can drive on a battery charge? Our economy cannot magically retool our driving capabilities for electric vehicles without serious issues in finding raw materials to manufacture their car batteries, deal with their flammability, and managing an electrical grid incapable of keeping up with the demand for electricity with these vehicles being forced into the economy. No amount of Taxpayer funded subsidies will create this Utopian clean energy concept that seems to be the Job No. 1 concern of Socialist/Democrat acolytes.

In addition, there will be long term damage to our environment with the constant demand of large wind turbines that upset our oceans and seas and murder sea mammals. Much more, our country could dramatically reduce energy prices with the reopening of the Keystone Pipeline, more natural gas use and the use of safe nuclear and hydrogen power options. Instead, the political system races to the disaster of a new stone age due to these incoherent policies.

In addition, higher energy costs contribute dramatically to higher food costs. My good friend Tony De Angelo stated on his segment on 5/21/24 on the Lee Elci Show 94.9 correctly that higher transportation prices have led to much higher food prices. He is correct in his cause-and-effect analysis of these increases which are causing massive issues for families trying to feed themselves. Still, the entire political system turns a blind eye and a deaf ear to the simplest and most practical inflation-fighting tool, being the cost of cheap fuel.

If you observe, you will see that the size of some products has gone down, and the prices have increased. The new term made up by woke economists "shrinkflation" blames businesses for this new type of inflation. Sadly, businesses must remain competitive, therefore they have to cut costs. These same businesses are also being hammered by green energy zealots to make all packaging eco-friendly, non-polluting, and recyclable at all costs. This mantra and mandate have increased costs for all food products and in some cases has shrunk the size of the product being sold to meet this unrealistic and fantastic goal of green energy. Instead, Democrats choose to blame grocers for "excessive profits" and "greed". However, these Democrats should be continually reminded that their political system, fundraising activities and promotions are the genuine source of "excessive profits" and "greed" since that money is taken out the economy and placed in nonproductive and programmed uselessness doing little to benefit the economy except for the ruling political class of both the Democrat and Republican parties. Connecticut is an excellent example of this buffoonery in its politically elite system.

America has declined economically and socially since the irrational Democrat Biden administration has taken office, aided by the ineptitude, recklessness, and cluelessness of states such as King Ned Lamont The Unaccountable’s Connecticut. Our country has seen a massive rise in the blatant discrimination of Jewish people, conflicts with the axis of evil, Iran, China and Russia, a damaging open border policy, a fanatical and economically irrational green energy plan, campus unrest and violence, a fixation on proper nonsensical “woke” terms meant to divide and cause hate and derision, and the serious, far reaching impacts of insane government policies by a pathetic and corrupt Democrat President hell bent on destroying our economy through runaway inflation. Legal Americans should not be forced to forage for food like animals, be dictated to by a political system leading from behind without common sense and to be subjected to crime, rape, and murders thanks to an unconstitutional open border policy.

Inflation is a major problem that has turned into a political game of cat and mouse with the losers being the American Taxpayers who must just grin and bear this incomprehensible destruction of economic freedoms and our country as we once knew it. Inflation can be stopped but not by our current elected government and state government and the collective disrespect and hatred they hold for America.

The Dawn of Connecticut's Coming Stone Age Is Arriving

Last week, we discussed the fantastic incoherent world that King Ned Lamont The Unaccountable and his Omnipotent one-party ruling Democrats have designed Connecticut to be. This week, I would like to examine the grievous realities that Connecticut Taxpayers will be subjected to with the impending Electric vehicle (EV) mandate. You may remember that I previously wrote about this mandate back on 11/25/23.

Kindly be advised that the economically incoherent Electric vehicle (EV) mandate is to be pushed through in a special sham legislative session being called by the same Ned Lamont. The Democrat Party intends to implement the "Advanced Clean Cars II, ACC" initiative (the “Act”) in this special sham session, requiring that all light duty vehicles sold in the state be Zero emission vehicles by 2035 and that medium and heavy-duty trucks reduce their extant "emissions" by 75% by 2035 as well. Truck fleets of 50 vehicles and over will be required to report to the draconian and imperious Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“DEEP”) for "prioritization" of these fleets to electric vehicles. The Act also will create "superior warranty provisions and protections". It still has not been explained to me as to what this particular term means, in addition as to how the Act will work and as to whom will pay for it (https://portal.ct.gov/deep/air/mobile-sources/ct-proposed-emissions-standards-for-cars-and-trucks). Further, there is no public testimony nor pushback permitted in this special sham session, so in fact, these political wonders do not care one bit about what you may think.

The Act will result in a law that will compel citizens to follow California emissions rules and regulations which effectively eliminate gas powered vehicle as we know and use them, and replace it with the unaffordable and unreliable EV that will keep most people home during a cold and long snowy Connecticut winter. Please keep in mind that there still has been no cost analysis to this bill, but it is well-settled by many analyses that the environmental costs and environmental impact of generating mass vehicle E-power is far worse than the supposed benefit from abstention from fossil fuels. There are questions that have yet to have been answered by the untouchable administrative state bureaucracies. For example: Who will be paying for these vehicles, extended warranties, electric charging stations (that apparently will use no fossil fuels?), or EV batteries? Who is liable for damage when there is a fire in an electric vehicle and/or when an EV is in an accident? Will drivers be tracked by the DEEP or Revenue Services as to their travel? Will car electric charges be denied to those to be socially or politically unfavorable? In addition, what are the economic costs of the massive amount of gas/diesel stations/pumps closing, the economic costs of the massive layoff of gasoline/diesel mechanics due to a lack of work, the economic costs of parts supply houses/dealers going out of business since parts for gasoline/diesel vehicles will no longer be able to be sold? These are legitimate questions that need to be asked well before this Connecticut taxpayer funded special legislative session is called upon. As is par for the Connecticut course, all that is received is deafening silence.

Needless to say, there is the inevitable connection as to what (and how much) profit can be made by Ned Lamont's family hedge fund Oak HC/FT and the mandate for EV's in the state. The passage of this law will successfully open up yet another profit stream for Oak HC/FT along the lines of where investors immersed in the glamour of e-cars and the Lamont-connected Saudi-based Saudi Public Investment Fund, will profit once again as the Saudi involvement in E-cars has been covered in multiple recognized news outlets such as Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and The Jerusalem Post. How this blatant self-dealing by the Lamont family is legal and unquestioned by elected officials of all stripes is simply, beyond belief. Further, why this issue is never questioned by anyone in the state-run media adds to the total disrespect that Lamont and his Democrat Party have for Connecticut taxpayers. As my colleague Tony De Angelo famously says on his weekly segment on the Lee Elci Show (WJJF FM 94.9), Connecticut is the Lamont Hedge Fund disguised as a state. Of course, taxpayer be damned as usual.

In a respectful and fair world, Connecticut Taxpayers should be allowed to make their own decisions whether they wish to purchase an EV, and neither Ned Lamont, the Connecticut Democrat Party nor the failed economic state of California should be making that decision for them. The market laws of supply and demand should be at work for private transportation. Take just one look at the debacle of trying to run and charge EV's in cold weather as seen throughout our country. Better yet, picture a state like Connecticut that mandates EV's for all emergency vehicles, police cars, and food delivery trucks. Picture an ambulance on the way to an emergency call that runs out of battery power or catches fire. Picture an individual who dies because of this situation. Picture a baby that starves to death for want of baby formula. Picture a woman battered to death by her boyfriend because the police are busy charging their car battery and could not arrive on the scene in time. All of the above scenarios are brought to you in the failed vein of green energy, irrational and incoherent bureaucrats, consultants and elected officials, vapid climate change “activists” and the total disregard for common sense when it comes to this utterly ridiculous law and mandate.

This scenario in the opinion of many is the future with the horrific and incoherent "Advanced Clean Cars II, ACC" initiative. Profits over people. Profits over human life in The Unaccountable Ned Lamont's personal hedge fund disguised as the former great state of Connecticut.

 

Swick Speak's 2022 Christmas List For America

It is the Christmas season.  And it is time for the Swick Speak Christmas list.  A list of gifts that I hope America gets this year.  It is a tough list, as the majority of Americans dislike the direction that America has taken since a failing, feeble and incoherent Democrat President Joe Biden and his incompetent administration took over in 2021.  And Joe Biden will rank as one of the bottom five worse Presidents that our country has ever had once he is mercifully gone from office.

Here we go:

1. Americans want a closed and secure border around their country.  They do not want a free flow of illegal immigrants coming into their country, contrary to what the Democrat Party wants to see.  They do not want drug cartels, murderers, human traffickers, and terrorists coming into our country by the millions.  They want a closed border with legal limited immigration.

2. Americans want the energy independence that they had under President Trump.  They want all of the Keystone pipelines to be opened and flowing providing energy to our country at reasonable prices.  They do not want American dollars to be flowing to OPEC countries and the regime of Venezuela to support these countries and increasing our bloated balance of trade deficits.  They do not want to have the Strategic Petroleum Reserve drained to buy votes for the Democrat Party but to be used in a real emergency.  They want a realistic time frame to see if and when green energy becomes economically viable and functional for the country.  They want stable electric prices.  They want lower heating oil prices and a dependable supply of heating oil to heat their homes.  They want American energy sources to be used and supplied to our country.

3. Americans want an end to the Democrat induced runaway inflation of the past two years.  They want an end to the endless supply chain crisis that makes our store shelves look like 1970's Russia.  They want an end to the endless spending of Taxpayer dollars by all levels of government to pay people not to work and not to be productive in our economy.  They want price stability and to be able choose and buy American products in their stores.  They want solutions to the nation's debt crisis that our elected officials have created by their reckless spending on failed programs and the continual propping up of political hacks and serial incompetents at all levels of government.

4. Americans want an end to unchecked crime, theft and murders in our country.  They want a functioning set of laws that are adhered to and enforced for everyone.  They do not want laws that no longer prosecute thieves for only stealing $1,000 or less in products from stores.  They want private property rights to be restored and laws that allow for private property rights to be enforced.  They do not want their cars to be stolen in broad daylight when pumping gas.  They want a legal system that prosecutes criminals and not make victims of crime be treated as the criminal.  Americans want an end to the current deluded bleeding heart liberalism of making these transgressions be accepted as normal and right.  

5. Americans want a public education system that once again teaches our youth real subject matter that will provide the skills essential to them to earn a living in the future.  They reject the complete brainwashing that is currently going on in the classroom with a failed, woke, and incomprehensible curriculum of gender identity, sex changes at an early age, incoherent life styles and a rejection of parental guidance and love in their lives.  Parents are responsible for their children, and not a public education system full of deceptions, distortions, and lies.  They want educators to teach not campaign nor indoctrinate.

6. Americans want an end to the corruption of Federal, State and Local governments.  Americans want an end to being slaves to government at all levels by the waste and misuse of Taxpayer's hard earned monies.  They no longer want to pay for Taxpayer funded programs that secretly channel money to political allies, political donors, and family friends.  They want honesty, transparency, and truth to be restored to a government that they are paying for.  They want the United States Constitution to be adhered to and followed not rewritten to the liking of the politically-connected few.

 I know America is asking a great deal this Christmas.  But isn't what is being asked for is what America once was and stood for?  How did America turn into this shell of itself that millions of Americans died for in wars since 1776?  And why must the majority of Americans accept this debris, filth and muck being force fed to them on a daily basis by a total biased and state run media?  Enough is enough.  It is time for real Americans to take back our country this Christmas season from this invasion of wrongs that are being sold as rights that are damaging our country's foundations of liberty and freedom.  Americans have had enough of this failed political experiment.  Americans see that it is truly 1776 all over again as the fight for personal freedoms and real democracy begins anew in 2023.

The Connecticut Democrat Party Wants You To Freeze This Winter

 I wonder why the Connecticut Democrat Party does not want you to heat your home with heating oil this winter?  The Connecticut Democrat Party does not want you to heat your home with natural gas, propane and or electricity either. Nor does the Connecticut Democrat Party want businesses to use diesel fuel to drive the trucks that can bring deliveries of essential goods to stores so that you can purchase them in order to survive.  The Connecticut Democrat Party does not want you to drive your gas powered vehicle since it is such a horrific polluting object that allows you the freedom to go from Point "A" to Point "B" to buy those same essential goods needed to survive.  

You can see clearly that the President Biden/Democrat Party induced energy crisis that has been endorsed by the Connecticut Democrat Party, wants you to immediately stop using those evil and horrible natural fossil fuels and "go green".  Going green means somehow you are going to buy instantaneously an electric car, be able to recharge the battery for that car without using a fossil fuel based electric charge while living in your apartment, condo and or home that is now heated, cooled, powered by solar energy and or a wind turbine power that you have had installed.   Why is that so hard for Connecticut Voters to comply with?  Why is it so hard for Connecticut Voters to come up with the cash to go completely green and suffice the ruling political elite's demand to stop entirely using fossil fuels?  After all in Connecticut, the Democrat Party, a damaging one party ruler, that controls all aspects of state government, continues to be successful in the race to a social and economic Armageddon that has enslaved the state's population for well over 32 years now.  An annihilation of the working middle class through excessive taxes, mind numbing public education brainwashing, unchecked crime and theft along with an astronomical state debt that will eventually cost Connecticut Taxpayers well over $65,000 in new and higher taxes per person at some point in the future. 

The current Democrat Connecticut Governor, Democrat State Legislature and Democrat Congressional Delegation seem to live in a care free, fantasy world of lies, free money for failed governmental programs, political power, political nepotism, cloaked self-deals, laws that have no application to them and financial rewards and gains that they deem legal in their quest for total power over Connecticut.  And why are they allowed this?  How does it benefit the long forgotten working middle class of Connecticut?  It simply does not in any way shape or form.  They are the liars, thieves and fraudsters of the state. That is reality of their abuses of power.

The green energy debacle along with all the other economic and social incoherent gibberish that they keep trying force feed down the throats of Connecticut Voters is over.  They need to be held accountable on Election Day.  And they will be held accountable.  The Democrat Party's crisis after crisis shows the complete crudeness and rudeness of an extreme leftist political ideology gone mad with a lust for power to change our state and country to a third world status while benefiting themselves and their cronies.  Their heating oil crisis is yet another example of their failed leadership.  Voters are not forgetting nor are forgiving of their empty rhetoric and promises.  The Democrat Party is losing badly.  

And it is 1776 all over again. 

Democrat Inflation Is Horrific To Our Economy

I first started studying our economy and the science of economics when I was a freshman in High School back in 1972 and have taught Economics on a college level for various schools since 1982.   The principles of economics have not changed over the past fifty years.  There are constants in economics that never change, as inflation is defined as "a general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money"(Oxford dictionary).  In simple terms inflation is a general increase in the price level of goods and services in the economy.  You, as a consumer, are forced to pay more money for either the same amount or a lesser amount of goods and services.  You, as a business owner, are forced to pay more for your materials that are used in manufacturing your product and or service.  The business owner in order to remain open must increase their costs of their goods and services in order to stay in business and remain profitable.  A business can not remain open unless they earn a profit.  

During a period of inflation, wealth and savings are lost in an economy and a lack of economic growth will usually take place.  During a period of inflation those certain segments of our economy are hit the hardest.  These include individuals such as retirees who live on a fixed income and those who work and earn low wages.  For retirees who use heating oil to heat their homes, they are facing the stark economic reality of winter where heating oil costs have tripled and the cost to fill a normal 275 gallon tank will be well over $1100.  For many retirees they will be making food versus heating their homes economic decisions this winter.  The working middle class is also slammed as their incomes can not cover the increased costs of goods and services.  This segment of our economy must dip into their savings, suspend any savings programs they may be enrolled in such as 401K pension programs, reduce spending and or use credit cards more and not pay them back for longer periods of time thus accruing more interest charges at the same time. 

 In 2022 we are experiencing both stagflation and runaway inflation depending on the market, good and or service you are looking at.  How did our economy reach this point?  To me there is a great deal of misinformation being spewed by our elected officials and the media.  Inflation in 2022 in my economic opinion has mainly been caused by the reduction and or elimination of United States energy production in several different areas as President Biden decided to somehow switch our country from the use of fossil fuels to green energy.  The net result has been massive increases in gasoline, diesel, home heating oil, propane gas and natural gas costs.  The higher energy costs were passed on also to both consumers and businesses due to higher transportation costs that the trucking industry faces since diesel fuels have gone up well over 125%.  That higher transportation cost is seen anywhere and everywhere in consumer markets.  Food costs have gone up dramatically while costs of literally every other consumer good has increased.  This inflation contrary to what our elected officials and some media have stated is not good for the economy, is not from pent up demand, is not because of the Russian conflict, is not from price gouging by gas stations and oil companies but directly due to the misguided and economically irrational energy policy that this Democrat Administration set forth upon back in 2021.  Green energy at this time is not a rational economic alternative as the costs of green energy via its electric cars, solar panels and wind turbines is excessive and the basic laws of supply and demand in the energy markets can not sustain nor meet the expectations set forth by government for this change over.  For example electric cars are cost prohibitive for most American workers.  How does the battery get charged so that the car runs?  Isn't it from electricity?  Most electricity in our country comes from fossil fuels.  How many miles can these cars run before they stop and need recharging?  Enough to drive cross country?  How does this create green energy?  Thus President Biden has implemented an energy policy that can not work.  America was energy independent before he took office with stable energy prices and little to no inflation.  This one policy has created an economic nightmare for the country.  President Biden now is using fossil fuels flying across the world to beg for oil.  Does anyone but myself see irony in this pathetic situation? 

Democrat inflation is horrific to our economy.  It is economic punishment.  And it has been caused directly by the policies and economic failures of the Democrat Party.  They own this economy.  There was no need to create the economic debacle that is being forced upon us by the Democrat Party.  We should no longer be governed by a group of Democrat/Socialist millionaires who are dictating what we can and can not have in our economy while they manipulate the system to their advantage.  Just look at the inside stock buying by Nancy Pelosi's husband.  They own inflation and our poor economy.  It is the record they are running on for election in November.  And it is 1776 all over again.