The “Connecticut Way”: The Expressway To Failure and Unaccountability

 Is there a lack of accountability in our government? Is there corruption in our government? Is there a lack of any acuity, honesty, and purposeful government in Connecticut? These are realistic questions that are continually avoided by our elected officials and are never genuinely investigated by our state run media. Moreover, when a crisis occurs, it is the usual parade of useless hearings, unaccountability, and circular finger pointing instead of responsibility being taken by the person/agency/commission responsible for it followed by restitution and (where justified), criminal charges. Because we have been told for many years that real accountability is not the “Connecticut Way,” a “Way” that has led to failure, financial ruin, bulbous deficits, a failed educational system, and ruined cities for five decades.

But there is always that “official” attempt to make one think Connecticut is on the job. Believe it or not, Connecticut has a "Government Fraud Section" apparently led by Democrat Attorney General William Tong.  Its mission statement is: "The Government Fraud Section protects Connecticut tax dollars from fraud, waste, abuse, and corruption. The Section investigates and litigates civil matters under the Connecticut False Claims Act and other laws. The Section develops cases independently and in conjunction with other state and federal law enforcement agencies and with state agencies that pay, directly or indirectly, for goods and services with Connecticut tax dollars. The Section investigates whistleblower complaints concerning state departments, state agencies, quasi-public agencies, and large state contracts. The Section also enforces Connecticut’s pension revocation or reduction laws when any public official or state or municipal employee is convicted of or pleads guilty or nolo contendere to any crime related to state or municipal office. The Section includes the Health Care Advocacy Unit, which provides advisory assistance to consumers who have health care related problems, particularly those that involve health insurance and managed care coverage denials. In addition, this Section also supports and advises the CT Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, which is an independent state body that advocates for residents of long-term care facilities." (https://portal.ct.gov/ag/sections/government-fraud/government-fraud). Kindly bear in mind that this is the same William Tong who has advocated for prima-facie tax, employment, and Federal law evasion in his embrace of illegal immigration. After reading this statement I wonder if Democrat Attorney General William Tong should turn himself in his self-appointed mission to both not cooperate with Federal officials to remove illegal immigrants in the state and failure to fully disclose the actual costs to Connecticut Taxpayers since his stated mission is to work with " federal law enforcement agencies and with state agencies that pay, directly or indirectly, for goods and services with Connecticut tax dollars"?

Keeping in the spirit of “The Connecticut Way,” this same commission was ostensibly omissive with the recent state audit of Connecticut's State Colleges and University as performed by the Auditors of Public Accounts.  As one example, Central Connecticut State University Chancellor Terrence Cheng, was reported in the audit to have been using his state credit card, being a Procurement card (“P-Card”), in the following manner: "Between July 1, 2021 and Oct. 24, 2024, Cheng charged $27,125 to his P-Card, with 70% of those for meals designated as business meetings...ordered a driving service on three occasions despite having a state-owned car and then later renegotiated his contract to get a vehicle stipend." (https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/audit-finds-cscu-executives-had-lax-attitude-expenses/3457803/).But why stop there? The report also found that "Charter Oak State College President Ed Kolonski used his card to pay for $497,062."  Comptroller Sean Scanlon, who in my opinion has limited abilities/experience in this political position decried these findings in his 18-page report (https://osc.ct.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/OSC_CSCU_Audit24_v5.pdf). Chancellor Terrence Cheng who is a Connecticut state employee earns a salary of $442,000 a year along with a $2,100 a month housing allowance and $48,759 in non-retirement fringe benefits (https://openpayroll.ct.gov/#!/year/2024/full_time_employees,otherspay1,pay2,pay3explore/0-0-0emplid_empl_rcd/103A097F0FCE960AA5B7A3AB4FFDB5A4/0-0-0/agency), apparently does not even live in Connecticut but rather in New York.  

As found in the prior audit report: "The Chancellor lives in New York State and commutes to his office in Hartford. In 2021, he was provided with a state vehicle. In 2024, he returned that state vehicle and will instead receive a $24,000 annual car allowance." "The Chancellor had the use of a state vehicle from July 2021, through August 2024. In June of 2024, CSCU self-reported to the Auditors of Public Accounts for the State of Connecticut that discrepancies were found in the mileage reporting for the Chancellor’s assigned vehicle (page 11). Also even though he had a state vehicle for his use and a mileage expense the Chancellor "There was one charge for a car/driver service made on the Chancellor’s assigned P-Card. The charge was $490, including tip on November 20, 2022, for a trip from South Salem, NY to Stamford, CT. Additionally, a general review of transportation charges over $500 found two similar charges made to the President’s Office P-Card. On September 19, 2023, there was a trip from South Salem, NY with three stops in Hartford, a stop in Stamford, and drop off in South Salem, NY totaling $1,263.00. On October 25, 2023, there was a trip from Hartford, CT with stops in New Britain, Killingly, and drop off in Hartford totaling $784.00." (page 12).

The salaries and benefits of the Chancellor and top ranking University officials are astronomical on top of being a huge upraised middle finger to the hardworking legitimate citizens of Connecticut. Was there no one with any similar skills and abilities who could have been hired in the Non-Job as CCSU Chancellor who was a state resident? And why at that salary was he also afforded this kind of travel expense? Keep in mind that Connecticut public colleges have been cutting courses and raising tuition for years. But there is no desire whatsoever at the rotted top of the institutions to cut costs. Moreover, I wonder as an educator how these excessively high salaries and benefits benefit the college student in his or her education? 

But if you have not had enough, I have some more. As my friend and colleague Tony De Angelo often says, if you like Peanut Butter, you will love Skippy! The skill-lacking Comptroller Sean Scanlon’s office lacked ‘sufficient’ controls and led to mistakes in life insurance payments. (https://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/audit-unit-in-comptrollers-office-lacked-sufficient-controls-and-led-to-mistakes-in-life). Now understanding all these egregious failures of governance, if not failures in basic decency, why are there not fines, liens, charges, and calls for restitution of tax dollars? But honest accountability does not all speak of the “Connecticut Way” Spend ill-gotten resources, tax more, spend more, get a wrist slap (if that), promise to do better, get reassigned, and/or retire prematurely with full pension and benefits paid by the taxpayers. (THAT is the “Connecticut Way”).

And would it not be a wonderful world if every state legislator had to read, understand, and be quizzed on these state audits prior to being seated for the term and receiving their first paycheck? (But that is not the “Connecticut Way,” either).

 But in any organization, the arrows of accountability always point to the top. So, to the rescue of us all springs Democrat Governor King Ned Lamont "The Unaccountable" who now calls for yet another taxpayer-paid audit and apparent "accountability" while telling the state vassals the Chancellor seems to be confused by his actions and “will do better next time.”  But why in a rational world should there even BE a next time? If Mr. Cheng were in private industry he would have been fired and had liens placed on his property for amounts owed and possibly criminally charged, but since Connecticut Taxpayers must pay for his errors, he has smooth sailing for his incredibly high and costly state pension. And just to remind Connecticut Taxpayers, we still have no answers to Ned Lamont's family hedge fund (Oak HC/FT Partners) and its involvement in state government, nor to their associated companies relating to the Covid-19 crisis include "Thermo Fisher Scientific", "Sema 4", " Core Infomatics", "Ocrulus", "Urjanet", "1life Healthcare", "Galileo Health", "Castlight Health", "Paladina Health", and "VillageMD" to name some as to the amount of profits they received via Connecticut taxpayers. Nor do we have no disclosure of how many of the Governors politically connected hacks have been getting no interest, no-pay back loans and grants funded by your tax dollars or 2% “sweetheart” loans for upwards of $15,000,000 given to Sema4 on the way to its “pump and dump” and colossal  taxpayer-paid, failure. But we are always certain to see that the wayward and unaccountable apples in the Kingdom of The Unaccountable do not fall far from the Royal Tree and he will not exact on others what he never exacts upon his own malfeasance.

But maybe there is at least one ray of hope! The Connecticut State Legislature was seated this past week. A group of people! Elected by the people. To do the people’s work. To ferret out fraud, waste, and abuse. To craft legislation to deal with the aforementioned abuses and draft severe penalties for noncompliance. To call for hearings with live public input and consequence. But it does not appear that this is the direction it is headed. (https://ctmirror.org/2025/01/08/ct-2025-legislative-session-opening-day/) .

But all this haze of unaccountable euphoria can be summed up in the words of 51st District State Representative Chris Stewart, a Republican and newly elected member of the state legislature who said that he liked what he heard to kick off this legislative session.

“Governor Lamont did a really good job,” Representative Stewart said. “One thing I’ve always admired about him is he tries to be levelheaded and makes sure he addresses the concerns and the issues from both sides of the aisle, Democrats and Republicans.”

That comment, Ladies, and Gentlemen, sadly speaks for itself.

 

 

Does Government For The People Exist Any More?

I wonder what has happened to our government.  Does our government represent you and I, the common taxpayers in our society? The past four years at the Federal and Connecticut level have seen an enormous amount of governing by fiat; executive orders on anything and everything that can buy votes and or satisfy a political donor base.  We have seen a continual disregard of law through numerous dictates from the Biden-Harris and King Ned Lamont the Unaccountable administrations including (but not limited to) energy independence, an open and unchecked border, an elimination of student loan debt, runaway inflation, a deadly illegal drug crisis, rampant homelessness due to governmental incompetence, a $35 trillion dollar National Debt crisis, a failed and costly green energy at all costs policy, dilution of personal rights, attempted assassinations of a Presidential candidate, national security blunders, and much, much more.  This is not the latest news to anyone.  Bad and incoherent decisions at the national level by a President who is a shell of his former self along with an unprepared, speech stumbling (and possibly impaired) Vice President has placed our country in danger and vulnerable to a loss of personal freedoms and war with communist/totalitarian countries.  We are in great peril at this time in our nation's history at about every level of our government.  

Again, I still wonder what happened to our government.  Many taxpayers and legal citizens feel a total disconnect with their government and questionable actions.  They feel they have been lied to by politicians who were elected to represent all people in their district, town and or city.  That is no longer the case except for certain exceptions.  Many politicians today have a clear-cut agenda that if you disagree with it, you are treated a leper to society.  One excellent example of this is the unchecked hatred by many in our government against a free Israel and the freedom of religion for those of the Jewish faith.  Another example was the severe economic destruction forced by Connecticut's government during the Covid-19 debacle.  How many lives and businesses were destroyed by the draconian executive orders issued by The Unaccountable?   To this day no one knows how much profit was made through no bid contracts by the state with companies that were owned by his family's hedge fund Oak HC/FT.  How much was it?  Who else in the political universe cashed in? And why does no elected official whatsoever join my friend and colleague Tony De Angelo who has doggedly and continually pursued these questions since the onset.

As is the usual part for the Connecticut course, no constructive differences are seen anywhere as compared to the sad and sick National scene. Last week, a labor action at the New Haven Omni became a Connecticut political celebrity show as vain and exploitative Democrat politicians were photographed on the picket line until they were embarrassed and shamed on radio and Twitter. This forced the picket to be dissolved and moved inside, thus having the laborers lose momentum and credibility as they suffered by the the self-gratifying gluttony of the state masters. As Tony pointed out on the September 17 “Lee Elci Show” on 94.9, this conduct violates every ethical premise whatsoever of the role of an elected official in a labor matter which is not to take sides. Also, there was a visit ten miles off of the state border by President Trump at a Long Island rally on September 18 that drew interest from over 60,000 people. Yet, no mention of this was made on Channels 8, 3, 30, or 61. Nor was there any disclosure of this significant event from either state political party. Why? Is Donald Trump not the GOP Presidential Candidate? If you are a Democrat, is Donald Trump not an existential threat to you, and now he would be so (so) close to you that you need to call the police you diluted and defunded to protect you from him? But chances are, you never knew about the rally as your political betters felt you did not need to know and they controlled the state run news outlets accordingly. Why? Because you do not matter. They know better. You are a citizen.  And citizen, be damned.

But wait, this all gets better for you. Taxpayers must also hear the daily unhinged rhetoric of Connecticut’s State Senator Duff and United States Senator Chris Murphy as they continually spew ignominious hatred of President Trump and all who disagree with them.  Senator Murphy is one of the prime hit men for the Democrat Party in his incoherent gibberish he spurts and spouts about President Trump and the Republican party.  One needs to remind the Senator that his party has been in charge over the past four years and owns the problems we have in 2024.  Do both Senators not realize that they may have legal voters and taxpayers who support President Trump of whom they have a duty to represent?  And don't these same legal voters and taxpayers have a right to freedom of speech and belief in their support of President Trump?  Or is that not allowed any more especially with two assassination attempts on President Trump's life?  I no longer see the Democrat Party especially with puppets like Murphy and Duff representing legal voters and taxpayers, as the conduct of fine and responsible Democratic leaders of the past like Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy is probably on the way to be excised from the revisionist history books.

Politicians can never take responsibility for their incoherent and hurtful actions as taxpayers serve our political class especially in Connecticut and other blue states.  Our government is crumbling before us with a constant stream of disjointed and muddled pomposity that we are force fed daily by our elected officials and an obedient state-run media. Your government exists now only for a ruling elite, a similar ruling elite that we broke away from England from in 1776.  The mental beating up of taxpayers is tiring and unjustifiable by its government.  That is the situation we are in 2024.  A government where the citizen is damned while the elected official reigns unchecked and authoritarian in its omnipotent rule.  We have a massive disconnect in our society with our government and its citizens.  The time is now to put an end to this disgrace of democracy.  Because enough is indeed, enough.

 

The Great Failed Reset And Pandemic Puppet Show

On June 3, 2024, the U.S. Senate Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic heard the testimony of Dr. Anthony Fauci (“Fauci”), the retired head of the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases with respect to his management (or more properly, mismanagement) of the Covid-19 pandemic. Even though some of the Congressional questioning and criticism was incisive and targeted, Fauci, being a skilled bureaucratic swamp creature, darted and dodged through many questions and statements that were either weak or rather were glowing statements by many Democrats. In the final analysis, only time will tell if this hearing was a springboard leading to a more effective prosecution of the fraud and of the mismanagement of Covid-19.

Unfortunately, many critical observers were left wanting after the Fauci testimony with respect to the critical questions left unanswered after the hearing concluded. Due to a myriad of reasons unknown, Congressional representatives did not sufficiently press Fauci as to where the convoluted nonsensical policies and reasoning as to the “coronavirus response” in the United States originated. For example, how was “social distancing” developed? Why were the schools closed? Who developed “phased reopening's”? How about “positivity counts?” Why was there masking and limited capacity in venues? Who killed the restaurant business? Why were there continuing coercions to forced vaccination? What was the logic? What were the reasons? Why was there gross mismanagement and errors in judgment? As my friend and colleague Tony De Angelo said on his June 4, 2024 “Lee Elci Show” segment, the vast majority of political operatives and politicians do not have the mental capability nor vision in order to devise these masterplans, so something else must be afoot. However, it is unquestioned that Fauci held himself out as the living final authority on all things regarding Covid-19 as he arrogantly held the entire country under his authoritarian thumb.

If one watched and/or read the Fauci testimony, one may have become sickened that their tax monies supported these insane, unlawful, and draconian policies which led to many needless heartbreaking deaths and a massive economic loss that America has still yet to recover from. At least some of the legislative comments directed at Fauci from this hearing that are worthwhile: “A million Americans died from Covid-19, marking one of the darkest chapters in our nation’s history. Four years later, more than 10 million Americans are still suffering from long Covid. We continue to fight for accountability.” “(Fauci), in his role as chief medical adviser to the president, insisted upon mask and vaccine mandates, lockdowns, and overstated vaccine efficacy, often disregarding the public and private medical professional’s ability to assess the facts.” “Blocking FOIA requests: It’s also curious that after Dr. Fauci was questioned by our Senate HELP committee in May 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services shut down all Freedom of Information Act requests. Was (Fauci) involved in any discussions for this decision? Why was that decision made?” Many people also don’t know that (Fauci) received two government salaries simultaneously, making him the highest-paid federal employee ever. He was both the director of the NIAID and the director of civilian biodefense, which was operating with a $6 billion budget.(”https://www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/under-oath-fauci-must-answer-these-questions-5660314/)  This Senator was well justified in his comments that still are being ignored by the media and the incoherent and unserious Biden Administration. 

Did masks, plexiglass around dining room tables and bars, constant disinfecting of anything and everything, standing six feet away from people while checking out in grocery stores, lockdowns, walking in only one direction in store aisles and many other illogical and unproven medical theories forced us save lives? It is highly doubtful at best. For example, if you are reading this column now, you did not die of Covid-19. Amazing, isn't it?
Also, did Fauci have a brain trust in working his twisted magic?

Needless to say, Connecticut had its profit driven motives during the Covid-19 crisis. I have written about them numerous times since the pandemic resulted in deafening silence from all sides as a result. My good friend Tony De Angelo who initially started to unwind the corruption of these state Covid-19 policies several years ago, re-introduced many of the same unanswered questions in his segment this past week on the Lee Elci Show on 94.9 FM. Tony submitted to the listeners that the same dastardly Covid-19 masterplan was hatched in the minds of Ivy-League consultants and indoctrinated into the weaker political minds of elected officials largely serving as enablers to the festivities along with Fauci and his colleagues. Trendy buzzwords such as "The Great Reset", "The New Normal", "Mask Mandates" and more key word phrases such as “The Greater Good,” are now part of our permanent vocabulary through the efforts of the non-elected but politically tied McKinsey Corporation group. A group who mysteriously was drafting the Covid-19 protocols and manuals for the State of New Jersey in 2019 and released the same in 2020 while forgetting to change the header date. A group whose "Covid-19 Updates" were issued to many elected lemmings such as King Gov. Ned Lamont The Unaccountable and his legislative enablers that did incredible damage to our economy and country as a whole that were accepted as the gospel truth while making these same officials appear cool, calm, collected and in charge where all they were doing was acting by a script. A group that in the case of Connecticut was buried in a nonprofit organization so the public never even knew they were involved, up until the time of Tony’s radio segments. It is unquestionable that something on a much greater scale was involved in pulling the Covid-19 puppet strings, and McKinsey proudly served the governments, colleges, schools, and military in this failed fashioning of The Great Reset.

Of course, the Covid-19 pandemic was a fantastic opportunity for the Lamonts and several of their close cronies and investors to exploit the State of Connecticut for their own personal gain and profit. The Lamont owned Oak/HC Limited Partnership was a fund that made great strides and profits thanks to the no- bid contracts it was able to secure from Connecticut Taxpayers during the Covid-19 crisis marched its way to a bonanza IPO ina huge "pump and dump" litigated stock scheme, with such “economic activity” hidden in and blessed by nonprofit AdvanceCT. This organization was concurrently housing and paying the McKinsey Corporation for its services. Let us never forget that in the beginning of the crisis during June 2020, Lamont-owned equity Sema-4 entered into a no-bid State of Connecticut contract for Covid-19 testing at the opportune moment. And Oak HC/FT invested in Sema-4 which was a DBA (doing business as) of Mount Sinai Genomics. Never forget as well that the Lamont limited partnership through a complex maze of companies, (many of which received Connecticut Taxpayers monies through forgiven loans and state grants), made an enormous profit during this crisis. A profit that goes undisclosed with no reactions whatsoever from ostensibly dimwitted and unconcerned (if not corrupt) body of elected officials from either party. And somehow, the state-run media remains silent with regards to questioning these "deals".

As Tony said on June 2, 2024, this situation is highly worth revisiting since the lies of the Covid-19 are being proven for real four years later. Many did not realize that they were being governed by the McKinsey Consulting Corporation secretly by proxy, with their directives passed down through the Faucis, Cuomos, and Lamonts of the world. And after many businesses and individuals lost everything they had economically and socially to an elite power that was financed by you and me the American Taxpayer, they scored, and you, lost. With that all said and known, justice needs to be exacted upon them all, once, and for all.

 

Deja Vu All Over Again Part V: The New $100 Million Dollar Connecticut Economic Bribe

$100 million dollars can buy a lot of things in our economy. It could help people pay off the medical debt that they owe. It could pay to comfort and house United States Veterans who are homeless and jobless. It could pay to increase border security and keep America safer at the Mexico/United States border. It could also be used to provide badly-needed tax credits and incentives for small business. It could even pay for a tax reduction. But in the usual Connecticut pattern of Democrats and their cronies sucking at the taxpayer trough, $100 million of Connecticut Taxpayers dollars will be handed out to the politically connected and anointed by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (“DECD”), this time using the new buzz word of "Innovation Clusters".

As in past periods, glowing flowery language is required in order to propound the illusion. So here goes: "The Innovation Clusters Program will prioritize funding for catalytic capital projects that contribute to the development of a campus-setting and cohesive sense of place that complement the state’s existing transit-oriented investments and incorporate a strong focus on workforce training, economic development, neighborhood vibrancy and regional stakeholder collaboration." "Other criteria for funding include: Leveraging partnerships with local businesses, universities, and not-for-profit institutions to maximize investment; Attracting and developing talent; Supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts; and Ensuring local improvements through community benefit agreements." (https://portal.ct.gov/office-of-the-governor/news/press-releases/2024/05-2024/governor-lamont-announces-creation-of-the-innovation-clusters-program)

If you are a non-connected standard-language Connecticut Taxpayer trying to decipher what on earth the above paragraph actually means, you may be wondering about the hundreds of millions of dollars that the DECD has given out over the years that is fully kept secret to the public and never really accounted for in a continual litany of fantasy “business development” projects, that if not highly questionable or unethical, have turned to dust. However undeterred, we now have another $100 million dollars that will be used in an identical fashion, and as an added attraction, this is an election year where vote-buying is the objective. However, the state-run media and public relations firms tell us that this funding is critical for the economic development of Connecticut! Connecticut! Connecticut! The state which has ranked last and or near last in most business-related categories such as costs, business friendliness, regulations, transportation, and the like. Connecticut! The state with one of the highest tax rates in the country having 344 different taxes and fees! Connecticut! The state that has $100 to $150 billion dollars in unfunded liabilities along with short- and long-term debt, with no endgame in sight nor any plan to satisfy the debt.

Of course, there is little to no originality in the trough-sucking of the “Innovation Cluster” prop. There is no need for any added efforts. First, King Gov. Ned Lamont the Unaccountable approaches the venue at Yale University with rambling platitudes of Connecticut being a “leader in Fintech and scientific innovation.” Yale, being an institution of higher learning where The Unaccountable is quick to come crowing about fantasy visions of economic sugar plums, but being the same place where he was nowhere to be found during the time of Anti-Israel disturbances. Yale: A place where the Unaccountable’s venture-capitalist wife Annie Lamont holds a high-ranking seat with “Yale Ventures” providing her a birds-eye view to cherry-pick any investment she may deem worthwhile at taxpayer expense. Don’t leave out the usual blandishments from the likes of the writers of Hearst, CT Mirror, CT News Junkie, and the business journals. It is the same story and the same characters, but just a different year and a whole lot of new taxpayer money.

Even a drunken sailor on leave buying drinks for an uncooperative woman knows when to put his wallet away and try his luck elsewhere. But not Connecticut! Connecticut! Where normal common sense does not apply! Where more multi-millions of dollars are handed over without ever having to account for the money that was given to Infosys Limited, Digital Currency Group and its affiliates, "ADVANCECT", Boston Consulting Group, UNITE US (CT), Mt. Sinai Genomics, "Thermo Fisher Scientific", "Sema 4", " Core Informatics", "Ocrulus", "Urjanet", "1life Healthcare", "Galileo Health", "Castlight Health", "Paladina Health", and "VillageMD"“The Horsebarn Hill Investment Fund”, McKinsey, CT Next, and Tidal River Fund. Many wonder where all the jobs and tax revenue are from these companies? Again, we have deafening silence from the Lamont Administration especially when inquiring about the Lamont-based Cayman Islands Limited Partnerships. How much money has been spent, with little to no results from it? Does anyone in the political orbit seem to care?

Again, these are just some more examples of the Lamont-DECD-Oak HC/FT recurring theme of using Connecticut taxpayer monies to prop up questionable investments made by Oak HC/FT and others enabled via the uncontrolled and secretive DECD cash spigot leading to either taxpayer-supported profit but much more often, risk-free loss. Followers of my blog and of Tony De Angelo on 94.9's "Lee Elci Show" are well-familiar with this Lamont shell game. We have both been discussing these problems for several years now with no response from anyone in either this administration or the state-run media. Thus, the new "Innovation Clusters" is the same game with the same result. Connecticut Taxpayers creating profit for the Lamont's family hedge fund and the politically connected Democrat Party. The Lamont rip-off continues unabated to the deafening silence of a lap-dog media and a Democrat supermajority, sprinkled with the silence (or encouragement) of members of the Republican legislature. Once again, taxpayer be damned.

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.

 

This Is Connecticut? (Really)

 

On Monday January 8, 2024, Governor Ned Lamont switched into full campaign gear in order to offset the economic and social nightmare that Connecticut has become under his non-transparent and profitable tenure in office. In shifting into this gear, King Ned the Unaccountable wrote a fantasy tale of what Connecticut has become under his iron fisted omnipotent one-party Democrat rule. The article can be found here:(www.wsj.com/articles/connecticut-is-leaving-the-welcome-mat-out-housing-taxes-families-95ae3567?mod=letterstoeditor_article_pos8)

The letter is fascinating to me as the Governor, who last recorded an income from 2021 of $54 million dollars of unknown sources, writes that, "Republican orthodoxy says our migration is all about taxes. We recently enacted the largest tax cut in state history, eliminating the income tax for most working families and taxes on pensions for most seniors. Democratic orthodoxy argues that families are moving to Connecticut because we are a family friendly state, with paid-family leave, expanded daycare and one of the country's best education systems." It is confusing as to how Connecticut is a "family friendly state, with paid-family leave". The Governor does not explain to the reader that the "paid-family leave" is engendered by a tax upon income for non-municipal workers in the state. The tax is levied at .05% of personal income up to $160,200 a year for a maximum of $801 in taxes one must pay to support this program. If you never use this program, you will get zero back from it. Simple high school math (which is out of the range of most local politicians) indicates that the fund cannot sustain itself due to the payout benefits it offers. Therefore, it is inevitable to assume that this tax will increase in the near future. Budgeting, payouts, and revenue for this program seemed locked in constant secrecy but that is normal for Connecticut state programs. It is ironic to note that those who have massive levels of income at the income levels of the Governor only pay $801 a year while an individual who actually works and earns $160,200 or less, pays the same amount for this tax as a high-income earner would.

Connecticut also has had a net migration of people moving out of the state and is ranked by U-Haul as the #42nd state that people are moving to (www.uhaul.com/Articles/About/U-Haul-Announces-Top-Growth-States-Of-2023-30660/). I guess being ranked in the bottom ten states that people are moving to is viewed as a great accomplishment by the Lamont run Democrat Party of Connecticut and somehow inexplicably shows families are "moving into" the state by moving out.

Lamont states also; "For most of our citizens, our income tax is lower than the Sunbelt states. In Connecticut, we have reversed the budget deficits and trends of the past, in part due to the new families and higher-income taxpayers who now call Connecticut home." Lamont seems to be either confused or duplicitous as Connecticut is still burdened by $125 to $150 billion dollars in short- and long-term debt along with unfunded liabilities. There is no plan whatsoever to pay down this debt, nor does one know supposedly how much these "higher-income taxpayers" are paying in taxes to pay down this $125 to $150 billion dollar in short- and long-term debt along with unfunded liabilities. The taxfoundation.org ranks Connecticut 47th out of 50 states on their 2024 State Business Tax Climate Index. Connecticut is the 4th-worst state in the nation for taxes. Simply put, Connecticut continues to be a bottom feeder in most business and economic categories. I do not see new businesses and industry are flocking to the state unless they have some sort of economic tie to the Lamont's family hedge fund Oak HC/FT. Of course, Connecticut Taxpayers still have no clear answers to many questionable investments and arrangements tied to Lamont through 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. Needless to say, it is quite curious as to why Lamont did not mention these connections in his letter.

The fables in the letter continue with Lamont on the environment: "On the regulatory front, I won’t apologize for Connecticut enforcing environmental standards to better protect our air and water, but we’re also making the regulatory review and approval processes more efficient." Lamont fails to state that he is a driving force along with unelected and irrational highly-paid bureaucrats in following California environmental laws to eliminate all gasoline powered vehicles by 2035 forcing people into electric vehicles, nor did he mention how the Saudi Public Investment Fund (an investor of his family’s hedge fund Oak HC/FT) is a major producer and player in the e-car space. I wonder if people moving into the state know this. Further, Lamont travels around the state in a large fossil-fuel vehicle with several state paid attendants in tow. (I wonder as to how many new residents know this fact, as well).

Personal hypocrisies notwithstanding, Lamont and his Democrat Party also wish to eliminate most fossil fuels relying upon nothing in particular in order to generate electricity and heating/cooling sources in the future. If the state regime wishes to protect our air and water, why is there a massive push to complete the hopelessly corrupted marine life-killing New London State Pier project of "clean" wind turbines at a cost of nearly $400 million Taxpayer funded dollars featuring cost overruns of roughly 330% from initial cost estimates? What politically connected individuals made a profit off this economic debacle? (insideinvestigator.org/in-the-wind-the-escalating-cost-of-connecticuts-state-pier/)

In addition, why has the state commandeered local zoning and the building of apartments and housing, thereby eliminating a system that has worked well for years? As is standard for The Unaccountable, his Wall Street Journal letter is economically incoherent and illogical especially while his political operatives push to gain the upper hand in this battle by taking away local zoning laws and regulations from towns and cities and placing them directly in the hands of these same sycophants and operatives. He stated; "As for housing costs, our state gets an incomplete. We have a shortage of housing supply, and more people are trying to move into our state, driving up prices. We are working aggressively to speed up the zoning process and double the state’s investment in housing. We are building multifamily homes in our cities. Parking lots and old commercial buildings will be transformed into livable communities that are a short walk to a train station, park or great restaurants." Sadly, Connecticut residents endure this nonsensical “housing shortage” blather continually, in a state where being a landlord has been made into hell by a shortsighted and incompetent legislature, and a state with decaying cities ranked #42 by the U-Haul hard dollar indicator of net outmigration from the states and fourth worst in national tax policies.

If you are thinking of moving to Connecticut please think twice. The Utopia described by Lamont is much different than the harsh social and economic reality of a state that is in a constant state of economic and social decline and danger. Crime runs rampant in the state, yet we hear little about that since it does not affect the Governor and his ruling elite. We are somehow led to believe that it is "Crime Free Democrat Connecticut" even though the opposite is true especially with car thefts. Since the beginning of the Lamont Administration to today the Lamont ruled Democrat Party places their profits over people especially over Connecticut Taxpayers. I simply puzzle as to how the fine publication known as The Wall Street Journal simply repeated the pap and blatant falsehoods espoused by His Royal Con-Man King Ned Lamont the Unaccountable without any due diligence as to the veracity of his statements.

If you are considering a move, it would behoove you to move to one of those terrible Republican states that actually have a strong business climate, lower taxes, less crime, and a better way of life for you and your family. Sad to say, this is not Connecticut by any means.

The Continuing Scam of Ned-O-Nomics: The Infosys Economic Giveaway (Part 2)

In my second part of my analysis of the debacle of the  Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (aka “DECD”) providing an $18 million dollar contract of taxpayer money to purportedly bring 1,200 jobs to Connecticut over an either six- or eight-year period (depending on clarifications to this secret agreement), along with a $20 million dollar contract for supposed maintenance and support services to the Office of Early Childhood and Connecticut’s Health Insurance Exchange known as “Access Health CT”,  we will look at several more highly questionable situations with respect to Infosys Systems (aka “Infosys”) and their dealings with other cities and states and employees in our country.As my friend and colleague Tony De Angelo is fond of saying on 94.9 “Lee Elci Show,” if you like peanut butter, you are going to love Skippy once you review these debacles.

Recently Indianapolis, Indiana is wondering where $56 million in grant monies have gone for supposedly "3,000 new jobs".  The following news report speaks volumes: "In 2018, India-based Infosys, a technology information service provider, announced to great fanfare that it was going to build a $245 million campus near the site of the former Indianapolis International Airport terminal on South High School Road just off Sam Jones Expressway and I-465.  A potential $100 million in state and local incentives, grants and tax breaks helped seal the deal."  "Three thousand people by the end of 2023, according to a $56 million grant contract signed with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation." "City County Councilor Jared Evans is still waiting for that new day to dawn on Indianapolis’ westside.” I’d like to know where the three thousand jobs are at,” he said. “I don’t think all of them are at One America Tower, and they’re certainly not out there, so, where are they?” "Infosys has a headquarters in downtown Indianapolis and has completed construction on a training center as the centerpiece of its proposed campus that on most days appears nearly empty judging by the number of vehicles in the parking lot." "Evans and westside business leaders tell Fox 59 News that Infosys has rejected attempts to participate in community events and organizations despite promises to be a good neighbor."  (https://fox59.com/indiana-news/city-and-state-await-payback-from-infosys-expansion). Again, please remember that Connecticut is giving $18 million dollars to Infosys for supposedly 1200 "new jobs".

Or how about this issue with California? "Infosys will pay California $800,000 to resolve allegations that between 2006 and 2017, approximately 500 Infosys employees were working in the State on Infosys-sponsored B-1 visas rather than H-1B visas, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said. This misclassification resulted in Infosys avoiding California payroll taxes such as the unemployment insurance, disability insurance, and employment training taxes." (https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/infosys-fined-800-000-for-worker-misclassification-tax-fraud-in-us-119121800136_1.html)

In trying to find any information as to the actual amount of jobs Infosys has created in our country, regrettably, one is unable to get any information with regards to this critical information.  Instead, we see the company has been fined millions for violating Visa laws.  Infosys paid a record $34 million dollar penalty for immigration fraud in 2013, per the following news report: "Infosys, a Bangalore-based outsourcing company, agreed to pay a civic settlement of $34 million for “systematic visa fraud and abuse” as announced by Texas prosecutors after two years of investigation. This serious offense constitutes the largest fine in history for an immigration law violation. Misuse of B-1 visas was not the only serious and blatant violation of immigration law, Infosys also had other less obvious, but equally significant infractions in regard to I-9 compliance. It turns out that Infosys failed to maintain I-9 records for many of its foreign nationals in the United States in 2010 and 2011 as required by law; 80% of all I-9s from Infosys contained substantive violations." (https://visawolf.com/infosys-pays-34-million-for-abuses-of-immigration-law)

Infosys was also the subject of a massive discrimination lawsuit.  "The plaintiffs, four IT workers from around the U.S., brought their discrimination lawsuit against the India-based IT services giant in 2013. This week, they filed a motion seeking class-action certification from 2009 and say the potential pool of plaintiffs may be as large as 125,000." "The lawsuit alleges that the India-based firm was engaged in "ongoing national origin and race discrimination," and claimed, at the time the lawsuit was filed, that the Infosys U.S. workforce was roughly 90% South Asian. One plaintiff was hired by Infosys to work on a $49.5 million Affordable Care Act, government-funded development project for the District of Columbia. There were about one hundred Infosys employees working on the healthcare project, but only three were American, the lawsuit claimed. The plaintiff alleged harassment, and was denied promotion, the complaint said. Neumark brought a statistical analysis to the discrimination claim. Specifically, the economist wrote, "from 2009 through 2015, 89.39% of Infosys' United States workforce was South Asian while only 11.45% of the United States' Computer Systems Design and Related Services industry was South Asian."(https://www.computerworld.com/article/3137500/infosys-u-s-workforce-is-mostly-south-asian-and-no-accident-plaintiffs-allege.html)

The Biblical premise of finding out if information is true is the law of this information being repeated “in the mouth of two or three witnesses.”  To this end, we have viewed several examples of this worldwide company and how it apparently operates in the United States.  From an economics perspective I do not see how Connecticut Taxpayers benefit from two separate taxpayer funded contracts to Infosys that will transfer $38 million dollars to them.  For what?  Mythical job creation?  Mythical upgrades to a computer system and program? Another profit source for the Lamont's family hedge fund Oak HC/FT based upon the documented common investments between Oak HC/FT and Infosys? More state crony-based DECD “economic development training?”  To help eliminate more jobs for United States born and raised Information Technology workers? Another "throw your money in the street DECD/Ned Deal" just to show how fast taxpayer money can disappear and how inept people can be? All of this puts one at a complete loss.

Please consider the following: It has been four years starting with the 2020 Covid-19 debacle and we still do not have any answers to Ned Lamont's family hedge fund (Oak HC/FT Partners) investments to Rapyd, a global Fintech-as-a-service provider and Unqork, both having documented common-investment ties to Infosys.  Nor are any answers forthcoming from associated companies relating to the Covid-19 crisis that include "Thermo Fisher Scientific", "Sema 4", " Core Infomatics", “Centrellis”. "Ocrulus", "Urjanet", "1life Healthcare", "Galileo Health", "Castlight Health", "Paladina Health", and "VillageMD" to name several.   

Thus, the rip off of Connecticut Taxpayers and many other Taxpayers throughout our country continues with the economic grants given freely to Infosys.  Many more examples exist as to why Infosys (and the DECD) should not be funded any more, at all. Yet, poor vassal taxpayers’ monies are freely given in the rhetoric and drivel that is defined as "economic development" which is a game that government likes to play with taxpayer substance, especially in the non-transparent state of Connecticut. 

Since there has been scant government outcry to this egregious situation, one only prays that there will be a chorus of taxpayers who will first call for the breaking of ties with Infosys, followed by the defunding of the DECD.  Jobs are not being created especially for Connecticut Information Technology workers.  This is a sham and a shame and should be called out as such.  But with Annie Lamont of Oak HC/FT spouse of the stalwart Connecticut Governor His Royal Con-Man, King Ned Lamont the Unaccountable, aided by the corrupted Democrat Party in an iron grip control of the state and bankrolled by an economically irrational DECD calling the shots, it is business as usual in the state.  Connecticut Information Technology workers be damned.  Connecticut Taxpayers be damned. And any reasonable economic fairness and decency in Connecticut can go to hell as well. Nothing changes in a state that is a bottom feeder in all economic categories with $100-$150 billion dollars in short- and long-term debt along with unfunded liabilities. 

Connecticut will soon be accelerating its trip into the economic and social gutter with the help of this horrendous and illogical Infosys economic grant. Its up to you, my reader, to cry out and finally put a stop to this mess.

The Continuing Scam of Ned-O-Nomics: The Infosys Economic Giveaway (Part 1)

Just about all poor vassal taxpayers in the State of Connecticut are aware of the saga of Sema4, a flagship equity investment promoted by Oak HC/FT, Oak HC/FT being the hedge-fund partnership partially owned by Annie Lamont, spouse of the stalwart Connecticut Governor His Royal Con-Man, King Ned Lamont The Unaccountable. We followed Sema4 through its journey from "no-bid" Covid testing and documented its personal data theft of children to the “pump” of its IPO in 2021, down through the aftermath of its subsequent “dump” leading to the withdrawal of its in-state presence in 2022. During this time, the Lamont-related ownership interests greatly benefited by leveraging millions of incredibly cheap “economic assistance” dollars to a backdrop of almost total political silence and a concerted corporate media effort to look the other way.

If we lived in any sort of a rational world instead of Connecticut, the picture we would be seeing today would be far different than the one now existing. That said, my review of a “responsive information” disclosure this past week concerning the same players but a different equity made it quite clear that other shifty “Ned Deals” were occurring during the identical time frame of Sema4, and unfortunately, no one was the wiser.

To this end, Infosys Limited (aka "Infosys”) is a worldwide company that over the past five years has been able to and will acquire, a mere $38 million dollars of Connecticut Taxpayers monies. How, you ask? From the generosity of the (should-be abolished) Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (“DECD”) via an $18 million dollar contract to bring 1,200 jobs to Connecticut over an either six- or eight-year period (depending on clarifications to this secret agreement). $2 million dollars of this grant was purportedly used for "job training", however that is defined and what actual job training was provided is a mystery also according to the disclosure. These 1,200 jobs cost Connecticut Taxpayers $15,000 for each job.

Whom Infosys can hire to meet this nebulous quota is also confusing to many. Apparently "green card" permanent residents can be hired and will qualify for meeting this jobs quota. Jobs can be done remotely from home and apparently from out-of-state employees so long as they in theory somehow pay a Connecticut State Income Tax on their wages. Salaries that need to be paid qualifying to meet this quota are equally hazy. Further, there is no study in the disclosure to exactly ascertain how much tax revenue Connecticut will get back from this $18 million investment. Regrettably, a review of these documents tells us it will take many years for the state to get back this massive amount of money given freely to this out-of-state worldwide company, if anything ever gets returned at all.

That said, if we feel the above is bad, things become much worse: In 2022, Infosys also received a "sweetheart" $20 million dollar Connecticut Taxpayer- funded contract for maintenance and support services to the Office of Early Childhood and Connecticut’s Health Insurance Exchange known as “Access Health CT”. This ostensibly undeserved gift, along with the proviso of additional services for the Department of Social Services were a part of this contract. It seems like this was a pre-planned contract even though it went through a state bidding process and amazingly enough was awarded to this foreign company that uses "green card" permanent residents and out-of-state employees in what has been publicly represented to corporate media as a “local” economic development program.

Trying to understand the complexities of this worldwide company is made to be intentionally difficult. And why this company was given this money is questionable. For example, the global revenue of Infosys amounted to about $18.2 billion U.S. dollars for Fiscal Year 2023. (https://www.statista.com/statistics/900303/india-infosys-revenue). It looks on paper as a highly profitable company worldwide. The operative question then becomes as to why a company that has this type of revenue need this $18 million dollar pittance of Connecticut taxpayers' monies? We still do not see nor understand how this grant benefits the state at large. But regrettably, (or thankfully) those of us that have dutifully followed the saga of The Unaccountable and his spouse in this state discovered the inevitable tie-in food chain between Oak HC/FT and Infosys.

As just several examples:
• In 2019 Rapyd, a global Fintech-as-a-service provider, received $100 million dollars in financing that was led by Oak HC/FT. Rapyd and Infosys partnered together to create and enable a functioning local payment system and methods for their global clients.

• In 2020 Infosys partnered with a company called Unqork. Unqork creates "Codeless Architecture". Unqork received funding from Oak HC/FT.

These are just a several examples of the Lamont-Oak HC/FT modus operandi of using Connecticut taxpayer monies to prop up questionable investments made by Oak HC/FT thus facilitated via the uncontrolled and secretive DECD cash spigot leading to either taxpayer-supported profit or risk-free loss. Followers of my blog and of Tony De Angelo on 94.9's "Lee Elci Show" are well-familiar with this Lamont shell game. However, while the above is both shocking and disgusting (if not, larcenous) no one seems to care about these new founded investments nor do we still have any answers to Ned Lamont's family hedge fund (Oak HC/FT Partners) investments to associated companies relating to the Covid-19 crisis that include "Thermo Fisher Scientific", "Sema 4", " Core Infomatics", "Ocrulus", "Urjanet", "1life Healthcare", "Galileo Health", "Castlight Health", "Paladina Health", and "VillageMD" to name a few. It is yet more of the same with Infosys and the Lamonts, as he continues to be the darling poster boy of the state to the point where more than one state politician (including some Republicans) cannot wait to grab a “selfie” with him.

Complex larceny is one thing, but lousy employee management is another. Infosys has a checked history when it comes to employee retention especially for United States workers. Looking at reviews that employees have entered at the website glassdoor.com one can see major issues. You can review some of this data brought to us by the diligent efforts of “CT Techworkers” This group has compiled a pdf of some of these reviews that are horrific. I suggest you read this document: (https://cttechworkers.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/glassdoorreviewshartfordinfosys.pdf) An example from this pdf on page 4; "I left the company back in August 2020 and to this day (2/1/2021), I am still dealing with HR issues and HR no longer responds to my emails. The company had me listed as a resident of two different states, therefore I was paying income tax for both states-it was never corrected despite many different tickets submitted." My thoughts regarding this would Infosys Limited being counting this employee with two different state grants it received, being Connecticut and another state? Regardless, this would be a bookkeeping system in which millions of state tax dollars are channeled through.

What's another $38 million dollars of Connecticut Taxpayers monies? A “mere bag of shells” according to bus driver Ralph Kramden of “Honeymooners” fame, especially if the “key people” of the state are being buoyed by the funding. Again, this past budget featured over $823 million dollars spent for "economic development" in the 49th worst economic state in the union, and it looks that Connecticut has nothing to show for almost $1 billion dollars being spent by the DECD. However, this example presented with Infosys in conjunction with profits being made by Ned Lamont's family hedge fund Oak HC/FT represents again, a complete and total disregard for both Connecticut Taxpayers and for legal Connecticut citizens who work in the IT field and pay taxes to the state.

My second part to this issue will be forthcoming next week. Suffice it to say these situations are a farce and a rip-off against state taxpayers while an entire political and media system remains silent. But as you struggle to piece together a holiday meal for your family do keep in mind that others closer to the inner-machinery of the farce that is called Connecticut government, do not struggle nearly as much as we may.

The Destruction of Connecticut, as Brought to You via the Department of Economic and Community Development

 

A question for the upcoming 2024 Connecticut state election that must be asked to elected officials and candidates is how much taxpayer money has been lost or written off by the economic sieve known as the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development? (“DECD”) And the next question must be when will the DECD offenses of malfeasant behavior that have been noted since 2017 be addressed and corrected with proper reimbursements paid back to the state?   This past budget featured over $823 million dollars spent for "economic development" in the 49^th worst economic state in the union, and it looks that Connecticut has nothing to show for almost $1 billion dollars being spent by the carefree, unaccountable, and politically connected Cracker Jack box known as the DECD.  

In the past, I have written with regard to the failed state audits of this agency as performed by the Connecticut Auditors of Public Accounts. My colleague Tony De Angelo continually points out that these audits are fine work with no teeth as nothing here is ever legislatively acted upon. In this connection the DECD, being an agency that spent almost $2 billion dollars during 2011-2017, did not even have its first audit until 2017.  Why did it take that long?  Connecticut Taxpayers are still waiting for a response for that issue while during that same period job growth was the slowest in the nation and Connecticut was last or nearly last in most business and economic categories in the country.  Job growth was last or near last in the nation and Connecticut was last or nearly last in most business and economic categories in the country for the subsequent years 2018 to 2022 also.  This all was taking place while nearly $1 billion dollars is poured into the DECD yearly with these results.  There is no clear ascertainment to this day with the overstatement of the number of jobs created and/or retained along with the financial and economic impact of these same programs, further, there is scant due diligence of business borrowers, and in some cases there is no explanation for second loans granted even though the companies did not meet job creation requirements and/or were not making payments on their initial loans.  What are the real goals of the DECD?  To pay off Democrat Party politically connected businesses? To buy votes at taxpayer expense? To glad-hand and photo-op in the inner cities where money is only a temporary balm and false hope for these poor people that never fix the burn as politicians and panderers continue to lie right between their eyes? Truly, no one seems to know. (And worse, no one seems to care).

As wretched as the above record is, please bear in mind that the last state audit of the DECD covered the period prior to the reign of His Royal Con-Man, King Ned Lamont, the Unaccountable. To that point, we still have no answers to Ned Lamont's family hedge fund (Oak HC/FT Partners) nor to their associated companies relating to the Covid-19 crisis include "Thermo Fisher Scientific", "Sema 4", " Core Infomatics", "Ocrulus", "Urjanet", "1life Healthcare", "Galileo Health", "Castlight Health", "Paladina Health", and "VillageMD" to name some, and we have no disclosure of how many Lamont cronies are sampling treats from the DECD candy box via means of loans and grants. But for Tony’s dogging the DECD, we would have never heard the real facts of the $15,000,000, 2% (two percent) “disappearing sweetheart” loan to Lamont-family connected Sema-4 with no collateral or guarantee of repayment, and these documented facts are contrary from what Sema4 has ever shared with corporate media. Further, we have never heard accountability for the $5 million dollars given to Lamont family-connected Digital Currency Group to (in theory) "move" 300 jobs to Stamford, CT?  Also, we never (ever) hear about the profit train that is forthcoming with the banning of gasoline cars for Lamont and family with their EV investments tied directly to the Saudi Public Investment Fund as major financial news sources such as the Wall Street Journal have repeatedly reported. Think about how much cash will be going to Oak HC/FT Partners from this “green energy” effort while Lamont continues to travel the state in his huge Beast vehicle with his state-paid attendants and flying with state paid fossil jet fuel while he demands we drive cars fueled by propellers. Sadly in the perspective of the Connecticut taxpaying vassals, the only "green energy" taking place is cash rapidly flowing into Lamont-related coffers.

Further, one puzzles as to what actually takes place at the DECD and as to why seemingly there is no political will anywhere to clean house. The DECD has had three Commissioners over a two-year time limit thus indicated managerial and leadership crises. Politicians and candidates of whatever party always seem to line up and support the people in charge. One can only conclude that the political will to throw money as a feelgood by a Connecticut official is far greater than the political will to exercise proper fiduciary responsibility by that same individual. But this type of glad-handing practice is standard operating procedure in Connecticut.

In closing, let us conclude by having a real moment. Connecticut still has $150 billion dollars in short- and long-term debt and unfunded liabilities.  It is a bottom feeder state with high taxes, poor infrastructure, economically incoherent state union labor agreements, legislative Communist aspirations, high crime, theft and murders, rampant illegal drug trafficking and drug abuse, and a lack of any ethics or accountability from its Governor's office.  It is high time for a complete and full audit of the DECD from its inception and a full accounting of all of its bad deals and the true costs to Connecticut taxpayers, followed by fines, liens and prosecutions for perjury and larceny where warranted.  How much of Connecticut Taxpayers monies have been wasted since 2011?  What is the DECD really?  Connecticut’s government does not want you to know.  I guess 2024 will be another $1 billion dollars or more in Connecticut Taxpayers monies being spent for "economic development" while the state roils further in economic chaos.  And concurrently Ned Lamont's family hedge fund soars to new profitability.  

Things seem to never change for the destruction of Connecticut via the DECD and by those benefiting from the destruction.  

“Saudi Annie” and Her Saudi Profits

 Political scandals are woven into our everyday life, especially in Connecticut.  With the current Democrat Administration of His Royal Con Man, King Ned Lamont the Unaccountable, his wife Ann Lamont (aka “Saudi Annie”) and their family private equity partnership Oak HC/FT, Connecticut Taxpayers still have no clear answers to many questionable investments and arrangements tied to 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 even years later. To make matters even worse, not one political person to date has aggressively pursued how these arrangements impact the state, especially when all the homework has been previously completed for them to proceed.

Now let us add to that menagerie of companies and arrangements above the new Saudi Arabian connection as has been discovered and made public knowledge through the hard work of Journalist George Colli https://thectcapitalist.com/2023/07/31/saudi-annie-days-1-10/)  and continually followed up by Tony De Angelo on his weekly segment on the Lee Elci show (94.9 FM).  There is a disclosed investment of undetermined sum by the Saudi Arabia Private Investment Fund into its investment arm Sanabil Investments which in turn is investing in numerous United States venture capital firms including Oak HC/FT.  Again, Oak HC/FT is the Lamont family equity partnership.  Why are the Lamont's accepting investments from a country that has numerous ties to the slaughter of its enemies, terrorism, control of natural resources worldwide, control of the "green" electric vehicle markets and its batteries, and its atrocious human rights record especially with non-heterosexual people?  Since the Lamont’s have no comment whatsoever on this investment one must assume that they approve of it since it will likely bring more profit to the egregious Lamont family financial record.  How does it benefit our country when an elected Democrat Party official is allowed to gain profit for its' family by partnering with an enemy to our country?  How much of Connecticut Taxpayers monies were involved in this latest economic investment by Oak HC/FT?  Why is this information hidden from taxpayers? Why is the ethics system and financial disclosure system in Connecticut a total and complete failure with respect to providing disclosures in these matters?

Since “The Unaccountable” has never made a state financial policy decision that somehow did not benefit his family coffers, the obvious (but not pursued) question is how will this “Saudi Annie” deal imperil state policy? Will “E-Car-2035” be codified to the point where gas powered vehicles will not be allowed in state? After all, the Saudi Public Investment Fund is a huge investor in the genre (https://www.wsj.com/articles/lucid-electric-vehicle-losses-51035f63). Will all state vehicles now be electric to help bail out Lamont family investors that are losing money hand over fist in E-Car investments? Will this create a needless public safety crisis given the nature of E-vehicles? How about more wind power installations as the Saudis are heavily invested in that as well? How about the installation of Saudi- style “economic cities” in place of our poor pathetic wrecked Connecticut ones? All seems quite likely, but no questions are ever asked by those close to the Lamonts. This is a sickening and shameful indictment on the political system especially given the Lamont track record.

There is a strong possibility that Connecticut's Democrat/Socialist/Communist United States Senator and former faux Vietnam Combat Veteran Richard Blumenthal will actually get some answers to his recent probing of the Saudi's fund since he became very upset by their investments in golf in our country.  Will his newfound enthusiasm in actually finding truth in something actually uncover some harsh economic realities that paint the industrious spouse of Connecticut's Governor in a corrupted light by accident?  

The bigger question here that all Taxpayers must be asking themselves is why their hard-earned tax monies are going to sworn enemies such of our country?  Why are our elected officials allowed to invest in the antagonists and foes of America?  Did we not learn anything from history?  It seems we have long forgotten 9/11/01 and now 10/7/23 in Israel.  

Many people want answers to the Lamont's investments.  It would be nice to actually see accountability in Connecticut's state government.  It would be nice to see elected officials from both sides of the aisle demanding answers to these investments.  Ethics in government really do not exist anymore.  Just look at Joe Biden and his family.  But more importantly just look at His Royal Con Man, King Ned Lamont the Unaccountable, and his wife Saudi Annie and their resulting actions, where continual spin and avoidance are the orders of any day.  Those are all the answers you'll need to understand the complete breakdown of morals and governmental ethics in 2023.

 

Philanthropic Hypocrisy- The Lamont’s’ Innovative New Profit-Making Game.

Money is made in Connecticut.  Especially if you are His Royal-Con-Man King Ned Lamont the Unaccountable, and his wife Annie Lamont. Especially when you know you will never be questioned nor investigated by the Legislature nor from your state-supported “journalists” about what you have done, how your profits were made, how much of Connecticut Taxpayers monies have been invested in companies you own, and as to why your income tax statements are forever hidden from Connecticut Taxpayers. You take comfort in the fact that there are still no state media questions to your issues and involvements with Sema-4, Digital Currency Group, and its affiliates, ADVANCECT, 4-CT, Boston Consulting Group, Digital Currency Group, UNITE US, Mt. Sinai Genomics, “The Horsebarn Hill Investment Fund”, McKinsey and the Lamont-based Cayman Islands shell companies.  Ned and Annie Lamont need not be transparent to Connecticut as they own Connecticut, and they are continually held to be unaccountable by all for whatsoever they may do.

Con artists and grifters are continually in search of new marks. The new mark and obvious profit-making machine are Annie Lamont and her new “Tidal River Fund”.  The Tidal River Fund is yet another new state-driven startup for women and minorities for financing “early-stage startups of businesses”.  How and why this fund/program is any different than the myriad of State of Connecticut programs for women and minorities no one can explain.  However, the branding on the Tidal River Fund is that Annie Lamont founded it along with former Democrat Governor Dan Malloy's niece Alison Malloy, who just happens to be also the managing director of the state’s questionable secretive venture capital arm, “Connecticut Innovations”.  The spin on Tidal River is also that there are 21 (twenty-one) first time investors who have invested $25,000 in the fund.  It is important to note that there has already been a $100,000 investment by another cloistered state entity named “CTNext” to this fund.  Both Connecticut Innovations and CTNext are supposedly investing heavily in Tidal River but many fund investments will show little (if any) results once the “winners” are segregated from “losers” and the “winners” are picked for funding.    Possibly one reason the new Tidal River Fund is different than other investments is that is has the Democrat pedigree of the relatives of two of the worse Governors in the state's history, Malloy, and Lamont The Unaccountable. But by these people appearing magnanimous, this endeavor will never come to full transparency with respect to its reason for existence, and its benefit to the state as a whole.

Investments by the many state/private nonprofits for job creation and business formation are vast in the state and are intentionally made difficult to follow.  The Lamonts’ plea of ignorance as to the number of investments made with Connecticut taxpayer's monies into Oak HC/FT hedge fund companies would be funny if it were not so ridiculous and sick.  One should be reminded of the atrocious economic record of Connecticut even though billions of dollars of Connecticut Taxpayer's monies are dumped yearly to prop up the economic ventures and failures of Democrat Connecticut political operatives. Even so, Connecticut continues to rank last and or near last in many business categories and ranks at the top of the highest taxes in the country.  Do keep in mind that Connecticut has $100 to $150 billion dollars in unfunded liabilities along with short- and long-term debt, with no endgame in sight nor any plan to satisfy the debt.

In addition, please keep in mind that Connecticut is a state without any ethics or firewalls operating in a continual state of moral bankruptcy. My friend and colleague Tony De Angelo from the Lee Elci Show (WJJF 94.9 and THIRTY WITH TONY) took one look at this arrangement and said “Bob, this is a wonderful way for the Lamont family to scout companies with potential and invest in what they want and/or direct others to invest under a cloak of philanthropy. What is even better is that they and their cronies get to be observant “venture capitalists” without “venturing” one red cent. There is no written agreement against self-dealing in these start-ups. Nothing whatsoever prevents them from doing whatever they want, especially as they know they will never be questioned, and given their past track record it is shameful and sick that no one is questioning them”. Tony’s observations are barometer as to how business gets done by the politically connected in the once proud Nutmeg State

So, it is another year, and it is another innovative and racket-style Lamont Family economic plan for personal profit while inane marketing gimmicks like the "Make It Here" campaign (if you are not taxed out of business, robbed at gun point, or have your vehicles stolen), are to suffice for the rest of us.  More of the same rhetoric and more of the same results by the profit driven team that leads Connecticut. 

 The power-hungry Democrat Governor and his wife are the first couple of their kingdom in so many ways. This should sicken the state-but never will.  It’s profit (and now philanthropic hypocrisy) over people, especially in Connecticut.

Three Years Later, and Still No Answers To Ned Lamont's Sema 4 Debacle

Connecticut's secret Democrat and illegally-used non-profits are a fascinating look at the non- transparency of Ned Lamont's Democrat Connecticut Party's inner workings.  They are very difficult to understand and follow.  They are designed that way so that Connecticut's Taxpayers are kept in a perpetual state of confusion and ignorance while profits are being made off them, and other abuses are fashioned from them.  For three years now, Tony De Angelo, in his weekly radio segment on the Lee Elci Show heard on 94.9 WJJF, New London, CT has been discussing these abuses in these non-profits and their agreements especially with Sema4.  Connecticut embraces a hybrid of quasi public/private organization having ties to state government and at the same time having no accountability to Connecticut Taxpayers to show where money has traveled.   I have written about Sema4 several times over the past three years.  Given the perpetual information failure of Connecticut state-run media, coupled with the willful blindness (and/or) ignorance of almost every elected state official on this issue, it is time to revisit it once again.

Sema4 is an excellent example of a complex maze of secret agreements, offshore tax-haven partnerships, personal data mining, and a general rip-off of Connecticut Taxpayer's monies.  Ned Lamont and his family's hedge fund, Oak HC/FT Partners were heavily invested in Sema4.   By way of review, Sema4 obtained $45,150,000 in fast and easy state cash with little to no oversight in Covid-19 and Genomics testing from the State of Connecticut.  It received a $15 million dollar 2% interest-only "sweetheart" loan made by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development with little oversight, of which over 40% of said loan was forgiven by hitting bogus propped-up "job targets" paid for by the very loan proceeds made to Sema4.  It had loans and unknown billings and payments that in many cases continue not to be reconciled nor disclosed as of today.  Last year, Sema4 laid off 250 Connecticut employees and its Branford location closed.  It then moved to Maryland.   And many questions still remain unanswered such as is the loan being paid back?  Why was the loan given in the first place?  Was it given due to the involvement of Oak HC/FT Partners to prop Oak's investment and IPO using state tax money?   Is this a conflict of interest for Ned Lamont's family hedge fund, Mount Sinai Genomics/Sema4, the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development that a Governor in office can allow this type of agreement to be in effect? What happened to all the information and data with regards to the undisclosed Genomics testing for which state contracts are in effect?    How about a full disclosure as to what was done with this data and why?  Finally, were the "Covid Tests" made by Sema4 reliable indicators of a China-sourced virus? It is silence as usual from the Lamont Administration.

Connecticut Taxpayer's still do not have answers from three years ago as to the companies that have had investments made in them by Oak HC/FT Partners relating to the Covid-19 crisis.  Some of the companies include "Thermo Fisher Scientific", "Sema4", " Core Infomatics", "UNITE US" "Ocrulus", "Urjanet", "1life Healthcare", "Galileo Health", "Castlight Health", "Paladina Health", and "VillageMD".   They seem to all have ties to Connecticut also in the form of contracts to do business with the State of Connecticut, its non profits, or surrounding states with no bid contracts.    Will Connecticut Taxpayers ever find out how much profit was made by Oak HC/FT Partners and the Lamont family from these contracts and or companies?  Why is this information secret? 

Sema4 and its ties to Connecticut with its apparently forgiven loan are just a small part of the never ending amoral and unethical "deals" that are made behind Connecticut taxpayers backs with the full blessings of state government.  Why does continue to happen?  What can be done to prevent these issues in the future?  Obviously laws are immaterial to the Ned Lamont Democrat Administration.  The rule of law obviously can get in the way of the income and profits that can be earned by Ned Lamont, his family's hedge fund and other politically connected individuals.  Shameless and unscrupulous economic acts and deals are the norm for Democrat Connecticut.  They always have been and must be accepted for the masses, and those that advocate against this massive cloaked racketeering scheme are vilified.  Connecticut Taxpayers are the slaves supporting this plantation called the Constitution State.  A state that in the opinion of many lacks ethics, morals and true representation of its legal population due to unchecked years of omnipotent, stale and corrupted Democrat Party rule.  Changes are on the horizon since we relive daily the coming of the new war for the precious freedoms that were declared and battled for in 1776.