Chris Powell: As Connecticut sinks, the government band plays on

Written by Chris Powell
Friday, 19 March 2010 05:50

If Connecticut's state legislators had been on the Titanic after the ship struck the iceberg, they wouldn't have just rearranged the deck chairs. As the ship sank they'd have held a grand costume ball as well.

State government's bankruptcy and the collapse of Connecticut's economy notwithstanding, the General Assembly's Labor and Public Employees Committee has just approved a bill to require businesses to provide paid sick days to employees. Of course most businesses already do; some small businesses don't. While small business is the engine of economic growth and might be encouraged, Connecticut does things differently, economic growth being an impediment on the road to a people's republic.

EarthTalk: 'Healthy snacks' and 'natural flavors'

Written by The Editors of E Magazine
Thursday, 18 March 2010 06:13

Dear EarthTalk: I see a lot of “healthy snacks” being marketed for kids that list ‘natural flavors’ but don’t identify them. Should I use these products? —John Stein

Beloved food writer Michael Pollan recommends steering clear of foods that advertise their green attributes on their label. According to his line of reasoning, why give a child a fruit roll-up when you can give him or her a piece of fruit?  Only processed foods need to advertise what’s natural about them, whereas an apple speaks for itself, providing wholesome nutrition without the need for marketing hype.

But most of us depend on the occasional packaged or processed food, so choosing between the lesser of two evils sometimes has to be the way to go.

Teacher Talk: Small people, great ideas

Written by Dr. Merryl Polack
Wednesday, 17 March 2010 06:31

The old adage “You learn something new every day” proves to be true in my classroom, but not always for the reasons one would assume. It is I who often benefit from the ideas my students share.

One example occurred yesterday and came from, of all topics, fifth-grade math CMT preparation. Inevitably, students are expected to construct math problems within these tests in order to demonstrate their conceptual understanding of the four basic mathematical operations. While engaged in the spirit of CMT strategy sharing, my students discussed methods they used to assist themselves with producing original math problems.

Looking Back:  La Bretagne Inn burns again; school board backs ABC idea

Written by Tom Belote
Tuesday, 16 March 2010 05:36

A 38-hour blizzard dumped 23.75 inches of snow on the town, the March 10, 1960 Press reported. It was the heaviest snowfall since March 1956 when 24 inches of snow hit the area.

For the second time in 13 years, a disastrous fire struck the La Bretagne Inn on West Lane and gutted the two and one-half story building before firemen were able to bring the blaze under control. Mr. and Mrs. Serge Bataglia, who purchased the inn the previous summer from Mrs. Battaglia’s mother, said that they would try to rebuild on the site, although the loss was not fully covered by insurance. The discouraged owners, who had reopened the restaurant in November, had closed it during the winter for alterations and redecorating. [The inn was never rebuilt and was replaced by apartment buildings designed to look like single-family houses.]

Money Management: Tax relief for Ponzi scheme losses

Written by Mark Zampino
Monday, 15 March 2010 06:00

The name Bernard Madoff will forever be associated with investment fraud. Unfortunately, however, Madoff is not the only bad apple involved in handling the money of trusting investors. With the softening in the stock market, many fraudulent investment schemes across the country have come tumbling down like a house of cards. If you have fallen victim to one of these schemes, the Connecticut Society of CPAs advises that you may qualify for tax relief on your losses in an investment scam.

Fraud victims may never recover most of the money that they lose from a con artist like Madoff, but they may be able to lower their tax burden as a result of their loss by using an optional safe harbor method for computing and reporting these losses. That’s because the Internal Revenue Service announced last year that Ponzi scheme victims generally can deduct as much as 95% of their qualified investment, as long as they are not involved in a lawsuit to recover those losses.

Notes from the Institution: Big Yellow

Written by Kate McCluskey
Sunday, 14 March 2010 06:33

It’s slow. It’s dirty. And sometimes, it smells. Regardless, it is my only means of transportation to and from school. It’s the bus.

In elementary school, I loved the bus. It was prime socializing time. Fresh from class, our minds buzzed with silly stories and innocent gossip. The bus was that 20-minute time period to discuss the day’s happenings, though conversation generally revolved around recess and which boys were lucky enough to be our future husbands.

Editorial: A Danbury-Norwalk hike-and-bike trail

Written by Macklin Reid, Press Staff
Saturday, 13 March 2010 06:53

The vision is ambitious, but should quicken the heartbeats of walkers, joggers, bicyclers, car commuters, environmentalists and greenies: A trail for pedestrians and other non-motorized traffic, running the length of the Norwalk River Valley from Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk all the way to Danbury.

A walk-bike trail of that length, through such varied neighborhoods and terrain, wouldn’t be cheap, or easily done. But it’s a great idea.

A working group with representatives of Ridgefield, Redding, Wilton, Norwalk and Danbury is looking into the concept, which has roots going back decades — talk of a “linear park” along the Route 7 corridor dates at least to the 1970s.

Chris Powell: Least-tested candidate may have most to say

Written by Chris Powell
Friday, 12 March 2010 07:20

While he is the least experienced in state government among the major candidates for the Republican nomination for gov., former Ambassador Thomas Foley may have just become the most relevant.

Interviewed on WFSB-TV3’s “Face the State” program the other day, Foley, another Greenwich businessman, gave indications that he has been taking Connecticut 101, that he may be a fast learner, that he might think for himself, and that he might say what he thinks.

Most notably, he endorsed repealing binding arbitration for teacher union contracts, thereby becoming the first candidate for governor to make “mandate relief” more than a platitude.

Senator Boucher: Spending cap has been ignored

Written by Toni Boucher, State Senator
Thursday, 11 March 2010 07:10

The General Assembly responded to the state’s budget crisis in 1991 by creating the personal income tax, and calmed fears that this new tax would lead to out of control spending and irresponsible tax increases by promising to adhere to a spending cap.

But the General Assembly has repeatedly disregarded the will of the more than 80% of Connecticut citizens who voted in favor of ratifying our constitution to establish such a spending cap. If the legislature had enacted the constitutional spending cap when required, it is possible that government spending would now be more in-line with the state’s flat employment and population growth — and Connecticut would not now have a structural deficit.

Talking Transportation: Fare hikes and service cuts on hold, thanks to Gov. Rell

Written by Jim Cameron
Wednesday, 10 March 2010 07:08

From coast to coast, mass transit is under attack. Decreased ridership due to the economy and reduced state subsidies are leading to cuts in service and fare increases.

For us in Connecticut, New York’s MTA and its $800 million budget shortfall could affect our daily commute. The New York transit agency is holding public hearings on plans to cut bus and subway service, eliminate student discount fares and, yes, even target Metro-North service.

Starting this June, the MTA wants to shorten Metro-North trains (achieving a $2.8 million annual savings) and eliminate others (a $1.6 million savings). Targeted for cuts in Connecticut are two mid-day trains between Grand Central and New Haven, and a late night local from Grand Central to Stamford.

But neither of these cuts will happen, thanks to our governor.