Wednesday, May 16, 2012
And, Lieberman talks with CNN about the Taliban.
BLUMENTHAL: In an interview with The Daily Campus, the senator expressed his support for the Know Before You Owe Private Lender Act, which would require private lenders to inform prospective student borrowers of all of their loan options, "so people don’t leap into committing." LIEBERMAN: Following the death of a Afghan peacemaker in Kabul on Sunday, the senator told CNN that the Taliban "is not interested in peace talks," according to GovExec.com. Lieberman also said that the U.S. should "continue to put pressure" on the Taliban to engage in these talks. HIMES: The congressman used Twitter to ponder what's coming this week in Congress' 2012 session: "Back in DC. Last week, GOP saved a non-existent $20 bn from TBTF banks and eliminated a…
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
And, Himes meets with Greenwich students during their class trip to DC.
BLUMENTHAL: The senator recently expressed some concerns about Lieberman's cybersecurity bill, which needs 60 more votes to move, according to Politico.com. He said that the definitions of the bill must be "narrowed" and safeguards "strengthened" when it comes to the type of data that the government would be privy to. LIEBERMAN: The senator told CNN's "State of the Union" that the Senate Homeland Security Committee has scheduled a May 24 public hearing regarding the prostitution scandal involving U.S. military and Secret Service agents in Colombia. HIMES: On their annual class trip to Washington, DC, students at Central Middle School in Greenwich got a chance to meet and chat with Himes. "I always enjoy visiting with young people from my…
Monday, May 14, 2012
And, Blumenthal announces $5.5 million in funds from FEMA for West Hartford.
BLUMENTHAL: West Hartford is the first community in Connecticut to receive approval from FEMA for reimbursement of clean-up costs in the wake of October's snowstorm, according to Patch. Blumenthal, Sen. Lieberman and First District Congressman John Larson, announced on Thursday that West Hartford will receive $5.5 million reimbursement from FEMA for debris removal. "West Hartford well deserves this reimbursement for the hard hit from last year’s October snowstorm — a hard hit in financial costs as well as damage and debris," stated Blumenthal in a release announcing the reimbursement. "I’m pleased that this money helps make West Hartford whole for the hard work and sacrifice in the wake the storm." LIEBERMAN: Following a classified …
Saturday, May 12, 2012
And how to keep them from doing so.
Yes, we are number one. Connecticut residents work longer to cover their tax burden for the entire year than residents of any other state nationally, per a nonprofit organization called the Tax Foundation. This distinction is in large measure why Nutmeggers fly south in great numbers: Lower income taxes. Lower housing costs. Lower state and local taxes. Confirming this fact is a 2009 study from the Yankee Institute for Public Policy, a Connecticut based, fiscal think tank. Connecticut lost an estimated 325,526 residents between 1991 and 2008, according to study. Where do they move? States that benefit most from migrating Nutmeggers are Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. What is common about these states…
Friday, May 11, 2012
Bus riders, however, will not face any increases, according to the Stamford Advocate.
A proposal by the General Assembly's Appropriations Committee in March to eliminate a 4 percent fare hike for Connecticut bus riders from Gov. Malloy's budget proposal was approved by the Senate earlier this week, however, Metro-North riders will still face the increase in January, according to the Stamford Advocate. Connecticut Rail Commuter Council Chairman Jim Cameron told the Advocate that he was "profoundly disappointed" that the legislature chose to depend on funds from the Special Transportation Fund and the commuters to close the budget deficit. Gov. Malloy's proposed budget included three consecutive years of four-percent fare increases, which according to Office of Policy & Management Secretary Benjamin Barnes, said would bring…
The 2012 legislative session brought sweeping changes to the state.
The Connecticut General Assembly adjourned its 2012 regular session at midnight Wednesday, bringing to a close a whirlwind three months of legislating that saw many controversial but notable bills passed that will bring significant changes to the state of Connecticut. "Over the course of the last 16 months we have pushed more change through these two chambers than has occurred in Connecticut in a long, long time," Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said in his closing remarks to the legislature, delivered shortly after midnight. "Positive, meaningful change." Among the notable bills approved by the legislature this session include: "That’s a lot of change. It’s required a lot of tough decisions to be made. Along the way it’s ruffled a lot of …
And, Murphy launches a new campaign geared towards women.
BLUMENTHAL: The senator and Congressman John Larson (CT-1) announced $575,000 in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) to Connecticut Fair Housing Center, Inc. in Hartford to assist victims of housing discrimination across the state. "These grants help ensure that victims of discriminatory housing practices in Connecticut have the support they require," Blumenthal said in a statement released by his office. "The Fair Housing Center is at the forefront of fighting for access to fair and affordable housing." One grant of $325,000 will be used to provide administrative, investigative, and legal services to individuals who may encounter discrimination, while two …
Thursday, May 10, 2012
And, Connecticut receives federal grant money for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
BLUMENTHAL: The senator — along with Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) — introduced legislation on Wednesday to end the practice of employers requiring prospective or current employees to provide access to password-protected accounts as a condition for employment. “With few exceptions, employers do not have the need or the right to demand access to applicants’ private, password-protected information," Blumenthal said in a statement released by his office. "This legislation, which I am proud to introduce, ensures that employees and job seekers are free from these invasive and intrusive practices.” LIEBERMAN: The senator joined Blumenthal, Himes and Murphy on Wednesday in announcing $1,…
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
The reform bill now goes to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy for his signature.
The Connecticut House of Representatives unanimously approved the education reform bill Tuesday night, after the state Senate approved the lengthy bill early Tuesday morning. The legislation is viewed as a compromise of sorts and ends months of controversy between Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the Connecticut Education Association, the state's largest teachers union. Malloy has pledged to sign the bill into law. "I can say, with confidence, that this bill will allow us to begin fixing what is broken in our public schools," Malloy said during a hastily assembled press conference late Monday evening at the state Capitol to announce the agreement. The state Senate then huddled in chambers for the better part of the night Monday into Tuesday …
And, Himes remembers author Maurice Sendak.
BLUMENTHAL: The senator recently spoke with HuffPo about a series of bills he's proposing along with Rep. James Lankford (R-Okla.) that require contractors to create plans to prevent human trafficking and requires companies to monitor and report their subcontractors' activities. "Modern-day slavery by government contractors — unknowingly funded by American taxpayers — is unconscionable and intolerable," he said. LIEBERMAN: The senator used Twitter on Tuesday to talk about the Yemen-based terrorist bomb plot that was thwarted by U.S. intelligence this week: "The most important fact is that a terrorist plan to kill innocent people was stopped before anyone was in danger." HIMES: The congressman released a statement on Tuesday about the …
MAC
6:05 pm on Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Rosa seems to believe as long as there are taxpayers, a rapidly dwindling number under her and Obama's regime, that the U.S. government cannot go bankrupt! Does she have any clue of how fast we are following Greece and Spain down that road??! As if paying for people's diapers wasn't ridiculous enough, now she expects the 50% of Americans still paying income taxes to cover the cost of every … more ›