In This Together CT

http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news21065.html

By Alex Discepolo
October 23, 2011

The current State of Connecticut C Corporate income tax is 7.5 percent with a 10 percent surtax for companies with gross income of $100 million or greater. At this rate, we are about in the middle of the pack when you look at the rates of the other 45 states (Nevada, South Dakota, Washington & Wyoming have no corporate income tax), plus the District of Columbia. (more…)

http://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/ctnj.php/archives/entry/op-ed_a_firsthand_look_at_the_occupy_movement/

by Sarah Darer Littman
Oct 21, 2011 10:11am

Earlier this week, my son and I went down to Zuccotti Park to visit the Occupy Wall Street protest. Before I tell you what we saw, let’s review some of the rhetoric that’s been thrown around about the people involved in these protests.

Fox News contributor Monica Crowley called them “useful idiots who probably haven’t paid much in taxes their whole life.”

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor called the assembly a “mob.” Mitt Romney accused them of waging “class warfare.”

And then there’s good old Mr. “9-9-9” Herman Cain, who told the Wall Street Journal: ‘Don’t blame Wall Street, don’t blame the big banks; if you don’t have a job and you’re not rich, blame yourself… I don’t have facts to back this up, but I happen to believe that these demonstrations are planned and orchestrated to distract from the failed policies of the Obama administration.” (more…)

http://ctmirror.org/story/14266/state-budget-cutting-doesnt-wait-overdue-union-efficiency-ideas#comments

Keith M. Phaneuf
October 21, 2011

State employee unions insist they can make government more efficient without cutting vital services, but they are fumbling their chance to prove it. The labor-management panels that were to identify $170 million in efficiencies as part of last summer’s concession deal haven’t met yet.

And with the fiscal year already 3-½ months along, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s administration seems to have moved on, drawing its own blueprint to determine which state agencies will be cut to cover nearly all of the concession savings target. (more…)

http://ctmirror.org/story/14283/unions-malloy-bump-heads-over-public-private-partnerships

October 20, 2011
By Keith M. Phaneuf

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s up-and-down relationship with labor unions dipped again Thursday when his administration introduced a proposal that seemed to open the door to privatizing some state functions as part of next week’s special legislative session on economic development.

Union leaders and members representing thousands of public-sector workers balked at a proposal to give government greater flexibility to coordinate the design, construction and inspection services for capital projects through the private sector. (more…)

http://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/ctnj.php/archives/entry/working_families_party_rallies_against_corporate_welfare

by Christine Stuart
Oct 19, 2011 5:30am

Standing outside The Hartford near the Occupy Hartford encampment Tuesday about two dozen people rallied against corporate bailouts and tax credits doled out by federal, state, and local government.

It was the third rally the Working Families Party has hosted over the past few weeks to call attention to how much money government is giving to businesses. (more…)

http://www.courant.com/business/hc-connecticut-economy-1019-20111018,0,4835811.story

By MARA LEE, maralee@courant.com
The Hartford Courant
October 18, 2011

The Connecticut economy is no worse than the national economy — a far different story than in the late ’80s and early ’90s — but that sameness is hardly heartening, especially with misdiagnoses of the problem and the solution, state economists told the Hartford Area Business Economists Tuesday.

Daniel W. Kennedy, senior economist at the state Department of Labor, said a system that sent a smaller share of salaries and benefits to workers and a higher share to corporate profits and the wealthiest 5 percent of households created the Great Recession, and is the reason recovery will take many more years. (more…)

http://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/ctnj.php/archives/entry/hartford_faith_leaders_push_malloy_on_urban_job_creation/

by Christine Stuart
Oct 17, 2011 11:02am

Hartford area faith leaders pushed Gov. Dannel P. Malloy Monday to include an urban focused jobs plan as part of the Oct. 26 special session agenda, but Malloy was unable to commit to any of their suggestions.

“In a broad picture some of those are included, in a narrow picture I don’t necessarily think any of those are included,” Malloy told the small group gathered at Hartford Communities that Care Inc. (more…)

http://www.courant.com/community/hartford/hc-occupy-connecticut-1016-20111016,0,2266109,full.story

By MARK SPENCER, mspencer@courant.com
The Hartford Courant
October 16, 2011

HARTFORD — Since Occupy Wall Street started in mid-September as an outlet for anger over government and corporate greed and corruption, the “Occupy” brand has gone global, spreading to hundreds of cities and towns.

When Occupy Hartford laid claim Oct. 7 to Turning Point Park at Broad Street and Farmington Avenue, it appeared to be the first group in Connecticut to follow the Occupy Wall Street template. Since then, Occupy outposts in various forms have emerged in New Haven, New London, Bridgeport, Waterbury, Willimantic, Branford and Mystic. (more…)

http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Malloy-explores-shifting-some-state-police-work-2220745.php

Brian Lockhart, Staff Writer
Published Saturday, October 15, 2011

Connecticut has 227 sworn state troopers assigned nonpatrol work while enjoying the same benefits — the early retirement perks of hazardous duty assignment and the use of state vehicles — as their colleagues stationed on the road.

Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s administration is attempting to shift some of those desk jobs over to civilians to make sure enough troopers are available to perform critical public safety work in the field. (more…)

http://ctmirror.org/story/14205/longevity-payments-set-be-issued-oct-20

Keith M. Phaneuf
October 14, 2011

State government will issue nearly $10.3 million in longevity payments to senior employees on Thursday, including nearly $6.2 million to non-union executives, managers and other staff and $4.1 million to union workers, according to numbers released Friday by Comptroller Kevin P. Lembo.

About 39,200 union workers forfeited their scheduled longevity payments as part of the concession deal approved in August. But nearly $466,000 will be paid to 757 state police troopers and 437 correction officer supervisors who rejected wage and longevity givebacks. (more…)